How to workout from home with no resources: The new norm and being in shape

Has the new norm changed your lifestyle already? Stuck with a computer at home all day video conferencing with a bunch of colleagues? Worrying about your gains and missing the gym life you just started? I know, this is pretty much the same for most of us these days. 

So let's look at how you can be in great shape spending just half an hour, three days a week! 

 

If you've been working out for a while you might already know what I'm talking about. If you are a total beginner this is just for you. First of all, let me cut the crap. I'm not gonna brag about the healthy meals or the amount of sleep you are gonna need. 

This is totally about being in great shape with the available resources. To be clear on that, being in shape while doing what you do regularly. The only thing you gotta do is, dedicate just half an hour to your workouts. No, you do not need weights. Only some space to move about that's it! Remember, I'm giving you the shortcuts to get you up and running! 

This is the best time to start working out 

It may be frustrating to be indoors and not to have a way of hitting the gym. But think about it! You don't have half of the trouble you used to have. No social gathering, no coming home late after work, no visitors when you are just about to workout. Besides, we ought to maintain good health more than ever before. 

Advantages of working out from home

I'm sure you would have had days you felt like driving to the gym is a pain. Or the days that weather prevented you from going to the gym. Or your training schedule got messed up cuz the gym was closed for holidays. Or you have only two sets of awesome gym gear that gives you the go but you forgot to wash them! Ooops!! The most common in my case. 

Think about it! all you need is a little space, any day, any time of the day. No weather restrictions, no holidays, you don't need to buy those expensive gear. And no more constant pain in the a**es asking you to spot them while they bench press. Isn't that awesome? All you need is the willpower to give that half an hour to sweat like hell and pump some muscle. 

Alright! let' look at the simple things that will take us there. What I'm basically gonna talk about is bodyweight exercises only. Have you ever wondered how some guys who work out in the park with no weights have shredded aesthetic bodies? Well... thank the lord for bodyweight exercises.

3 minutes of Jumping jacks (Not more than that)

Video credits to Woohoo Fitness

Let me be honest, my pure motive is to get you started right away. But we all know how important it is to warm up. It prepares your muscles for the tasks without making it a surprise. Unprepared muscles can lead to injuries. So, included jumping jacks to burn you down. Kidding! just make sure, MAKE SURE... you won't do for more than 3 minutes. Well.. then again, it depends on your energy level. If you think you can go on for more than 3 minutes, be my guest. But don't burn yourself down cuz you have more things to do.

Push-ups

Video credits to Scott Malin

From school cadet to military, push-ups have always been that one exercise determines one's strength. Simply because it is a compound workout. This means it works most of your upper body muscles like the Chest, triceps, shoulders, and core. Honestly, I'm not that person who warms up with jumping jacks or with any other exercises. 

For me, stepping right into push-ups works just fine. This is also a great warm-up exercise. But it's up to you to decide. As I have no right to say you can jump right into your workout session without warming up. 

When it comes to sets and reps I recommend you to go for not more than 3 to 4 sets. The reps can be the maximum amount you can do in each set. But remember! All 3 or 4 sets that you do must include the same reps. It can definitely increase over the sets but NOT decreased. 

Don't worry too much about the reps. Even if you can do only two reps that is perfectly fine. Just keep doing and try to increase one rep whenever your body is ready. So, when you increase reps, start from the last set. For example, you did 2 reps in 3 sets, and on the 4th set, you try and do 3 reps. 

The next time, try to implement the additional rep in the 3rd set. Days to come you will be able to complete 4 sets of 3 reps. 

Dips

Video credit to RELENTLESS METHOD

Dips is a fundamental exercise you must include in your schedule. This is also a compound movement that works your chest, triceps, and shoulders. And a little bit of your core as well. So, you saw "Dips" in the list and you went like, "Oh I can't do this I don't have the parallel bars". Nope. You are wrong! You don't need parallel bars particularly to do dips. 

Do you have two chairs in your house? I'm sure you do. And if you don't I will give you an alternate solution for that as well. Just place the two chairs on either sides with shoulder-width apart. Now place your hands on them and dip your body until your elbows make a 90-degree angle. 

You can lean a bit forward, raise your knees a little higher, to target more of your chest. Keeping your arms and body straight and lowering the body targets more of your triceps. However, both these variations still work your chest, triceps, and shoulders. See the below video by ScottHermanFitness to learn the differences. 

Dips with one chair

Like I said before if you have only one chair at home it's still not an excuse! you can do dips with one chair as well. Even though this works mostly for your triceps, this is a great alternative for parallel bar dips. Especially if you are a beginner, and haven't done parallel bar dips before. This is a preparation exercise. See how it's done.

Video credit to Vicky Dalm

Bodyweight squats

Let me give you advice, maybe this is more like a warning. NEVER take your legs for granted! This is a common mistake most fitness freaks do in their initial stage. Believe me, I have done it myself. It is common that most beginners consider only a great upper body at first. Simply because that's what they mostly see, guys with great chests and arms showing off. Sometimes these guys themselves have poor leg muscles. The very reason they only show off their upper bodies. 

So, don't be that guy! let's talk about quad goals, You don't necessarily need a huge amount of muscles and toning in your legs. But, it is vital to maintain good body balance. Besides, just imagine what happens when you hit the beach with your swim trunk. Girls be like, wow, bigger arms, chest, but wait what?? what happened to those legs? Ooops! Think about it! I don't want you to be leg-shamed.

So let's have a look at how bodyweight squats are done. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, and squat until your knees make a 90-degree angle. Not more or less. Squats is the most effective

workout to build and strengthen quads. And if you can be in the squatting position for 2 seconds before standing up again, that's the best burn!

Video credit to Bupa Helath UK

Pull-ups (Optional)

Pull-ups are another one of the great compound workouts. It works almost all areas of your back and biceps. Not to mention a little bit of your shoulders as well. But I'm suggesting this as an optional workout. I know most of you might not have access to a pull-up bar. Also, pull-ups are a lot harder when comparing to push-ups. 

Adding this to your first session can make you a great excuse to get out of the whole session. Being said that, if you do have access to at least a doorway pull-up bar go for it! you will feel awesome I guarantee you that. Just try to hit 3 sets of any reps you can. Check how it's done.

Video credit to Howcast

Finally the abs

This has been and still is, a burning problem among young and old. "How do I get rid of my fat belly?" "I don't want a muscular body, just want to get rid of the beer belly", These are common things we hear especially at the beginning of every year. Well... of course, you can get rid of that fat belly but you gotta work for it! Also, a single exercise to make that fat you collected over years disappear? Not so logical right?

The simplest and the only advice I give to anyone who comes up with this question is, build your CHEST first! Then the belly will disappear. It will make you happy when you start seeing your chest before your belly. Besides this will give you the enthusiasm to continue working out.

So, for now, don't worry at all about your abs just concentrate on the above exercises. Do only this one exercise. "PLANK!" the mother of all the ab workouts I can say. It also works your core and makes most of the other exercises easier as well. For example, if your core shivers while doing push-ups, this is an awesome workout to fix it. 

Video credit to  ScottHermanFitness 

For now, don't worry about your meals at all. Just try to eat on time whatever you eat. Do not starve! Remember this is to get you on track. Once you start seeing your gains, which you definitely will, you can worry about the rest. 

So, peeps the above is purely based on my personal experiences. And I'm now maintaining a good body that makes me happy to look through every mirror I pass by. :) Do these simple workouts 3 to 4 days a week. You can do them every other day. Allow a rest day in between. I guarantee you will start seeing gains within 4 weeks. If it doesn't, do drop a comment. We will work together to find out where you went wrong.

Cheers and all the very best. Don't forget to drop a comment with your progress!