We all would like to get a little fitter. You know, maybe lose an inch on the waist, add an inch on the arms, etc. But the cost of a gym membership or some home fitness equipment is sometimes more than we can afford. And frankly, some of us are intimidated by all of the muscle (and skin) in our local gym. It’s a place to exercise, not a meat market! Jeez. Well, that’s still no reason to not workout. Here at TwentiesLife we solve real problems. Get ready for a serious workout that requires nothing but discipline and dedication!
Warm up
To warm up you’ll want to get your heart rate up a bit. A few great exercises for this are jumping jacks, jogging in place, and jumping rope (if you happen to have one lying around). About 7-10 minutes worth of moderate warming up should have you ready for the exercises.
Jump Squats
This exercise is a great starter because it hits so many muscles. The focus is on your quadriceps (thighs) but you’ll probably feel the burn in other places as well. I’d recommend starting with 3 sets of 10 (or as many as you can do if it’s less than 10). Take a 30 second break between each set. Remember, the harder your heart is beating the better, so don’t “wait to catch your breath.”
Lunges
Now that we’ve warmed those legs up, let’s hit the hamstrings and glutes. These are the muscles on the back of your legs, from your butt to your knee. Lunges are my home exercise of choice for hamstrings, though they will get some quadricep action as well. If you can manage it, 3 sets of 10 fits here too.
Push Ups
There are many variations of push ups, and they all focus on different muscles. For now though, just focus on the standard push up (or girl variation for those who need it), which targets your pectoral muscles. Again, start with 3 sets of 10 (or as many as you can) with 30 second breaks between.
Back Extensions
Now that we’ve hit quadriceps and pectorals, let’s focus on all those muscles in your back. Again, start with 3 sets of 10. Nice and slow. Make sure you feel the burn.
Bicep Curls
Ok, I lied a little. You’ll need some sort of makeshift weight here. It could be anything from a can of veggies to a jug of milk. Just something that you can wrap your hand around and lift, something with a little weight. 3 sets of 10 works great for this exercise as well.
Tricep Dips
This is a hardcore exercise, and the more you weigh the harder it will be. The tricep dip is the exercise that really builds up those triceps, the muscle opposite your biceps. For this exercise I recommend 3 sets to failure (which means as many as you can do). For some this will be 15+, while for others it will be 2-5. Just go at your own pace and do the exercise correctly. You’ll get better in no time.
Inverse Push-ups
This is an exercise that will focus on your trapezius musclces (between the shoulder blades), as well as stretching out many of the muscles in your back. Do 3 sets to failure, as many as you can.
Hip Raises
This exercise focuses on lower back and glutes as well. Want to get a super booty? Do these exercises. Do it nice and slow.
Calf Raises
This is the last exercise in this simple home workout. I save this one for last because when you do it right, it burns so much that you don’t want to do anything afterwards. I’ve always had to spend extra time on my calves, because for some reason they don’t like to grow, so I do this exercise often. The regimen for this one is 3 sets to failure, with a minute or two break in between.
That’s it for this workout. While this may not have you looking like a bodybuilder in a week, it’s definitely a great start to a fitter lifestyle. And it costs nothing. Once you develop consistency in your workouts and exercises, you may find that it’s worth it to buy equipment or a gym membership. But to start, you just need to commit to making it hurt a little, and getting those muscles to work. Do you have a favorite equipment free exercise? Leave it in the comments below!
