Building Muscle without the Gym There are many of us that either can’t afford a gym membership or else we just don’t have the time to travel there and back. Sometimes it is just too inconvenient or sometimes it is none of these it is just the fact that we are always on the road. Sometimes we just place too much trust in our affordable health care insurance. Don’t let this deter you from building functional strength and muscle. Resistance All it takes to build muscle is some resistance that will stimulate growth. This needs to be done habitually though if you want results. Too many people get comfortable with an at-home workout routine and fail to actually push themselves to the point of developing mass. Nutrition Even though you won’t be at the gym having good nutrition is just as crucial. You will need the nutrients to build and repair your body as you go throughout the day. Make sure that you are getting enough protein, enough vitamins, and especially the calories to build a sustainable workout program that builds muscle and mass. Calisthenics This is body building with your own body weight. Think pushups, sit ups, pull ups, and squats. All of these use gravity and your body weight to build an effective exercise regime. It really takes a little extra effort and it may be slower but you can build muscle just like any body builder out there. So what are some ways that you can make your at-home workout experience more effective? Track your results Many people just work out until they are tired. This just doesn’t make for a very effective workout routine and can often lead to a plateau in muscle growth and increased strength. Make sure that you not only track results, but that you switch your muscle groups each day so that you give one set of muscles a break each day. This will lead to faster results and much like crop rotation, it really adds to your overall routine. Set apart a time for exercise It’s important! So set apart at least an hour each day to building your muscles and basically distressing your mind through effective exercise. It may take sixty days or so to actually get in the habit of exercising every day but it will happen if you stick with it.
Set goals with a partner Even if you can’t get someone to help motivate you by working out with you, it is important to be accountable to someone. This really adds to the progress all-around of your body and mind during exercise. Accountability to you is the most important part, but being accountable to others can really help the process along as well. Write down your short term and long term goals Make sure you have a list of what you want to achieve within the week, month, and year. These may be hard goals but these are what you are being accountable for and you are also using them as checkpoints throughout your daily workout routines. It really helps to keep these in mind. Don’t be the one in the office saying that there isn’t time or money to invest in exercise. Even if you have affordable health care insurance, your body is worth taking care of. Photo Credit: Anthony C, Edson Hong