How To Actually Get Results From Your At Home Workouts
Get creative with equipment and space. If you have workout equipment at home make the most of it. If you don’t, get creative with household objects! Gallon water jugs, large bags of cat/dog food, cat litter, heavy books, anything heavy that you can safely lift could be used in a workout of some kind. We need resistance whether it’s from bodyweight or an external object. Get creative with what you can do in your space and if you want tips with what you have on hand, reach out! I’m happy to help!
Set a specific time to workout. It doesn't matter if I have 20 hours or 2 hours to get a workout in if I don’t set a plan/time to get it done it won’t happen. Don’t let more flexibility in your schedule become an excuse to put things off. Flexibility in scheduling is good sometimes, but when it comes to productivity and guaranteed success having a specific plan always wins. Set a time to workout and stick to it, even if you can “do it later”.
Take it seriously/push yourself. Don’t let the shift to at-home workouts become an excuse to take it easy. Just because you’re not moving heavy loads or don’t have the exact setup you have at the gym doesn’t mean you can’t get a benefit from the workout. If you push yourself hard enough and take it seriously you can maintain your gains/progress and continue to improve if you work hard enough. Don’t get lazy and complacent just because you don’t have a full set of dumbbells. No excuses!
Up the intensity/frequency. This feeds off the last point but depending on what equipment you have or if you’re only using bodyweight, you might have to up the intensity/frequency of your workouts to get the same stimulus as a gym workout. If your workout calls for 10 bodyweight squats but that’s way too easy, adjust! Hold a stack of books, add reps, add more rounds to your circuit, try single-leg squats instead! Don’t just check it off the list and move on. Push yourself and do what you need to do to intensify the workout so that you can actually benefit from it!
Fill in the gaps. Is there an aspect of your training you’ve been neglecting? Maybe you’ve been focusing on weight training but your aerobic capacity could use some work. Get out for a run or do some HIIT training at home. What about mobility? Weaknesses in your current training? If you know you have poor hip mobility but never do anything to address it, nows the time to add it in! If you know your right leg is weaker than your left, work on some single leg training using bodyweight! It’s a great time to start filling in the gaps in your current workouts.
If you’re looking for a specific at-home workout plan to follow while your gym is closed and you’re quarantined at home, I am currently selling 8-week programs that are completely customized to your home setup and fitness abilities. Having a plan like this during this time can be extremely valuable to ensure you’re staying on track to reach your goals. I will also be accommodating those who are financially impacted during this time so don’t let that deter you from asking for help. I am also currently offering the first week of programming for FREE. Just reach out via DM and let’s get moving! I’m here to help any way I can.
As a personal trainer, I am a small business and am doing what I can to help the community at this time and appreciate your continued support!