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We know that using free weights and machines is the fastest
and most efficient way there is to improve your metabolism
and strength, but for many reasons these may not be convenient
or readily accessible to you.
You may also have no access to a commercial gym, home gym
or are on business trip, but there can be a solution, a strength-training
workout without the need of expensive machines.
As with any exercise, whether you are using your own body
weight, machines or free weights, if the resistance doesn't
increase, your muscles won't be worked to their maximum capacity
and the stimulus these fibres need to grow will be missing.
Exercises done correctly will build the lean muscle and increase
your metabolism in the same way as performing exercises at
a gymnasium, but without the time constraints and associated
costs.
These exercises can be easily done in a bedroom, hotel room,
a park, school yard, ceiling rafters in a garage or in a doorway
and all you have to do is use your imagination. There will
always be a way to add more resistance to your workouts.
Please remember: It doesn't matter where you are working out
— at home, a hotel, or a park — always warm up
properly before beginning your session, and cool down and
stretch when you are finished.
Leg Exercises
Squats
They build muscle in the thighs, shape the buttocks and improve
endurance. Position your feet about 13 to 17 inches apart
or at shoulder width, keeping the back straight and your head
up. If you want you can use something that will give you some
support, i.e. a desk, bookcase, sink etc.
Now squat down to where the tops of the thighs are parallel
to the floor, hold for a second and then stand up, but don’t
bounce at the bottom of the movement, use a nice fluid motion.
Always exhale your breath as you stand up.
Lunges
Stand straight in correct posture; now stand with one leg
forward and one leg back. Keeping your abdominal muscles tight
and chest up, lower your upper body down, bending your leg
(don't step out too far).
You should have about one to two feet between your feet at
this stage, the further forward you step, and the more your
gluteus and hamstring muscles will have to work.
Do not allow your knee to go forward beyond your toes as you
come down and stop where your feel comfortable (try not to
let your back come forward) then push directly back up. Do
all your reps on one leg then switch legs and do all your
reps on the other leg.
Back Exercises
Chin-ups
Chin-ups are a great upper body workout, particularly targeting
your biceps, deltoid and lat muscles. Use a doorway chin-up
bar, ceiling rafters in a garage or grab the moulding of your
door frame, position your hands with an under hand grip and
hang down stretching the lats, slowly raise your body until
your chin reaches the bar level.
Pause a moment before slowly lowering yourself back to the
starting position. Don’t swing or use momentum to get
your body to the top, just use the target muscles. Doorway
chinning bars remove from the doorway when you are not using
them and can be put up and taken down in seconds.
Bent Over Row
Take up a position with your right hand and right knee braced
on a sturdy bed or some other flat surface that will provide
a good support. Now pick up a dumbbell or something heavy
that you can hold onto with your left hand.
Visualize your arms as hooks and slowly bring the dumbbell
or object up to the side of your chest, keeping your back
straight, then lower the weight back down to arms length,
no lower, on extremes, safe form only please. Concentrate
on your back muscles. Reverse the whole procedure and do the
exercise now with your right arm.
Chest Exercises
Push-Up
The push up is used for building chest, shoulders and arms.
Lie face down on the floor with your hands about shoulder
width apart and keeping your palms turned slightly inward.
Now push-up until your arms are straight, lower and repeat
for repetitions.
To make it more difficult elevate your feet. Try placing the
toes of your feet on a stable, elevated surface such as a
bench, chair or a stair. Straightening your body, position
your hands on the floor at shoulder width, lower your body
until your chest touches the floor at the bottom, and then
return to the starting position in a nice fluid motion.
Dips
This exercise can be done between two sturdy chairs or other
surfaces that provide stability. The dip is another great
upper body exercise. It’s a compound movement as well
and involves working all the muscles that the push up works.
Keep your head up and body as vertical as possible. For the
beginning of the movement, start at the top (arms fully extended)
and lower yourself until your upper arms are parallel to the
seat of the chairs, hold and then push up to the top of the
movement until your arms are fully extended again. Keep looking
straight ahead and don’t bounce at the bottom of the
movement.
Adding Weight
Although the simple weight of your own body is enough resistance
to provide an effective workout we need progressive overload
(added resistance) to become stronger.
So all we need to do is add some weight wherever we can find
some. Because there are no metal plates and fancy machines
to use it doesn’t matter because the body doesn’t
care where it is as long as it's receiving resistance of some
kind.
You can use heavy books clasped in your hands. You can buy
some cheap weighted dumbbells or ankle weights. A weighted
vest will also allow you to add resistance for both chin-ups
and push-ups. Try to buy one that will let you remove and
add weight as you see fit. Also a backpack filled with books
can be perfect for most of the exercises and is a cheap alternative.
How about a couple of buckets and fill them with a certain
level of water? As you get stronger fill them with more water.
This is perfect because depending on the exercise, all you
need to do is to increase or decrease the amount of water
in the buckets for the required amount of resistance.
To wrap things up…
We know that using free weights and machines are the fastest
and most efficient way there is to gain lean muscle and strength,
but by performing the exercises in this article you’ll
find that they will provide you with the same benefits as
going to a gymnasium but without the ongoing costs and time
constraints.
Written By: Gary Matthews
Author of several ebooks, including:
"Maximum Weight Loss in Ten Weeks"
"Maximum Weight Gain in Ten Weeks"
http://www.maximumfitness.com
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