Building muscles doesn’t just mean increasing your body in terms of size – it entails putting on some body mass and carving your body into the perfect shape. And contrary to what you may have believed, great muscles and an adorable shape are not just confined to workouts at the gym; you can get the same result in the comfort of your home, without any fancy gym equipment. A good exercise regime and planned diet can get you what a gym can. Read on to know how:
What Exercises Should You Do?
So, how are muscles made? The answer is simple – when you train your body with weights. When you think of weights, it’s not always the ones you see at the gym. Body weight exercises are the ones which need no external weights, but utilise your own weight to give you a muscular figure. Many traditional instructors believe that there is nothing better than your own body weight. So put your body weight to some good use by doing the following exercises:
The Good Old Push Ups
Push-ups can tone your chest or pectoral area and even the triceps and biceps in a similar fashion as the bench press does.
When you do your daily push-ups and lift yourself on your hands against the ground, you act against your own weight, getting the same pressure on the muscles as in the bench press.
The Correct Technique
The distance of your hands from the body will change the focus from the chest to the hand muscles. To create a well-defined chest line and protruding muscles, keep your hands closer. Keeping hands afar will work on the outer muscles, while a little further will act on the triceps.
Fix a Routine
Start with in-line-to-shoulder hand position and then shift to the inner hands position. Follow this up with the outer hands position. Stay for two to three minutes in each position. Repeat each cycle twice.
Pull All That Weight Up
One of the simplest and basic exercises of weight training is pull-ups. All you need is a horizontal pole in your house that can bear your weight. You can also install it on your terrace, garden or garage. Pull-ups, if done sincerely, can show great results on your neck, back and arm muscles.
The Correct Technique
See that the pole you use is strong enough to handle your weight. Put your hands on the pole a little more than shoulder width apart and facing downwards. Pull yourself up till your face crosses the pole. Wait for a moment and then come down till your hands go straight. Remember not to bounce when you come down to avoid a muscle stretch.
Fix a Routine
Do it till your muscles give up. Take a two-minute break and then repeat at least three times.
Plank Your Stomach
Dreaming of six-pack abs? Then you can’t afford to skip the crunches. Crunches might be slightly difficult to start with, but as you’ll see quick results, you’ll be motivated to do them each day.
Different styles of crunches target different areas of the abdomen. Team your crunches with a bit of cardio for model-like abs.
The Correct Technique
Lie down with your back facing the ground. Fold your legs into a 45-degree angle with feet fixed on the ground. Put your hands beside your hips with the palms facing downward and raise your head so that it is parallel to the ground; do not raise your back.
Stay in this position for three seconds. Now squeeze your muscles (breath out) and go down. To work on the middle and lower abs, lie down in a similar fashion, but put your hands on your thighs and raise your head till your wrist crosses the knee. Stay for three seconds, squeeze and then go down.
Fix a Routine
Do as many crunches as you can till it hurts. Take a short break in-between sets for greater efficiency. Increase the count each day as you build up strength and stamina.
Also Read
Effective Strategies To Build Six Pack Abs In Six Weeks
Steps For Attaining Six Pack Abs
10 Tips For Perfect Abs
10 Steps For Perfect Sit Ups
Let The Dumbbells Work
Add an extra topping to your workout routine by investing in a pair of dumbbells. They don’t cost much and can help exercise almost all parts of your body. You can do some gym-like exercises with dumbbells.
Weighted Lunges
Hold the dumbbells on your sides and step forward to bend your knees till the thigh goes parallel to the ground. Balance with your rear legs on toes. Stay in the position for a while and then move back to repeat the same with the other leg.
Weighted Walking
The technique is same as weighted lunges. But instead of moving back to the initial position after bending the leg, you need to move forward and cover a distance to do the same step with the other leg.
Dead Lifts
This is an exercise where you lift heavy weights to build strength and mass. Dead lifts can even train you to pick up heavy objects without bending your back or getting injured. Start with lesser weights and increase as you develop a knack for them.
Military Press
These are lifts to improve the deltoid muscles in the shoulder and the triceps. The barbell is lifted to touch the anterior deltoids and then taken over the head by pressing the palms against the underside of the barbell.
What To Eat
What you eat is what you’ll see on your body. For a muscular figure, eat a diet that takes in solid nutrition. The simple way to calculate your calorie intake for the day is: Body-weight (in lbs) x 18 kcal
Some Must-Haves
1. 1g/lbs of protein daily in the form of meat, chicken, fish, eggs or cottage cheese.
2. Whole grain carbs that are found in oats, rice, pasta, and breads.
3. Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids. These are found in soya bean oil, linseed oil, beans, peas and other legumes.
4. Eat loads of green vegetables, especially the ones with fibre, like lettuce, broccoli, kale, purslane and spinach.
5. Grab lots of fruits through the day. Apples, bananas (in the morning), papaya, watermelon and pomegranate.
6. Drink plenty of water to maintain optimal hydration of the body throughout the day, and especially after vigorous workouts.
Caution: Please use Home Remedies after Proper Research and Guidance. You accept that you are following any advice at your own risk and will properly research or consult healthcare professional.