You don’t have to be a professional powerlifter or bodybuilder to reap the benefits of at-home strength training. Strength training is an incredibly helpful tool that can help you manage or lose weight, on top of increasing your metabolism to help you burn more calories. When done correctly, weight training can help you lose fat, increase muscle tone, and improve your bone density. However, if done incorrectly, weight training won’t give you these benefits — and may even lead to serious injury.
As such, it is vital that you ensure your home workouts are done in the correct and safest way possible. Today, we look at our top 7 tips for at-home strength training that are guaranteed to help you build muscle and strength without the risk of injury. Read on to find out more!
- Invest In Quality Equipment
Your bodyweight is usually enough when it comes to at-home strength training, but if you really want to upgrade your fitness routine, it is time for you to invest in some quality gym equipment. Dumbbells are the most user-friendly weight option for beginners and ideally, you’ll have three sets: a light, a moderate, and a heavy. Another option is to invest in a power rack package which can be a real space saver if you know you’re going to want access to heavier weights too.
- Master Your Form
Even the most brutal of workouts can be rendered ineffective if you perform them in improper form. This is why mastering your form is one of the most important things you should do regardless of whether you are engaging in strength training at home or at the gym. Poor form can also lead to serious injuries such as a herniated disc, which starts with pain or tingling in the lower back that may also travel down the legs.
Proper form helps to ensure proper breathing techniques during reps and sets – an essential component for weight training exercises. To find out more about how you can master your form, be sure to check out this article.
- Don’t Skip Warmups and Cooldowns
As tempting as it may be to get straight into your workout, it is important that you never skip your warmups and cooldowns. A proper warm-up creates more flexibility within the muscles as they lengthen and shorten many times throughout various movements. Without going through a proper warm-up, you predispose your muscles to the possibility of tears or even muscle/tendon rupture.
Similarly, cooling down allows your blood pressure, heart rate, and body temperature to return to their normal, pre-workout levels. Stretching your muscles while they’re still warm will minimize lactic acid buildup, thus greatly reducing your chance of muscle cramps and stiffness.
- Don’t Lift Too Heavy
We’ll get straight to the point: lift an appropriate amount of weight. Start with a weight you can lift comfortably 12 to 15 times before you ever decide on working your way up the weight rack. Lifting weights that are too heavy can cause muscle and joint damage and is especially dangerous if you are at home and not training with a qualified fitness professional.
Pro Tip: With proper form, even light weights offer an incredibly effective strength training session.
- What You Wear Matters
Working out at home is great – you don’t have to wear anything fancy or invest in expensive gym wear. However, that doesn’t mean that you should be strength-training in your pajamas either. The right sportswear can improve performance, can help prevent injury during exercise, and can help the recovery process in-between workouts. When it comes to footwear, it is even more important that you invest in a quality pair of trainers or gym shoes. Shoes that protect your feet and provide good traction can keep you from slipping or injuring your feet while you’re lifting weights.
So yes, while you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on branded activewear, it is still important that you adorn yourself in proper clothing (and shoes) to reduce the chances of injury and increase the effectiveness of your workouts.
- Keep It Balanced
In strength training, balance is key. You want to be able to work all your muscles out equally to reduce injury, improve your aesthetic, and form an asymmetrical body. This means working all of your major muscles — including the abdomen, hips, legs, chest, back, shoulders and arms. A great tip is to dedicate one day per week to each muscle group – this gives you the opportunity to really focus on that muscle group and give it the volume and intensity it needs to grow. Furthermore, it allows your other muscles to rest so they don’t become overworked or tired.
- Take A Rest Day
Last but not least, taking a rest day is not an option…it’s an order! Strength training causes tiny tears in muscle tissue and rest allows your muscles to rebuild and grow. Strenuous workouts cause muscle breakdown, while rest allows our bodies to build it back up.
Generally speaking, aim to give your muscles at least 48 hours to recover before your next strength training session.
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And there you have it – 7 helpful tips that are sure to transform your at-home strength training game. What are some of your favourite strength training tips? Be sure to leave a comment and let us know.