There are lots of reasons why you'd want to work out in the privacy of your own home.
Some guys are intimidated of the local gym and want to build some muscle at home first.
Some guys don't live anywhere near a good gym.
Some gyms are ridiculously expensive (a one day pass in Las Vegas or New York can run over $40 dollars!).
Some guys hate how crowded commercial gyms can be.
Whatever your reasons are, it's nice to know that you don't have to shell out cash for a gym membership just because you want to build muscle and strength.
Now that we've covered the reasons, let's cover the basic on how you can build muscle and strength in your basement.
Rule #1: You've got to select the right exercises.
When using weights, most guys seem to have a knack for selecting the wrong exercises.
Those tricep dumbbell kick-backs aren't going to do anything for your triceps.
The bench press, the most popular exercise in the gym, is often a better front shoulder workout than a chest workout.
And seated leg extensions? Please.
There's a reason most guys have toothpick legs.
Luckily, using bodyweight exercises forces you to choose effective exercises.
For example...
now that the bench press is no longer an option, many guys will opt for push-ups.
Good move, as push-ups are a great exercise for chest development.
In fact, they may even be superior to the bench press.
How so? Well, push-ups cause your body to recruit a higher percentage of muscle fibers than the bench press does.
Scientist believe this is because you have to balance the weight of your body while doing push-ups.
With bench press, the bench does the balancing for you.
To blast your shoulders you can do incline push-ups, where you put your feet up on a block or up on the coach.
When you get really strong, put your feet up on a washing machine.
When you get super-strong, try hand-stand push ups where you are completely vertical.
For triceps, assume the push-up stance but position your hands closer together.
You can sit-ups and elevated sit-ups for rock-hard abs.
But what about your back and your biceps? Well it just so happens that the good old fashioned pull-up is one of the very best bicep exercises available.
(If you don't believe me, check out the biceps on an elite level male gymnast.
Those guys rarely lift weights but develop stunning physiques because of all the chins and pull-ups they do).
The reason the pull-up is so effective at building the bicep muscle is because the bicep muscle must support your entire body weight (well over 100lbs for most people).
Most people can only curl about 30-60lbs...
but when you do a pull-up, you are essentially curling 150-200lbs (or whatever you weigh).
Which one do you think will give you bigger biceps? A 30lb curl or a 200lb bodyweight curl? On top of that, the pull-up will also develop your back muscles.
Finally, you can do bodyweight squats for your leg development.
Again, scientists have shown that squats actively recruit a higher degree of muscle fiber because you are required to balance your own bodyweight while exercising the muscle.
This is not true with typical leg exercise machines.
So there you have it.
You can workout every muscle from your head to your toe with just a few basic exercises.
And you can do it all without leaving your basement.
Some guys are intimidated of the local gym and want to build some muscle at home first.
Some guys don't live anywhere near a good gym.
Some gyms are ridiculously expensive (a one day pass in Las Vegas or New York can run over $40 dollars!).
Some guys hate how crowded commercial gyms can be.
Whatever your reasons are, it's nice to know that you don't have to shell out cash for a gym membership just because you want to build muscle and strength.
Now that we've covered the reasons, let's cover the basic on how you can build muscle and strength in your basement.
Rule #1: You've got to select the right exercises.
When using weights, most guys seem to have a knack for selecting the wrong exercises.
Those tricep dumbbell kick-backs aren't going to do anything for your triceps.
The bench press, the most popular exercise in the gym, is often a better front shoulder workout than a chest workout.
And seated leg extensions? Please.
There's a reason most guys have toothpick legs.
Luckily, using bodyweight exercises forces you to choose effective exercises.
For example...
now that the bench press is no longer an option, many guys will opt for push-ups.
Good move, as push-ups are a great exercise for chest development.
In fact, they may even be superior to the bench press.
How so? Well, push-ups cause your body to recruit a higher percentage of muscle fibers than the bench press does.
Scientist believe this is because you have to balance the weight of your body while doing push-ups.
With bench press, the bench does the balancing for you.
To blast your shoulders you can do incline push-ups, where you put your feet up on a block or up on the coach.
When you get really strong, put your feet up on a washing machine.
When you get super-strong, try hand-stand push ups where you are completely vertical.
For triceps, assume the push-up stance but position your hands closer together.
You can sit-ups and elevated sit-ups for rock-hard abs.
But what about your back and your biceps? Well it just so happens that the good old fashioned pull-up is one of the very best bicep exercises available.
(If you don't believe me, check out the biceps on an elite level male gymnast.
Those guys rarely lift weights but develop stunning physiques because of all the chins and pull-ups they do).
The reason the pull-up is so effective at building the bicep muscle is because the bicep muscle must support your entire body weight (well over 100lbs for most people).
Most people can only curl about 30-60lbs...
but when you do a pull-up, you are essentially curling 150-200lbs (or whatever you weigh).
Which one do you think will give you bigger biceps? A 30lb curl or a 200lb bodyweight curl? On top of that, the pull-up will also develop your back muscles.
Finally, you can do bodyweight squats for your leg development.
Again, scientists have shown that squats actively recruit a higher degree of muscle fiber because you are required to balance your own bodyweight while exercising the muscle.
This is not true with typical leg exercise machines.
So there you have it.
You can workout every muscle from your head to your toe with just a few basic exercises.
And you can do it all without leaving your basement.
SHARE
