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Going to the gym takes a lot of time and organizational effort that is better spent thinking about your training program.
Also, the gym is actually counterproductive for most people. Because just going there does not make you fit and healthy but it’s easy to think you have done enough when you show up there a few times a week.
And don’t get me wrong, it’s an ok way to get into some shape but if you are really serious about improving your pain issues or your overall physique you need to know what you are doing.
Fortunately, getting strong and healthy is not nearly as complicated as the fitness industry makes you think.
There are a few principles of training that are important to get yourself in good shape. But after you understand them you realize that a gym is a place of convenience and luxury.
In this mail, I want to go over a few ideas and thoughts that should help you set up a fitness habit at home.
Let’s start by looking at what you need to buy. Don’t worry, it’s not much.
Equipment
There’s not much you need to get a great workout anywhere. Here’s a short list of small investments that will pay off big.
Suspension Trainer
With a suitable anchor point and some knowledge of the most effective movements, this is all you ever need for your strength training. It’s also great for a few stretches that are otherwise hard to do.
This is the one piece of equipment you definitely should get as it is very inexpensive and gives you so much versatility. You can take it with you when you travel or do your workouts outside.
Pull Up Bar
A close second after the suspension trainer because it’s less versatile and hard to pack into a bag. But whenever you get the chance to hang from a bar and give your shoulders a good stretch, do it! Having a pull-up bar in your home, ideally somewhere you pass often, can change your life.
Yoga Mat / Matting
Since you might want to give working on the floor a try you need good matting. A yoga mat is great but if you want to have a little more fun during workouts and more space to move during work, look into puzzle mats or other, bigger mats.
The goals
To talk about the what and the how we first need to be clear about the why. At the same time, we discuss what needs to be done to reach a specific goal.
- Want to prevent back pain? Get stronger! A stronger back is a more enduring back. The stronger you are overall, the longer you will be able to sit or stand with good posture and without fatigue.
- Want to lose body fat? Gain muscle! Having more muscle tissue will increase your baseline energy expenditure. Because unlike fat, muscles need to be maintained and fed. But even if you are not looking to improve the way you look, a healthy amount of muscle protects your spine and joints from impact and injury.
- Want to sustain your health and improve mental performance? Train your endurance! A healthy cardiovascular system that is efficient in supplying your brain with oxygen is essential for focus and creativity. Taking daily walks can get you 80% there but it’s also important to add a weekly activity that is more intense and keeps your heart rate high.
How to train … at home
Strength To get stronger you need to move your muscles against challenging resistance. If this resistance comes from a weight in your hands or from gravity does not matter.
With just a pull-up bar and the right exercise variations, you can get as strong as you would ever need.
Hypertrophy To make muscles grow you have to subject them to stress. Different than strength training, where you want to practice way inside your competency, hypertrophy training requires you to push the limit a little bit. Bringing the muscle to a point where it can’t do another repetition of the exercise will induce growth. Again, where the stress comes from does not matter. Especially using a suspension trainer makes it easy to find the right resistance you need to “feel the burn”.
Endurance The aim here is to keep your heart rate elevated for 30 minutes or longer and to train certain muscle groups to be more enduring.
While circuit training in the gym can be difficult because you don’t want to block 5 pieces of equipment at the same time, at home or with the suspension trainer in the park, you can set up whatever circuit is best for you.
Putting it all together
If you make sure you follow a balanced training approach it does not matter where you do your workouts or what equipment you use. Spend the time you would use to drive to the gym and wait for the machines to build a program that fits your schedule and goals.
Let me know if you have any questions, see you next week 🙂
