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Work Out from Home
For the past seven months, I’ve been doing my work out routine from home and have achieved some great results. I’ve been toning up flab, building muscle and feeling great all day!
Work Out Routine
I used to work out three or four days a week at the gym, switching up between weights, cardiovascular exercise, and working with a personal trainer one of those days. I was able to get lots of weight off at the gym (I went from 305 lbs to 200 lbs), but I never got the mass and strength that I was looking for. It’s likely because I wasn’t putting enough time into my specific muscle groups with my work out routine. It was good for general weight loss, but not for building any specific muscle groups.
The reason I quit going to the gym is that I found out that it works a lot better for me to work out first thing in the morning rather than doing so after eight and a half hours at the office. I not only get better results, but it saves time because I don’t have to spend excessive time changing, showering, waiting for benches or machines to open up, going from machine to machine, changing weights, or waiting for the bus. To clarify about the showering, I do care about my personal hygiene, but I can keep the temperature regulated here at home and I keep it as cold as possible when I work out. That way, I don’t sweat much, if at all.
To return to the subject, I’ve learned lots of ways about how to properly work out after years of personal training and I picked up a great supplemental piece of literature called Strength Training Anatomy by Frédéric Delavier that shows all of the muscles that are used with each exercise, how to diagnose an injury, and how to avoid said injuries. I’ll do my best to describe the exercises I highlight below, but the Strength Training Anatomy book can really fill in the blanks on most of them.
As for the work out itself, I only use dumbbells or do body weight exercises as I’m short on space and don’t have the room for a bench. I currently use a pair of 10s, a pair of 25s, and a pair of 35s for all of my work outs. I’d like to get a few more intermediate pairs, but the three pairs I have are getting me the results I’m looking for so I don’t really need them.
I do four sets of the same weight for each exercise, starting with 20 repetitions for the first set, then going to 18 for the second, then 16, then finishing with 14. I wouldn’t recommend starting with that many, but I’ve been doing this for a while. I find 12, 10, 8, 6 is a good number of repetitions to start with. Also, always use lighter weights until you’re ready to move on to heavier ones. There’s no point in pushing yourself with too much weight and then hurting yourself.
Now, on to training!
Arm Exercises
1. Hammer Curls – I was introduced to this exercise by one of my first personal trainers a few years ago and I liked the fact that they not only work out the biceps, but they also work the brachioradialis, which is the muscle on the top of your forearm. The exercise starts with the dumbbell being held like a hammer out in front of the body with the elbow next to the ribcage, then it’s brought up to the shoulder with the elbow staying in the same place. Return it to its initial position in the same smooth and even fashion that it’s brought up to the shoulder, and that’s all there is to it!
2. Seated Dumbbell Triceps Extensions – this exercise is as good as any other similar exercise for building triceps, but they’re likely the quickest and most fluid of the triceps exercises. The exercise starts in a seated position with the dumbbell held in both hands behind the head. The dumbbell is extended above the head as far as the arms will stretch, then returned to the initial position.
3. Reverse Curls – I really like this exercise for building up forearm and wrist strength in addition to building up the biceps. The exercise starts with the dumbbells in front of the legs (quadriceps) being held with an overhand grip (palms towards the body). The weights are brought up to the chest with the wrists locked in place, creating a semi-circular motion with the arms. Then, the weights are returned to the original position in a slow and steady manner.
Note: If you really want to focus on the forearms and the wrists, Wrist Curls and Reverse Wrist Curls get a lot of the smaller muscles that the Reverse Curls miss.
4. Triceps Dips – this is a body weight exercise that can be done anywhere that there’s a flat surface available. The exercise starts with the hands palm down on the flat surface, facing forward. Drop the midsection down so the arms are bent into a 90 degree angle, then return to the initial position. As easy as they are to do, they can be rather tough to execute after multiple repetitions.
Back Exercises
1. Upright Rows – this is a great exercise as it not only works all parts of the trapezius muscles (neck & upper middle back), but it also works the shoulders (deltoids) and the biceps. Start in the same position as the Reverse Curls with the overhand grip and the weights in front of the legs (quadriceps), but instead of curling the weights up, pull them straight up while getting the elbows as high as possible. Then, return the weight to its original position.
2. Dumbbell Shrugs – this exercise is a little bit redundant with the Upright Rows in the routine, but they’re more focused on smaller muscles in the trapezius region. For the exercise, the weights stay at the sides and the shoulders are pulled up and rolled forward, then returned to the initial position. These can be done with lots of weight, as there is little motion involved. The 35s barely cut it for me, but I do enough repetitions with them that I notice the effect.
3. One-Arm Dumbbell Rows – this is a great exercise for focusing on the lats (latissimus dorsi) – the large muscle group that covers the back of the ribcage). The exercise starts with the person bent over and parallel to the floor with one leg and one hand resting on a surface, the other leg on the floor, and the weight is in the other hand and brought up to the ribcage level while bringing the arm from a straight position at the beginning of the exercise to a 90 degree angle at the end.
4. Back Extensions – these are great for strengthening the lower back as well as the glutes and the thigh flexors (hamstrings) and they require no weight to do. This one can be done on a flat surface as well, as long as there is a lower plane to bend down to. The exercise starts in the bent over position with the person on their front on a flat surface, then the torso is raised until the person is straightened out and can feel a stretch in their lower back.
Shoulder Exercises
1. Seated Dumbbell Presses – I like these not only because they work the deltoids, but they also work the triceps. The exercise starts in a seated position with the arms raised and the weights parallel to the head. The weights are then pushed up over the head until the full range of motion is achieved, then returned to the initial position.
2. High-Pulley Lateral Extensions (Variation) – I don’t have a pulley machine to do these with, but the motion can be achieved with a pair of weights quite easily. To start the exercise, the weights are brought together directly above the head and pulled down to the sides, then returned to the overhead position. This really focuses on controlling the dumbbells and one’s shoulder muscles. I do some martial arts work as well (Muay Thai) and having strong shoulders is essential for any sort of striking with the hand, arm, or elbow.
3. Alternate Front Arm Raises – these not only work the shoulders, but also work the top of the pectoral (chest) muscles. The exercise begins with the weights in front of the legs (quadriceps) in an overhand grip, then the weights are brought straight out in front of the body until they are parallel with the chest. After that, they are returned to the initial position.
4. Lateral Dumbbell Raises – these are basically the same motion as the Alternate Front Arm Raises, but the weights start at the side and are brought straight out to the sides so the arms are parallel with each other. They are also a fair sight more difficult than the Alternate Front Arm Raises, so I use the 10s for them. Actually, I use the 10s for the last three shoulders exercises (25s for the first) because the shoulders are easy to injure with incorrect movements.
Core Exercises
1. Crunches, Boxer Side Crunches w/ Knee Lifts, Vertical Leg Raises – this could technically be counted as three exercises, but they all flow together pretty well. The first part is a basic crunch, which starts with the back on a surface and the torso is raised about halfway straight up to focus on the abdominal muscles.
After doing a set of those, do these crunches with the same range of motion, but do them side to side and bring the leg up of the side that you are crunching towards. So, if you’re crunching to the left, bring the left knee up as close to the chest as possible. I usually have my left knee touch my right elbow (and vice versa), but I’m pretty lanky and flexible.
Once those are done, put your hands under your backside to support yourself and raise your legs straight up into the air as high as possible. They don’t have to come all the way back down on the return – just to the point where the glutes are resting on the hands. After these three are done, cycle back through and do another set (or three)!
2. Planks – these are an exercise I picked up from personal trainers over the years and they’re really easy to execute, but can be hard to maintain, depending on your core strength. All that needs to be done to execute the exercise is to rest on a flat surface, then put your arms in a triangle position (elbows at sides, fists under face), raise the upper back up, raise the lower back up so it’s parallel with the upper back, keep the feet together, then hold it.
For my first set, I count down from 20, then count back up and drop the plank once I hit 20 again. Then 18 down and up, 16 down and up, and 14 down and up. If you wanted, you could just do one of these and hold it for as long as you can – I do four of them because I like the uniformity with the rest of my workout.
3. Broomstick Twists (Variation) – I do these a little differently than the book instructs, as instead of putting a broomstick over my shoulders and twisting side to side, I grab a 35 pound dumbbell, hold it out in front of me, and then twist side to side. It not only works the abs and obliques (the sides of the abdominal muscles), it also gives a good burn to the biceps for holding the weight in that position.
4. Dumbbell Side Bends – these are pretty easy to do as well, as you hold the dumbbell in one hand and reach towards the floor with the other, raising the dumbbell up a little bit in the process. This one’s really good for the obliques as well.
Chest Exercises
1. Dumbbell Presses – this is the dumbbell variation of the bench press, as you need a flat surface to do these off of, preferably with a lower plane available. I’ve done these off the floor before, but I don’t get the full range of motion that I’d like. The exercise starts with the person on their back, their arms out to the sides with the elbows bent at a 90 degree angle, and the dumbbells a little above the plane of the face. Then, the weights are pushed up as high as possible and subsequently brought back down. It’s a bench press that substitutes dumbbells for a bar – there’s not a lot to it.
2. Dumbbell Pullovers – with this one, only one dumbbell is needed and it works on a lot of different areas besides the pectorals (chest). It also works the long head of the triceps and the lats. The exercise starts with the person on their back and the dumbbell in both hands over the chest. The dumbbell is then lowered behind the head until the arms are unable to stretch any further, then it is raised back up over the chest.
3. Cable Crossover Flys (Variation) – again, I don’t have a cable or pulley machine to work with at home, so I use a pair of 10s and simulate the motion with them in my hands. The exercise begins with the dumbbells in front of the pelvis, then they are raised up at a 45 degree angle with the arms kept straight until they are outstretched diagonally behind the head. Your arms will be in a Y position and there should be a good stretch going on in your pectorals (chest). I do my best to explode with these, as it brings quite a good pump to the chest even with such a light weight.
4. Push-Ups – do I really need to explain these? Well, I’ll go for it. These are like Planks, except you put your arms out to the sides (usually shoulder-width), lower yourself close to the ground, then push up. Thus the name. Another body weight exercise that can be exceeding difficult for some after multiple repetitions. They definitely get easier the more you do them, though.
Leg Exercises
1. Power Squats – I love these because they work so many parts of the body, it’s tremendous. They work the abs, the lower back, the quadriceps, the hamstrings, the adductors (inner thighs), and the glutes. They’re also easy to execute with or without weights. I hold a couple of dumbbells in front of me at shoulder height to get a little more resistance. The exercise is pretty simple – start in a standing position with the feet shoulder-width apart, lower your backside down until it is parallel with your quadriceps, then return to the initial position.
2. Dumbbell Calf Raises – these are very simple and great for isolating the calf muscles. You don’t need to use weights with these, but I do to get some extra resistance. The exercise starts with the feet planted on the floor, shoulder-width apart, and with dumbbells in your hands at your sides (if you so choose). Then, raise up onto the balls of the feet and lower back down in a timely fashion.
3. Knees – when I was taking Muay Thai classes (and not just training on my own), we trained a lot of knees, as they are an essential part of that discipline. They’re also good for working the quadriceps, the hamstrings, and the glutes. The exercise starts in a standing position with the hands together out in front of the body at a level that will be a bit of a stretch for you to strike with your knee. I put mine out in front of my chest, but like I said before – I’m lanky and flexible. After that, aim for the target with one leg and give it a good pop with the knee, and then alternate to the other leg and do the same.
4. Side Leg Extensions – I’m not quite sure where I picked these up, but they’re good for working the adductors. The exercise starts with one foot planted on the floor and the other leg is swung up to the side until it’s at a 90 degree angle with the standing leg (or as far as you can swing it). Then, bring the leg down and repeat, eventually switching to the other leg.
Work Out Schedule
As you can see, I’ve got a lot on my plate (no surprise there) and it takes quite a bit of time to get all of that covered. I work out six days a week or around an hour a day, doing so shortly after I get up in the morning.
In order to keep building my strength, I do two parts of the above work out every day. On Monday and Thursday, I do arm exercises and back exercises, on Tuesday and Friday, I do shoulder exercises and core exercises, and on Wednesday and Saturday, I do chest exercises and leg exercises.
For someone just starting out with lifting, I’d recommend the six days a week routine, but starting with one group per day instead of two. I did one group per day with six different exercises for a couple months and I had good results until I was ready for a bigger challenge.
I’ve had some tremendous gains in the past few weeks that I’ve been doing this work out, and I can’t wait to hone this workout more as time passes and potentially ramp it up to working each muscle group three times a week in the future!
Discuss this post at the For the Love of Creativity Forum!
Posted on November 13th, 2010.
External Links
• Athletic Alley – Sexy Organic Blog Carnival 36 | Athletic Alley
• Fitbuff.com – Total Mind and Body Fitness Blog Carnival 180 | FitBuff.com’s Health Secrets Blog
• Strength Training Anatomy – 3rd Edition (Sports Anatomy) – Amazon.com: Strength Training Anatomy – 3rd Edition (Sports Anatomy) (9780736092265): Frédéric Delavier: Books
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