Are Home Workouts Efficient?
Can workouts with little to no equipment benefit you in any way?
In recent years, we have seen that the gym is something to not be taken for granted. With the pandemic back in 2020, we witnessed a lot of gyms being shut down for extended periods of time, which was less than ideal. This left many people struggling to stay active, and that resulted in the loss of a lot of muscle mass and strength, as well as a mental toll taken on a good amount of individuals. While some people were fortunate enough to have some solid home gym equipment, such as barbells and dumbbells, others turned to bodyweight workouts to stay active. Bodyweight workouts are things like push-ups, pull-ups. dips, and other exercises.
The question that everyone asks is are bodyweight workout routines even effective? Can these home workout regimens with little to no equipment boost your gains in any way and keep you from falling out of shape? Surely push ups do not outweigh the bench press, and pull-ups do not outweigh deadlifts and rows. Right?
Well, though the stimulus provided to the muscles is far greater with legitimate gym training regimens, that does not mean that home workouts with just bodyweight are a complete waste. Let’s take a look at why these workouts can be pretty good when it comes to getting bigger and stronger.
What Do Home Workouts Consist of?
As stated above, home workouts will consist of a lot of bodyweight movements. These can be push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, bodyweight squats, amongst other movements. While you may think that these workouts do not allow for effective stimulus to the muscles, that is far from the truth. You are certainly able to incorporate things like progressive overload and really stimulate the muscles, providing good growth and gains.
For example, if you are able to do 10 pull-ups, maybe you can increase the rep range. You also could add in something like a weighted vest or a plate carrier to increase the intensity. Now, it certainly would not be ideal if you are looking to be the next Mr. Olympia to only do home workouts, as the muscles will more than likely develop a bit differently with limited equipment home workouts than they would with proper gym equipment.
The same goes for if you want to have a world record squat or deadlift. You would probably need a bit more stimulus for the muscle groups if your goals are that high.
How Often Should You Do At Home Workouts?
Even though there is little to no equipment involved in an at home workout, you still need to allow for adequate time to rest and recover in between training sessions. This is where a good split would come in, such as the push pull legs or upper lower splits, as they allow for a few rest days each week that you can take to recover and grow. Perhaps anywhere from 3 days a week to 5 days a week of doing at home workouts would be the most beneficial depending on the volume and intensity that you are training at.
Recovery For At Home Workouts
The recovery protocols are just as important for at home workouts as they would be with the most intense workout program you can think of. You still need to have a proper diet, as your body will need the nutrients to deliver to the muscles so they can recover and grow back bigger and stronger. You also should put some effort into supplementation with your at home workouts, as supplements help your body get the nutrients that it needs and your diet may just fall a bit short on.
Last but not least when it comes to recovery is sleep, which is very crucial for any workout routine, even at home workouts. Sleep is where the body truly will repair, as this is where you generate a good amount of testosterone and human growth hormone, which are both crucial muscle building hormones that also regulate tons of other bodily functions, such as fat storage.
Stick to a Routine
Though you are working out at home with little to no equipment, sticking to a routine is possibly the best way to see progress. This does not mean to do the same thing every day, but instead do something like push pull legs, or an upper lower split. Sticking to a routine with your at home workouts develops discipline, and as long as you are continuing to overload the muscle, it will keep your body adapting and growing.
Arnold Schwarzenegger At Home Workout
The team at Boostcamp has hand picked our favorite at home workout routine that requires no equipment aside from household items and a pull-up bar, and that is the Arnold Schwarzenegger At Home Workout. Named after bodybuilding legend Arnold Schwarzenegger, this is a 2 day a week, full body workout program that covers just about everything you need. It allows for the lifter to change some numbers around in terms of volume as well.
For example, each exercise is listed as five sets of 1 or more reps. This means the lifter can take each set to muscular failure, or do a set number of reps. The program is also two days, but if you are up for it, you can add in an extra day or two each week to get a little more frequency in there.
Check out the exercises that are used in this program below.
Workout format
Pushups
Dips Between Chairs
Row Between Chairs
Sit-ups
Bent-leg Raises
Bent-over Twists
Squats (aka Knee Bends)
Calf Raises
Chin-ups
Where to Find More Great Workout Programs
Are you ready to take your training to the next level with some awesome workout programs? Boostcamp is the ultimate app for lifters, offering free science-based workout plans for bodybuilding, powerbuilding, and powerlifting. The Boostcamp app is a top of the line workout app, that offers free science-based workout routines, advanced custom program builder, and a workout tracker to help you stay on top of your progress, and make sure that you are hitting your goals and getting where you need to go, so there is no reason to not make progress.
By using the Boostcamp App for your training routine, you'll have all the tools you need to develop a strong mind-muscle connection and break through plateaus, continuing to make progress. Download the Boostcamp App today and take your workouts to the next level!
At Home Workouts Wrap Up
Overall, at home workouts certainly are not a waste of time and can truly help with your progress if you go about them the right way. That being said, will you be giving at home workouts a chance? Let us know.
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