Adding Resistance to at Home Workouts
As at home workouts are becoming more of the norm these days, people have found ways to get much needed exercise. They have developed routines of push-ups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, running, sprinting, and evening adding things like plyometrics and variations to add more to their workouts. While there is nothing bad about these, adding resistance is the necessary next step. Arguably the most critical components to strength training is a gradual increase in resistance. This is what actually leads to improved strength.
The muscles of the body are really amazing in that they respond to the stressors they are given. The body’s number 1 goal is to keep you functioning and alive. In doing this one job, your body will do whatever is necessary to keep functioning. When it comes to strength improvements, if you want to get stronger you have to challenge your body with more than before. If you don’t, changes will not occur. This principle is called progressive overload. It says that for a muscle to get stronger, grow in size, or performance to increase, the body must be forced to adapt to a level of tension or resistance that it has never experienced previously. Essentially, without gradual progressive adding of resistance, your body will only adjust to the work it has been given. Without increased resistance, there is no increase in strength or performance. This is why it is so critical to find ways to add resistance to at home workouts.
How do you do this at home? The main goal is to make things harder. While doing more sets or reps does make a workout more challenging, when it comes to strength you have to add resistance. The most common way to add resistance is through the use of weights like dumbbells and barbells. However, not everyone is fortunate enough to have access to this right now. A cheaper alternative is resistance bands. They come in a large variety of resistance levels and allow you to work all parts of the body. Beyond specific exercise resistance bands, the cheapest option is to use things around your house!
All it takes is finding some heavy items laying around the house. First, take that backpack laying around and put it to good use. Find some books, or those old textbooks taking up shelf space, a large water bottle, or anything heavy and place them in the backpack. Once you do this you have an at home “weight vest”. For lower body exercises you can wear the backpack on your chest and for push-ups wear it on your back. Another option is to use those environmentally friendly reusable shopping bags. Just like the back pack, fill them up with heavy objects and now you have weights you can hold in your hands. Perfect for those bicep curls, overhead presses, as well as lunges, carries, and much more.
The key is to find ways to increase the weight you are moving in your workouts. With a little money spending you can always buy weights, bands, and other traditional equipment. But with some creativity and ingenuity, and items sitting around your home you can make equipment that works great and while saving you money. No matter what, to see your workouts at home bring the improvements you’ve been looking for, you have to add resistance and challenge your body in a new way.
-Tyler Grisdale, MS, CSCS, RSCC, CES, TPI
(if you have any questions about how to workout with everyday items at home, don’t hesitate to reach out to me via DM @griz_performance)