Who says you have to join a gym to build the physique you’ve always wanted? The truth is that the rise of home workouts have led to a whole host of new and exciting workout routines you can do in the comfort of your own home with little or no equipment. Ideal when you want to see the results your hard work deserves without the restrictions that come from waiting for the most popular stations in the gym.
Bootcamp Workouts at Home: assess your fitness level
The beauty of a home bootcamp workout is that you can tailor it to your exact fitness level and experience.
A good test of your all-round fitness is to see how many press-ups you can complete in 1 minute, followed by how many sit-ups in 1 minute. This is to assess your upper body strength as well as the condition of your core. If you have the energy and fitness base after that, you could time yourself for a 1 mile run around the block on as flat a ground as you can find. This will gauge your overall aerobic fitness as well as the muscle endurance of your lower body.
Bootcamp Workouts at Home: equipment
Many people train with elastic resistance bands instead of weights as they’re safer and easier to use, particularly if you’re training alone.
Yoga balls are also popular because of the range of different core exercises they allow you to perform, as are simple ab rollers and step up blocks. The choice is really up to you, and if you don’t want to pay a penny for this type of equipment, you can easily make weights by filling water bottles, use a chair for step ups, and perform core exercises on the floor.
5 home-based exercises you need to know about
These 5 exercises can be performed anywhere with no equipment and work all of the key muscle groups, as well as test both your anaerobic and aerobic fitness levels:
- Body Weight Squats: Stand with a straight back, hands crossed on your chest and feet slightly more than shoulder width apart. Take your bum down to the floor in one smooth motion and repeat over and over again.
- Press Ups: They were in your initial test for a very good reason — they build incredible upper body strength without a weight bench in sight. As you progress you can put different levels of stress on the chest, shoulders and triceps by changing the angle of your torso and your hand position.
- Sit Ups: Working your core is the key to a balanced physique and protecting your back from injury. If you want to make sure you can run, jump, lift and do just about anything, you need a strong and robust core.
- Shadow Boxing: This all-body cardio exercise is a great way to break the monotony of repeating the same movements over and over. Get light on your toes, focus on speed and continuous movement and really work up a sweat as you push your cardio.
- Step Ups: Use the bottom stair of your house or a chair to push your lower body to the max and you’ll notice the difference.
How to get an all-body workout at home
An all-body workout is a great way to touch all the main bases in just 10 minutes a day.
The simplest possible way to do it is by cycling through the 5 main exercises detailed above, doing them back to back in sets of 10 reps each (1 minute for the shadow boxing) with a 1 minute rest in between sets. Start with 3 sets and build your way up to 10 sets. Once you get there, you’ll be able to add in more demanding variations like incline press ups and jumping squats.
Hydration and recovery meals
Drinking plenty of water and infusing it with vitamin C and electrolytes is a great way to stay healthy and hydrated. In terms of your nutritional intake, keep it simple with a lean protein like soy beans or chicken, mixed with plenty of green and orange veg. For optimal results and recovery you’ll want to make sure you eat within 1 hour of completing your workout as this is when your body is ready to grow and repair.
Importance of rest days
Not everyone can train like an olympian from day one, and for good reason. When you finish your workout you’ll feel your muscles bulging as they’re pumped up by the increased blood circulation, but don’t let the jump in size fool you.
You’re actually at your very weakest point straight after a workout as your muscles need time to repair all of the micro tears that working out causes. Build at least 1 rest day a week into your routine to make sure you give your body the chance to repair and you’ll notice you get far less fatigue and overuse injuries than people who choose to train regardless.
Setting goals for your Bootcamp Workouts at Home
Don’t think you want to stick at it sometimes? Honestly, you’re not alone! The key is to make sure that you’re clear and realistic about your goals so you can feel yourself getting closer to them with every passing workout. Write them down, make them measurable, and set yourself a target date and a reward for reaching it.
Final thoughts
Working out from home is certainly achievable when you combine a little knowledge of the key exercises that work each major muscle group with motivation and dedication. Get started today and you’ll feel like a different person by the end of the week!
In our Bootcamp in Spain you can learn more about our approach on workouts.