Whether you’re avoiding the gym scene or simply lack the time to get there, I’m here to let you know that getting a total body, fat-burning, muscle-toning workout doesn’t require you to leave the house! In fact, you don’t even need any special equipment—you can utilize the power of your body weight to get a great workout from anywhere.
Body Weight Strength Training
Many people think that to lose fat, they need to ramp up their cardio, and that strength training is only effective if you want to build muscle. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple.
Studies have shown that metabolism can be boosted after a weight training workout for up to 38 hours post-workout. This is known as the “afterburn.”
The afterburn means that when you kick back and watch a movie before bed, instead of burning your usual 60 calories an hour, you’re burning 70. While that extra 10 calories may not seem like much, when multiplied by 38 (the number of hours you could be continuously burning calories after a strength-training session), it adds up!
Compare this to cardio, where you might burn an extra 40-80 calories after a moderately paced session.
Additionally, a pound of muscle burns three times as many calories as a pound of fat. So if you’re making a habit of strength training and building muscle, you’re setting yourself up to lose weight without even trying. Pretty cool, right?
Slow and Steady
When it comes to any exercise or fitness routine, don’t be afraid of modifying workouts and starting slow. Setting the bar low for yourself will help you push through hurdles and build confidence, which you’ll need when the exercises start getting more challenging and more intense!
So if you can’t do a full push-up, start on your knees. If your lunges don’t look exactly like those you see in a video, don’t sweat it. In the beginning, you don’t need to bend as low.
Focus all your effort on getting your alignment right and building the mind-muscle connection that develops as you practice each exercise.
Mind-muscle connection refers to the practice of consciously, deliberately thinking about moving a targeted muscle to help strengthen it—with your mind.
It might sound crazy, but research backs it up. In several studies, researchers found that subjects who were told to visualize working their muscles ended up twice as strong as subjects who were told to work their muscles.
This means that if you’re having trouble using ALL your bodyweight in any given exercise, tapping into your mind-muscle connection can help you get stronger.
Start with these tips:
Move slowly - The more time you spend pausing at the height of your move, under tension, the more your muscles have to work, and the more time you have to mentally connect to the muscle movement.
Move with your eyes closed - Not only does this eliminate visual distractions, but it helps you visualize how your body is working for you and how your muscles might be contracting. Note: Only do this once you’re comfortable with the exercise and don’t attempt it if you have balance problems.
Check out the studies for yourself:
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