Introduction
Let’s face it, it’s not every time one feels like going to the gym. Sometimes, you just want to exercise from the comfort and convenience of your home, especially when it comes to strength exercises. You want to train at home and go at your own pace, save time and money while getting the best results. However, if you do not know the right exercises to do and how to go about it, you might end up doing the wrong thing thereby wasting your time and achieving little or no results. So, if you are here, and you are wondering how to strength train at home, the simple exercises to do at home to lose weight and how to go about them in the best way possible, then you might want to stick around to read this article. In this article, you will get to know seven simple exercises to strength train at home, as well as how you can go about them to achieve best results. Let’s get started.
What are strength training exercises?
Strength training exercises are simply the exercises you do to build resistance, endurance, flexibility, speed, coordination and balance. The activities employed in strength training exercises often include pulling, pushing, squatting, bending and balancing.
Why do you need strength training exercises?
Most times, you may find yourself not engaging our muscles in activities majorly due to the type of work you do or your general lifestyle. In cases like this, you may be prone to chances of experiencing stiffness of joints and weakening of your muscles if you do not engage them in exercises. Partaking in strength training exercises would get your muscle in action, keep them strong and healthy and also prevents you from bone and joint injuries that come as a result of inactivity.
Why do it at home?
There is absolutely nothing wrong with going to the gym for your strength exercises, however, if you run a tight schedule and you are trying to save money and work out at your pace, then, doing your strength training exercises at home might be a better option for you.
Getting started with strength exercises
Exercising at home means you want your comfort and convenience. Therefore, the first thing to do is to choose a convenient place in your home where you can have enough room to move your body freely and exercise comfortably. The next step is to get your equipment ready. You will need an exercise mat, resistance bands, kettle bell, medicine ball and dumb bells. If you don’t have any of these weights, you can improvise with water bottles, sand bags, or canned food.
7 Simple Strength Exercises to do at Home
Below are the seven simple strength exercises you can do at home.
Lunges
Lunges help you strengthen the muscles in your lower body, which include your hamstrings (the back of your thigh), quadriceps (front of thigh), gastrocnemius (calf), gluteus maximus ( bottom muscles).
How to do your Lunges
1. Stand up tall, your feet and shoulder-width apart.
2. Move a step forward with your right feet, lower your hips to the floor till your right leg is the angle of 90 degree and your left knee is side by side to the ground.
3. Stretch your spine to ensure your torso is straight-forward.
4. Hold for a few seconds (5 seconds or more).
5. Then, take your left foot back to align with your left leg.
6. Do this ten to twelve times.
Squat to overhead rise
This is one of the best exercises to do at home, it is a simple exercise and is particularly for you if you are a newbie to strength building exercises. It helps you build your gluteus, leg muscles and the muscles in your back, core and shoulders. You can start by raising your arms over your heard without carrying any weight, after you are used to this, you can introduce lightweight drum bells and build up the drum bells weight as you go on with your training.
How to do squat to overhead rise
1. Stand and make your feet a bit wider than your hips and keep your arms beside your body.
2. Bring your hips down so you create a squat position.
3. Move up to a standing position and raise your arms over your head.
4. Return to the standing and making your feet wider than your hips and keeping your arms beside your body.
5. Do this eight to twelve times.
Standing Calf raises
This is one of the best exercises to do at home to strengthen your calf muscles (gastrocnemius).
How to do standing calf raises
1. Stand on the verge of a step with the front of your foot on the step.
2. Hold on to the railings for support
3. Lift your weight from one front by lifting the next foot slightly
4. Raise the heel of the foot with the weight as high as possible.
5. Return to level position.
6. Lower your heel till you feel your calf muscle stretch.
7. Return to level position.
8. Do this for about 10 times.
Dumb bell shoulder exercise
This is a simple exercise you can do at home to build strength in your shoulder, arms, core and the muscles on your muscles.
How to do dumb bell shoulder exercise
1. Stand and make your shoulder-width apart.
2. Raise your dumb bells to your shoulder and keep palms to your body.
3. Hold this position for a few seconds
4. Raise the dumb bells to your shoulder
5. Do this eight to twelve times.
Wall push up exercise
This is one of the simple exercises you can do at home. They help to strengthen certain parts of your body like your shoulder, chest, arms and upper back muscles.
How to do wall push up exercise
1. Stand and face a strong wall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Place your palms on the wall at the height of your shoulder.
3. Step your feet back a few inches.
4. Lean to the wall slowly and shift your weight to your hands by bending your elbow.
5. Let your back and neck align with your legs.
6. Lean close to the wall and be in this position for a while
7. Return to your upright position.
Abdominal Crunches
Abdominal crunches are one of the best exercises to do at home to lose weight in your belly and build strength as they help you strengthen the front of our abdomen.
How to do abdominal crunches
1. Lie on your back and bend your knees, keep your feet flat on the floor and your shoulder width apart.
2. Cross your forearms and place them over your chest with your hands on your shoulders.
3. Stretch your back forward by making sure to tuck your chin to your chest.
4. Lift your head and upper back from the floor as far as you can with the intention to raise yourself to your knees by using the muscle in your front abdomen.
5. Bend your neck and upper neck as much as you can and stay in this position for a few seconds.
6. Lower your head and upper back to the floor.
Planks
This exercise is one of the best exercises to lose weight in your belly and strengthen your back, shoulder and chest muscles. To make it a challenge, add on your favorite weighted vest.
How to do plank exercise
1. Begin in the plank position, put your weight on your forearms and toes by resting on them, elbows directly below your shoulders and your forearms are parallel facing forward.
2. Engage your abdominal muscles and keep your spine straight and bottom flushed with the rest of your body.
3. Stay in this position for 20 to 30 seconds and stretch the duration to 1 minute or more overtime.
Conclusion
In this article, you have learnt how to straight train at home through seven strength exercises. Adopting these exercises will help you build strength, balance and coordination while working at your pace and doing them at the comfort of your home.
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Author bio: Benjamin Lawal is a professional fitness training writer with over four years of experience in fitness training writing and learning, with professional certifications in copywriting and language study. Lawal is passionate about helping you take charge of your body and mind in the simplest and most convenient way possible. He runs a consultancy agency: WordFlex Consult, where he help my clients find the right rhythm for themselves by providing expert advice, books, write-ups, and strategies so they can lead easier lives while staying fit and healthy.