It’s easy to get discouraged when you try to build muscle at home with or without equipment. Okay, you’ve read in magazines or online that you should start at your level, because you need to begin somewhere. Yet it’s frightening and overwhelming when you realize that there are so many to achieve, and you don’t know how.
That’s why so many experts say that you need to make a plan. Don’t take this piece of advice as an old cliche because it is not. You should understand your needs and the best way to do so is by defining them.
Starting the journey…
The first bodyweight training sessions could be scary: you seem to lack coordination, you feel clumsy, you get really tired and can’t breathe properly, yet you keep training although your body aches and craves for comfort in a cozy armchair.
Yet, once you get past the first sessions, things get easier and you develop a sense of personal satisfaction following the routine to build muscle at home. What you dreaded as new and difficult will soon become regular and familiar.
It is of paramount importance to learn how to perform the exercises correctly or else you risk to injure yourself. Faulty workouts will also remain without any relevant results in terms of muscle or strength gains. Make sure you master the technique well!
How to build muscle at home – Basic Routine
Here is what a beginner’s bodyweight circuit to build muscle at home should include:
McGill crunches 10-12 reps;
press up 10-12 reps;
split squat 10-12 repsfor each side;
side plank, 15-45 seconds for each side.
You should go through this circuit between 3 and 5 times with a rest interval of 1 minute between the circuits. It may be necessary to make the exercises accessible to your level of fitness by dropping down the difficulty right at the beginning. The important thing is not to push yourself too hard because you will only increase the likelihood for injury.
General tips
You can integrate routines like the one described above in your existing program, or if you are just starting out, you can limit yourself to three training days per week, just as to allow enough resting time between the sessions.
Furthermore, the example above could very well substitute for the conventional cardio training that you perform regularly. It can also substitute for the workout routines when you can’t go to the gym.
In addition to bodyweight training, you may use a stationary bike, an elliptical trainer and free weights to workout at home. As long as you have technique and a good physical shape, things get a lot easier, because there is a solid foundation to lie on.
Last but not least, don’t forget about the importance of diet to support your individual fitness program. Regardless of your goals (weight loss, muscle gains, strength increase) you ought to balance your diet so that you get all the necessary nutrients from food without depleting the body’s resources.
Finally, whether you build muscle at home or at the gym, you should pay attention to lifestyle!
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