Do we really need to join a gym to get an athletic, chiseled physique complete with an enviable set of biceps, strong shoulders and a broad chest, with a few well defined abs thrown in between? Conventional wisdom would, of course, wax eloquent the benefits of joining a gym filled with heaps and heaps of machines on which you can do any number of exercises. But gyms are crowded places, and waiting for your turn to use a particular machine doesn’t do much good for your training, especially if you’re supersettting.
There is nothing more annoying than seeing an ego-driven hulk hogging a particular machine you want to work on or having to tune your workouts to the nasal nightmares of Himesh Reshimaya. Sure, gyms are great and working out under the watchful eye of an experienced instructor can be hugely beneficial but if you don’t have the moolah and/or the time to hit the gym regularly, then there is another eminently effective alternative for you.
Training at Home
Why Not? You can use your garage, basement, spare room or build a mini gym right in your bedroom. Though training in a small 3m by 3m room can be restricting, but if you are motivated and take the right diet then your body will become leaner, fitter and buffed up in as few as six weeks.
The equipment you will need:
• Dumbbells (of variable weights)
• A Barbell (buy some extra weights)
• A pull up bar (Can be attached to the door frame)
• Rubber resistance bands
• Push Up Bars
Using this equipment, you can work on every single muscle of your body. Here’s am effective sample workout that you can try. It doesn’t include the repetitions as that depends on the weights used.
Sample Home Workout
1. Monday
Muscle Groups Targeted: Quads/Calves/Hams
Barbell Squats
Main Muscle Trained: Quadriceps
Other Muscles Trained: Calves, Lower Back, Glutes Hamstrings
Equipment Required: Barbell
Xpert Tips: Take the barbell and rest it on the upper portion of your back. Then hold the bar at roughly twice your shoulder width apart. With your feet spread wide and your back as straight as possible, slowly bend your knees till your thighs are positioned parallel to the ground. Then slowly push the weight back to its original position.
Leg Extensions
Main Muscle Trained: Quadriceps
Other Muscles Trained: None
Equipment Required: Resistance Band
Xpert Tips: First wrap the resistance band around the bottom of your bed and then while keeping your toes pointed away from you, place the handles on each foot. Begin by bending ninety degrees. If the length of the band makes it too easy for you to perform this movement then apply more resistance, by pulling at the band. Inhale deeply while you extend your legs, and exhale while moving them down.
Hamstring Curls
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Main Muscle Trained: Hamstring
Other muscles trained: Calves
Equipment required: Resistance Bands
Xpert Tips: Coil the resistance band around the bottom of your bed and place the ends around your legs as shown in the image. Then lie on your stomach and hold the other end of the bed for support. Pull up your legs to the ninety degree position and then slowly bring them down.
Standing Calf Raises
Main Muscle Trained: Calves
Other Muscles Trained: None
Equipment Required: Resistance bands
Xpert Tips: Divide the band’s length in two equal halves and place it under something heavy like under the door. Then hold the handles as shown in the image. Stand straight while tilting your body slightly forward. Then rise up on your toes and keep the position for as long as possible before slowly returning to the original position.
2. Tuesday
Concentrate on cardio exercises on this day. If you have a treadmill at home or a cross-trainer, you can use that. If not, then a jog will do as well.
3. Wednesday
Muscle Groups Targeted: Biceps/Traps/Back
Barbell Curl
Main Muscle trained: Biceps
Other Muscle Trained: None
Equipment Required: Barbell
Xpert Tips: Hold the barbell with your hands placed shoulder width apart with an underhand grip and stand erect. Let the bar hang down with your arms stretched all the way down. Now without leaning back, curl up the bar to your chest and squeeze your biceps at the top. Then lower the weight as slowly as possible back to its original position.
Dumbbell Curls
Main Muscle Trained: Biceps
Other muscles Trained: None
Equipment Required: Dumbbells
Xpert Tips: Hold the dumbbells with your palms facing in and curl them up at the same time while twisting in your wrists. Make sure that your elbows don’t move from their original position and stay in the same place during the entire movement. Also keep your arms close by your side.
Concentration Curls
Main Muscle Trained: Biceps
Other muscles Trained: None
Equipment Required: Dumbbells
Xpert Tips: Sit on the side of a bed or a chair with no arm rests and spread your legs apart into a wide V. Rest the elbow of the arm holding the dumbbell on your thigh’s inside. Then slowly curl up the weight to your chest while keeping your upper arm, torso and chest absolutely straight. Squeeze your bicep at the top and then slowly lower the weight.
Shrugs
Main Muscle Trained: Traps
Other Muscles Trained: None
Equipment: Dumbbell
Xpert Tips: Stand straight and spread your legs, shoulder width apart. Holding dumbbells on either hands droop down your shoulders as far as possible, then raise them as high as you can manage. Then slowly come down to starting position.
Chin-Ups & Pull Ups
Main Muscle Trained: Biceps
Other Muscles Worked: Back, Forearms
Equipment Required: A Pull-up bar
Xpert Tips: Holding the pull up bar in a reverse grip (with the palms facing you) for chin ups and with a normal grip (palms facing away from you) for pull ups, pull yourself up, trying to touch your chest or your chin to the bar and then return slowly to the normal position.
4. Thursday
Cardio again!
5. Friday
Muscles Group targeted: Shoulders/ Chest/ Triceps
• Wide Grip Barbell Bench Press
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Main Muscle Trained: Chest
Other Muscles Trained: Shoulders, Triceps
Equipment Required: Barbell
Xpert Tips: Lying down on a flat narrow bench, with your feet resting wide and flat on the floor, grip the barbell as wide as it’s safely possible. Then lower the weight slowly down to the middle of your chest. Without bouncing the barbell off your chest, push it up until your elbows are locked and arms are straight.
• Pushups
Main Muscle Trained: Chest
Other Muscles Trained: Shoulders, Triceps
Equipment Required: Push Up Bars (Optional)
Xpert Tips: Lie down on your stomach with your hands resting flat on the floor, placed slightly wider apart than shoulder width. Your feet should be absolutely straight with your toes on the floor. With this starting position pull up your body away from the floor straightening your elbows and then slowly lower it bending your elbows, till your chest nearly touches the floor.
• Tricep Pushdown
Main Muscle Trained: Triceps
Other Muscles Trained: None
Equipment Required: Resistance Bands
Xpert Tips: Stand erect as you hold the handle of the resistance band in each hand. The band can be coiled round a fence, back deck, a pole or a tree. With your chest up, abdominal muscles tight and elbows stable pull down the band till your arms are just about to become straight and then reverse the motion.
6. Saturday
Cardio day.
7. Sunday
Rest. Chill out!
Xpert Suggestion
Abs should be worked on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays alongside the cardio.
So it’s obvious that to look good and to keep in shape, there is no real need for you to spend thousands of rupees by joining a gym. However, it’s important to incorporate the right nutritional program along with your exercise regime; otherwise, the desired results will not be attained.
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