Coach answers: how to become a jock without leaving home?

World Class elite trainer Anton Kotov is once again sharing with us in the #Trainer-answer column. In his last article he told us how to gain mass, and today he will explain whether it is possible to do it at home on your own.

“Training in a fitness club has become an integral part of modern man’s life. Their positive effect is not only in pumping muscles, but also in the development of internal qualities such as perseverance, determination, discipline. Of course, this has a favorable effect on all areas of life, helps to be successful and effective. But what if you do not have the opportunity or time to exercise in a fitness club? I don’t argue, when there is a real need for something, a person will always be able to find the resources to get what they want. However, if you’re still thinking about working out at home instead of going to a fitness club, it makes sense. In this article, we’ll look at how to work out at home, what you need for this, and whether such classes can replace trips to the fitness club.

How to train at home?

Let’s start with a general question – and how to train at home in general? And the answer on the one hand will be very simple, but on the other hand it is difficult to realize. In fact, to train at home, you just need to start training. That is, decide on a goal, choose a training program, make a schedule of your classes, find a time when you will not interfere and distract you on other things (or maybe on the contrary someone will join the classes with you), and start working out hard. That’s it! Although, of course, you will need equipment.

What equipment should I buy?

Choosing the right equipment will be determined by the goals you want to achieve. If the task is only to keep yourself in good shape, you can do with functional training even with your own weight and do not buy any equipment at all, or get some minimal set – a jump rope, rubber shock absorbers. If you have the opportunity and desire, you can add medballs, fitball, bosu, gymnastic mat, sandbag, kettlebells. By the way, TRX loops are great for home functional training, which in general can be the only equipment you will buy to build a complete training process with a variety of activities.

How much it costs: calculate an approximate budget

If we talk about your investments in such training, they will be quite affordable. The cost of equipment will vary from 100 p. for a jump rope to 4-5 thousand rubles for bags and weights. The most expensive will be the original TRX loops – their price varies around $ 200-300, but you can find their analogs, or look at websites with ads for sale and buy used.

If you want to gain muscle mass, then here you can not do without the purchase of power equipment. The necessary minimum can be reduced to a dumbbell row (or two collapsible dumbbells with a set of disks) and a horizontal bench. The bench can be replaced by a fitness ball, but to work in the power mode on it you need a little more dexterity. If you add a barbell with a set of disks, you will have a set that allows you to perform a variety of training programs to increase muscle mass.

Such a variant in cost can cost you 15 thousand rubles:

• Collapsible dumbbells, each weighing 20 kg – 5 thousand rubles.
• Bench – 3 thousand rubles.
• Barbell bar with a set of disks (in addition to dumbbells) can be entered in the remaining 7 thousand rubles.

In terms of calculating the budget here you need to consider a simple thing – the heavier the free weights (dumbbells, barbells, disks), the more they will cost.

If we are talking about equipping a full-fledged gym at home, then we are talking about buying a line of at least 5-6 fitness equipment, the cost of each of which will be from one to several thousand dollars, depending on the chosen brand.

Here it is important to remember that more expensive is not always better. A brand that has recently entered the market for a number of reasons can offer a similar solution to the sharks of the market, at a lower price, not yielding much in quality and even, perhaps, better service.

Choosing a place for training

Another thing to consider is that you need a room for your exercise equipment. If there are certain limitations with this, a good solution may be the purchase of multifunctional stations, which in essence can replace a number of exercise machines, and some can even replace the entire gym. An example is such a multifunctional station as a double adjustable traction (DRT) – quite a few manufacturers can offer such equipment, each of them has its own pros and cons.

About the cost of this type of equipment, we can say the same thing that was previously said about the line of fitness equipment. Everything will depend on the set of functions, brand. But in general, in the latter case, one multifunctional station will be able to replace a full-fledged gym, although sometimes it requires a large investment.

In general, it is worth noting that from the technical point of view of achieving your goals, home workouts can in 99% of cases replace trips to a fitness club. However, this is true if you have enough motivation and discipline to do it at home. Very often it is the latter factors are the missing links on the way to the cherished results, so still purchased subscriptions to membership in fitness clubs. It is in them that the supportive environment is created, which will help to join training, achieve goals and improve the quality of life.

Not instead of, but together

Home workouts can be a great addition to your gym sessions. For example, if you still don’t have the opportunity to go to the fitness club with the necessary regularity, or if you have to miss a workout one day, you can always work out at home. Or, for example, if your goal is to lose weight, the total amount of movement and total energy expenditure will be important. In this vein, additional workouts at home will always be relevant.

Exercises without equipment: circuit training

When it comes to exercising without equipment, I would recommend doing a set of simple exercises for 30-60 minutes in the afternoon or evening. It is extremely important to follow the technique of the exercises in order for them to be safe and effective. For this purpose, it is important to contact a qualified trainer who will teach you the correct technique. In the morning, it is best to avoid intense exercise.

A brisk walk or light jogging for 15-30 minutes (for those who are prepared) would be a great workout. The same activity can be done in the evening. And if you realize that after the training is less than two or three hours before bedtime, it can be completely replaced by an evening 30-60-minute walk, which will also have a positive effect on the quality of sleep.

Most importantly, in any regimen, don’t forget about recovery and rest – it’s as much a part of the training process as the exercise itself.