Working out at home is convenient and suitable for any fitness level. Most commercial gyms are overcrowded during peak after-work hours. This overcrowding will waste your time and derail your workout.
The at home program below is designed to keep your heart rate high while you work on building strength. Keeping your heart rate elevated while strength training, will burn more calories and improve your stamina. Waiting in line for a piece of equipment at a commercial gym will slow down your pace and make your workout less effective.
This is the second half of a 6 week program for beginners. If you have not done so already, read the first article in this series.
At Home workout program for Beginners
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Warm up for 5 minutes before you begin this program. You can use dynamic stretches or brisk walking to prepare your body for exercise.
Preform the prescribed number of repetitions for each exercise and take a 20 second to 1 minute break between each set before moving on to the next exercise.
- Weeks one and two: 2 sets of 12 repetitions
- Weeks three and four: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions
- Weeks five and six: 3 sets of 12-15 repetitions
Plank
- Lie on you stomach and forearms with your elbows beneath your shoulders.
- Exhale, brace your core, and make your legs ridged as you lift your weight off the ground so that you are supporting yourself on the forearms and toes.
- Hold this position with a neutral spine, do not let your torso and hips sag toward the ground or stick your butt in the air.
- Start with four 15 second holds, and work toward one 90 second hold
Walking Lunge
- Step out with your lead leg, bend your knees and lower your hips, keep your torso erect with your shoulders directly above the hips. Don’t let your lead knee extend past your toes.
- Inhale and keep the spine neutral as you rise up.
- Step forward with the back leg, and lower back into a lunge.
- Executing this exercise on both legs completes one repetition.
- As you preform additional reps you will travel across the floor.
Push-ups
- Get into a good push-up position: place your hands on the ground slightly wider than shoulders-width apart, engage your core to stiffen the torso, keep your feet together and your glutes should be firm
- Inhale, and lower your chest toward the ground, keep your glutes and core strong, tuck your elbows close to your sides as you descend.
- Exhale, press back up to the starting position.
- Do as many as you can from your toes. If necessary to keep good form, come down to the knees.
Skater jumps
- Cross your left leg behind your right and lower into a half-squat, hold your right arm out to the side, left arm across your body.
- Leap to the left while switching your legs and arms.
- Return to position one by leaping toward your right. That is one reptition.
Photo by Parker Knight
