HIIT, Strength Training, and More At-Home Exercising
Sometimes, I really don’t feel like leaving my house to get in a workout. Thankfully, there’s no need for a fancy gym or tons of equipment because an awesome workout can be found right in your own home. I like to switch things up with these three exercises and routines — they’re great because they’re super customizable, so it’s easy to tweak them to create a routine that’s best for your lifestyle and fitness goals.
1. HIIT at home
High intensity interval training, or HIIT, is one of the best ways to pack a huge punch in a short amount of time. By alternating high intensity bursts of work with periods of rest you’ll give your metabolism an extra boost, too. HIIT helps you continue to burn calories hours after you’ve finished your workout. But, here’s the best part — HIIT can be anything.
Try doing some jumping jacks in your living room. For 45 seconds work as hard as you can. Follow up with 15 seconds of rest or walking in place. Congrats, you’ve done high intensity interval training! For a full-body HIIT experience give this intense, 7-minute workout a try. It’s killer!
2. Home workout videos
If you’d rather have a fitness expert design your at home workout routines you’re in luck. You can buy a set of DVDs or turn to free fitness videos, all that matters is you choose a routine that you enjoy.
Personally, I love trying new workout videos from YouTube, and here’s a great list of free fitness videos to try.
3. Weight training at home
Building muscle in your living room generally requires some equipment. If space is an issue, Bowflex’s SelectTech weight system is hard to beat. You may even be able to find a discounted set on your local Craigslist. You can also fill gallon milk jugs up with water, sand, or both. Canned food from the pantry, or even lifting your cat work in a pinch, too (I’ve definitely used those two methods.) Once you have your heavy items, try this full-body circuit:
Warmup:
5 minute warmup — anything that gets your blood pumping.
Exercises:
- Shoulder press
- Dumbbell curls
- Triceps kickbacks
- Pushups
- Goblet squats
- Weighted calf raises (hold a weight in each hand)
- Pull-ups (or assisted pull-ups)
- Plank (hold for as long as you can with good form)
Complete 3-4 sets of each exercise. How many repetitions you do during each set will depend on your strength level and the weight you use, because there isn’t a “one size fits all” dumbbell. To begin aim for 6-8 repetitions of each exercise. If the last one or two reps are challenging, but you can still squeeze them out with good form, then you’re using the proper weight.
Cool Down:
5 minutes of slowly walking in place.
These three (very different) workouts should be enough to get you started on your home fitness journey. Do you have any other favorite exercises or at home workout routines? Don’t be shy — I’d love to hear them, and so would other readers!
