At Home Workouts is a Great TimeSaver

At home workouts are a great way to exercise if you’re busy or just don’t want the expense of a gym membership – so how do get the most out of a workout at home?

Many people have busy schedules and fitting in regular trips to the gym can be difficult – I know I struggle to do so with family commitments, a demanding career and a part-time business to run.

For many people, working out at home as part of a weight loss or fitness program is a great time saver and can make the difference between building regular exercise into their weekly routine and not bothering at all.

So, if an at home workout appeals to you, how do you go about getting the most effective workout?

Getting the Most Out of At Home Workouts

The great thing about working out at home is the convenience of not having to leave the house, spend time commuting to a gym, queue for equipment when you get there, pay a membership fee.

The downside can be not having all that great fitness equipment to use, instructors to plan an exercise program for you, other gym users to motivate you!

So, do you need any equipment for a great home workout?

The truth is, you don’t need any special equipment at all.

Simply find a few square feet of floor space – in a dedicated home gym, a spare bedroom, the middle of your living room, the garage – and you’re all set.

Home workouts don’t need weights and machines to enable you to burn fat and build muscle.

Just the opposite, a bodyweight workout can provide the basis for an intense home fitness routine that can deliver outstanding weight loss and fitness results.

If you do want to invest in some basic equipment, then the following are a good place to start:

Stability Ball – Versatile and flexible, a stability ball can be used instead of a bench and is great for ab workouts

Bench – Not essential, but an adjustable bench is a good idea if you plan on using heavier dumbells in your at home workouts

Dumbells – Again not essential, as your bodyweight can provide all the resistance you need for strength training but a set of dumbells does open up some alternative exercise opportunities if you need them

Pull Up Bar – If you don’t have a convenient exposed rafter or tree branch to hand, then consider investing in a pull up bar that attaches to your door frame. Pull ups are an essential component of any back workout

And that’s all you really need. However, there’s no reason why you can’t set up a home gym every bit as well equipped as your local commercial gym – well almost!

If your at home workouts would benefit from some strength training or cardio equipment, then take a look at our home gym reviews and treadmill reviews for information and advice.

OK, so that’s the equipment covered, what about the workout itself – how do you get the most out of your home workout?

Effective At Home Workouts…

The same principles apply to a home workout as to a workout in the gym. Whether using equipment or doing a workout without weights, you need three components:

Strength Training – To build some muscle as muscle is responsible for most of the calories you burn each day and effectively burns body fat whilst you sleep

Interval Training – I hate long, slow, boring cardio so recommend interval training for people like me with limited time to exercise. It burns more calories more quickly than regular cardio so you get your workout done and dusted in less time

Warm Up/Cool Down and Stretch – Essential. Don’t skimp on taking a few minutes to warm up before exercise then stretching to help prevent injury. Do the same after your workout to return your heart rate to normal and help to avoid post exercise muscle soreness

For me, this is the most productive way to conduct my at home workouts – 15-20 minutes of strength training using supersets or circuits followed by 20 minutes of interval training.

For more information on effective at home workouts for men and women, supersets and circuits then check out our article on fat burning workouts.

Now if you’re training for a marathon, you may want to build in a lot more cardio. If you’re a serious body builder, more strength training may be necessary.

But if you’re anything like me, a busy person with a life to get on with and limited time to exercise and stay in shape, then three, 45 minute long at home workouts provide the fat burning and muscle building results I’m looking for – and they will for you too.

If the concept of short, intense strength and interval training workouts that will give you a muscular, lean, athletic physique with a flat stomach and six pack abs in as little as 12 weeks appeals, then you may find our Turbulence Training review of interest.