How to Get a Full-Body Strength Training Workout at Home

Strength training, also referred to as weight training or strength training, is an equally significant part of any workout routine. It will help make you more powerful and also builds muscle endurance.

With strength training, you move your body against some type of resistance, for example:

• Your body weight
• Free weights, such as dumbbells or barbells
• Resistance bands, also Called resistance tubing or exercise bands
• Resistance machines, like cable machines, single-exercise machines, or multi-gym systems

Strength training is a flexible kind of workout that you can do almost everywhere. While it’s a favorite exercise option at many gyms, you might even build a robust strength training program that you can do in the comfort and privacy of your house.

This guide will allow you to understand exactly what you need to begin with an at-home power training routine, together with examples of exercises that you can include in your fitness program.

What are the benefits of strength training?

Research shows that strength training can benefit your health and fitness in many distinct ways. According to the Mayo Clinic, strength training may help:

• Construct lean muscle mass
• Reduce body fat
• Burn calories more efficiently, even after you’ve exercised
• Increase metabolism and earn weight loss easier
• Increase bone density and improve bone health
• Boost flexibility and improve range of movement
• Enhance brain health and cognitive functions
• Decrease the symptoms of many chronic conditions, such as back pain, diabetes, arthritis, and heart disease
• Improve posture, equilibrium, and stability
• Increase energy levels
• Improve mood and overall awareness of well-being

What are the benefits of working out at home?

A home-based workout regimen could be a super-easy and convenient means of fitting in a workout without having to hit the fitness center.

Benefits

• It saves time. There’s no travel or waiting for equipment or machines.
• It is a low cost. There are no gym fees or costly equipment required.
• Work out anytime. You’ll be able to exercise on your own schedule, no matter the time of night or day.
• Privacy. You can work out without feeling self-conscious.
• Go at your own pace. There’s no pressure to keep up with those around you or to push yourself past what is comfortable.

Getting started

Once you’re ready to start putting together your strength-training workout, the first step is to find a place in your home where you can exercise comfortably. You’ll want to locate an area that has enough room for you to move your arms and legs.

You do not have to invest in much gear, but if you do need to purchase a few items, here are a few that may be useful:

• A workout mat
• Resistance bands or tubing
• Dumbbells
• A kettlebell
• A stability ball
• A medicine ball

Rather than using a kettlebell, you can improvise using water bottles, sandbags, or canned goods in place of the weights.

If you are just getting started with strength training, then you may want to discover a strength training workout for novices online. This can help you learn how to do different exercises with the ideal form and warm-up and cool down correctly.

Start using a warmup

Before starting your exercise, do a warmup routine for at least 5 to 10 minutes. This may include brisk walking, jogging on the spot, or moves that work your legs, arms, and other significant muscle groups.

Bodyweight strength training exercises

Once your muscles are warmed up and prepared to proceed, you should begin by doing a series of bodyweight exercises.

You don’t need any gear for bodyweight exercises, except an exercise mat if the floor is too tough.

With each of these exercises, use smooth, steady, and controlled motions.

Lunges

A fundamental lunge works the muscles in your lower body, such as your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves.

To do this exercise:

1. Start by standing up tall, feet squared apart.
2. Step forward with your right foot, and lower your hips toward the floor until the right leg reaches a 90-degree angle and your left knee is directly parallel to the ground. Make sure your front knee does not go beyond your toes.
3. Lengthen your spine to keep your torso vertical.
4. Hold this position for 5 minutes or more.
5. Next, step your right foot back to meet your left, and repeat this movement with your left leg.
6. Repeat 10 to 12 days, then break briefly and do another set.

Lunge versions include walking lunges, skipping lunges, lunges with a torso twist, and side lunges.

Squat to overhead raise

If you are new to strength training, then start off by increasing your arms overhead with no weight. After you can do this exercise with good form, you can add mild dumbbells, and increase the weight as you build strength.

This exercise not only works your glutes and leg muscles, but it also works the muscles in your core, spine, and shoulders, as well as your triceps.

To do this exercise:

1. Stand with your feet slightly wider than your hips as well as your arms alongside your body.
2. Gradually lower your hips into a squat position.
3. Press up to return into position and raise your arms overhead.
4. Return to the beginning position.
5. Do 1–3 sets of 8–12 repetitions.

Planks

Planks are an excellent exercise for improving your core strength and stability. This exercise may also strengthen the muscles in your chest, back, and shoulders.

To do this exercise:

1. Rest in your forearms and toes only, keeping your body in a straight line with your buttocks clenched and your stomach muscles engaged.
2. Try to hold the position for 30 seconds. If that’s too hard, start with 20 seconds.
3. As you gain fitness and strength, attempt to maintain the plank position for 1 minute or more.

Once you’re prepared to get a harder version of the plank, you can try lifting one leg at a time while you’re holding the plank position.

Pushups

Standard pushups work the chest muscles (pectorals), in addition to the shoulder muscles, triceps, and abdominals.

To do this exercise:

1. Start at a plank position with your palms directly under your shoulders.
2. Keeping your back flat and bracing your heart, lower your body by bending your elbows until your chest almost touches the ground.
3. Immediately push your body back up to the starting place.
4. Repeat 8–12 times. Start with 1–two sets, and build up to 3 sets as you get more powerful.

A less difficult version of the pushup may be accomplished by placing your weight on your knees instead of your feet.

More challenging pushup versions include plyo pushups, close stance pushups, and decline pushups.

Free weight exercises

The next two exercises use dumbbells. Start with a 5-pound dumbbell. As you build up your strength, you can change to using 8- or 10-pound dumbbells.

You can also use canned products or water bottles in place of dumbbells. Just make certain to grip them firmly to avoid injury.

Dumbbell shoulder press

This exercise targets the muscles in your shoulders and arms, and may also strengthen your core and chest muscles.

To do this exercise:

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Pick up the dumbbells and increase them to shoulder height. Your palms can face forward or toward your own body.
3. Raise the dumbbells over your head until your arms are fully extended.
4. Pause in this position for a couple of seconds, then bring back the dumbbells to shoulder height.
5. Do 1–3 sets of 8–12 repetitions.

Dumbbell triceps kickback

This exercise works your triceps as well as your shoulder muscles.

To do this exercise:

1. Grab two dumbbells and hold one in each hand.
2. Bend your torso at a 45-degree angle, and bend your elbows so they form a 90-degree angle.
3. Then straighten your arms out directly behind you, engaging your triceps as you move.
4. You can do one arm at a time, or even both together.
5. If you’re a beginner, start with 1–2 sets of 8–12 repetitions, and build up to 3 places as you become more powerful.

Resistance band exercises

Resistance bands are just another great tool for the resistance training workout. They are lightweight and flexible, and a 2010 study has shown they work your muscles just as well as free weights or weight machines.

Resistance ring pull apart

This exercise works the muscles in your back, shoulders, and arms.

To do this exercise:

1. Stand with your arms extended out in front of you at chest height.
2. Hold a resistance band tautly with both palms. The band ought to be parallel to the ground.
3. Keeping your arms straight, pull the band toward your chest by moving your arms outward to your sides.
4. Initiate this motion from your mid-back.
5. Squeeze your shoulder blades together, and keep your spine straight, then slowly go back to the starting position.
6. Do 1–3 sets of 15–20 reps.

Hip extension

This exercise works the muscles in your hips and legs. You’ll need a moderate – to the medium-resistance ring to do this exercise.

1. Loop the resistance band around both your ankles. You can use a chair or wall for balance.
2. Maintaining a straight line within your own body, pull your left leg back as much as you can, keeping it as straight as possible.
3. Slowly return to the starting position.
4. Complete 12 repetitions with your left leg, then repeat with your right leg.
5. Total 2 sets on each side to start, and work up to doing 3 sets as you develop your strength.

Resistance band leg media

This exercise works your quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, and glutes. Just like a leg press on a weight system, this exercise allows you to work against gravity.

1. Lie on your back and lift your feet off the floor.
2. Bend your knees, creating a 90-degree angle. Flex your toes, pointing your feet upward.
3. Wrap the resistance band around your feet and hold the endings.
4. Press your toes against the bands till your legs are fully extended.
5. Bend your knees to come back to a 90-degree angle.
6. Do 1–3 sets of 10–12 reps.

How to cool down

End your workout by cooling down for approximately 5 to 10 minutes. This permits your breathing and heart rate to transition into a resting condition. Options include walking on the spot and gentle stretches.

The bottom line

Doing 30 to 45 minutes of strength training two to three times each week is an excellent means of building lean muscle mass, burning calories, and boosting your metabolism. This, then, can help you burn body fat and make weight loss easier.

Additionally, strength training may strengthen your bones and joints, decrease your risk of chronic diseases, improve posture, flexibility, and balance, and enhance your mood and energy levels.

Many strength training exercises may be carried out in the comfort and privacy of your home, using just your own body weight or basic, low-cost equipment as immunity.

If you have any health concerns or an injury which makes exercising difficult, talk with your doctor or a certified personal trainer before you start an at-home strength training routine.