Working out at home is a trend of the last few years. However, this activity is not for the weak-hearted. I have prepared some tips on how to organize home workouts to make them useful and motivational.
Choose your Training System
According to this result you want to achieve, decide on the type of training you want to do.
If you have big muscles in your plans, you need to lift weights. If the goal is to lose weight, you need a long cardio training sessions.
To slightly tighten your body, half an hour of popular 7-minute workout exercises will be quite enough.
Listen to Your Body
Don’t try to start with a marathon run if the last time you put on your sportswear was at school.
Start to immerse yourself in sports gradually, otherwise, you’ll have muscle pains, sprains, and other multiple injuries that will only drive your off the course.
Don’t forget about warm-ups – at the initial stage, it is especially essential, because the muscles need to be heated after a long stagnation.
Drinking
Drinking during workouts is necessary at regular intervals, regardless of whether you feel thirsty or not.
The fact is that during intensive exercise, body temperature rises. The body starts to secrete sweat to balance body temperature.
This causes 2 problems at once: dehydration and, as a result, extra strain on your heart, as the blood begins to thicken and it becomes much harder for the heart to let it flow through and distribute. Therefore, it is very important to drink during training sessions.
Sportswear
At first glance, this may seem like a superfluous detail, especially if you’re training at home.
Nobody sees you, nobody’s going to blame you for what you’re doing in old pants and slippers, right? Not really. Training is stressful for the body, so you need to create the most comfortable conditions for the body to exercise safely and effectively.
Bad running shoes are fraught with ankle dislocation, while synthetic clothing is fraught with sweat and lack of oxygen.
Playlist
You don’t want to do TV lessons. News, videos, movies or worse, TV shows, will distract you from the sport itself. Better make a cheerful and dynamic playlist that will motivate and cheer you up.
Workout Bench
A beautiful belly is everybody’s dream at any age. That’s why workout benches are in great demand.
According to this information, they allow you to train with maximum comfort at home. Thanks to their compact size, there is room for a bench even in a small house or apartment. The whole family can use it!
Which bench is better?
If you’re just getting a closer look, consider the following points:
- Dimensions. The wider the bench, the more comfortable it is to use – your position is more stable.
- Design. There are straight benches and curved. For beginners, it is better to choose the first option.
- Upholstery. It should be soft enough not to squeeze blood vessels and cause bruises. It is also desirable that it was anti-slip, otherwise, you will constantly slide down and spend energy to return to the original position.
- Adjustments. The bench should be adjusted to your height and level of training.
- Functionality. The more exercises are available, the more effective the training will be.
The design should be reliable for the machine to serve you well for a long time. Opt for steel frames and dense upholstery.
Proper Training
Press benches are the best workout machines without a doubt. to make your workouts efficient and safe, follow the basic rules:
- Breathe out – bend over, breathe in – stretch out.
- Keep your abdominal muscles tense at all times.
- Do not rush, do your bench exercises slowly but surely.
- Keep your head in such a way that your neck is a prolongation of your spine.
- To increase the pressure, make your bench’s backrest more tilted.
Start with the original position: feet behind the support, legs bent, back pressed, hands behind your head. In no case do not jerk or pull during your exercises, otherwise, you can sprain your muscles.
Do not “squeeze” the maximum out of yourself on the first day, otherwise, you are guaranteed a terrible muscle soreness. It is better to distribute the load evenly, gradually increasing the number of repetitions.
The most popular exercises on a workout bench are body lifting, twisting, cycling, and leg lifting. Even a newcomer can handle them – so go ahead.
Maintain Eating Habits
The intervals between meals and workouts should be 1.5 to 2 hours. It is better if the food is protein since it will be easier for the body to bear the stress of intense physical activity and it will have a source of energy. It is better to give up carbohydrates at all.
Nutritional Quality
Caloric values only describe the quantitative composition of supplies. The completeness of nutrition depends to a large extent on the quality of the food which gives an idea of a sufficient number of individual nutrients in it, required to perform plastic and regulatory functions, satisfy taste demands, sense of satiety, etc.
Protein, Fat, and Carbs Ratio
It is not only the absolute content of each nutrient that is important but also the quantitative proportions between them that determine the so-called balance of nutrition.
It should be remembered that the lack or excess of certain substances may adversely affect the most important functions of the body, despite the fullness of the food in terms of calories.
At the same time, knowing the nutritious value and purpose of certain nutrients, it is possible, by means of compositing various quality diets, to actively influence the functional activity of the body, promote the development of muscles, eliminate superfluous fat deposits, increase productivity and stamina.
Daily Calorie Intake
The most favorable ratio of basic nutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates) for adults is 1:1:4, the so-called balanced diet formula.
For athletes, this formula looks different: 1:0,8:4 or even 1:0,7:4. This is due to the fact that oxygen starvation often occurs when performing sports exercises.
Fat oxidation requires more oxygen than oxidation of carbs; when there’s a lack of oxygen, using fat as a source of energy produces unoxidized products, ketones, which are poisonous to the body.
When training and competing in mid-altitude conditions, it is particularly important to reduce the proportion of fat in the diet due to increased hypoxia – the ratio should be 1:0,7:4 or 1:0,6:4.
Essential nutrient requirements can be calculated by considering the percentage of caloric intake that each nutrient provides from the total caloric intake. According to the balanced diet formula, the percentage of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates should be as follows: 14 %: 30 %: 56 %.
This formula is suitable for swimming, yachting, and motorsport. For sports, where there are significant absolute and relative values of oxygen debt, it is more appropriate to apply the “15 %: 24 %: 61%” or “1:0,7:4” formula.
Based on these formulas, the energy value of each food product is calculated, and then the energy coefficients are used to calculate the content of basic nutrients in the diet.
For example, with a caloric value of 3000 kcal, the proteins of the 1st formula have 420 kcal, fats – 900 kcal, carbohydrates – 1680 kcal.
Knowing the energy coefficients of basic nutrients at their oxidation in the body (1 g of protein – 3.8 kcal; 1 g of fat – 9.3 kcal; 1 g of carbohydrates – 4.1 kcal), you can calculate the content of these nutrients in grams. In this case, the number of proteins will be 111 g, fats – 97 g, carbohydrates – 410 g.
With the increase of energy consumption, the demand for energy and, accordingly, for basic nutrients increases. However, an excessive protein increase in the ration may have an adverse effect on the human body.
In this regard, the proportion of protein should be slightly reduced, namely, with a caloric intake of 4500-5500 kcal – up to 13%; 5500-6500 kcal – up to 12%; 6500-8000 kcal – up to 11%.
In addition to considering the total number of calories, it is important to distribute them proportionally among the main nutrients of the food. When talking about muscle mass, this distribution should look as follows:
- Proteins – 30-40%,
- Carbohydrates – 30-50%,
- Fats – 10-20%.
The number of certain nutrients varies depending on your type of physique.
- The optimal ratio of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats for ectomorphs: proteins – 20-30%, carbohydrates – 50-60%, fats – 20-30%.
- For mesomorphs: proteins – 30-40%, carbohydrates – 40-50%, fats – 10-20%.
- For endomorphs: proteins – 40-50%, carbohydrates -30-40%, fats – 10-15%.
These figures may vary depending on how and which mass (relatively “dry” or with a fair amount of fat) you are gaining.
Choosing the optimal proportional distribution of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates:
- You’re gaining a relatively “dry” mass, and you’re happy with your muscle growth rate. Congratulate yourself – you are on the right path, continue to eat and train in the same spirit!
- Your own weight does not increase, and there is no progress in the growth of training weights used shells – increase the number of proteins and carbohydrates in your diet. Pay special attention to breakfast and 2 or even 3 meals a day after training. If you workout in the morning, you should have 3 meals after that. If you have 2 meals in the afternoon, you should have 2 meals in the afternoon. Let alone the extra protein shakes which can be 2 to 4.
- You have noticed that fat is collected faster than muscles (this is easily tracked by the look of your press, waist, and cheeks). You need to cut the total amount of carbohydrates and fats and increase proteins in your diet.
If you feel tired during the day and your training progress has slowed down. You may also notice increased dry skin and hair brittleness.
Increase the amount of carbohydrate and supplement your diet with useful polyunsaturated fats: olive or linseed oil, some fish (e.g. salmon).
Generally, a simple indicator of your being on the right track in your training process is your increased appetite.
The reason for this is that because of intensive training the body produces a large number of anabolic hormones that cause increased appetite. In order to increase the quality of muscle mass, it is essential to correctly calculate the total calorie intake and the ratio of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats.
If you don’t have an appetite, you’re not exercising properly. Here, it is essential to set an optimal method of training (within the limits of your body type), and only after that – nutrition.
Following this simple rule, you will steadily progress in gaining muscle mass.
Resting
Correct recovery from physical activity has a great impact on the exercise results. That’s why the resting part is the most important in a well-constructed training program.
Unfortunately, many newcomers pay a lot of attention to exercise, forgetting to schedule their rest after training.
Human muscles need rest because under severe strain muscle tissue gets a lot of microtraumas and loses the reserve of glycogen (glucose) which is necessary for nutrition.
Muscle pain, apathy, and loss of motivation are not indicators of your weakness.
This is just a sign that the body has not recovered from its previous load. After training, it is important to give the body the opportunity to rest from the stress and recover to the next activity. The better the recovery, the better the chances to turn your workouts into a great result.
For a quick recovery, you need to follow simple rules on the daily routine and diet, as well as use additional tools that will help to regain strength and desire to train.
The recovery period takes from 24 to 48 hours. That’s why professional athletes don’t burden the same muscle groups for two days in a row.
So, what helps you recover quickly after training?
- Meals. The body spends energy on physical exercises which should be restored at the end of the exercise. Immediately after the exercise, it is worth taking a portion of a protein which will protect your muscles from damage and help the body recover. In an hour, you should take a portion of carbohydrates and replenish glycogen. Do not forget to drink during and after training.
- Sleep. The human body has an amazing ability to take care of itself if it is not disturbed. For example, during sleep, the body produces a growth hormone that is largely responsible for the recovery and growth of tissues.
The necessary duration of sleep depends on the individual characteristics of the body and averages 8 hours. Sleep deprivation can lead to an increase in the amount of time the body takes to recover, problems with concentration and poor health.
After training, go to bed early, allow yourself to stretch out and relax before falling asleep, read a good book.
- Warmups and cool downs. Cooling down is a slowdown, but not a complete stop. Keep moving at a low intensity for 5-10 minutes – this will help remove lactic acid from your muscles and relieve tension. Remember that warmups and cooldowns are an essential step in long workouts. It is especially important if several periods of physical activity are expected per day. After an intensive workout, do some stretching exercises – this is an easy and quick way to help muscles recover.
- Massage. This is the best way to quickly recover from workouts. The massage helps to strengthen blood circulation in muscles and internal organs, relaxes overstrained and relieve pain in damaged muscles, improves muscle regeneration and recovery processes, increases the lymphatic flow, activates metabolic processes and the elimination of congestion in tissues, improves joint mobility.
- Contrast shower. The contrast shower has a positive effect on vessels, ligaments, and connective tissue. Different temperatures cause interchangeable constriction and expansion of vessels, resulting in improved metabolism and blood supply to organs and tissues. In addition, a contrast shower increases your vitality and makes it easier to wake up in the morning.
Which of these ways to use is up to you. You can combine these methods. Remember, the main indicator that the body has recovered from stress is the strongest desire to get back to training as soon as possible.
Don’t give in to the temptation to force events and don’t neglect the rest periods after training – they bring you closer to your goals. If you feel pain, fatigue, or performance degradation in training, take a break and let your body recover.