How to Build Muscle at Home Without a Gym
Building muscles is one fitness goal many youngsters and individuals have on their fitness bucket list. But most people are stuck with the question of how to build muscle at home without hitting the gym. This is because finding the right kind of gym and sticking to the timelines for visiting them becomes hard in today's hustle culture.
However difficult it might seem to be staying fit, there is always a way to make things happen. Since exercises for building muscles require more consistency and frequency than fancy equipment, they can be easily performed at home.
To make muscle building easier for you, we have put together a list of exercises that you can easily do at home with or without equipment. All these exercises mentioned below require the right form and progress for faster and better results.
Best Home Gym Equipment for Muscle Building
Building muscle at home can be made possible with some basic gym equipment. It is not necessary to spend money on buying heavy equipment; you can make your customized training routine with simple equipment like dumbbells, resistance bands, plyometric boxes, sandbags, and a simple multipurpose exercise bench.
Even though the heavyweight exercises in the gym have a faster impact on the body, if you have time constraints and still want your body to look a certain way, then these pieces of equipment can do the work for you. Given below is a list of a few exercises that you can do with the help of some of this equipment for a perfectly toned body.
Guide to the Best Workouts to Build Muscle at Home
1. Sit-ups
Sit-ups are a basic yet effective exercise for building muscles. In case you do not have a leg press machine, this exercise can be a good option for building for stability and enhancing the strength of the lower body.
To avoid any kind of injuries during this exercise keep your posture right and avoid putting too much strain on your body and neck. With 5 to 10 reps of this exercise in your daily routine, you can build the abdominal muscles and improve the lower body mobility.
2. Incline Push-ups
When it comes to building the upper body muscles, nothing works better than incline push-ups. This exercise is the one that can engage your shoulders and arms and help to target the core muscles.
As it is a basic exercise, it does not require a lot of precaution for detailed learning. This elevated form of push-ups can be done by placing the hands on a slightly open elevated surface like a bed or a chair while your feet are touching the ground. Then you need to bend your arms and perform push-ups like you regularly do. With approximately 10 to 15 sets of this exercise, you can see the muscles gaining shape.
3. Lateral Lunges
Next on the list of exercises for muscle building is a variation of the regular lunge. The lateral lunges or walking lunges are an amazing choice when it comes to targeting or engaging the lower body muscles like glutes, hamstrings, adductors, quads, and calves.
Begin by placing your feet together and standing with your core engaged. Then take big steps on the side, bend your knees, and slowly shift your body weight onto the lunging leg. Repeat this exercise with both legs for at least 10 to 15 reps. Adding adjustable dumbbells or weight plates to this exercise can make it slightly more challenging and perfect for advanced training levels.
4. Superman
One of the other exercises that you can try for strengthening the erector muscles and improving your back strength is the Superman. This exercise requires you to lie down on your stomach with your arms extended in front of you. Once you get into this position, you need to raise your arms, legs, and the upper portion of your chest a few inches from the floor and hold it in that position.
If you add 10 to 15 reps of this exercise to your daily routine, you can improve your core stability and strength. It is even helpful when it comes to improving posture and engaging glute and hamstring muscles without lifting heavy weights or exerting your body on a chest press machine.
5. Lateral Raise
Did you know you can perform lateral raise exercises with a resistance band? If not, here is how you can do it. You need to grab a resistance band and stand with your knees slightly bent. Then place the band on the floor and hold it with one of your feet in such a manner that you can stretch the band with your arms on each side.
As you raise your arm upwards, the resistance band applies a certain amount of pressure on the shoulder muscles and strengthens them. It is one of the exercises that you can use for defining the lateral deltoids and improving overall posture and balance. You can also do this exercise when you are traveling or as a rehabilitation exercise post-injuries.
6. Squat Pulses
Next time the list of workouts for at-home muscle building is squat pulses. You can start this exercise by placing your feet apart at shoulder width. Then you have to bend your knees and perform squats like they are usually done. You need to dip down as low as possible and replicate a pulsing motion on each side.
In case you are at an advanced training level, then you can add a kettlebell to make the exercise challenging. You can do 5 to 10 reps of this exercise on a daily basis with your regular routine to strengthen your lower body and a stronger torso.
7. Bodyweight Dips
The last exercise we have on the list of muscle building without a gym is the bodyweight dip. The only gym equipment for home that is needed for the exercise is a gym bench or the bed or chair you have at home.
To do this exercise right, you have to stand facing away from the elevated surface of the bench and place both your hands at shoulder width on the surface. Then you have to extend your legs out and slowly lower your body, performing dips and forming a 90-degree angle with your forearms.
Fitness experts suggest that with about 3 sets of this exercise with 10 to 15 reps each, you can see a significant difference in your upper arm definition, as well as your core muscles can become more toned without hitting the gym.
Other Things to Keep in Mind for Easy Muscle Gain
Anyone who is into fitness is aware that fitness training is incomplete without a good diet. If you are choosing to work out at home, then making certain changes to your diet can improve the results of every workout. Make the following changes to your diet for muscle gain:
- Increase the amount of lean proteins and whole foods in your diet for quick and better muscle recovery post-exercise.
- Limit the intake of carbohydrates and avoid foods that are rich in fat, as they slow down the progress.
- Try to add more fiber to your diet to improve your metabolism and speed up the digestion process.
- Make sure to avoid high amounts of alcohol or caffeine that impact metabolism and slow down muscle recovery.
FAQs
Q. Does a home workout really work for muscle building?
Ans. Yes, home workouts do work for muscle building if you find the right exercises and create a diet plan specific to your fitness goals.
Q. Is a 20 minute workout enough for building muscles?
Ans. Definitely, a 20-minute workout is enough for the intermediate or beginning stages of muscle building.
