Have you have ever joined a local YMCA or fitness club only to barely use the membership? Or, are you interested in getting fit but don’t have the extra $50-$100 per month to throw at a gym membership? If so, home fitness from the comfort of your own home might be best for your health plans.
Working out on a regular basis helps you lose weight, improve your circulation, and get you into the figure you’ve always wanted to have. Joining a gym would be a good choice for any person who would like to get a good workout, but expensive gym memberships and busy schedules could be something that may hold you back.
Working out at home has become an excellent alternative for the money-strapped and the time-strapped alike. Here three great benefits to home fitness:
- You save money
- You save time (driving to the gym and back)
- You can burn the same amount of calories
There are a plethora of personal fitness equipment options on the market. The K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, silly) is the best approach, at least in the beginning. A pair of dumbbells, a barbell and an exercise ball are the basic workout pieces needed for a well-rounded home workout. As with most workout health plans, you should target your major muscle groups and get overall body workout for optimum results. Try these exercises to start out;
1. Bench press (chest) – this targets your chest area. This is performed by lying on a bench, holding the barbell straight over your chest. Then lower it down towards your chest with the elbows being at 90 degrees. Push it back up and repeat for about 3 sets with 12-15 cycles each set.
2. Lateral (side) raise (shoulders) – this is performed by standing up with two dumbbells at your side. Then raise them sideward up to your shoulder level. Lower the weights and repeat for 3 cycles at 12 cycles each.
3. Barbell row (back)– this is performed by holding a barbell and leaning forward about 45 degrees then pull back the barbell until it reaches the your abdomen. Lower it back and repeat for 3 cycles with 10-12 reps each cycle.
4. Lunges (legs): this is performed be taking a big lunge forward then bending the front knee to about 90 degrees but making sure the front knee it does not go pass the toes.
5. Triceps kickback – perfume this by bending forward making sure the you back is flat then, with the dumbbells on each hand, extend the elbows backwards to work the triceps. Do this for 3 sets with 12 reps each set.
6. Alternate dumbbell curls (biceps) – hold two dumbbells on each hand, then alternately, bring them towards your biceps. Do this for 3 set with 12 reps per set.
7. Crunches (abdomen) – lie on your back with knees bent, then crunch your abs forward midway between the angle of the legs and your body. Do 2-3 sets of this with 15-20 reps depending on tolerance.
This is a basic home workout program for entire body work out. For muscle building, the number of repetitions best for this would be 12-15. However, for greater weight loss, reduce the amount of weight and increase the reps to 15-20. For beginners, it is best to do one set of each exercise for a week or two, and gradually increase your reps.
You should mix cardio workouts into this program. Those who have cardio equipment can workout inside on the cycle or treadmill. Otherwise, a good pair of walking or running shoes is all you need for a decent cardio workout. Aerobic exercises like walking, running and bike riding can improve weight loss. It is important to keep in mind that results do not usually come overnight. Take a few weeks to see how much you have lost or see how ripped your muscle now are. Eventually, results will come with a consistent home fitness franchise program.
If the purpose of your home fitness program is to lose weight, consider the Slim Fast diet plan as a fast diet to lose weight.