March 18, 2024
Home fitness training.

Home fitness training.

Home fitness training.

 

The self motivated approach.

Home fitness training is becoming popular.  I’ve been involved in all elements of training for the last 35 years. I have trained, competed and coached at International level. I am very passionate about all aspects of training and as such I love sharing my knowledge.  Fitness training is booming and I’m hoping to guide you through the pit falls.

In order to enhance our health we will take our body through a number of stages. This usually means training, eating well and getting loads of rest. When It comes to training this can be done in various ways and in various places. For some a family approach is often taken and a home fitness training programme is put in place, usually with some or all members taking part.

This suits a majority of people but depending on your own physical needs and drive, you might need someone standing over you,  shouting out instructions and pushing you every step of the way, is your thing?

Home is where the heart is.

When training from home, all the basic things still apply and don’t forget it. Safety, safety and safety!

Question number:

  1. Have you spoken to your Doctor?
  2. Do you have a safe environment to train in?
  3. Do you require any equipment?
  4. What are your goals?

These are basic questions that you do need answers to before you begin.  Now that they’ve been addressed its time to move forward. Training from home or anywhere else should always start with a gentle warm-up, a minute or 2 of skipping should do the trick.

The reason for this is to raise the heart rate and prepare the body for exercise.  Our bodies are like machines and unique to each individual.  As far as a warm up goes, you should take things steady and work at your own pace.

There’s no rush, make this a life style change and enjoy the experience.  The time this takes will depend on your health, if you consider that your maximum heart rate should be between 50 and 70% during exercise.

The basic calculation is 220 – your age.

(IE. 220 – 40= 180 maximum heart rate)

Once you’ve achieved this goal I would always insist on a little stretch, Stretching routines can be quite complexed but if you start with simple shoulder stretches, then hamstrings and quadriceps.  (This can be done by placing a leg on a stair for your Hamstrings and for your Quadriceps try standing, bending one leg behind you and grabing your ankle.  Continue to pull it towards your Gluteus Maximus A.K.A your bum).  This should be a slow process, pain should never be felt.  Stretching should create a dull ache rather than pain.

What are you made of!

Now its time to dip/push a little deeper.  Do remember we are all unique, you’re not Mo Farah or Usain Bolt.  If you adapt this way of thinking you will hurt yourself!  If your goal is to lose weight then we need to raise your cardio level, for this you will need you to sprint in 3 bursts of 30 seconds, with a 10-second break in between.  Sweat will be dripping from your brow and your body will be screaming at you but we will only get out what we put in.

You could also throw in some jumping jacks, again working on 3 x 30 second bursts or skip for approximately 2 minutes depending on your fitness level.

Please remember you are unique and you must always consider your limitations!

<img src='data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%20250%20165%22%3E%3C/svg%3E' data-src= "kettle bell and trainers.jpg" alt="home fitness training"/>

Keeping your workout simple and fun, that is the key to success.  Rome wasn’t built in a day and you shouldn’t expect changes overnight.  I always believe you should listen to your body, do this and you’ll achieve more in the long run.  Squat thrusts are another simple exercise that can be done by any home warrior, it doesn’t require much space and the achievements can be great.

Method.

This requires you to get into press-up position and pull both legs forward, so that your knees pass or meet your elbows and then back out again so your legs become straight. This can also be done in an alternating way, where one leg comes in and the other goes out! Again work within you boundaries but push it, using 3 x 30 seconds guide until you feel stronger and fitter before you increase it.

Fire in the hole.

It takes a special person to keep reaching higher and higher limits and not many people can do this, so if you’re able to hit  target, after target then you’re in a minority.  You deserve a big congratulations!

What if your goal is to tone up?  If, this is the case your training would need to be tweaked in a few ways.  I would encourage you to change your home fitness training in a few ways.

  1. Use strength exercises.
  2. Target different major muscle groups.
  3. Focus on your diet.

The changes here can be very small but the benefits will be great!

When it comes to toning up, strength exercises are the best and because your training regime is being undertaken from home its ideal.  The next best thing would be to use some free weights, but not many people have this option and if you’re new to exercise I wouldn’t advise it.  Leave the weights alone until you’ve established a good level of <img src='data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%20250%20159%22%3E%3C/svg%3E' data-src= "skipping rope on floor.jpg" alt="home fitness training"/> and then start with light weights and high reps.  At this stage I would advise you to use simple exercises such as Squats, Bicep curls, Dips, Press ups and Lunges.

They are easy to perform, no weights are needed but can be used if required.  These exercises will help target your thighs, chest, bum and arms.  These are areas that women and most men will target in their daily workout routine.

 

The home straight.

Wow! You’re almost there!

Every training routine should have a warm up and a cool down.  This is very important!  I would also like to say everyone will have their own ideas and methods, I would like to point out that I’m not saying anyone else’s is wrong, this is just my opinion and one that as worked for me.

Back to you!

Stretch down slowly, using things around you, a leg on a stair is easy and also offers safety for balance.  This little stretch is for

your Hamstrings.  Don’t forget your Quads A.K. A Quadriceps, standing upright and using a wall or surface for balance bend a leg and grab your ankle, pulling your heel towards your bum to give it a well deserved stretch.

With most of your major worked muscles stretched it’s time to kick back and plan some rest and food!

Please forgive me!

<img src='data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=%22http://www.w3.org/2000/svg%22%20viewBox=%220%200%20250%20250%22%3E%3C/svg%3E' data-src= "tens unit.jpg" alt="home fitness training"/>

Training at home isn’t easy, I’m not going to lie.  If you’ve taken my tips on board and pushed hard, remembering that you only get out what you put in, your body is going to hate you for the next few days!

My only words of comfort is that it will pass, so give it time and don’t panic.

You will feel like you’ve been hit by a bus but that’s a good thing – honest,  you’ve put in 100% and you’ll get 100% out!

A big congrats to you.  You are truly unique.

I have tried to help those of you who want to achieve a level of fitness by working at home.  I hope I have given you enough to work with.

Please would leave me your comments and of course, I am here to assist you with any questions you may have.

Enjoy UTG.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 thoughts on “Home Fitness Training

  1. Great post!
    I appreciate the calculation formula, will take it into consideration.
    You have a lot of expertise to share and I must agree with you that work out requires unlimited determination.
    Like anything in life pretty much, If you want to get in shape, then you will have to pay the price.

  2. Awesome post! I myself have personally found weight training with higher reps worked better for me as well. There are people that starts beginners with the 5×5 method but everyones body is different. Happy training!

  3. Thank you! So much great information here. As someone who has fallen out of her exercise routine, this was a great reminder of how I can do things right in my own home to get back on track to a healthier me!

  4. I have tried the at home exercise routine but actually prefer the environment of the gym where there is mutual support and a sense of other trying to achieve the same. Makes for a more motivated work out!!

  5. Thank you for these great tips! I really liked all of the step-by-step you gave and the question prompts so we could “self check” where we are at. Exactly what I needed to get my butt in gear! Thanks again.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Social Share Buttons and Icons powered by Ultimatelysocial
error

Enjoy this blog? Please spread the word :)

Have you heard the saying, “Sharing is caring” well I believe it to be true.  Please don’t keep us to yourself, we believe knowledge is for sharing and that’s exactly what our aim is!  We aim to give you uptodate training and dieting information.  Every post will be focused on a different subject but aimed at the same goal, which is improving you, by educating you.

Please don’t keep us to yourself!