Home fitness program

For the vast majority of ordinary people who have no foundation in exercise and whose core demands are to maintain physical fitness, control weight or practice some basic lines, home fitness does not require the purchase of professional equipment that costs thousands of dollars, nor does it require one hour of free time every day - 3-4 times a week, 20-40 minutes each time, choose the right movements that suit your physical condition, and increase the intensity to the right level. The effect is not inferior to the annual membership of a gym that costs thousands.

Damn, when I was under lockdown at home two years ago, I followed the trend and stocked up on adjustable dumbbells, thickened yoga mats, and even a small elliptical machine. Later, I found that most of my friends who could persevere did not buy any equipment at all. It’s interesting to say that the fitness circle has been divided into two groups regarding home training: one group believes that training without weights and professional venues is ineffective, while the other group firmly believes that bodyweight training can meet the needs of the vast majority of ordinary people. In fact, both views are correct. The core depends on your own goals and physical conditions.

If you want to apply some fat recently, don’t just endure Pamela’s forty-minute high-intensity exercise. I have a friend who works in operations. He used to work overtime every day until he got home after nine o’clock. He could just change his shoes and stand on the open space in the living room to start the exercise: 10 minutes Zhong Bobi's jumps were divided into 5 groups, resting for 30 seconds in each group, and then alternating jumping jacks and leg raises for 20 minutes. When he was tired, he slowed down to take a breath without pushing hard. In less than a month, his waistline dropped by 4 centimeters, which even shocked him. However, it must be mentioned that there have always been different views in the field of exercise physiology: long-term high-intensity intervals such as jumping put a lot of pressure on the knee joint. If your base weight exceeds 180 kilograms, or you have an old knee injury, you can completely switch to no jumping. The plan is: Squat quietly against the wall + kick in a sitting position + raise your legs high on the spot (the kind that does not leave the ground). For the same duration, keep the heart rate in the range of (220 - your age) × 60% to 70%. The fat burning efficiency is not much different, and it does not hurt the joints.

If your goal is to gain some muscle and develop some lines, there is no need to rush to buy equipment. When you are a novice, your muscle mass is low, and the stimulation of bodyweight movements is sufficient: if you can't do push-ups in the standard kneeling position, if you have developed strength, put your feet on the sofa to make it more difficult. For back training, buy a door-mounted horizontal bar worth tens of yuan. If you can't pull it up, use an elastic band to assist. For hip training, do glute bridges. If you feel it is not strong enough, just hold a backpack full of books, or even carry two 5-liter bottles of mineral water. My former male colleague in the same department didn’t buy any equipment during the lockdown. He would do 3 sets of push-ups every day when he could think of it, and stop when he reached exhaustion in each set. In 3 months, he could only do 5 kneeling positions, but now he could do 20 standard push-ups continuously. The outline of his chest muscles could be seen in a T-shirt. Of course, if you have been training for more than a year and have no feeling at all when doing bodyweight movements, then you really need to add some weight to meet the requirements of progressive overload. You don’t need to buy too expensive adjustable dumbbells. More than a hundred pairs are enough, but they really take up space. Rice bags and bottled water at home can be used as substitutes. Many veteran fitness enthusiasts who have been practicing for five or six years know this. There is no necessary professional equipment, as long as the weight is enough.

Don’t think I’m talking nonsense. Many people set the bar too high when they first start working out at home. They need special sportswear, a whole space, and an hour of free time. They are too lazy to move while they wait. The house I rent now is only about ten square meters, and there is only half a meter of open space next to the bed. I can practice by wearing non-slip socks and standing there. There is no need to lay down a yoga mat. After practicing, I spend 5 minutes rolling my legs with a mineral water bottle, and I won’t be so sore that I can’t go downstairs the next day. Oh, by the way, don’t force yourself to practice every day. Practice every other day just to give your muscles enough time to recover. If you work overtime that day and your mind can no longer move, you can take a day off. There is no need to work hard to clock in. On the contrary, it is easy to develop resistance and give up after practicing for two days.

To put it bluntly, the most important thing about home fitness is never a perfect plan or expensive equipment. It is that you don’t always wait until you are ready to start. If you stand up and do 10 squats now, it is much more useful than lying down and watching fitness videos for two hours.