For one reason or another at one point in someone’s life you might have to do your training at home with little to no equipment. This could be for a few different reasons such as a lack or time, not enough money, or a pandemic that will remain unnamed. We all know we can do exercise at home, but can we do strength training at home during 2020, this was a burning question in my head so I did some research.
The answer is yes you can do strength training at home, this is because at its basics progressive overload is the only thing you need to do to get stronger. The only problem with strength training at home is that without equipment it can be very difficult to progressively overload.
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Progressive Overload
Progressive overload is the most important principle in training, no matter whether you are training for muscle growth or strength training.
Now that we know it is important, what does it really mean? Well to put it really simply it means when you get stronger/better you will make the exercise harder to match your current skill level.
There are many different examples of progressive overload, some being adding more weight, adding more reps, adding negative reps, adding half reps, pause reps, and the list can just go on and on.
No matter if you are strength training at home, in the gym, or training to be a boxer progressive overload is the holy grail of training. If you want to learn more about progressive overload you can read this article here!
What Are The Benefits of Working Out At Home
Though personally I think that working out at the gym is better, but strength training at home also has many different benefits that the gym does not.
- You Will Save Time – Though this might not apply to everyone, you will save a lot of time due to no travel time and not having to wait for any machines.
- You Will Save Money – The gym can be really expensive with the gym on average costing people $81 AUD per month.
- Time Free – You can workout at any time of the day, if you so choose you can workout once in the morning and one at night and save a lot of time doing so.
- Privacy – For one reason or another if you want to workout in private, working out at home will guarantee that privacy.
Check out this article if you want to more in more in depth learn about the the benefits of working out at home vs working out in the gym.
Best Bodyweight Exercises For Strength Training At Home
Push Ups
Ah the classic push ups, though you might be bored of doing them, they are still one of the best exercises you can do without any equipment. If it is too hard you should try doing push ups on your knees
If push ups are just too easy for you some harder progressions include
- A static hold at the bottom position
- Explosive push ups
- Archer push ups
- Alternating staggered push ups
- Incline push ups
- Decline push ups
- And for a real expert the one armed push ups
Though these are a lot of different progression by no means is this an extensive list, if none of these suit you there are so many more options.
Squats
Again one of the very classic movements you will do, you might think that squats are really easy but once you get to 10 – 15 you might start feeling the burn. If a normal squat is too hard you can either try half squats or negatives on the way down.
If regular squats are too easy for you here are some harder progressions
- Explosive squats
- Static holds
- Speed reps
- Lunges
- Pistol Squat
- Bulgarian split squat
Once again these are just some great examples there are many more options out there.
Glute Bridge
The glute bridge is also an amazing at home exercise which works out the glutes (butt) and the hamstrings are the two main muscles. If a regular glute bridge is too hard an easier variation is to simply cut the range of motion.
If regular glute bridges are too easy for you here are some harder progressions
- Glute bridge with a slider
- Glute bridge with a yoga ball
- Glute bridge with one leg in the air
- Static hold
Sit Up
I know it, you know it is one of the most classic exercises to sit up. You might think that it is boring but it is still a great exercise. If a regular sit up is too difficult you can either do crunches or negative reps.
If regular sit ups are too easy for you here are some harder progressions. In this case I call them progressions but they are just other ab exercises.
- Crunches
- Leg raises
- Window Wipers
- The scissors
- Reverse Crunch
- Russian Twist
- On your back toe touches
Once again this is just a small list of ab exercises if none of these interest you there are so many more different exercises out there.
Great At Home Equipment
Though you are working out at home that does not mean you have to have no equipment, here are a few of my recommendations.
Adjustable Dumbbell Set
The first item on the list you should get is an adjustable dumbbell set, what I love about dumbbells is that they are really versatile. As with just dumbbells you have just unlocked a door to hundreds of new exercises to take your strength training, or really any training to the next level.
On top of that getting a set of adjustable dumbbells gives you access to a wider range of weights options to suit your needs no matter whether you’re a beginner or advanced. With the adjustable set you can have access to many different weighted dumbbells without breaking the bank.
Personally I would recommend this one over here, with just an initial cost of $81 AUD you can get all of this
- SET OF 2 DUMBBELLS 40LBS (18KGS) TOTAL: TWO 14inch x 1.15inch handles, FOUR 2.5lbs(1.13kgs) plates, FOUR 5lbs(2.3kgs) plates, FOUR collars, TWO bar handle 5lbs(2.3kgs)
- CAST IRON WEIGHT PLATES FIT 1.15 INCH STANDARD BAR: Accommodate all standard 1.15 inch handles; durable cast iron plates covered with black paint finish preventing rust and corrosion for lifetime use
- 14 INCH DIAMOND KNURLED HANDLE: Constructed of high quality, textured handle for secure, firm, and non slip grip
- STAR LOCK COLLARS: Threaded ends with star lock collars provide a secure workout and easy weight plate changes
- EASY USE and STORAGE: Take seconds to assemble and take out; compact, convenient, and easy to use and store; all for one dumbbells eliminate the need for multiple dumbbells in your workout space
Kettlebell Set
The kettlebell set is also one of the most fantastic purchases you could make when working out at home. Just like the dumbbell kettlebells also open the world to so many different exercises.
With the advantage of not only having access to most of what the dumbbell can do it also gives you access to many more athletic movements such as the kettlebell swing.
Personally I would recommend this one with an initial cost of $89 AUD you can get a set of kettlebells with
- 2kg
- 4kg
- 6kg
- 8kg
- 10kg
- 12kg
- 14kg
- 16kg
- 20kg
Conclusion
Now we know don’t let anyone tell you that you can not get in a great workout at home with little to no equipment. With a little bit of elbow grease you can really fit in a great strength training workout at home.