Total Fitness Home Gym

Fitness The Way To A Healthy Life

The fitness home gym

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There are many of us who have gotten used to fitness gyms and now with certain social distancing protocols, I see many of them closing down. Being active is extremely essential to both physical and mental health. We may be losing that social interaction that exists when we go to the gym, perhaps contributing to the lack of motivation to exercise. Please do not fall into the trap of not being physically active just because you do not have the gym to go to.

Total Fitness Home Gym

The most important tool for this is your mind. You don’t need a ton of equipment, fancy machines, or crazy new moves to get in a good workout. In fact, some of the most basic exercises are still some of the best exercises. You first need to create an area that is out of the way of household traffic. The surface area and type are also important. Perhaps a map would serve your needs.

Exercise Without Equipment

Fitness basics. Starting a fitness program may be one of the best things you can do for your health. After all, physical activity can reduce your risk of chronic disease, improve your balance and coordination, help you lose weight, and even boost your self-esteem. And you can reap these benefits regardless of your age, sex, or physical ability.

Take the humble push-up, for example. It’s a total-body move that uses your body as the equipment and works your chest, arms, shoulders, and even your core.

Preparation

If you are new to any type of exercise it may be a wise choice to consult with a doctor to avoid any health risk.

Assemble your equipment

You’ll probably start with athletic shoes. Be sure to pick shoes designed for the activity you have in mind. For example, running shoes are lighter in weight than cross-training shoes, which are more supportive.

If you’re planning to invest in exercise equipment, choose something that’s practical, enjoyable, and easy to use. You may want to try out certain types of equipment at a fitness center before investing in your own equipment.

You might consider using fitness apps for smart devices or other activity-tracking devices, such as ones that can track your distance, track calories burned, or monitor your heart rate.

Get started

Now you’re ready for action. As you begin your fitness program, keep these tips in mind:

  • Start slowly and build up gradually. Give yourself plenty of time to warm up and cool down with easy walking or gentle stretching. Then speed up to a pace you can continue for five to 10 minutes without getting overly tired. As your stamina improves, gradually increase the amount of time you exercise. Work your way up to 30 to 60 minutes of exercise most days of the week.
  • Break things up if you have to. You don’t have to do all your exercises at one time, so you can weave in activity throughout your day. Shorter but more frequent sessions have aerobic benefits, too. Exercising in short sessions a few times a day may fit into your schedule better than a single 30-minute session. Any amount of activity is better than none at all.
  • Be creative. Maybe your workout routine includes various activities, such as walking, bicycling, or rowing. But don’t stop there. Take a weekend hike with your family or spend an evening ballroom dancing. Find activities you enjoy to add to your fitness routine.
  • Listen to your body. If you feel pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, or nausea, take a break. You may be pushing yourself too hard.
  • Be flexible. If you’re not feeling good, give yourself permission to take a day or two off.

Monitor your progress

Retake your personal fitness assessment six weeks after you start your program and then again every few months. You may notice that you need to increase the amount of time you exercise in order to continue improving. Or you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you’re exercising just the right amount to meet your fitness goals.

If you lose motivation, set new goals, or try a new activity. Exercising with a friend or taking a class at a fitness center may help, too.

Starting an exercise program is an important decision. But it doesn’t have to be an overwhelming one. By planning carefully and pacing yourself, you can establish a healthy habit that lasts a lifetime.

Every good gym routine will use moves like that as building blocks. You can then add other, tougher variations of those moves or throw in some fancy equipment to get a little variety. But, mastering the fundamentals is key to seeing gains in the gym.

1. Bodyweight Squat

Squatting is a basic movement necessary for everyday function (think of getting in and out of a desk chair). The Bodyweight Squat is a great exercise to engrain proper mechanics with minimal risk of injury while strengthening the quads and glutes.

2. Glute Bridge-Iso Hold

Proper glute engagement is so important for pain-free movement, especially in the knees and back. Glute Bridges are often part of a physical therapy regimen to decrease knee or back pain but can double as a strength exercise for most. For an added challenge, try the movement with one leg.

3. Pushup

The Push-up is traditionally known for building strength in the chest and shoulders. It does this very well, however, it also doubles as a great pillar and shoulder stability exercise. Simply holding the top of a push-up position forces the body to work against gravity with an emphasis on stabilizing the scapula and spine.

4. Split Squat

Split Squats-like traditional Squats-replicate a basic human movement while challenging the quads and glutes. Going from a half-kneeling to a standing position happens all the time. Training balance and strength through this process is key. Keeping the feet rooted for the entire movement vs. stepping in and out of a lunge takes some of the impact & eccentric load of the knee and hip, making it a perfect introductory movement.

5. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Most training programs are light on engaging the posterior chain (the backside), especially in the lower body. The Inverted Hamstring/1 Leg RDL activates the hamstrings, glutes, and postural muscles that can reverse some of the damage done by spending time in a seated position and hunched over a computer. It is also a great introductory exercise for training single-leg balance.

6. Bent-over Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

This variation is fantastic for developing shoulder stabilization and balance limb strength across both sides. The tendency for most is to shrug the shoulders up causing the upper traps to act as primary movers. This can lead to shoulder pain and general dysfunction. Push the shoulders away from the ears to best utilize the lats, mid/low traps, and rhomboids. Using rows to balance the amount of time we spend in an internally rotated position of the shoulder is a great strategy to avoid issues.

7. Single-arm Half-kneeling Dumbbell Overhead Press

Focusing on unilateral (one limb) exercises is a great way to balance strength, stability, and mobility. Completing the Overhead Press as a unilateral exercise in the half-kneeling position does this not only for the arms and shoulders but the pillar as well. Using even a small weight shifts the body’s center of mass and forces the pillar to engage to keep you upright, turning a traditional delt-builder into a total body exercise.

8. Kettlebell Deadlift

Picking items off the ground is a crucial movement for everyone to train. Using a light kettlebell can reinforce the proper position that will hopefully transfer outside the gym to avoid injury when bending at the hips. The key is to keep the spine straight and drive the glutes back, which loads the hips instead of the lumbar spine. If done correctly, the hamstrings, glutes, and back will all engage and strengthen.

9. “Quadruped” with Arm & Leg Lift

The Quadruped Arm and Leg Lift exercise has a dual purpose. The first is to strengthen the pillar and hip extensors. The second is to train the cross-patterning (opposing movement of the arms & legs) that comes so naturally to the body when walking and running. Training the body to optimize this process can boost performance during a run or simply while walking around during the day.”

10. Reverse-grip Pulldown

Chin-ups/Pulldowns are great for reinforcing scapular control and latissimus dorsi engagement. The lats should be the primary movers, so emphasize pushing the shoulders down away from the ears when pulling. The reverse grip provides a more comfortable position for the rotator cuff, as getting into the externally rotated position of a traditional pull-down can be difficult for many.

Well, those are some exercises you can do without the need for any equipment. Although I would recommend a full-size mat and perhaps a stopwatch. You may also invest in one of those watches that does pretty much everything while showing you the time. There are several apps for your cell phone also.

Precautions To Keep In Mind

1. For example, when doing push-ups, you should be careful to place your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor, tense your core and glutes to keep your whole body stable, and pull your shoulders back instead of sagging towards the floor.

2. During the crunches do not lift the upper body off the floor by pushing the head forward, but use the abdominal muscles to perform the movement. On top of that, it’s not about speed, but about the slow and controlled execution of the fitness exercise.

3. For the tricep dips, instead of moving the buttocks up and down the body, flex the elbow until the arms are at a 90-degree angle. The shoulders are always pulled back, the head is upright and the face is directed forward.

Fitness home gym equipment

I will be placing links to Yoga practices and links to great places where you may browse around and see what interests you.

Fitness Inspiration Images

Yoga Routines and Images

Yoga Collection for kids

Remember along with exercise it is important to have healthy nutritional habits.

Thank you for reading

Michael

Comments are welcome

6 thoughts on “Total Fitness Home Gym”

  1. Hello, this is a very awesome piece and a very detailed one. I’m really happy I came across this as the information I’m getting from here is standard.  of course, it is important to have home gym equipments as it makes everything easier for you, no need to go out to the gym or waste money anymore. Just one time purchase and you’re good 

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  2. I was looking for a guide to help me to know what steps should I pay attention to start working out at home, as you well mention on your article, gyms are closed for the moment and it will hard for many to keep moving, so I decided to look for information about how to keep moving at home and your article has helped me to know how to work on it, weather will change also and it will be hard to go our for a walk as doctor’s recommendation 

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  3. Thank you a lot for sharing this article, it really hit me differently because I am a lover of fitness and I used to be a gym instructor some years ago. Your tips were really top notch and also very standard, going through your page just felt like a blessing and I had to share with my friends also

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