Home Workout Routine

Planning

You can make your home workout routine easier by doing the following:

    * Create a goal. Make a long term goal then a series of short term goals that work towards the long term goal. Give these goals dates.

    * Based on your goals, create a workout schedule and stick to it. This should outline the days you set aside for working out and your days off.

    * Only exercise 2 or 3 muscles groups each day. For example, do chest and shoulders one day, legs and back another day, then arms and abs the next. Some people like to do abs at the end of every workout.

    * Play your favorite music - and turn it up!  It can really help to keep you motivated and focused.

    * If you plan to use fitness equipment, make sure it's good quality.

    * If possible, delegate a room for doing workouts. This room should be well ventilated preferably with a window. Place a large mirror so that you can check your form.

Exercises

If you have a fully blown home gym, you will have more options with regards to the exercises you perform. However, if you don't, there are still many exercises you can perform, either by modifying the exercise slightly, or by using assistance from a bench, exercise ball, wall or other object. If you're serious about your home workouts, you really need at least some basic fitness equipment. The following exercises have minimal requirements in this regard. You will only need a solid bench and at least one set of dumbbells.

Note that if your aim is for strength or muscle size, you really need a full set of weights so that you can progressively increase your weights over time.

Where there are more than 3 exercises, choose 2 or 3 for each muscle group that you're exercising that day. Every now and then, for some variation, swap one exercise for another. Variation is great in any workout routine.

Abs

    * Trunk Twists - 1 set of 100 reps

    * Crunches - 3 sets of 25 reps

    * Oblique Crunches (or twist crunches) - 3 sets of 25 reps

    * Knee Ups - 3 sets of 25 reps

Chest

    * Wide Arm Press Ups - 3 sets of 20

    * Bench Press - 3 sets of 12 (requires dumbells and a bench)

    * Dumbell Flies - 3 sets of 12 (requires dumbells and a bench)

Shoulders

These exercises require weights. If you don't have any weights, don't worry because you will actually get a pretty good shoulder workout when you do the chest exercises - especially the press ups).

    * Upright Rows - 3 sets of 12 (requires barbell or dumbells)

    * Dumbell Shoulder Press - 3 sets of 12 (requires dumbells)

    * Lateral Raise - 3 sets of 12 (requires dumbell)

Biceps

    * Standing Bicep Curls - 3 sets of 12 (requires dumbells)

    * Concentration Curls - 3 sets of 12 (requires dumbells)

    * Hammer Curls - 3 sets of 12 (requires dumbells)

Triceps

    * Parallel Bar Dips - 3 sets of 12 (requires parallel bar or similar)

    * Narrow Arm Press Ups - 3 sets of 12

    * Dumbell Triceps Extensions - 3 sets of 12 (requires dumbell)

Legs

Lunges and squats are also great for the buttocks.

    * Lunges - 3 sets of 12 (you can do these holding dumbells at your sides if you wish)

    * Squats - 3 sets of 12 (squats are normally performed with a barbell on your back but you can do these holding dumbells at your sides - "dumbell squats")

    * Front Leg Raises - 3 sets of 12 (if you find these too easy try using ankle weights)

    * Calf Raises - 3 sets of 12

Note: If your aim is for strength or muscle size, decrease the reps to between 6 - 8 (except for the Ab exercises - keep them the same, but add resistance).