Strength training at home: These exercises also work without equipment

Strength training at home works without the equipment in the gym. We show you exercises with and without tools that you can easily imitate at home.

With strength training, you train specific muscles or muscle groups. In doing so, you train not only the contractibility of the muscles but also their endurance. In the gym, for example, you lift weights. But you can also do your strength training at home without any equipment. We’ll show you how it works and how you can train efficiently even without a gym.

Arm exercises for strength training at home

If you want to train your arm muscles with strength training at home, you can do various exercises:

• Door pull: Door pull trains your biceps. To do this, stand in front of your open room door and hold one of the handles with each hand. Place your feet to the left and right of the door, about as far apart as the two door handles. Then you lean back until your arms are straight. Keep your back straight by bending your knees. Then you pull your upper body back towards the door using only the strength of your arms. It is best to wear non-slip socks for this exercise. Repeat the exercise in four sets up to ten times.

• Triceps Dips: This exercise strengthens your triceps. Support yourself on your back with your arms on the floor, bend your knees and bend and straighten your arms again and again. You can also do this exercise upright and support yourself, for example, on the edge of a chair or your bathtub. Lower your buttocks almost to the floor here, hold the position briefly, then push yourself back up and repeat the exercise. The further apart your legs are, the more intense this exercise is.

You can also use dumbbells for strength training at home. Alternatively, you can use two filled water bottles instead of dumbbells. You can do different exercises with it:

1. Take a bottle in each hand. Place one hand on your hip, raise the other bottle straight over your head, and then lower your arm back down to your shoulder. You can repeat this exercise 15 times.
2. Holding the bottles straight in front of you, alternately push your arms forward. Repeat this exercise in two sets about five times for each arm.
3. Lift the bottles at waist level by the sides of your body, then stretch your arms out to the sides. Repeat the exercise in two sets about ten times.

Strength training without equipment: train abs and core

In addition to your arm muscles, it is also important to train your stomach and core. This is particularly easy to do with strength training at home, as there are a number of effective bodyweight exercises. It is best to use a yoga mat for these classic exercises, as they are performed on the floor:

• Push-ups: According to Healthline, you can use push-ups to train your upper body and abdomen. Support yourself on the ground with your arms shoulder-width apart and tip your toes. Keep your body straight, bend your arms, and then push yourself back up. If you can’t do the classic version yet, you can also put your knees on the floor.

• Sit-Ups: Sit-ups are a classic abdominal workout. Lie on your back, bend your legs, and place your arms on your neck or temples. Then slowly raise the upper body using only the strength of the abdominal muscles. Be careful not to move too suddenly and keep your elbows in line with your shoulders.

Back strength training at home

Regular back training can prevent pain and make your back more resilient. To strengthen your back, there are also various exercises for strength training without equipment:

• Planking: According to Healthline, this classic is good for improving core strength and stability and strengthening the muscles in the back, chest and shoulders. Get into the push-up position and support yourself on your palms or on your forearms. Lift your knees and keep your body in a straight line. Hold the exercise and then come back down. As a beginner you can start with 20 seconds. The more you practice the plank, the longer you can stay in the position.

• Superman: This exercise strengthens the middle and lower back. Lie on your stomach, stretch your arms forward, and lift your torso, arms, and legs while only your pelvis and lower abdomen touch the floor. Repeat the exercise in two sets up to 20 times.

These two exercises are also best performed on a yoga mat. By the way, you can find out how best to clean your yoga mat here: Cleaning your yoga mat: tips for each material

Train legs and buttocks at home

To round off the strength training, you can also train your legs and buttocks at home. Two exercises you can incorporate into your home workout are:

• Squats: For squats, first stand with your knees relaxed and then crouch. It’s important to push your buttocks and hips back and keep your back and upper body straight. Then you push yourself up again with the strength of your thighs and tighten your buttocks.

• Lunges: Step forward with one leg while keeping the other leg behind your torso. Bend your knees until there is an angle of about 90 degrees between the upper and lower leg of your front leg. The back knee does not touch the floor. Make sure that only your legs move and your upper body remains stable. You can also put your hands on your hips to do this. After the lunge, stand up and do the exercise on the other side.

You can also incorporate these two exercises into a circuit training with 60 seconds per exercise and 20 seconds rest in between.

Also, don’t forget to warm up before and cool down after strength training at home.

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