Shoshana shows us a mat Pilates exercise using your own body weight.
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Tag: exercises
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A mat Pilates exercise using your body weight – Today’s Tip
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Weighted wall sits – Today’s Tip
Fit this workout into your day!
Thursday, December 11, 2025 10:30AM
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Shoshana says all you need for a quick and effective workout is a wall.
To watch previous fitness tips, CLICK HERE.
Copyright © 2025 WPVI-TV. All Rights Reserved.
6abc Digital Staff
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Figure four crunch that works your core – Today’s Tip
Shoshana shows us an exercise that really focuses on your core.
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An exercise for balance, control and core engagement – Today’s Tip
Shoshana shows us an exercise that’s all about balance, control and core engagement.
6abc Digital Staff
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No equipment ab exercise – Today’s Tip
Shoshana shows us an exercise that you don’t need any equipment for.
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Squat jacks with floor tap — Today’s Tip
Shoshana shows us an exercise that will help get us moving and the blood flowing.
6abc Digital Staff
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How to Do a Turkish Get-up (and Workout Example)
It’s time to learn how to do a Turkish get-up!
I’m glad you want to learn it, as it’s a great functional exercise that will improve your strength and balance.
However, it’s also a bit of a technical movement, as there are quite a few steps to follow.
But have no fear! You’re in the right place to learn the Turkish get-up.
After all, it’s what we do best here at Nerd Fitness: making complex exercises simple for beginners.
Here’s what we’ll cover today:
Let’s get after it.
How to Do a Turkish Get-up (With Video Tutorial)
In the video above, Coach Staci walks you through proper technique with the Turkish get-up (TGU).
Staci demonstrates three versions of the TGU:
- With no weight (or a bodyweight TGU)
- With a shoe to help test alignment
- With a dumbbell
But there’s a lot to the move, so we’ll break it down for you.
Before we do, it’s worth pointing out that Staci is a coach here at NF!
Yep, we’re lucky to have her on the team
When she’s not busy making videos on complex exercises, she’s coaching nerds on how to grow strong and level up their nutrition.
Pretty cool, huh?
If you’re interested in learning more, you can learn all about our coaching program right here:
What are the Turkish Get-up Steps?
Here’s how to perform the Turkish Get-up, step by step:
#1) Lie on the Floor, Extend Arm, Bend Leg
Begin in a supine position, extending one arm vertically while bending the same-side leg. This is our starting stance.
#1a) If Weighted, Roll onto Your Back and Extend the Arm
For those using additional weight, start on your side and pull the weight close with two arms. Roll onto your back, continuing to keep the weight close, then extend the weight overhead with both arms, taking your time and maintaining control.
#2) Roll up onto the Other Forearm
Maintain eye contact with the hand overhead as you roll from your back up onto your opposite forearm.
#3) Get up onto Your Hand
Continue the movement by getting up onto your hand, and maintaining eye contact with the other hand overhead.
#4) Bridge the Hips and Sweep the Leg Under
Keep your hand on the ground and lift your hips high enough to sweep your leg underneath you. We’re looking to move that leg far enough to make a triangle on the ground with your hand, knee, and foot.
#4a) Ensure a Stable Triangle
Make sure the triangle you’ve created with hand, knee, and foot feels strong before shifting weight and moving onto the next step.
#5) Move into a Kneeling Lunge Position
Lift up your body into a kneeling lunge, with one knee up and the other down. Take your time to maintain your balance.
#6) Stand up (Halfway through the TGU)
Stand up completely. This is the halfway point of the Turkish Get-up.
#7) Step Back to a Kneeling Lunge
Start the descent by stepping back into a kneeling lunge.
#8) Hand Down, Create a Triangle with Foot and Knee
Lower your hand, forming the same stable triangle with your hand, knee, and foot on the ground.
#9) Keep Hips High, Sweep the Leg Under
Push your hand strong into the ground and keep the hips elevated, as you sweep the leg forward and sit on the ground.
#10) Forearm and Elbow Down on the Ground
Bring your forearm and elbow down to the ground, continuing to maintain eye contact with your hand (or weight) overhead.
#11) Upper Back Down on Ground
Complete the Turkish Get-up by gently lowering your upper back to the ground.
#11a) If Weighted, Lower Weight Down, Roll to Your Side
For those with added weight, lower it down with two hands (if necessary), keeping it close, and then roll to the side to put it on the ground.
What’s a Turkish Get-up Workout?
The Turkish get-up is very versatile and can be worked into your routine in several different ways.
Here are some quick examples of a Turkish Get-up Workout:
- Warm-up: Perform 1-2 easy sets of 2-3 reps each side, alternating sides, with light or no weight. With little rest between sets, it’s quick, effective, and readies your body for more.
- Strength Training: Opt for 2-3 sets of 1-3 reps per side, either same side or alternating, with progressively heavier weight. Rest 1-3 minutes between sets.
- Conditioning: Engage in 2-3 sets of 3-5 reps or more per side, alternating sides, using light to medium weight. Keep it moving to elevate your heart rate (minimal rest).
Let’s break this down a bit.
#1) The Turkish Get-up as a Warm-up
If your aim is to warm up and prepare your body for action, incorporate the Turkish Get-up with 1-2 easy sets. Perform 2-3 reps on each side, alternating between left and right.
This can be done with a lighter weight or just your bodyweight, focusing on proper form. Even without added weight, ensure you go through all the points of performance, treating it as if there’s resistance. Each repetition may take 15-30 seconds (or more if you’re first learning), offering a thorough warm-up. If you need a bit more warm-up, then do a few more reps! This will get your entire body ready for more activity.
#2) The Turkish Get-up as Strength Training
While it doesn’t look like a traditional exercise, you’ll still build plenty of strength when you start increasing the weight and testing yourself.
Because of the longer time it takes to complete each rep (as opposed to something like a push-up or a squat), you’ll tend to see lower rep ranges worked with this exercise – 1 to 3 reps per side is a good place to start.
You can work the same side (all 1-3 reps done before switching) or alternate reps (one rep left, one rep right, etc). To progress, continue to increase the weight used, as long as you have control.
If you decide to add more reps, we start to enter the world of conditioning.
#3) The Turkish Get-up as Conditioning
If we want to turn the Turkish get-up into a conditioning exercise, then increase the total number of reps, while keeping the rest between sets minimal.
Because the shoulder will fatigue first, it’s best to alternate between sides (although if you’re feeling spicy – then complete all the reps on one side first!).
We’re also looking for light to medium weight so that we can keep things going safely, while getting the heart rate up.
As with any of these recommendations, if you need to make it tougher then start adding weight and/or reps, or just decrease your rest time!
What Are the Benefits of the Turkish Get-Up?
With all of these steps and cues in the Turkish get-up, you might be asking yourself:
“Why? What’s the point and benefit of learning this? What muscles are even worked?”
You might have heard of the 2012 study that linked the ability to stand up from the ground easily with a longer life. This was attributed in part to the fact that flexibility, strength, and coordination are all important things to maintain as one gets older.
But even if you’re not a senior in their golden years, you can still build up and benefit from more of each of those attributes.In addition, and this is something very often overlooked in people’s routines, it’s good to move in different directions.
The sky’s the limit here.
Too often we head to the gym and move around like we’re on tracks: moving forward or backward, two feet together, both arms pressing or pulling at the same time.
If we never explore different planes of motion and stress the arms and legs independently of one another, then when we’re called to do this outside the gym (cue Morpheus saying “Welcome to the real world”), there can be some troubles.
Now any sort of movement is fantastic – so don’t stress out or second guess yourself – but when you’re looking to level up your workout, then look to work your arms and legs independently of each other.This might be as simple as a lunge:
Or a one-arm row:
You can also look to move in different directions – this might look like a lunge to the side:
As opposed to always lunging to the front.
Then, of course, you can also pick up and explore the Turkish get-up. Feel how we’re moving in unfamiliar directions and stressing our muscles in unique ways with the exercise.
Now, to your next question:
What muscles do Turkish Get-ups work?
When performing Turkish get-ups, you’ll strengthen muscles like:
- Chest and arm – as we press the weight into the starting position.
- Core – specifically the obliques and abdominals, as you move from the floor to a standing position (and back down). As you move through several positions, your core will be engaged the whole time.
- Shoulder – as we put our other hand on the ground and get the supporting arm vertical.
- Glutes – as we bridge up our hips.
- Quads – as we get into and stand up from a lunge position.
- Grip – as we squeeze the weight hard to control it.
But really, it’s just about every muscle you have.
That’s because the Turkish Get-up is what we call a “total body movement,” meaning it requires every muscle in your body, all working together.
So your shoulders will stabilize the weight above you, all while your glutes and core are engaged.
On top of that, the Turkish Get-up will also help improve:
- Coordination – following the correct sequence during the Turkish get-up will help your body awareness, also known as “proprioception.” This will help you improve coordination.
- Mobility – getting off and on the ground takes some work. Adding a weight to the equation makes it even more so. This is a perfect recipe to improve mobility.
- Balance – you shift a lot during the Turkish get-up, using one limb and then another. This will require some balance.
Because of this, you’ll often see the Turkish Get-up included in a Functional Fitness Workout (like those found in CrossFit).
Functional Fitness means training that will carry over to your day-to-day life. With the TGU, it’ll help you remain strong to get off the floor or grab a heavy item from a shelf.
It’s no wonder people have been doing this exercise for well over 100 years (and some legends say over 200 years!)
Speaking of…
Why’s It Called the “Turkish Get-Up”? (Origins of the TGU)
Some believe that ancient wrestlers, in what is now Turkey, invented the get-up to prepare for their intense competitions.
Additionally, it also demonstrated their immense strength to each other (everyone loves to show off now and then).
To support this theory, it’s also worth noting that the Turkish get-up is traditionally done with kettlebells (we go over different options here), which have historical use in the region.
For example, as BJJEE points out, you can find old kettlebells at the Taksim Pera Museum in Istanbul, Turkey:
So that’s probably why it’s called the “Turkish get-up.”
You might also hear the TGU referred to as “The Turkish Stand-up” or “The Kettlebell Stand-up.” Don’t worry, it’s all the same exercise.
The Turkish Get-up for Beginners (When in Doubt, Start Here)
Even as we tout all these benefits, we also understand that the Turkish get-up is an intimidating exercise!
After all:
- There are a lot of steps.
- You’re not sure if you’re doing them correctly.
- You might eventually have a weight balanced over your head!
Never fear! There are a lot of things that a beginner can do to tackle the TGU, build confidence, and have fun with it.
Here are four ways a beginner can get started with the TGU:
#1) Do the Turkish Get-up with no weight (or a Bodyweight TGU)
As we mentioned earlier, a good starting point would be to work the movement with nothing but your own bodyweight.
There’s enough to think about with your own coordination, before having to worry about controlling another object too!
#2) Split up the Turkish Get-up
Another really good way to ease into the full TGU is to work on parts of it. You can do this anywhere along the line for as many steps as you want, but some of my favorite variations:
Part #1) From the start (lying on the floor), to getting up to your hand, and then back down again.
Part #2) From sitting up on your hand, to bridging your hips up and sweeping the leg under, and then reversing it.
Part #3) From foot, knee, and hand on the ground, to getting into a reverse lunge position, then standing up, then reversing it all (reverse lunge back down, put your hand down in the triangle)
#3) Do the Turkish Get-up with a Shoe
As Coach Staci showed in the video at the top of this article, a fun variation you can try before adding any weights is standing up and down with a shoe in your hand!
Specifically, we want to rest the shoe on our open hand, so that if you let your arm drop or drift forward, the shoe might topple out.
#4) Do the Turkish Get-up with a Medicine Ball
If you want a more “fun” variation of that, you can do a TGU with a medicine ball in your hand. Pick a larger one so that you can’t grab and control the ball (unless you have hands like the Hulk!). This will really test your abilities to keep the arm vertical and control every aspect of the motion.
And if you think this is too mean-spirited, just know that in many kettlebell certification courses, they expect you to do this open-handed with a cup of water! Any wavering from a good position will result in an impromptu shower!
It’s all in good fun though, and will give you a really, really good idea of what steps you need to practice more.
8 Common Mistakes When Doing Turkish Get-Ups
Despite the detailed steps, there are a few prevalent mistakes that often crop up. Let’s talk about what we SHOULD do to avoid them.
#1) Keep Your Eye on the Weight!
This is so key that you should write it on the bottom of all your kettlebells. It can be tempting to look around as you play one-person twister with yourself, but keep watching that weight! It is much, much easier to control it when you do. If you do have to bail and drop the weight to the ground, it’s also easier to direct if you’ve been watching it the entire time.
#2) Use Two Arms to Bring the Weight into the Starting Position.
Early on, it’s common to grab the weight with one hand, especially with lighter loads. However, as weights get heavier, this becomes impractical and risks shoulder strain. Practice rolling to your side and using both hands to secure the weight, ensuring a controlled and safe setup.
#3) Try to ROLL SIDEWAYS to Your Forearm and Hand.
As we’re lying on our back with the weight over our chest, it’s incredibly common for people to want to sit forward and up to get into position. Maybe it’s years and years of sit-ups in gym class. While you can get away with this with light or no weight, it quickly becomes impossible with heavier weights.
Instead, think about rolling to your side (the side opposite the weight) to get onto your forearm and then hand. You should press down with the leg that’s bent (the leg that’s the same side as the weight) to help the movement.
#4) Create That Triangle Before Moving Up into the Reverse Lunge.
After we bridge our hips and sweep the leg underneath, it can be tempting to try and rush the next step and try to get upright and stand up. As with all these steps and mistakes, you’ll be able to get away with this with lighter weight, but not heavy.
After you sweep your leg under, pause. Ensure you’re forming a stable triangle with your hand, knee, and foot. This foundational position provides the stability needed as you ascend.
#5) Press the Weight Up and Back as You Stand Up.
This is a cue that might not make sense until you try it and feel it, but the common mistake we’re trying to correct here is when people stand up from the lunge position, and their arm (and weight) shift forward. This often then results in them losing the weight to the front and dropping it.
To counteract this, focus on driving the weight up to the ceiling and back behind your head. This intention will help keep the weight over your own center of gravity so you can stand up triumphantly.
#6) On the Way Down, Roll to Your Elbow, Then the Nearest Shoulder, Then the Farthest Shoulder.
Another cue that may sound puzzling until you’re finishing up a TGU with heavy weight. Common mistake here is to get excited and rush the end. Your hand is on the ground, your hips are on the ground – things are so close you can taste it!
Well, you might be tasting the weight in a moment if you simply fall backwards to your entire upper back. Just as we want to focus on rolling upwards at the start (as opposed to trying to sit forward and up), we want to do the same thing on the way down.
Get down to the elbow, keep the upper body slightly rotated as you lower down to touch one shoulder, THEN let the rest of your upper back and second shoulder roll down and rest on the ground.
Plus, don’t forget…
#7) Engage Your Core Throughout the Turkish Get-up.
Given the technical nature of this exercise, it’s easy to let your core relax. Actively engage your core throughout the entire movement to ensure stability and control.
#8) Move Slow.
Resist the temptation to rush through the Turkish Get-up; it’s a recipe for injury. Move deliberately and in control throughout the entire sequence. If necessary, opt for a lighter weight—there’s no shame in prioritizing safety.
How to Grow Strong (Next Steps)
If you’ve made it this far, then you’re obviously pretty serious about growing strong.
So why not check out our Beginner’s Guide to Strength Training?
It’ll show you exactly how to:
- Build a full-body workout
- Perform all the exercises required
- Eat so you grow muscle (and don’t put on too much fat)
Yep, it’s pretty cool, and many a nerd have used it to start their strength training careers.
Okay, I think that about does it for me.
I’ll see ya later!
-Coach Jim
PS – You may be asking yourself:
How much progress can you make with the Turkish get-up?
Well, they make really heavy kettlebells, so there’s practically no limit here.
For example, here’s me doing a TGU with 106 pounds:
Just move up in bells gradually and consistently, and you’ll be lifting heavy weights before you know if.
###
Photo source: ruttanapol/123RF.COM, karmiic/123RF.COM, ©rosinka79/123RF.COM, Turkish Get Up, malkovkosta/123RF.COM, tonobalaguer/123RF.COM, sergign/123RF.COM
Jim Bathurst
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How to Do an Inverted Row (Bodyweight Rows): Ultimate Guide
The Inverted Bodyweight Row is one of the BEST, simple, most effective exercises you can do for your “pull” muscles.
If you’re trying to get to your first pull-up (or even if you are already doing pull-ups), it’s a must.
That’s why we program them in when designing workouts for our Online Coaching Clients.
Today, I’ll explain exactly why (almost like you were in our program).
As part of our Strength 101 series, this guide will cover everything you need to know about this awesome exercise:
Let’s do this thing!
What is an Inverted Bodyweight Row?
You’ve probably heard of the regular barbell row. You pick up a barbell, bend over at the waist (keeping your back straight), and pull the weight up towards your chest.
It looks something like this:
This can be a great exercise, but improper form could cause complications or you might not have access to a barbell and plates.
Luckily, the bodyweight row (or inverted row) takes care of all of that.
By the way, I’ll be using “bodyweight row” and “inverted row” interchangeably in this article.[1]
To-may-to, To-mah-to.[2]
When doing this movement, you only need a bar to lean back from and your body weight. There’s also no extra stress on your back, like with a traditional barbell row.
As an added bonus, you get a decent core workout too.
I know, that’s worth celebrating…
Think of it like this: “bench press” is to “pushing” as “inverted row” is to “pulling.”
Balance FTW!
Why the inverted bodyweight row is so great:
I’m a huge fan of compound exercises (like the squat and deadlift, pull-ups and push-ups), and I’m also a huge fan of exercises that don’t require expensive machines or lots of extra bells and whistles.
An inverted row works all of your pull muscles:
- All of your back muscles
- Your biceps
- Your forearms
- Your grip
- All the stabilizer muscles in between that make those muscles work together.
If you’ve been doing bench presses regularly, start doing an equal amount of work with your pull muscles to stay in balance and away from injury.
Oh, and if you want to eventually be able to do pull-ups THIS is the exercise you need to add to your routine until you can do a full pull-up.
When we created our pull-up adventure in Nerd Fitness Journey, we started off by teaching rows. If you want, you can try the app right now (for free):
How To Do An Inverted Bodyweight Row
Let’s start with the people who have access to a gym (see a no-gym variation here):
How to do an inverted row or bodyweight row:
- Set the bar (or your rings) around waist height. The lower the bar, the more difficult the movement becomes.
- Position yourself under the bar lying face up. Lie on the floor underneath the bar (which should be set just above where you can reach from the ground).
- Grab the bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width (palms facing AWAY from you).
- Contract your abs and butt, and keep your body in a completely straight line. Your ears, shoulders, hips legs, and feet should all be in a straight line (like you’re doing a plank).
- Pull yourself up to the bar until your chest touches the bar.
- Lower yourself back down with proper form.
If this movement is TOO difficult, nbd, we just need to back up a few steps.
Set the bar higher so that when you lean back, your body isn’t down on the ground; maybe it’s only at a 45-degree angle.
We’ll walk you through a row progression right here.
Here’s Staci again demonstrating it at a higher angle:
By setting the bar higher, it takes more of your body’s weight out of the equation.
As you get stronger (and/or lose weight), you’ll be able to drop the bar until you’re parallel when pulling yourself up.
I grabbed a video of Senior Coach Staci from Team NF demonstrating a bodyweight row with gymnastic rings, but the instruction you’ll get in the video will really be helpful too.
How to do a bodyweight row (with video explanation):
To keep proper form when doing an inverted bodyweight row:
- Don’t let your butt sag (squeeze your buttcheeks, flex your stomach, and keep your body rigid from head to toe).
- Don’t flail your elbows. Grab the bar with your hands a little closer than you would if you were doing a bench press, and keep your elbows at that angle from your body.
- Pull the bar towards the middle of your chest. Don’t pull the bar up towards your throat, or down towards your belly button. Right in the middle!
- Keep your abs tight. Keep your abs tight throughout the whole routine. Your body should be a straight line the whole time, and the only thing moving is your arms.
- Pull your shoulder blades down and back towards each other through the movement. Don’t shrug your shoulders. Imagine you’re trying to pinch a pencil between your shoulder blades to keep it from falling!
- GO all the way. Don’t half-ass it. Lower yourself until your arms are completely extended, and raise yourself until your chest touches the bar.
How to Progress with Inverted Bodyweight Rows (6 Variations)
Let’s provide a blueprint on how you can level up your inverted bodyweight rows.
#1) Doorway Rows
At first, just start doing some rows in your doorway:
This will help you start training your “pull” muscles.
#2) Towel Rows
Still utilizing your doorway, you can use a towel to lean back even further to increase the challenge here:
Coach Jim walks you through setting up your towel row in this video, “No chin-up bar?? No problem!“
Check out our Guide for Pull-up Alternatives for more.
#3) Inverted Row (High)
Next, try doing an inverted row, but set the bar high so it’s easier to perform:
#4) Inverted Row (Low)
Once your inverted rows become easy, lower the bar to increase the challenge:
#5) Elevated Inverted Row
If you place your feet in the air, you’ll make this exercise even tougher:
#6) Inverted Row (Weighted)
If you really want to up the difficulty of your inverted rows, try doing it with a little bit of weight attached to you:
When Should I Do Inverted Bodyweight Rows?
If you are building your own workout plan, you can mix in bodyweight rows wherever you normally do your pull exercises (pull-ups, pull-downs, rows, etc.).
When I go into a gym, my time is extremely limited, and I’m working towards developing strength.
Here’s a sample two-day split for me:
Both days work my full body, I can do a full routine in less than 40 minutes, and I’m building strength.
- If you can’t do dips on Day 1, you can do push-ups.
- If you can’t do pull-ups on day 2, you can substitute assisted pull-ups.
On the rows, aim for 3 sets of 10. We cover this in our “sets and reps” article, but you can never go wrong with 3 sets of 10!
If you can’t do that, do 3 sets to however many reps you can do, and build your way up to 3 sets of 10.
Once you can do that, put your feet up on a chair, throw some weights in a backpack, put it on reverse (so the bag is hanging in front of you), and then do the rows.
You got this!
Overwhelmed? I personally know how that feels. It can be scary embarking on a strength training practice for the first time.
Are you doing your moves correctly? Should you be lifting more weight or less? What do you eat to reach your goals?
We created the Nerd Fitness Coaching program to tackle these questions directly. Your own coach will get to know you, build a program based on your experience and goals, and check your form on each movement (via video):
How to Do Inverted Bodyweight Rows at Home
Just because you don’t have access to a gym doesn’t mean you can’t work out your back, you just need to get VERY creative.
Here’s how you can do Inverted Bodyweight Rows at Home:
PATH ONE: Use your kitchen table. Or your desk. Be very careful with this one.
Lie underneath your table so your head and shoulder are sticking out above it.
Grab the table edge with an overhand grip, and pull yourself up (just like it’s explained above).
Warning, don’t pull the table over with you, and make sure you don’t break the thing!
PATH TWO: Get a really thick wooden dowel or pipe, something strong enough to support your weight. Lie it across two of your kitchen chairs, and then lie down underneath it.
Make sure it’s sturdy, and the bar isn’t going to break/move on ya, and pull yourself up.
Don’t forget, you want to stay in balance.
If you don’t have a pull-up bar and gymnastic rings, find a way to do some bodyweight rows whether it’s between two chairs or under a table.
You’re smart, get creative!
This should allow you to start mixing in bodyweight rows into your Strength Training Routine!
Any more questions about the inverted bodyweight row?
Leave em below!
-Steve
PS: Our new app Nerd Fitness Journey will walk you through doing simple rows, all the way up to a full pull-up! Instead of worrying about what to do next, simply follow the workouts built into the app!
PPS: Be sure to check out the rest of the Strength Training 101 series:
You can also get the guide free when you sign up in the box below and join the Rebellion!
Download our comprehensive guide
- Everything you need to know about getting strong.
- Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.
- How to find the right gym and train properly in one.
###
Steve Kamb
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How to Stretch as a Beginner (3 Routines to Try)
Today, you’re going to learn how to stretch.
If your warm-up is the appetizer, and your strength-based workout is the main course, then a post-workout stretching routine is the dessert (sorry for making you think about Creme brulee).
In this guide, we’ll cover it all (click to get to those sections):
Now, if you’re stretching as part of a strength training routine, you might be interested in our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program.
We don’t just focus on weight loss, but helping people level up their entire lives. That includes nutrition, mobility, goal setting, and even overcoming fears and becoming an actual superhero.
Okay, let’s get bendy like Gumby!
Beginner Full Body Stretching Routine Video
The Beginner Full Body Stretching Routine:
- Reach above and fully extend your body.
- Keep legs straight, bend forward and stretch for 10 seconds.
- Stretch towards the left for 10 seconds, and then the right for 10 seconds.
- With legs together bend forwards for 10 seconds.
- Squat down and hug your knees to your chest.
- Roll onto your back in the same position.
- Kneel and lean back with arms extended and rock forwards stretching the lower back (repeat 3-5 times).
- Sit with the bottoms of your feet together, lean forward and stretch (repeat 2 or 3 times).
You can do this routine both AFTER your strength training routine, and also on your off days. Do your best to stick with this routine regularly to get maximum benefits like increased mobility and flexibility!
Advanced Stretching Routine
This advanced stretching routine is a mix of yoga, stretching, tai-chi, pilates, and awesome.[1]
Although I move quickly through the movements to keep the video short, don’t confuse my movements with bouncing. Stretch as far as you can, hold it for a few seconds without bouncing, and then repeat the process
Is Yoga Good for a post-workout stretch?
Yoga is awesome.
It can help improve flexibility, strength, and mindfulness.
Plus, if you’re looking for a stretching routine to cool down with after your training, yoga almost seems built for it. Oftentimes a yoga routine will end in corpse pose, the perfect posture after a hard training session.
Here is a FULL yoga routine you can do anywhere. It’s a great routine to follow on your non-training days:
Want more free videos and demos on yoga poses? You can click right here for “21 Yoga Poses for Beginners.”
Using a Foam Roller for post-workout stretches
Do you own a foam roller?
With that and a little floor space, you’ll have all you need for the perfect post-workout stretch.
Let’s show you how to do the following:
- Thoracic Spine
- Glutes (both sides)
- Quads (one at a time)
- Abductors
Here’s a video demonstrating the moves, plus a T-Rex (this is Nerd Fitness after all):
Want more tips on starting a foam roller practice? Click right here for our article “How to Use A Foam Roller.”
Should I stretch Before or After A Workout?
Let’s get the answer to this question right out of the way: “Should I Stretch BEFORE or AFTER My Workout?”
The science is pretty clear on this one: “Strech AFTER a Workout”
Here’s why:
- This consolidation of studies didn’t find any benefits to stretching before a workout.
- Static stretching will not result in the reduction of the chance of injury.
- Static stretching can actually decrease your potential for strength gains and performance.
- If you stretch after your workout, your muscles will be warm and less likely to suffer an injury.[2]
Instead, you should be doing a dynamic warm-up before your workout (jump jacking, leg swings, arm circles).
Coach Staci covers such a warm-up in this video:
As this study shows, “a dynamic warm-up” can also help reduce soreness after a workout.
Okay, back to stretching.
Stretching AFTER a workout CAN be helpful, but perhaps not for the reason you’d expect!
Stretching hasn’t been proven to reduce soreness or improve one’s recovery time, but stretching CAN help improve flexibility.
This is super helpful if you have the flexibility and mobility of this robot:
So stretching after a workout allows you to work on flexibility and mobility without needing to worry about losing your strength (if you had stretched before your workout)!
And with improved flexibility comes improved performance in almost all areas of life (yup, even THAT).
- Also, as you get older, your flexibility and mobility start to go…making you FEEL older.
- If you can stay flexible, you’re more likely to stay happy and healthy for far longer.
- Staying flexible keeps you active, and staying active keeps you young.
If you are interested in improving your mobility, make sure you check out these two guides:
- How to Touch Your Toes– which will walk you through 4 stretches to help you reach those little piggy wiggies.
- Flexibility Practice for the Inflexible – which provides exercises and stretches to help even the most rigid of us to improve mobility.
One last point – even if you’re JUST going to do some stretching, it’s still a good idea to warm up first for about five minutes. Again, it could just be with some legs kicks and arm circles:
pARTING WORDS ON STRETCHING EXERCISES
What’s that? You want even more stretching recommendations?
Depending on how you’re feeling, where you’re sore, and so on – you can throw in some additional movements:
#1) The Ballet Stretch
#2) The Full Body Stretch:
#3) The Back Stretch:
No matter what training you’re doing, whether it’s with bodyweights, actual weights, or running, always make sure you take some time post-workout for some stretching exercises: you’ll be improving your flexibility which gets more important every day you get older!
Before I dip out, if you want Nerd Fitness to help you along with your fitness journey, here are three ways we can help:
#1) If you want a professional coach in your pocket, who can do video form checks, provide feedback, and adjust your workouts based on your experience level, check out our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program!
For example, let’s say you have an old injury and couldn’t perform one of our stretches. A Nerd Fitness Coach can work with you to create a customized routine for your exact situation.
Personally, I’ve been working with the same online coach since 2015 and it’s changed my life. You can learn more by clicking on the box below:
#2) Exercising at home and need a plan to follow? Check out Nerd Fitness Journey!
Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).
Plus, you can take part in flexibility challenges alongside a group of nerds who are all trying to better themselves!
Try your free trial right here:
#3) Become part of the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.
Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our Rebel Starter Kit, which includes all of our “work out from home” guides.
Get your Nerd Fitness Starter Kit
- The 15 mistakes you don’t want to make.
- Full guide to the most effective diet and why it works.
- Complete and track your first workout today, no gym required.
Alright, your turn:
Do you have any favorite post-exercise stretches?
Any difficult areas you try and troubleshoot after your training?
What do you do to help with post-workout recovery?
Let us know in the comments!
-Steve
PS: With all this talk on post-workout stretching, did you remember to warm up before your workout? I got you!
###
All photo citations: Decathlon, Amazing, 145, Batman, Nevada, Foam, Yoga.
Steve Kamb
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How to Train if You Have an Injury | Nerd Fitness
There’s no gentle way to say this – training with injuries SUCKS!
The most important thing you can do now is to let yourself heal.
However, depending on your injury, there might be quite a few ways to stay active while also recovering.
We do this all the time in our Online Coaching Program. We’ll build workouts for clients who are dealing with pre-existing injuries, so they can make the most of their recovery time.
Today, we’ll share these same tips with you.
Here’s what we’ll cover:
REAL QUICK: If you’re worried about hurting yourself while lifting, I would encourage you to check out our guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. We cover all you need to begin a strength training practice, from equipment, starting weight recommendations, and proper form techniques to prevent injuries. You can grab it for free when you join the Rebellion below!
Download our comprehensive guide
- Everything you need to know about getting strong.
- Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.
- How to find the right gym and train properly in one.
NOTE: I am not a doctor (in fact, I’m not even wearing pants right now). You should really seek medical attention for any injury you receive.
Step 1: Preventing Injuries in the First Place (Warming-Up)
Now, it should go without saying: the best way to handle an injury is to prevent it in the first place.
So always start your training with a dynamic warm-up.
Studies have shown that a brief warm-up before your workout can help prevent injuries.[1]
Here’s why:
You can think of your muscles like rubber bands:
Should you start your workout by immediately lifting heavy weights or sprinting really fast, those cold, unstretched rubber bands can get pulled apart very quickly. They can then get snapped or pulled out of shape.
Ouch.
That’s why every workout should start with a warm-up.
We are such big believers of this, that when we program workouts through our Online Coaching Program, we ALWAYS kick it off with a warm-up. It’s one of the tools in our kit to help clients stay injury-free.
What’s that? You don’t know how to warm up?
No prob.
Here’s a beginner warm-up routine you can try:
If you want more, check out The 15 Best Warm-Up Exercises & Routines to Prevent Injury.
Step 2: When Should I See a Doctor After an Injury?
As Coach Jim mentions in the video above, the FIRST thing to do after an injury is to seek a professional.
All the internet advice in the world won’t take the place of a single session with a doctor or physical therapist.
After you get hurt, really the best thing you can do is have the injury examined by someone who knows what they’re doing.
I will say, that not all doctors are created equal…
…but that’s not another article.
Next, we need to get your headspace in proper order (even if you don’t have a head injury)
Step 3: How to Mentally Deal With Injuries
The SECOND thing to do right after an injury: realize it’s going to affect you mentally…just as much, if not more than physically.
So be prepared!
There are numerous studies showing the different negative emotional reactions that people have when injured.[2]
But just from the School of the Obvious – if you’ve ever had an injury – you know how it puts you in a bad mood.
What may help, is recognizing and reframing negative thoughts, like with some quiet meditation or journaling. Or even seeing a therapist or sports psychologist
Just make sure you don’t overlook the mental aspects of recovery.
Step 4: Testing Movement Around the Injury
After you’ve seen a doctor and prepared for the mental battle ahead, I want you to test all movements.
And by test, I mean work through as much of the range of motion of an exercise as possible with zero additional resistance and without feeling any pain.
That means if your shoulder bothers you, just see if you can extend your arms all the way above your head. Do this before you even consider doing a push press or shoulder press.
After that, make sure to test movements that you don’t suspect will be a problem.
A shoulder injury could very well make box jump sessions impossible, due to the arm swing involved in the movement.
Try out each movement cautiously!
Something to keep in mind: just because you have pain with a push movement, does not necessarily mean you will have pain with a pull movement.
I have had a shoulder injury where dips and push-ups were out of the question…but pull-ups were fine.
And that is why you should test all movements – you may have more training options than you expect. Then again, your injury may limit movement more than you realize.
Last time I’m going to say it – test.
Step 5: How to Make the Most Of Your Recovery (Sleep and Nutrition)
Next, rest.
And by rest, I mean completely stop doing movements that cause you pain until you are healed.
If you feel any pain during your test (especially joint pain), then you should abandon that movement until the injury heals.
You cannot “suck it up” and just grind through joint pain without hindering healing at best…
…and causing further damage at worst.
Along with rest, a recovery regimen to accelerate healing should be considered. Ideally, this would be done under the care of a physician. I have been to the doc for injuries in the past and have found that those that use “Sports” in the title of their practice (Sports Medicine, Sports Therapy) do their damnedest to keep you active.
Here are two often overlooked components of recovery:
Sleep and nutrition are always important when it comes to fitness. But for the swiftest recovery from an injury, you need to get your food intake and sleep schedule dialed in extra tight.
If you want to do everything within your control to sway the healing forces in your favor, be extra diligent with your sleep and eats.
Step 6: Staying Active While Injured
If your doctor has okayed it, stay active any way you can.
This is often the opposite of what many people will do – which is to completely stop using the injured area.
We want to move pain-free, of course, but any light movement is often going to be more beneficial than just stopping movement altogether – as it gets the blood flowing through the area and helps recovery.[3]
This might mean lowering the weights used, doing an assisted or even unweighted variation of an exercise.
Like by busting out a resistance band:
But if you can still safely move the injured area without causing added pain or setbacks – then it’s often a good idea to do so.
If that’s not an option, consider different ways to move while injured:
- If you can’t run, how about an elliptical or stationary bike?
- If you can’t use one leg or the other, can you work out your upper body?
- If you can’t use one arm/shoulder, can you still do lower body exercises like lunges/squats/step-ups?
- If you can’t do any resistance training, can you still go for walks?
Let’s dive into this point a little more.
Step 7: Getting Creative While Working Out With an Injury
My dear friend, it’s time to get creative.
When you get injured, start thinking outside of the box to find the opportunity in the obstacle.
A shoulder injury may make back squats incredibly painful. But holding the bar for a front squat instead could feel fine…
…and perhaps it just so happens that you have neglected the front squat lately.
So instead, try to look at an injury as an opportunity for you to focus on a weakness. Strengthen your weaknesses, become more well-rounded, and better equipped to deal with rigorous activity.
That’s how you become “antifragile.”
But enough of the generalities.
You want some specific recommendations on how to train around your injuries…
Here are some tips for training around common injuries:
#1) Training with Lower Back Pain
When thinking about working around back injuries, look for lower-body exercises that increase knee movement and keep oneself vertical. This often feels safer to many when navigating a tweaked back.
For your upper body, you’re free to do anything you’re comfortable with:
If it doesn’t hurt, have at it.
#2) Training with an Injured Wrist
Wrist pain is most commonly complained about when doing the traditional push-up:
You might be able to alleviate this pain by using push-up bars and even (believe it or not) knuckle push-ups.
This is because you might be dealing with a flexibility issue and not an actual injury.
Front squats and power cleans done with the Olympic rack position may also lead to complaints of wrist pain.
To eliminate wrist pain in the front squat, try the more common crossed-arm rack position:
For the power clean, concentrate on getting the bar on top of the front of your front deltoids (shoulders) – if the bar is touching your throat, you are getting there.
Here are 15 wrist mobility exercises for more help here.
#3) How to Train with a Knee Injury
Knee pain typically comes in a fitness setting as the result of one of three things:
- Deep bending such as with a squat or lunge
- Impact that corresponds with landing from jumping.
- Lateral (side to side) movement, especially for participants of sports like soccer, rugby, basketball, and other “man to man” athletics.
When thinking about working around knee injuries, look for lower-body exercises that reduce the amount of knee movement and increase the amount of hip movement.
Like a kettlebell swing:
A properly executed swing does not involve much bending of the knee. In my experience, most people who cannot squat can handle swings without screwing up any preexisting knee conditions.
Just remember, when testing out these movements, the goal is to pick variations that put less pressure and stress on the knee joint.
#4) Can I Lift with a Hurt Elbow?
You’re out of luck on this one, unfortunately. Sorry.
Nearly any upper body exercise, push or pull, will hinder your recovery time.
Instead, focus on lower bodywork such as barbell squats, sprinting, and lunges.
#5) Can I Exercise with an Injured Ankle?
Avoid any high-impact movements with a hurt ankle.
And all that means is do not jump.
But other movements that involve more subtle ankle movement such as squats may also have to be put on the back burner as you heal. It is possible (likely?) that you may have to focus on upper body movements and use seated versions of movements such as rows and overhead presses instead of standing.
This will help let your ankle heal.
#6) What Should I Do With Shoulder and/or Hip Pain?
Test, test, test.
These ball and socket joints can be the most unpredictable when it comes to training options.
Start slow, start light, and back off the second you feel any pain.
MOVING FORWARD WITH AN INJURY (Next Steps)
Injuries are always frustrating when they happen.
But I don’t know anyone with any significant amount of training time under their belt who hasn’t had to deal with one.
When injured:
- Seek a medical opinion[4]
- Be smart with your exercise selection
- Dial-in your nutrition and sleep
- Stay active
- Be aware of training opportunities that you would not have considered without the injury
If you want any more help along your journey, you know we’re here for you.
Here are three ways that Nerd Fitness can help you level up.
#1) Our Online Coaching Program: a coaching program for busy people to help them make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier, permanently.
They can build you a custom program so you can grow strong, to hopefully prevent you from getting injured in the first place. Plus, they can do form checks to help make sure you’re doing all your training correctly.
You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:
#2) If you want a roadmap for getting in shape, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app will help you exercise and eat better, all while you build your very own superhero.
Interested?
Try your free trial right here:
#3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.
Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our Rebel Starter Kit, which includes all of our “work out at home” guides, our Strength Training 101 eBook, and much more!
Get your Nerd Fitness Starter Kit
- The 15 mistakes you don’t want to make.
- Full guide to the most effective diet and why it works.
- Complete and track your first workout today, no gym required.
Alright, I think that about does it for today’s articles.
Now, I want to hear from you!
Do you have an injury that is preventing you from training?
Do you have any tips and tricks to keep moving while still recovering?
Did you seek advice from a doctor who gave you good information?
Let us know in the comments!
-Steve
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All photo sources can be found right here: January 27, 2009-22.05, Rugby Player, ©Rattanachai Singtrangarn/123RF.COM, Going to bed, Morning run with the FitbitBatman, Runners
Steve Kamb
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How to Do a (Proper) Push-up | Nerd Fitness
The push-up is one of the best exercises on the planet.
It’s a foundational movement in strength training, and an exercise EVERYBODY should be doing regularly.
However, it’s also an exercise that about 95% of people get wrong and do incorrectly.
Fortunately, after reading today’s ultimate guide, you’ll know exactly how to do a proper push-up with correct form:
Before we jump in, if you’re looking for a way to train anywhere (like with push-ups), you may be interested in the new app we built!
Nerd Fitness Journey will guide you through a workout routine that can be done anywhere, all while creating your very own superhero!
You can give it a free test drive right here:
How to Set up for a Proper Push-up (Staging)
When it comes to push-ups, your form is crucial. Each push-up needs to be done with proper form so that your total reps measured from workout to workout are on equal footing.
If you did 20 push-ups two days ago, and then today you did 25 push-ups by only going down halfway, sticking your ass up in the air, etc., it’s absolutely impossible to tell if you got any stronger.
Here’s how to get into proper push-up position:
1) On the ground, set your hands at a distance that is slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Draw a straight line from your chest/nipple down to the floor – it should be directly over your thumbnail.
Depending on your strength and experience, your hands should be angled in a way that feels comfortable to you. For me, my hands are set up so that my middle finger points straight up and away from me.
2) To alleviate wrist pain (if you have poor wrist flexibility) do your push-ups holding onto push-up handles (so your wrists aren’t as compromised), or a bar:
If you’re hardcore, you can do them on your knuckles (as long as you’re on a semi-soft surface like grass or carpet or broken glass. Wait, scratch that last one).
3) Your feet should be set up in a way that feels right and comfortable and in balance. For some, that might be shoulder-width apart.
For others, it might be with your feet touching. Generally speaking, the wider apart your feet, the more stable you’ll be for your push-ups.
4) Think of your body as one giant straight line – from the top of your head down through your heels. Your butt shouldn’t be sticking way up in the air or sagging. You’re essentially holding a plank throughout the entire movement, as shown in this video below:
5) If you have a problem getting the proper form with your body, try this: clench your butt, and then tighten your abs as if you’re bracing to get punched.
Your core will be engaged, and your body should be in that straight line. If you’ve been doing push-ups incorrectly, this might be a big change for you.
Record a video of yourself to make sure you’re doing it correctly.
6) Your head should be looking slightly ahead of you, not straight down.
I read somewhere that said “if you’re doing them right, your chin should be the first part of your head to touch the floor, not your nose.”
Looking up helps you keep your body in line, but feel free to look down if that helps you concentrate more.
7) At the top of your push-up, your arms should be straight and supporting your weight. You’re now ready to do a push-up.
8) I want to draw special attention to that first step with hand position: nearly EVERYBODY does push-ups with their arms out far too wide and their shoulders flared. This is bad news bears.
If I was looking down at you from above, your arms and body should form an ARROW, not a T.
WARNING: If you have been doing push-ups with your arms flared, doing them with proper form will be significantly more difficult!
How to Do a Proper Push-Up (Correct Push-Up Form with Video).
In the 5-minute “Perfect Push-Up” video above, featuring yours truly and two of our coaches, we take you through EACH of the steps of a push-up, including some variations!
Here’s how to complete one perfect repetition of a proper push up:
- With your arms straight, butt clenched, and abs braced, steadily lower yourself until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle or less. Depending on your level of experience, age, and flexibility, 90 degrees might be the lowest you’re able to go. Personally, I like to go down until my chest (not my face), hits the floor. That way, I know I’m going the same distance each and every time.
- Try not to let your elbows go flying way out with each repetition. Keep them relatively close to your body, and keep note of when they start to fly out when you get tired.
- Once your chest (or nose/chin) touches the floor (or your arms go down to a 90-degree angle), pause slightly and then explode back up until you’re back in the same position.
Do as many as you can until you start to feel your form slip (even slightly); you are done for that set.
Here’s why you should focus on form over quantity:
- 10 good push-ups and 5 crappy ones are tough to quantify against eleven good push-ups.
- If you can only do 10 of something, write down your results and aim for 11 next time.
- Perfect form allows you to keep track of your improvements week over week.
Want to know where push-ups should fall into your workout routine? I have three options!
1) Try Nerd Fitness Journey!
Nerd Fitness Journey will guide you through a bodyweight workout routine that can be done anywhere (yep, even there). You can try it for free right here:
2) Do them as part of our Beginner Bodyweight Workout Routine! This workout has been done by hundreds of thousands of people as their first strength training workout.
Grab Your Beginner Bodyweight Routine Worksheet. No Gym Required!
- Complete this workout at home, no equipment required
- Avoid the common mistakes everybody makes when doing bodyweight exercises
- Learn how to finally get your first pull-up
3) Make your own workout with push-ups by following our “Build Your Own Workout” guide! It’ll walk you through everything you need to build an exercise program for your goals in 10 steps.
How Do You Train to Do Push-Ups? (Where to Start If You Can’t Do a Push-Up.)
Don’t worry if you can’t do a push-up yet. As we lay out in the video above, we have a plan that will help you get there.
You need to start with an easier push movement, and work up to progressively more difficult types of moves that will eventually result in you doing true push-ups.
This is the exact strategy used in our guide, “Get Your First Push-up!”
We’ll progress from Level 1 Push-ups to Level 4 Push-ups:
- Wall Push-Ups: Level 1
- Elevated Push-Ups: Level 2
- Knee Push-ups: Level 3
- Regular Push-ups: Level 4
LEVEL 1: HOW TO DO WALL PUSH-UPS
Stand in front of a wall. Clench your butt, brace your abs, and set your hands on the wall at slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Walk backwards with your feet until your arms are fully extended and supporting your weight (generally one decent sized step back with both feet will suffice). Keeping the rest of your body in a straight line, steadily lower yourself towards the wall until your nose almost touches the wall, and then explode back up to the starting position.
HOW TO TRAIN WALL PUSH-UPS:
Do 4 sets of wall push-ups with a 2-minute rest between sets, every other day. Keep track of how many repetitions you can do WITH PROPER FORM for each set in a notebook for easy comparison to previous workouts. Once you can do 4 sets of 20 repetitions of wall push-ups, you can progress to knee push-ups.
LEVEL TWO: HOW TO DO ELEVATED PUSH-UPS
As we demonstrate in this video above from Nerd Fitness Prime, elevated push-ups are just what they sound like – your hands are on an elevated surface, whether it’s something as tall as a kitchen table or as low as a few blocks that are inches off the ground. This will depend on your level of strength and experience.
If you’ve just progressed from wall push-ups, pick something that is at a level that’s right for you – I generally find the back of a park bench or the side of a picnic table to be a perfect height for doing incline push-ups. Like so:
HOW TO TRAIN ELEVATED PUSH-UPS:
Do 4 sets of elevated push-ups with a 2-minute rest between sets, every other day. Again, keep track of all of your stats for how many proper form repetitions you can do in each set. Once you can do 4 sets of 20 repetitions, it’s time to either move to regular push-ups, knee push-ups, or a lower height for your hands to be supported.
Once you can do 4 sets of 20 repetitions, it’s time to either move to regular push-ups, knee push-ups, or a lower height for your hands to be supported.
To work on progression, try to doing your elevated push-ups on the stairs in your house. As you get stronger, you can move your hands to lower and lower steps until your hands are on the ground.
LEVEL THREE: HOW TO DO KNEE PUSH-UPS
Once you’re comfortable doing wall or elevated push-ups, proceed to knee push-ups. Your shoulder and hand placement will look just like a regular push-up (an “arrow”, not a “T”), but you’ll stabilize yourself on your knees instead of your feet. As demonstrated here:
HOW TO TRAIN KNEE PUSH-UPS
Once you can do 4 sets of 20 repetitions on your knees, you can start thinking about doing regular push-ups.
To recap, if you can’t do a regular push-up, move from:
- Wall Push-Ups: Level 1
- Elevated Push-Ups: Level 2
- Knee Push-Ups: Level 3
- Regular Push-ups: Level 4
How do I know the above progression will work? Well, it’s the exact plan we use to help people crush push-ups in Nerd Fitness Journey!
You can see how we scale our bodyweight workouts right here:
What Are Other Types of Push-Ups? (Push-Up Variations)
Basic push-ups can get boring…
Fortunately, there are dozens upon dozens of variations to make things more difficult for you.
Once you’re cranking out perfect form push-ups like it’s your job,[1] try some of these advanced variations on for size.
Click on each for a video demonstration (these are some of the push-up variations pulled from NF Prime):
#1) One-legged Push-ups: introducing some variety and balance by removing one of your legs for less stabilization:
#2) Side-to-Side Push-Ups – Get into the classic push-up position and move your hands farther apart. Now, lower yourself down towards one arm only – you should feel like you’re supporting a lot of your weight.
To complete the rep, slide horizontally over to the other arm, and push-up. The farther apart your hands, the higher percentage of your bodyweight will be supported by that side of your chest/shoulder and arm (thus getting harder)!
#3) Decline Push-Ups – these work your shoulders and triceps more so than normal push-ups.
#4) Diamond Push-Ups – keep your arms tight at your side, rotate your hands outward, and keep your elbows tight as you lower your body. Works your triceps like crazy.
#5) Dive-Bomber Push-Ups – funky, difficult, but oh so fun. I’d explain it, but just watch the video
#6) Plyometric Push-Ups – these are brutal and will wear you out just after a few repetitions. Just don’t hurt yourself and smash your face during a failed attempt (not that I’ve ever done that. Shut up my face always looks like this)!
#7) Handstand Push-Ups – This goes without saying, but you should be able to do a proper handstand before attempting these!
Kick up against a wall, and without flailing your elbows way out to the side (which can wreak havoc on your shoulders and elbow joints), slowly lower yourself down until your head touches the ground softly.
Then raise yourself back up.
Rotate some of these advanced push-ups into your workout routine and you’ll be well on your way to a great strength training practice.
If you want more strength building tips, we also have a comprehensive guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know, when you sign up for the Rebellion (that’s our community) below:
Download our comprehensive guide
- Everything you need to know about getting strong.
- Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.
- How to find the right gym and train properly in one.
How to Get Better at Push-Ups
So you’ve learned how to do a push-up, you can do a few of them, but you want to get better!
Here are some tips to help you along the way:
- Get healthy! As you lose weight (which is 80% nutrition!), you will have to move less weight around than before, which will make your push-ups easier to manage. Have you had trouble losing weight in the past? Check out our article “Why Can’t I Lose Weight?” to find out why.
- Don’t cheat on the last few push-ups – when you’re tired, it’s easy to skip out on good form for your last few reps. As soon as you do one bad form push-up, you’re done. Finish up your four sets, write down your numbers, and try to beat those numbers next time.
- When starting out don’t do push-ups two days in a row. You need to give your muscles time to rebuild and recover – take off at least 48 hours in between your push-up adventure. However, when push-ups became a warm-up exercise for you – you can do them every day if you want. If you’re advanced, you can consider a PLP program.
- Get enough protein into your system after finishing up your workout – protein helps rebuild the muscles you just broke down doing push-ups, and it helps them rebuild those same muscles stronger than before. You can read our ultimate guide on protein for some tips on how to up your protein intake.
- If you can do 4 sets of 20-25 perfect form push-ups no sweat, then it’s time to start looking into push-up variations to keep things interesting.
- Build up your core with planks – this will help keep your core strong so that it’s not the weakest link in your proper form push-ups.
These 6 tips will be a great addition to your strength training plan. Keep at it and before you know it you’ll be doing one-arm push-ups like Batman.
What’s that? You don’t have a strength-building plan!!! Well then…
What’s Your Strength Building Plan?
It makes me sad when we get emails from people who struggle and try and work hard to get healthier, and to be better at push-ups, and just can’t seem to make any progress.
If that’s you, you’re not alone!
1) Consider working with an online coach (or in-person trainer).
Helping people learn push-ups and other bodyweight exercises is why we built our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program: We build programs for busy people to cut through the noise and just get results
2) Exercising at home and need a plan to follow? Check out Nerd Fitness Journey!
Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).
Try your free trial right here:
3) Join our community! We have hundreds of thousands of people, and I send out two free emails every week to help them level up their lives. Join our free community today, and I’ll send you a dozen free ebooks, including TONS of workout plans you can do anytime, anywhere.
Join the community by signing up in the box below:
Grab Your Beginner Bodyweight Routine Worksheet. No Gym Required!
- Complete this workout at home, no equipment required
- Avoid the common mistakes everybody makes when doing bodyweight exercises
- Learn how to finally get your first pull-up
YOUR MISSION, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT: go home, set up a camera, and check your form on your push-ups.
I hope you’ll find that your form is as good as you expected, but it’s okay if it’s not, it’ll give you something to work on.
Go do some push-ups, and work on getting better with them every day.
You’ll be moving from Level 1 to Level 4 push-ups and beyond!
-Steve
PS: Not to brag, but I typed this entire article while doing 1-handed push-ups.
PPS: Okay no I didn’t. But it would have been cool if I did, right?
PPPS: No? Fine. Sigh.
###
Photo source:[2]
Steve Kamb
Source link -
Strength Training for Women (7 ) | Nerd Fitness
So you’re a woman who wants to start strength training?
Well you’ve come to the right place!
We help women just like you grow strong, and today we’ll get you started on your strength training journey.
Here’s what we’ll cover in our strength training guide for women:
After today’s guide, you’ll know exactly how to transform yourself into a superhero!
What makes me so confident? How do I know so much about women growing strong?
Allow me to introduce myself: My name is Staci Ardison.
This is me deadlifting 455 pounds:
I’m currently the Senior Coach here in the Nerd Fitness Coaching Program.
And no, I wasn’t born this strong (that would be strangely awesome). It’s only after discovering a love of strength training that I learned how to handle weight like this.
Obviously, we won’t start you out lifting that much at first. But we will set you up on a path that if you want to, one day you’ll be able to.
Before we get to it, if you’re in a hurry, I want you to know we’ve compiled all our strength training material into a friendly guide so you can read it at your leisure (I’m picturing you reading the guide poolside, sipping a lemonade).
Download Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know when you enlist in the Rebellion (that’s us!) below:
Download our comprehensive guide
- Everything you need to know about getting strong.
- Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.
- How to find the right gym and train properly in one.
Alright, let’s do this!
Should Women Lift Weights? (Why You Should Start Strength Training)
Everyone should start strength training: people of every sex and gender, the young, the old…everyone.[1]
We discuss the benefits heavily in our introduction to strength training, but I’ll highlight some examples now.[2]
Here’s why every woman should strength train:
#1) When you’re stronger – life is easier. No need to call for help to get that 50lb bag of dog food off the top shelf, or carrying an air conditioner unit up a flight of stairs. LIFE is easier when you’re stronger.
#2) Less injury risk – when you build strong muscles, you’re also building stronger bones, ligaments, and tendons, making you less prone to injury doing things you love (like playing in a quidditch league).[3]
#3) Helps combat age-related muscle loss,[4] allowing us to remain independent longer as we age:
#4) Muscle is harder to maintain, which means you need to eat more just to hold on to it.[5]
#5) Reduce pain – having a strong body makes living easier on your joints, as well as allows you to hold a better posture and reduce back / hip pain.[6]
#6) Appearance – this is a personal preference! Some women like to have a lot of muscle, and some don’t. While you can’t spot reduce fat, you can choose to build more muscle in specific areas, changing your body shape. Growing up, I was an extreme pear shape, but due to strength training, I now have more of an hourglass shape.
#7) Live longer – want to spend more time on Earth? Strength training and growing muscle will help you do just that.[7]
Boom!
Although strength training is one of the best things you can do for your health, it’s estimated that only about 20% of women do it, far below that of our male counterparts.[8]
That sucks.
It’s part of my life’s work to reverse this trend and to do so, I’m going to need your help.
You in?
Perfect!
Is Strength Training Different for Women?
Here’s something that may shock you: there’s no reason everybody – of any gender or sex – shouldn’t strength train the same way!
Yep, you don’t need 3-pound pink dumbbells, unless you like 3-pound pink dumbbells! You can train with free weights and barbells just like everybody else at the gym.
Sure, there are biological differences between the sexes. For example when strength training, people with typical male anatomy will produce more type IIa fibers than people with typical female anatomy, who will in turn produce more type I fibers than men.[9]
Don’t worry about any of this though.
We don’t need to get you lost in the weeds.[10]
The American College of Sports Medicine doesn’t differentiate between sexes in their strength training recommendation.[11] So neither shall we.
So what exactly is strength training, you may be asking?
“Strength training” of any kind can be explained by two things:
#1) Movement of any weight (including your body weight) – Doing ANY exercise that pushes your muscles outside of their comfort zone, forcing them to rebuild stronger to prepare for the next challenge.
#2) Progressive overload: exerting slightly more effort than last time (lift a heavier weight or do 1 more rep) consistently. Your muscles will constantly have to adapt and will constantly be rebuilding themselves to get stronger.
Coach Jim walks you through different strategies for progressive overload in this video:
Before we get into the ins and outs of strength training, I need to address a question we get over and over from the women in our coaching clients:
Will I get bulky if I lift weights?
If you see a woman who is incredibly muscular and at an extremely low body fat percentage, I guarantee she has been working her butt off for a very long time with the very specific goal of building muscle and looking that way.
It’s not something that happens overnight, or by mistake.
We simply don’t have the same amount of testosterone as people with male anatomy to get there easily.[12] It’s something we cover in great detail in our guide on How to Build Muscle as a Woman.
If you’d like to build muscle, but not as much as a professional bodybuilder – don’t worry, it’s not something that happens by accident.
It’s something Rebel Leader Steve brings up in the video below:
So strike “I don’t want to get bulky” from your vernacular.
Alright, let’s talk about how to actually get started strength training.
Strength Training Level 1: Bodyweight Workouts
If you’re just starting your strength training journey, our first stop will be a bodyweight workout.
Bodyweight training is simply doing an exercise in which your own body is the “weight” you are “lifting.”
Duh.
This is the BEST place for anybody – regardless of weight or age – to start their strength training journey.
Why is this the best place to start?
Here are two big reasons to do bodyweight training:
#1) You always have your body with you (unless you are a ghost, in which case, this is awkward). This means you can work out ANYWHERE with bodyweight training:
#2) Using your body for resistance training is the most “human” thing ever! By learning to push and pull and hang and squat and lunge, you are doing what your body is literally designed to do.
By getting strong with bodyweight movements, you’re making yourself antifragile and less injury-prone.
Bodyweight training isn’t as easy to ‘scale’ the difficulty as some of the other strength training methods (“put more weight on barbell”), but you can get REALLY strong with just bodyweight training.
For example…
You can start with knee push-ups:
Then go to regular push-ups:
Then elevated push-ups:
Then even up to things like handstands:
And even handstand push-ups:
You just have to know HOW and WHEN to scale up (we can help there too).
Want a sample bodyweight workout you can try? You got it:
This is the Beginner Bodyweight Workout (3 Circuits):
- 20 Bodyweight squats.
- 10 Push-ups.
- 10 Walking lunges (each leg).
- 10 Dumbbell rows (use a milk jug or other weight).
- 15 Second plank.
- 30 Jumping jacks.
Want some variety? Try 8 other “at-home workouts.”
You can also create your own “no equipment workout” by reading the 42 Best Bodyweight Exercises.
Strength Training Level 2: Dumbbell Workouts
The next stop on our strength training journey includes lifting some actual weights!
Woot.
Dumbbells are a great first step into the world of weight training and strength training:
- Most gyms will have dumbbells, even if it’s a basic gym in your apartment complex.
- A set of dumbbells doesn’t take up a lot of room, which means you can have a pair at home without a large footprint.
- Dumbbells make it easy to add difficulty to a bodyweight movement: holding dumbbells while doing lunges, for example.
- Dumbbell exercises can be less intimidating than barbell training for some, and are a step towards barbell training.
- Dumbbells have an added stabilization challenge, and will point out muscle imbalances pretty easily (“oh my right arm is stronger than my left arm.”).
- You can scale easily. Once the 10 pound weights become too easy, pick up the 15 pound ones!
Here’s a beginner workout that you can do, taken from our Level 4 Gym Workout “Dumbbell Division”:
- 10 goblet squats
- 10 push-ups
- 10 dumbbell rows per side
Here’s how to perform a goblet squat:
This is a push-up done in proper form (in case you skipped the last section[13]):
And here is how to do a dumbbell row:
If you’re following along at home, you just did your first full-body workout using weights!
Want a custom-built dumbbell workout? Something designed for the weights in your apartment’s gym?
Our Nerd Fitness Coaches can do just that! Plus they’ll scale your workouts as you grow stronger, turning you into a superhero!
Strength Training Level 3: The Wide World of Barbells
You made it! It’s now time to start training with barbells!
This is going to help you become ultra-powerful and strong.
It’s how I transformed myself into the person I am today.
The reason barbell training is so important is that it allows you to pick up heavy weights and do movements that recruit every muscle in your body. This is great for building powerful, strong muscles in your core, legs, glutes, and so on.
We’re talking about exercises like the Back squat:
And the Barbell Deadlift:
Show me somebody that’s strong at both of these movements, and I’ll show you somebody that’s in better shape than most of the human population.
But wait!
Even an empty barbell can be heavy (normally 45 pounds or 20Kg), so before we jump into the deep end, let’s make sure you are strong enough to proceed.
You’ll need to be able to complete a goblet squat with a 45 pound dumbbell (shown earlier) and the Romanian deadlift with 20 pound dumbbells.
Here’s how to perform the Romanian deadlift with dumbbells:
Our test to see if you can handle barbell training will be the Level 4 Gym Workout: Dumbbell Division C (taken from our Beginner’s Guide to the Gym).
You’ll need to be able to go through the following before you start training with barbells:
- 10 goblet squats – 45 lbs (20Kg dumbbell),
- 10 Romanian deadlifts with 20 lbs dumbbells (9-10 Kg)
- 10 push-ups (on knees or regular)
- 10 dumbbell rows with each arm – at least a 20 lb dumbbell
Can’t do those movements at that weight? Stick to the Level 4 Gym Workouts until you build up the strength to progress to barbells.
Once you CAN do the above, the real fun is going to start!
We’re gonna replace the goblet squat with a back squat and the RDL with a barbell deadlift.
Here’s a video demonstration on how to perform the barbell back squat:
I would also encourage you to read How to Squat Properly for a full tutorial, especially if you’re just learning how to squat.
Here’s a step-by-step video on how to do the deadlift:
Again, make sure you read How to Deadlift Safely With Proper Form if you’re just starting your deadlifting journey.
Once you get the handle of these two moves, it’s time for a full-body workout using barbells!
We’ll give you two different days to alternate between.
NF BEGINNER BARBELL STRENGTH WORKOUT: DAY A
Do 3 rounds of:
NF BEGINNER BARBELL STRENGTH WORKOUT: DAY B
Do 3 rounds of:
- 5 barbell Romanian deadlifts
- 10 push-ups
- 10 dumbbell rows per arm
That’s it! Do each of these once a week and you’ll be rocking an awesome strength training practice.
Are you doing the workouts correctly?
A good way to tell would be to record yourself doing the movement and then match them against the gifs and videos in this guide. If they look close you’re doing great!
We also provide form checks in our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program. Through our snazzy app, a Nerd Fitness Coach (like me!) will review your movement to make sure you are training correctly and safely!
How Much Weight Should Women Lift?
We have a FULL resource on how to determine your starting weight for lifting, but I’ll give you the gist here.
The simple to learn but tough to implement answer: lift enough so that you can get through the set, but not too much that you have NO fuel left in the tank at the end.
And then, try to lift sliiiightly more than last time.
How much weight should I start with?
- If you are using dumbbells or a kettlebell, always err on the side of “too light” versus “too heavy.” You want to learn the movement correctly and build correct form.
- If you are training with a barbell, ALWAYS start with JUST the bar, no matter the exercise (as a reminder, a standard barbell weighs 45 pounds).
“How fast should I add weight to the bar?”
Here’s what we teach all of our coaching clients: add the minimum amount of weight each week you can, even if you THINK you can lift more. It’s better to finish a workout full of momentum and say “I can do more!” than defeated and saying “that was too much, crapola.”
Think of it this way, even if you are adding just 5 pounds per week to the bar, within a year you would be lifting 300+ pounds!
So go SLOW. Team NF’s Steve even bought little half-pound weights and increases many of his lifts by just 1 pound per week.
It’s a big part of how he transformed (jokingly) from Steve Rogers to Captain America.
And if you are looking for this content in an easily digestible form, make sure you download our free Strength 101 Guide when you join the Rebellion below:
Download our comprehensive guide
- Everything you need to know about getting strong.
- Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.
- How to find the right gym and train properly in one.
Can Strength Training Help with Weight Loss?
We get questions relating to weight loss and strength training all the time, and it’s something we cover throughout our Strength Training 101 series.
Let me quickly address it here:
Fat and muscle are two different things – one can’t transform into the other.
We all have plenty of muscle right now (otherwise we wouldn’t be able to move, walk, sit upright, etc.), the muscle is just hiding underneath a layer of body fat.
In order for us to lose weight and look better, we want to do two things:
- Build our muscles stronger and tighter.
- Reduce the fat covering those muscles!
And luckily, both of those things happen simultaneously through strength training!
Coach Matt explains exactly how in this video on losing fat while gaining muscle (also known as “getting toned”):
So NO, you don’t need to lose weight first before you start strength training.
You will lose weight BY strength training (and keep the muscle you have).
You do NOT need to do hours of cardio for weight loss – weight loss is 90% a result of your nutrition. So honestly, you don’t need to ever set foot on a treadmill again (unless you WANT to).
Strength training will help you lose weight and look better IF you do two key things for effective weight loss:
As we cover in our “Why can’t I lose weight” article (full of fun Harry Potter references), combining a caloric deficit and strength training is magic:
- You’re not consuming enough calories to carry out your body’s daily functions.
- Your body needs to use lots of calories to rebuild the muscle that was broken down during the strength training workout.
- Your body has no choice BUT to pull from fat stores to get stuff done!
Just by doing those two things (get strong, reduce calories), all sorts of wizardry and witchcraft takes place in your body:
- Get stronger and keep the muscle you have.
- Build tight dense muscle.
- A revved-up metabolism while rebuilding muscle.
- Burning of body fat to get things done.
Yeah, you’re hearing me correctly.
Lose the body fat that sits on top of your muscles and you’ll make your muscles tighter and denser = look better without clothes on.
So how do you put this into practice?
- Pick one of the strength workouts we covered earlier (start at the Beginner Bodyweight Workout if you feel unsure where to begin).
- Calculate your daily caloric needs.
- Learn which diet is best for you and make a small change.
Oh, what’s that? You just want somebody to tell you exactly how to train for your body, and how to eat for your goals?
Fine!
Check out our 1-on-1 Coaching Program – it’s helped hundreds of women lose weight through strength training – and proper nutrition. We work with you on habit-building and lifestyle design to actually get stuff done!
The Best Strength Training Exercises for Women
Great news:
The best strength training exercises are universal. No matter your size, shape, sex, gender, age, or whether you love Star Trek more than Star Wars, these are the best exercises to build a great physique.
I’m going to share with you the exercises that every beginner should master (scroll down for full video and explanations!).
The 9 Best Strength Training Exercises for Women are:
- Push-up: uses every push muscle in your body (chest, shoulders, triceps)
- Bodyweight squat: uses every muscle in the lower body (quads, hamstrings, glutes, core)
- Bodyweight row: works every “pull” muscle and helps prepare you for a pull-up!
- Pull-up or chin-up: the best “pull” exercise in history! Everybody should have a goal to get their first pull-up.
- Bodyweight dip: advanced “push” movement that targets your push muscles (chest, shoulders, triceps) in a different way than push-ups.
- Barbell squat: the best bang for your buck on muscle building. Recruits nearly every push muscle in your whole body, and a great core workout.
- Barbell deadlift: the favorite exercise of every coach at Nerd Fitness. Uses every “pull,” leg, and core muscle in your body.
- Barbell benchpress: as basic and powerful as they come. Uses every “push” movement in your upper body and can get you strong as heck!
- Barbell press: press the bar above your head! Targets shoulders and triceps more than the chest.
Click on any of these exercises to get a FULL explanation of the movement, step-by-step:
1) The Push-Up: The best exercise you could ever do for yourself when it comes to using your bodyweight for push muscles (your chest, shoulders, and triceps):
2) The Bodyweight Squat: This exercise serves a dual purpose as it’s the foundation for building strength AND helps build proper mobility. If you are going to ever do barbell squats, you need to work on hitting proper depth with a bodyweight squat first!
3) The Inverted Bodyweight Row: Until you can get your first pull-up or chin-up, these exercises are GREAT to start building your pull-muscle strength (back, biceps, and forearms).
4) The Pull-Up and Chin-Up: Once you can support your bodyweight above the bar, the world becomes your playground. No strength training routine should be without pull-up or chin-up work! (Click here if you can’t do a pull-up or chin-up yet?)
5) The Bodyweight Dip: As you start to get stronger with push-ups and need to find a way to increase the challenge, consider doing dips. Warning: these are very advanced, but incredible strength-building exercises.
And now we’re into the best weight training exercises:
6) The Barbell Squat: Probably the best exercise when it comes to building strength and muscle throughout your whole body. It also burns crazy calories and makes life better. This is a MUST:
7) The Barbell Deadlift: Maybe the best exercise of all time. Actually no, it IS the best exercise of all time. It’s certainly the most primal: “pick the weight up off the ground. Done.”
This is a very technical lift, so make sure you read our article on how to do it with proper form:
8) The Barbell Press: Press a barbell above your head. This recruits all of the muscles in your chest, shoulders, and arms in order for you to lift the weight over your head.
As a bonus, you need to really flex and brace your core, which gets those muscles working too.
9) The Barbell Bench Press. Lie on a bench, and lower a barbell until it almost touches your chest. Pause, and then press it back up towards the sky. Repeat! And get strong.
Your mission, should you choose to accept it: commit to trying ONE of these movements in the next week. Use 20 seconds of courage, recruit a friend who has lifted or trained before, and try your best.
And if you want somebody to help you put these into a workout program, teach you HOW to do these movements properly, and have the confidence to know you’re training correctly for your goals…
A Meal Plan for Strength Training (Healthy Eating 101)
So far, we’ve been more or less just talking about exercises when it comes to strength training.
This is logical, because this is in fact a guide on how to perform certain exercises to grow strong.
However, we constantly remind our coaching clients that 90% of their success or failure on their fitness journey will come down to what they eat.
“Success” in this context really comes down to your goals.
- Are you looking to bulk up? You’ll need to eat more calories than you burn.
- Are you looking to slim down? You’ll need to eat fewer calories than you burn.
At this point, you might be thinking “Staci, how many calories do I need?”
To answer that question, it’s time for the Nerd Fitness Calorie Calculator!
(Click here for our Metric calculator)
(Note: we have used The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation to create this calculator! [14]).
- If you want to bulk up and gain weight, take your TDEE and add 250 calories to it to get your daily goal. This should result in gaining half a pound per week.
- Want to lose weight? Take your TDEE and subtract 250 calories to receive your daily goal. This should result in losing about a half-pound a week.
The other piece of the equation outside of a caloric surplus/deficit is protein.
Since you will be strength training and building muscle, you’ll need to make sure you are eating protein at every meal. It’s the number one macronutrient for creating new muscle tissue.[15]
Protein can come from any number of sources, including:
- Meat (steak, bison, pork).
- Fowl (chicken, turkey, duck).
- Eggs![16]
- Cheese and dairy.
- Fish and shellfish (salmon, tuna, shrimp).
- Legumes (black beans, chickpeas).
- Other vegetarian protein sources here.
As we cover in our “How much Protein do I need?”, claims for the amount of protein required for muscle growth vary wildly from source to source (and woman to woman).[17]
Here is our recommendation:
- If you’re of healthy weight, active, and wish to build muscle, aim for 1 g per pound of bodyweight (2.2 g/kg).
- If you’re an experienced lifter on a bulk, intakes up to 1.50 g/lb (3.3 g/kg) may help you minimize fat gain.
Let me simplify it for you:
“To build muscle, target at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight (2.2 grams per kg).”
If you’re curious, from our healthy eating article, this is what a portion of protein looks like:
Here’s how much protein is in a serving of food:
- 4 oz (113 g) of chicken has around 30 g of protein.
- 4 oz (113 g) of salmon has 23 g of protein
- 4 oz (113 g) of steak has 28 g of protein.
Want to get more protein? Consider protein shakes. Rebel Leader Steve and I both supplement with shakes daily to meet our protein goals.
Whatever you do, make sure you’re getting enough!
Whenever we speak with new Online Coaching Clients, protein is the macronutrient we begin every discussion with! It’s THAT important when it comes to either weight loss or building muscle. I’m not kidding when I say it should make up a portion of every meal you eat.
The Top Frequently Asked Strength Training Questions for Women
Here are some of the most common questions we receive from women beginning their strength training practice in our 1-on-1 Coaching Program.
#1) Will I get bulky lifting weights? I really don’t want to.
I have GREAT NEWS!
Strength training will not make you bulky, UNLESS you want it to!
And if you want to bulk up? That’s AWESOME!
Here’s how to build muscle correctly.
You get to pick how you want to look, so you do you.
Just remember that women who compete as bodybuilders didn’t start looking like overnight:
- They have eaten, trained, and potentially taken supplements specifically so they can look like that! Which is great. Good for them.
- They’ve been working towards that goal for years, probably decades.
Here’s the truth: when you pick up heavy things (like barbell training), your muscles get STRONGER (but not necessarily bigger).
If you actively eat for the goal of building muscle and getting bigger, you CAN build muscle and size.
Again, if you want bigger arms or stronger glutes, AWESOME. You do you.
Let’s talk about the reverse: If you pick up heavy things and eat a caloric deficit, your muscles will get stronger and denser; you will burn the fat on top of your muscle, and you will lose weight and get that “toned” look that many women are after.
Jump back to our healthy eating section for more on caloric deficits and surpluses.
#2) Can I spot reduce fat with certain exercises?
Sir Mix-A-Lot was wrong. Don’t do side bends and sit-ups, because you’re wasting your time!
- Side bends don’t get rid of love handles. They will simply strengthen your side muscles without actually reducing any fat there, potentially making you bigger around the waist unless you change your diet as well.
- Sit-ups will not remove belly fat. They can also wreak havoc on your lower back, and are an incomplete exercise.
Your body cannot spot reduce fat in specific locations. If you have flabby arms or a big stomach, doing thousands of bicep curls and thousands of crunches won’t help.
Your body is genetically predisposed to storing fat in certain locations in a certain order.
When you start to lose weight, your body will lose the fat you currently have in a certain order as well – it might come off your arms first, then your legs, then your belly, then your chest, and THEN your butt.
Or in a different order, depending on your personal genetic makeup.
No amount of targeted exercise will change how that fat disappears.
Want to lose weight? Reduce your caloric intake in a way that doesn’t make you miserable:
We cover ALL the popular diets, and why they will ALL work…temporarily in our article on “which diet is right for you?” (Just don’t do the Military Diet!)
Here’s the truth: your diet – specifically how MUCH you eat – will be responsible for 80-90% of that fat-loss equation.
The other 10%-20% can come from strength training and fun exercises.
Big compound movements that recruit lots of muscle (and thus force your body to rebuild lots of muscle, which requires extra calories burned, even after the workout is done). Our section on the best strength training exercises for women would be good examples of compound movements.
#3) How many days a week should a woman lift weights?
Unless you’ve been strength training for years and know what you’re doing, we recommend that you pick a full-body routine that you can do 2-3 times a week.
You build muscles while resting, not working out, so you generally want 48 hours before engaging the same muscle group again.
If you made it up to our “The Wide World of Barbells” section, you can do the DAY A workout on Monday and the DAY B workout on Thursday. That’ll give you plenty of time to recover.
Want more? Maybe on the weekend, you sneak away for a short hike.
Read “Exercise Without Realizing It” for more ideas on how to keep your body moving!
Don’t worry if this doesn’t seem like a lot at first. We are interested in building the habit of strength training initially. We can up the frequency once you’re rocking and rolling.
Learning to meal prep would also be a good use of your time between training sessions.
4) Can I do strength training at home?
You sure can!
Many of our coaching clients have gotten in great shape simply by doing bodyweight exercises at home.
Here are a few resources to get you strength training in your living room:
We can also build you a custom workout for your exact situation, whether you’re stuck at home or in an office, we can create a solution that fits your busy life!
How to Begin Lifting Weights as a Woman (Next Steps)
Since 2009, Team Nerd Fitness has learned a tremendous amount about how to best serve the ladies of this community.
I want to share with you my favorite success story.
Meet Leslie, a very sedentary single mom who works long hours that managed to lose 100+ lbs with the Nerd Fitness Coaching Program:
What spurred her epic transformation?
In two words: strength training.
Leslie learned to train the right way, picked up a barbell, fixed her diet, and now does crazy things like handstands and ring work!
So if you’re tired of the same ole same ole and you’re ready to start strength training, you’re in the right place!
Not sure what to do or how to get started?
1) Check out our 1-on-1 Coaching Program! Our philosophies help women like Leslie above and they can be the philosophies that help you become strong inside and out.
Click on the image below to schedule a call and see if we’re a good fit for each other!
2) If you want a daily prompt for doing workouts at the gym (or at home), check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).
Try your free trial right here:
3) Join the Rebellion! Our free community numbers in the hundreds of thousands scattered throughout the globe, and we need good people like you!
You can join by signing up in the awesome yellow box below, and I’ll send you a bunch of free guides and printable workouts, including our Strength 101 guide!
Download our comprehensive guide
- Everything you need to know about getting strong.
- Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.
- How to find the right gym and train properly in one.
4) Do a strength training workout this week! The most important step you can do is to actually start.
You got this. You can do it. I know because we’ve seen it countless times here at Nerd Fitness.
Enough from me though, now it’s your turn:
Are you just starting your strength training journey?
Do you strength train at home or the gym?
Any weight lifting tips or tricks we missed?
Let us know in the comments!
-Staci
PS: Make sure you read the rest of the articles in our Strength Training 101 series:
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Photo source: Women’s day 2015, Goodbye Batman, Scenes from an empty lot in Brooklyn, DSC_0254, tonobalaguer © 123RF.com, Pirate girl, The Breakfast of Jedi, Cecaelia has come, Lance Cpl. Tayler P. Schwamb.
GIF source: Thumbs up, Emma Stone Yes, Bird Delete, Lisa Simpson, Duh, Ninja Turtles, hiking.
Staci Ardison
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44 Best Bodyweight Exercises (for Each Muscle Group) | Nerd Fitness
Here are the 44 best bodyweight exercises you can do to build muscle and burn fat, no gym required!
These are the exact exercises we start our coaching clients on, and many perform them from their house or apartment.
In a hurry? Sign-up for our free weekly newsletter and we’ll send you PDFs of our “Work Out at Home” guides!
We’ve organized the exercises in today’s guide by major muscle groups (click to jump to those movements):
Plus, we’ll pull it all together at the end so you can create a complete bodyweight workout routine!
Alright, let’s get to it.
The 11 Best Lower-Body Bodyweight Exercises
You don’t need the gym for “leg day.” Do the following wherever!
#1) ASSISTED BODYWEIGHT SQUAT:
(Perfect if you can’t do regular bodyweight squats).
#2) BODYWEIGHT SQUAT:
If you want even more instruction, here’s how to do a proper bodyweight squat:
#3) ASSISTED PISTOL SQUAT:
#4) PISTOL SQUAT:
#5) SUPPORTED LUNGES:
#6) REGULAR LUNGES:
We have a guide on how to do lunges with proper form for you too.
#7) SINGLE-LEG DEADLIFT:
#8) HIP BRIDGE:
#9) CALF RAISE:
#10) STEP UP:
#11) BOX JUMP:
The 8 Best Push Bodyweight Exercises
Let’s walk you through the best bodyweight exercises to train your push muscles. We’ll more or less progress in difficulty as we go.
#1) KNEE PUSH-UP:
#2) ELEVATED PUSH-UP:
#3) PUSH-UP:
We have a whole article on how to do a proper push-up, but we also cover it extensively in this 5-minute video:
#4) DECLINE PUSH-UP:
#5) SIDE-TO-SIDE PUSH-UP:
#6) ASSISTED DIP:
With a resistance band, you can start performing assisted dips. A great exercise while you build up strength for normal dips.
#7) DIP:
Here’s how to do a proper bodyweight dip if you’d like a step-by-step guide.
#8) HANDSTAND (WALL WALK):
The wall walk is a great exercise as you progress into a full handstand. If you’re a complete newbie to turning upside down, check out our guide “Get Your First Handstand” for a full tutorial.
Just make sure you take it slow with your handstand and don’t be an “Overeager Beaver,” a label we define in our guide “15 Mistakes That Newbies Make When Trying to Get Healthy.”
Download it and the rest of our guides for free when you sign-up for our weekly newsletter!
Get your Nerd Fitness Starter Kit
- The 15 mistakes you don’t want to make.
- Full guide to the most effective diet and why it works.
- Complete and track your first workout today, no gym required.
The 8 Best Pull Bodyweight Exercises
Don’t neglect your pull muscles when creating your bodyweight workout. Here are the top 7 to include:
#1) INVERTED BODYWEIGHT ROW (HIGH):
An inverted bodyweight row can be a great “pull” exercise if you can’t do a pull-up yet, or if you don’t have a proper pull-up bar nearby. Because a good sturdy table can be used for inverted rows:
Alternatively, you could do doorframe rows if your table seems sketchy:
#2) INVERTED BODYWEIGHT ROW (LOW):
Once you get comfortable doing an inverted bodyweight row, try going lower to increase the difficulty.
You can check out The 5 Best Pull-up Alternatives for more ideas on how to perform rows, including how to build your own station:
#3) BAR HANG:
#4) ASSISTED PULL-UPS (WITH BAND):
A resistance band is a great tool to help build strength for proper pull-ups. It’s part of our arsenal for getting your first pull-up.
#5) ASSISTED PULL-UPS (WITH BOX):
#6) NEGATIVE PULL-UPS:
Once you feel confident enough that you can do assisted pull-ups and support MOST of your own weight, start looking into negative pull-ups.
Jump and hold yourself above the bar, and then slowly, under control, lower yourself to the ‘starting position’ of a pull-up.
Then repeat!
This is a great way to build up enough strength to eventually get your first pull-up.
#7) PULL-UP:
We have a full guide on proper pull-up form so you can hone in your technique.
#8) CHIN-UPS:
Much like a pull-up, but with your palms facing toward you.
Here’s a video going over proper pull-up and chin-up form:
Don’t have enough strength yet to hoist yourself up? No problem.
Download our guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know, for an exact plan of attack to start growing strong today:
Download our comprehensive guide
- Everything you need to know about getting strong.
- Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.
- How to find the right gym and train properly in one.
The 12 Best Core Bodyweight Exercises
Our next stop on building a bodyweight workout finds us at the core. Here are the 10 best exercises to include:
#1) REVERSE CRUNCH:
#2) KNEE-PLANK:
#3) PLANK:
#4) SIDE PLANK:
#5) HIP BRIDGE HOLD:
#6) HANGING KNEE TUCK:
#7) JUMPING KNEE TUCK:
#8) HOLLOW BODY HOLD:
The hollow body is one of the best ways to engage the midsection and stabilize the body. We utilize the hollow body exercise as part of our strategy for getting your first handstand.
Once you get comfortable holding the position, try…
#9) HOLLOW BODY ROCKING:
#10) KNEES TO ELBOWS:
#11) TOES TO BAR:
#12) GOOD MORNING:
Catch our guide “How to Strengthen Your Core” for even more exercise ideas!
5 Dynamic Body weight Exercises (Full Body)
Next, we’ll cover some dynamic full-body exercises to get your heart rate roaring during your workout.
#1) WALKING JACKS:
#2) JUMPING JACKS:
#3) STAR JACKS:
#4) BURPEES:
#5) BURPEES WITH PULL-UP (WHAA…):
How to Build a Bodyweight Workout
Alright, it’s time to pull this whole guide together and build a bodyweight workout!
We will pick a bodyweight exercise from each section:
We’ll aim for 3 to 4 sets under each category for 8-12 reps.
Plus, we’ll bookend the workout with a dynamic warm-up (DON’T SKIP) and a post-workout stretch.
Your warm-up can look like this:
Your post-workout stretch can look like this:
Example Bodyweight Workout:
- Dynamic Warm-Up
- Jumping Jacks: 10 reps
- Bodyweight Squats: 10 reps
- Push-ups: 10 reps
- Pull-ups: 10 reps
- Reverse Crunch: 10 reps
- Repeat 2-6 two more times, for 3 complete circuits.
- Post-workout stretch.
Boom!
You now have a bodyweight workout you can do in your own home.
You can mix and match from each category or progress to more difficult moves as you get stronger.
Now, you don’t HAVE to do these exercises at home. You can even do them while exercising around the world, as I did!
If you want to learn all the fine details of building a workout, make sure you check out our extensive guide “How to Build Your Own Workout Routine.“ It’ll walk you through creating a program of bodyweight exercises – or using weights if you want to train in a gym.
Don’t want to bother creating your own bodyweight workout? No problem, I have two options for you:
Start at the Beginner workout and move onto the Advanced when it becomes easy.
This should help you get started with a bodyweight training routine. But we hear frequently that people want MORE instruction, MORE guidance, and MORE workouts.
If that’s you, we have MULTIPLE options to take the next step. Pick the option below that best aligns with your goals and timeline:
1) If you want step-by-step guidance, a custom bodyweight training program that levels up as you get stronger, and a coach to keep you accountable, check out our killer 1-on-1 coaching program:
2) If you want an exact blueprint for working out at home, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).
Try your free trial right here:
3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.
Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. It’ll help you start incorporating these bodyweight moves into your training.
Download our comprehensive guide
- Everything you need to know about getting strong.
- Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.
- How to find the right gym and train properly in one.
Alright, your turn: I’d love to hear how your bodyweight training is going!
Did you make your own workout?
Try one of ours?
Include different moves we didn’t cover today?
Leave a comment below with your results or any questions you have on bodyweight training.
For the Rebellion!
-Steve
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Photo source: Deadshot, Laughing Budda, 102, 103, 104, hanging, 167/366, Yeaaaah…. Surprise ladies!!, acrobat
Steve Kamb
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How to Do a Handstand (30-Day Progression) | Nerd Fitness
A handstand is one of the coolest exercises ever, but it’s also one of the most advanced moves to learn.
Fortunately, you’ve come to the right place.
Today you start your journey to the Upside-Down!
Ah, not that Upside-Down…we’ll keep you in this dimension.
We’ve helped many of our coaching clients achieve their first handstand and today we’ll share with you how it’s done with this guide!
We’ll treat it like a video game, progressing you from complete noob to Level 6: Handstand Master.
We’ll go over the following (click to flip to that section):
The tutorials ahead are from our premium course Nerd Fitness: Handstands, which you gain access to under a Nerd Fitness Prime membership. I would encourage you to check out if you like what you see here.
Alright, brace yourself to get flipped-turned upside down.
Are Handstands Good for You? (3 Reasons Why Handstands Rule)
At Nerd Fitness we LOVE handstands like Eleven loves waffles.
Here are 3 reasons why handstands rule:
#1) Like other bodyweight training, there’s no excuse. If you have room to stand up, you have room to practice handstands.
#2) It recruits DOZENS of muscles in your body.
From arm strength to wrist mobility to core strength to shoulder mobility and muscular endurance, handstands do it all.
When you are trying to balance, it makes your body work as one complete unit.
#3) It scares you – yes, that’s a positive. We grow outside our comfort zone and for many people, just the thought of a handstand is enough to make their palms sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy, vomi…
…nevermind.
The point is that the handstand is just as much of a mental challenge as it is a physical one.
How scared do you think this guy gets on a regular basis?
That’s Coach Jim!
Master of the NF Fitness Universe, and our lead trainer for our Handstands Course and Nerd Fitness Coaching. You’ll be seeing a lot of him in today’s article because Jim can do handstands in his sleep.[1]
The Secret to Performing a Handstand
Sure, we need to build strength to support ourselves upside-down, but even that hurdle is overblown.
A proper handstand actually starts to feel easy.
That’s because once you’re balanced and aligned, it becomes uber-efficient. Just as you don’t exert yourself much if you stand straight with good posture, a good efficient handstand is the same way… it will soon start to feel effortless.
Actually, the biggest hurdle to overcome – especially at the beginning – is the mental fear.
The voice/feeling in the back of your head that says “you could get hurt doing this!” SCARY!
And I won’t sugar-coat things, you CAN hurt yourself working on these skills… but it’s no different than if you walked into the gym first day, slapped 315 lbs on the bench press, and gave it a go.
Or went out and tried to run 13 miles without training.
The exercise itself isn’t dangerous, unless you attempt TOO much, too quickly.
If you wouldn’t load up a bar to deadlift 500 lbs on your first day in the gym, why do so many people just kick and fling themselves up into a handstand, failing repeatedly, hoping one day they’ll “get” it?
So…
There’s a smarter way!
How do we overcome this fear and keep ourselves safe? Just like learning any other fitness skill: slow, easy, successful steps!
These small victories accumulate over time to bring us to our goals safely while having a lot of fun.
Are you ready to learn?
Sweet, we’ve got you covered. Read on for ways to safely progress to handstand mastery!
Handstand Progression Warm-Up Routine
For any handstand exercise, there is going to be a significant amount of stress on the hands and wrists. So, it’s important you stretch and warm things up.
Here is a video from our NF Handstands course going over some of our favorite wrist stretches to prepare to get upside-down. Go through each stretch about 10 times.
Let’s spotlight a few of these Handstand Warm-Up exercises:
#1) Forward and Back Wrist Stretch:
#2) Lifted Palms Wrist Stretch:
#3) Reverse Palm Stretch:
#4) Backhand Palm Stretch:
#5) Upside Down Wrist Stretch:
The trick with wrist stretches is to move in as many different ways as feels comfortable. Feel free to make the warm-up your own!
The shoulders are another stressed area in the handstand. There are several ways we can prepare them for work
A few rounds of jumping jacks:
Or arm circles
That will get the blood moving and the area ready.
From here, we’ll begin our journey leveling up your Handstand Progression.
We’ll start by having you work with some balance drills and some positional drills.
Nothing too crazy, and in fact some of these might seem TOO EASY. That’s fine! That’s what we want, remember?
We’re using small victories to motivate us. Landing on your head is not a great way to motivate anyone.
Ouch.
Want someone to build you a custom made progression plan for doing your handstand? Our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program will do just that, plus your coach can review your movements through our app so you’ll know your training correctly and safely.
Level 1 Handstand Progression: Quadruped Rocking
You may be thinking that feeling the balance of a handstand is going to be brutally difficult.
Not so!
We can start quite easily on our hands and knees in the quadruped position.
From here, we will simply rock forwards and backwards on our hands.
Seem familiar?
If you did the wrist mobility we described above, it’s the same motion!
Isn’t that handy?[2]
As you are rocking back and forth, feel where the weight rests in your hands.
- When you rock back, it sits more in the heel of your hands.
- When you rock forward, you’ll feel it in your knuckles and fingertips.
Where do we want it in the handstand?
Right around the knuckles.
This is a balanced spot – similar to the balance you find when standing. You don’t sit all your weight on your heels, and you don’t lean all your weight forward, gripping your toes hard into the ground, do you?
Find and feel that balance when you rock.
When should you move on to Level 2 Handstand Progression?
Now would work!
Level 2 Handstand Progression: Hollow Body
The hollow body is one of the best ways to engage the midsection and stabilize the body. It will help to give your handstand a good shape.
Do you need to master the hollow body to master the handstand?
Not necessarily, as there are plenty of handstands out there that are a bit banana-shaped.
But the hollow body will help you create a more efficient position.
#1) Start by laying down a yoga or exercise mat on the ground and laying on the ground face up.
#2) Think about pressing your lower back down into the ground and engaging your midsection like you’re coughing. You should still be able to breath!
#3) Once the midsection is set, tuck your knees to your chest and hold your shins like you’re getting ready for a wicked cannonball.
#4) Holding the shins will help you maintain that lower back and midsection position.
Still feeling good?
Then try rocking!
- Rock your body forward and back slightly from the upper back to the lower back, like a rocking chair.
- Head and feet stay off the ground.
- If you are stable then you should move as one unit.
If you need more of a challenge, reach your arms by your ears, keep the knees tucked, and rock some more.
Without the hands holding the shins, the midsection really has to keep engaged in order to give you a smooth rock.
With any of these positions, work to rock for a full 15 seconds under control.
Once you can do so with arms extended, progress up to Level 3.
Level 3 Handstand Progression: Crow Pose
To enter Crow Pose, move forward from the Quadruped Rock position so that your knees are on the outside of your arms. You can even bend the elbows a little and rest your legs on them.
Rock forward in the same manner as before, putting a little more weight on the hands and a little less weight on the feet.
Important: this isn’t Assassin’s Creed… We are not making a leap of faith here!
Don’t jump!!!
We are simply looking for less and less weight on the feet.
Take things slow and easy – rising up on the toes when you can. When you are ready to pick the feet up and hold yourself off the ground on just your hands, it should come naturally.
Be sure to grab into the ground hard to hold and control yourself, and feel free to put down a pile of pillows or mats in front of you if you should fall!
Once you’re able to get both feet off the ground comfortably and safely, it’s time for Level 4 Handstand Progression.
If you find yourself stuck at the crow position or any other level, we are here to help!
Our coaches can review your progression and form to help you advance onto the next level!
Level 4 Handstand Progression: Wall Walk
In this level, we’ll get started working toward something that actually looks like a handstand!
All we’re trying to do with this exercise is support our bodyweight on our straightened arms (just like the front plank or push-up).
So, the first level of this exercise is to simply get yourself up into the top of a push-up and hold. If that’s too hard, put your hands up on an elevated surface and/or rest on your knees and hands instead.
Once this is mastered, level up by simply lifting your hips in the air into a down dog position!
From here, it’ll be a matter of getting your feet onto a higher and higher surface.
Note: putting your feet up something even a few inches off the floor counts – small steps!
You can use something as simple as bumper plates:
As you progress, add more bumper plates (or whatever you’re using) so your feet are higher and higher.
Once you are supporting yourself with your feet on a high box, try walking your feet up the wall. (Think of it like a really tall box!)
Be careful at this step: Be sure you have enough energy to walk back down safely and second, that you don’t walk too close to the wall and risk flipping onto your back!
See the next section on pirouettes to safely exit these wall walks if you happen to “go over!”
With each of these variations, we’re looking to build up to a solid 15 seconds under control before moving forward.
Once you’re at the point of lying vertically against the wall, you’re on your way to leveling up to a full handstand!
But first, we need to talk about how to bail safely.
Level 5 Handstand Progression: How to Bail out of a Handstand
As you start to get better with Wall Walks, and you practice getting closer and closer to completely vertical while upside down, there’s going to be instances where you start to “tip over.”
In order to safely return your feet to the ground, you’re going to want to do what we call a pirouette:
How to bail out of a handstand:
- Get into a wall handstand.
- Shift your weight to one arm (the planted arm), allowing the other arm to move.
- Drive one leg into the wall (the one that’s on the same side as the planted arm), and lean the opposite leg forward.
- Gravity pulls you around, and lets you lower your feet to the floor safely.
This is one of the most important skills you can learn as you develop your handstand practice, as it will allow you to safely exit any handstand without any risk of injury as you develop your balance!
Once you feel comfortable bailing out of a handstand, my dear rebel, it is time for Level 6!
Level 6 Handstand Progression: How to Do a Handstand
We are now ready for you to try a handstand!
It’s going to come down to you slowly but surely leaving the safety of the wall.
First, just try to take one leg off the wall during your wall walk:
When you’re comfortable taking one leg off, trying switching them!
The objective is now is to switch your legs in a slow, smooth manner – one lifts off the wall while the other simultaneously moves back to the wall.
Once you get comfortable with this, it’s time to take both legs off the wall!
BOOM! Your first handstand!
Are you doing it right?
A good way to tell would be to record your handstand practice and review it against the videos here to check your form.
Want to have an expert review your form? Check out our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program! Our spiffy mobile app lets you send a video of your handstand directly to your coach, who will provide feedback so you can perfect your technique.
They’ll also build a workout program that’s custom to your situation, which will have you doing handstands like Luke Skywalker in no time!
4 Tips and Tricks for Doing Handstands
Nothing beats patience and hard work, but there are a few tips and tricks we can provide that will allow you the best chance for success.
#1) Make sure you go through a proper warm-up: We’ve given you several options for the wrists and shoulders. Not only will a warm-up help prevent injury, but it will get the muscles and joints properly prepared to get the most out of your training.
#2) Prioritize Your Handstand: You can work the skill on its own time, and it won’t interfere or be interfered by anything else, but what if you’re doing other exercises during your workout?
When do you do your handstand? When you’re training in a swamp?
The best time to work the balancing drills (like your wall walk) is at the beginning of your workout, after you’ve warmed up.
These skills require concentration and a fresh focus to really benefit and progress with them.
Trying to balance after you’ve exhausted yourself with a tough cardio session is an exercise in futility (pun intended).
The best time to work the positional drills (like your quadruped rock) would be sometime during your strength session, and before your cardio.
These drills are not as dependent on completely fresh muscles, but we still don’t want to try and hold ourselves upside-down after a grueling workout.
#3) Don’t do too much, too soon.
We’ve mentioned this a million times because it’s so important. Taking on too much too soon is a way to develop bad habits and possibly injure yourself.
Ouch again.
Take your time! Enjoy and really master each step!
#4) Take it Easy: In the same vein, we want to look for success.
What do I usually see when people practice handstands: Someone kicking up 100 times and kinda getting a handstand once or twice.
How much sense does that make?
While we might not be batting 1,000 with all our attempts, but we should be looking to successfully complete around 8 out of 10 attempts. If we’re not? Then we might have taken on too much, too soon!
Let’s wrap up this guide and give you some next steps for your handstand practice.
The 5-Minute Rule: Practice Handstands Every Day and Be Amazed at What Happens
Commit to 5 minutes a day. That’s it. But do it every day.
I’ll see a lot of people go all-in for a single handstand session, and then not touch the skill for a week or more.
Dan Gable once said”
“If it’s important, do it every day.”
Now, this is a simplification, but with handstands, this is ESPECIALLY important.
When you first start out, your arms and shoulder may only be able to do 5 minutes before they are DONE.
Doing them for a short time each day is the best strategy to improve strength, endurance, and balance.
Want help progressing with handstands from here? I’ve got 3 great options for you!
#1) If you want step-by-step guidance on how to complete handstands, get stronger, and even eat better, check out our killer 1-on-1 coaching program:
#2) Exercising at home and need a plan to follow? Have questions you need answered? Join Nerd Fitness Prime!
Nerd Fitness Prime contains at-home exercise routines, live-streamed workouts with NF Coaches, a supportive online community, and group challenges.
Plus, you’ll gain access to all our online courses, including Nerd Fitness: Handstands, which will help you become a master at flipping upside down!
#3) Join The Rebellion! We have a free email newsletter that we send out twice per week, full of tips and tricks to help you get strong, get healthy, and have fun doing so.
I’ll also send you tons of free guides that you can use to start leveling up your life too:
Get your Nerd Fitness Starter Kit
- The 15 mistakes you don’t want to make.
- Full guide to the most effective diet and why it works.
- Complete and track your first workout today, no gym required.
Alright, your turn:
Have you ever tried to kick up into a handstand?
What’s the one thing holding you back?
What questions can I answer?
-Steve
PS: One day I’ll be able to type articles like this while doing a handstand.
Jim, our lead trainer for Nerd Fitness Coaching, makes it look so easy:
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Photo sources:[3]
Steve Kamb
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HIIT Workouts for Beginners (3 Running & Interval Training Routines) | Nerd Fitness
This High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) guide is probably the best interval training guide in the galaxy.
My justification for such a bold claim?
We’re really good at this stuff, AND we have dinosaurs and Muppets.
Plus, lots of great gifs:
We build custom interval training programs just like the ones in this guide for our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Clients, including workouts for at home, the gym, or even while traveling.
In this Ultimate Guide to Interval Training, we’ll cover:
If you’re interested in starting a HIIT practice (which you are, ’cause you’re here), you may want to try our new app! It contains a fun adventure that will take you from sitting on your couch to a full HIIT workout – with plenty of benchmarks in between for you to find your groove. No guesswork needed, just jump into the app and follow it’s next steps.
You can sign-up for a free trial right here:
Alright, let’s do this thang.
What is Interval Training? What is HIIT?
In 2018, High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) was ranked the number one fitness trend by American College of Sports Medicine.[1]
They wrote:
HIIT typically involves short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by a short period of rest or recovery and typically takes less than 30 minutes to perform.
Essentially, HIIT is just following a specific regimen where you vary your speeds and intensity throughout a shorter run, swim, bike, or row.
Any exercise can be a form of HIIT, but here’s a common routine:
- Jogging lightly for three minutes.
- Pushing yourself harder for a minute (run or sprint).
- Repeating this cycle 4 more times.
Because everybody is busy and overwhelmed, fast results in the least amount of time is why most people discover HIIT.
Plus, you can do HIIT with just about anything, including a jump rope:
You may be asking, “Steve, just how short and intense are we talking about here? Also, your new haircut looks spiffy.”
Thank you, you’re very kind.
So let’s explore the pros and cons of intervals.
What are the Benefits of HIIT? Why Should You Do Interval Training?
The 1996 landmark Tabata study demonstrated the benefits of extreme HIIT.[2]
Dr. Izumi Tabata, from Japan’s National Institute of Fitness and Sports, was obsessed with interval training.
The doctor sought to see exactly what kind of gains were obtained from short, intense, periods of exercise. He conducted an experiment with Olympic athletes on stationary bikes and put them through intense bouts of exercise followed by short periods of rest.
The results were fascinating.
Tabata found:
That 6 weeks of moderate-intensity endurance training did not affect anaerobic capacity, but that 6 weeks of high-intensity intermittent training (HIIT) may improve both anaerobic capacity and VO2max simultaneously.
Let’s translate that: compared to regular cardio, HIIT had a greater impact on improving BOTH:
- Aerobic increases (endurance).
- Anaerobic increases (power).
Even crazier?
Tabata was able to demonstrate improvements in his athletes with just FOUR-MINUTE bursts.
So what’s happening here?
Simple: your heart is a muscle.
If you keep your heart beating at a constant rate, never expanding it outside of its comfort zone, it will never grow stronger.
By introducing chaos and pushing your muscles outside of their comfort zone, they must adapt and grow more resilient in order to survive.
Intense interval training challenges your heart by constantly forcing it outside of its comfort zone.
In other words: progressive overload – the same concept behind building strength.
Coach Jim explains 7 different ways to achieve progressive overload in this video:
Since Tabata’s 1996 study, many other trials have shown the positive impact of interval training.
Here are some of the benefits of High-Intensity Interval Training:
#1) HIIT can burn lots of calories in a short amount of time.
Revving up your effort requires more out of you, including calories.
One study backed this up, finding HIIT burned about 20-30% more calories than regular cardio.[3]
The researchers stated:
These data suggest that individuals can burn more calories performing an HIIT session than spending the same amount of time performing a steady-state exercise session.
The name of the game here is “intensity.” The more intense you go, the more calories you’ll burn.
#2) HIIT for lowering blood sugar. Managing blood sugar is really important for health, not just for diabetics.
Those trying to lose fat should be aware of their blood sugar and corresponding insulin levels.
The good news for our current discussion? HIIT has been shown to help lower and manage blood sugar levels.[6]
#3) HIIT for heart health. Touching on the “antifragile” topic again, HIIT has been shown to help with overall cardiovascular health.
It does so in the same way traditional endurance training does, but at a fraction of the time (almost half).[7]
Alright, let’s chat about how to actually do some interval training.
What’s an Example of Interval Training? How to Do Interval Running
The key to HIIT is being able to go from “easy” to “difficult.” All sorts of different exercises can get you there:
- Aerobic (cardio).
- Bodyweight (strength training).
- Resistance (weight training).
HIIT is generally associated with running (aerobic), so we’ll devote this section to just that.
The easiest way to experiment with HIIT would be to run.
Here’s how to start with a basic HIIT running workout. Go to a park in your neighborhood. Warm-up with some light jogging, high knees, and mobility – leg swings, arm swings, etc,
And then begin your workout!
- Run/jog at a brisk pace for 30 seconds.
- Jog/walk at a slower pace for 2 minutes.
- After your rest, shoot for another 30-second run/jog.
- Continue until you get tired or after about ten “push/rest” intervals.
And BAM! You just did HIIT.
Don’t get disheartened if you find yourself stopping a lot during your first week of HIIT training.
You’ll be surprised how quickly you get better at this!
Also, “running” or “jogging” is subjective. Whatever walking fast means to you is great. Do that for your periods of intensity.
It should be noted, that the entire “Couch to 5K” concept rests on interval training through running.
It’s all broken down into “walking,” “jogging” and “running.”
If you’re curious, check out our in-depth Couch to 5k review. If you want to start interval training, “Couch to 5K” could be a good way to do it.
More of an indoor person?
Consider a treadmill, where it actually sets intervals for you based on your desired difficulty.
Just be careful on it…
We’ll be talking about machines a lot more in the next section, but a treadmill is all you need to do a HIIT workout.
Experiment with the speed and incline to find a setting that you would consider “intense.” Many machines can be programmed to flip between this and an “easy” setting.
And you know what that means… boom! It’s built for HIIT.
When we designed NF Journey (our awesome new app), we used an “intense” and “easy” interval switch for most of the workouts.
If you want, you can sign-up for a free trial right here to see what I mean:
How do HIIT Workouts Work? (More HIIT cardio to choose from)
There are a lot of different aerobic exercises for HIIT cardio.
For example, you could jump on a bike, which is like HIIT running but with wheels (duh):
Every spin class is based on HIIT cycling (SoulCycle, Flywheel, or even your local gym now has spin classes).
They’re popular for a reason, and you can make a friend or two!
Here are some more examples of interval training:
- Elliptical. If it has a dial for resistance, it can be used for interval training. For a couple of minutes, go on low resistance (0-2 level). Then crank up the resistance for one minute (up to 8-10). Repeat this process 12 times, which will give you a 20-minute workout.
- Stair Climber. Much like the elliptical, alternate between periods of low intensity for two minutes, then one minute for high intensity. The difference with the climber is the dial will control the speed of the stairs. Be careful.
- Rowing Machine. Start with a two-minute warm-up. On minute three, row like you’re being chased by the Kraken for a full 60 seconds. Then catch your breath. The rowing machine might be hard to do for a full 20 minutes, since it’s a lot of upper body. Shoot for ten minutes at first.
- Jumping Rope. Jumping rope is a full-body exercise. Also, it’s fun. There’s no dial here, your own body controls the pace of the jump. Follow the same two-minute easy, one-minute intense as above. Jump rope can also be done with friends!
So far we’ve just been talking about aerobic exercises.
Let’s cover our other categories, of bodyweight and resistance.
What Are the Best HIIT Exercises? (Two Other Forms of Interval Training)
“Steve, this all sounds great. But I hate running!”
Confession: So do I.
So I get my cardio in other forms!
Here are some bodyweight exercises to get going on HIIT:
- Burpees. Stand up, then squat down, kick your legs out, do a push-up, bring your legs back in, and explode up into a jump. Try to do 20 repetitions, then rest for two minutes. Repeat until you hate yourself:
- Push-ups. For 20 seconds, do as many push-ups as possible. Rest. Then do it again. If you’re worried about proper form, check out our push-up guide and watch this:
- Pull-ups. Same idea as above, do pull-ups for 20 seconds, then rest. If you can’t do a pull-up, we got you covered in our pull-up progression guide:
Let’s now chat about some Weight Training Examples for HIIT:
- Kettlebell swing. For ten minutes, do 20 kettlebell swings on every minute.
This will be intense, and worthy of congratulations when you’re done. Check out our 20 Minute Beginner Kettlebell Workout for everything you’ve ever wanted to know about kettlebells. - Battle ropes. If your gym has battle ropes, they’ll be a great tool for HIIT. For intensity, the amount of slack in the rope determines the load. The more slack on the rope the tougher, and more intense, the workout. Also, don’t get stuck in just up and down movements. Some variation will help target different muscles.
- Weight lifting. The critical piece will be moving from one exercise to another quickly enough. For example, hustling from the bench press to the lat bar: we call this circuit training!
To answer your next question: yes, you can also do circuit training as a form of HIIT.
Circuit training is going through a sequence of exercises, or stations, back to back.
Coach Lauren explains the ins and outs of circuit training in this video:
So in a circuit, you could go from push-ups to pull-ups, back to push-ups, only resting briefly from one exercise to another.
Circuit training would be perfect to mix into a HIIT workout, since you can design your circuit to be very intense.
Check out our post for 15 Circuit Training Routines to choose from.
Plus, there’s a Batman workout hidden in there. You’re welcome.
We create custom HIIT programs for busy people like you that are ACTUALLY fun. If you’re looking for a supportive coach to guide you and tell you exactly what to do each day, we got you covered!
If you just want a beginner circuit to get started with, you can try out our Beginner Bodyweight Workout Routine. Plus you can download a free worksheet to track your progress with this circuit when you join the Rebellion below:
Grab Your Beginner Bodyweight Routine Worksheet. No Gym Required!
- Complete this workout at home, no equipment required
- Avoid the common mistakes everybody makes when doing bodyweight exercises
- Learn how to finally get your first pull-up
Oh, what’s that? You want to have even MORE fun while getting the benefits of HIIT?
Sure. Let’s think outside the box:
Basketball, tennis, soccer, and Ultimate (frisbee) are AMAZING styles of exercise that use interval training (it’s all start and stop!).
Run here, catch this, and wait for the next round to start.
That’s what we’re looking for in a HIIT workout.
So pick a form of FUN exercise that gets your heart racing faster and slower throughout the activity (yes, I suppose even THAT activity would count).
Is HIIT Good for Losing Weight? Is Interval Training Good for Losing Weight?
My guess is that you’re reading this article because you’re trying to get the most efficient “bang for your buck” when it comes to getting in shape.
And HIIT is a great form of exercise and COULD help with weight loss.
I will, however, lower some of these outlandish claims that exist in the media.
For example, Time magazine calls HIIT “miraculous” in one article.[8]
That’s a little much, even for me, who writes for a living on why you should work out and likes using hyperbole for effect.
Seriously, I’m better at it than ANYBODY ON THE PLANET.
Ahem.
Cardio, strength training, and HIIT all have many benefits.
However, a meta-study reviewed HIIT compared to steady-state cardio, specially looking at fat loss.
The results?
They found no real difference.[9]
As researchers noted:
Regular exercise is an integral component of long-term weight management. However, unless implemented in very large volumes, short-term exercise in isolation (including HIIT) is unlikely to produce clinically meaningful fat loss.
What’s that mean?
As long as your energy expenditure is the same (and you’re in a caloric deficit), steady-state cardio is equivalent to HIIT for fat loss.
In other words, if you want to lose body fat, how you eat will be responsible for 80% of your success or failure.
It doesn’t matter how many intervals you do – it’s not gonna help you lose weight if you don’t also fix your nutrition.
You can read our Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating if you want more information, which will help you build a plate like this:
And if you want to download our free 10-level Nutrition Guide to help you fix your diet starting today, you can do so by signing up in the box below:
Download our free weight loss guide
THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life
- Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace
- What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating
- 3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target
Getting Started with Interval Training
When it’s time to advance your high-intensity interval training, think about the following:
- Frequency. This would be the number of intervals in your workout.
- Intensity. How hard are you going in each interval?
- Time. How long are your intervals and rest periods?
Maybe you start out doing 3 intervals of intense running.
Once it becomes routine, bring it up to 4.
Maybe you crank the resistance on your stationary bike to “8” during your intense interval. When it becomes normal, bring it up to “10.”
Maybe you do pull-ups for 20 seconds. When you’ve got a good handle on that, aim for 30 seconds.
This mindset will keep you advancing in interval training.
Consistency is the name of the game here. Even just doing a HIIT workout once a week will help you progress in all three categories.
For more ideas on how to improve workout consistency, check out this video from Coach Jim:
Oh, and if you want help along the way, don’t forget about our Online Coaching Program:
Mistakes to Avoid When Doing High-Intensity Interval Training
There’s a lot to consider when embarking on a HIIT practice.
No matter which routine you end up starting with, make sure you follow these words of wisdom:
- Ease into it. As the saying goes, “you must walk before you can run.” The importance is building a HIIT practice. If you need to go “less intense” before progressing to “intense,” that’s fine. It’ll help build your aerobic capabilities (endurance), which will be important when working on intensity. Start with walking.
- Keep proper form. Doing your movements correctly will help prevent injury. Here’s how to run properly. This is even more critical in your later intervals, where you may be exhausted and tired. If you find yourself breaking form, go ahead and slow down. Intense isn’t worth an injury.
- Get rest. Our bodies actually build muscle while we are resting. So take some “off days” from your HIIT practice. Want to stay active on these days? Do some fun exercise!
Take it easy, focus on your form, and make sure to prioritize rest.
HIIT Timer Recommendations
HIIT centers on doing intervals.
One moment it’s intense, the next you’re onto a short rest break.
A good way to know when it’s time to go from one sequence to the next is a timer. A loud “beep” can tell you when it’s okay to catch your breath or when you have to kick it in gear.
Here are 5 HIIT timers you can try out:
- Runtastic. Don’t let the name fool you, this free app is for more than just running. You can customize for many different interval workouts, depending on what exercise you go with. And the interface looks slick.
- Seconds. It’s free and customizable to any form of HIIT. It can also integrate with your music, which is pretty sweet.
- Seven. If you’re new to HIIT, Seven would be a good app for you. It’s free, plus it has illustrations for exercises. You also get to customize your own virtual personal trainer, which may be the future of fitness. The bots are coming…
- Sworkit. First off, it’s a clever name (taken from “Simply Work It.”) Second, it’s free. Third, it can display your workout, goals, and calories burned. I like it.
- J&J Official Seven Minute Workout. This free app from Johnson & Johnson is actually really awesome. It has premade workouts you can choose form based on your fitness level, or tweak them to make it your own.
Also, we need to talk about interval timers. Most of the apps referenced are completely customizable.
For example, you can change the intense interval from 120 seconds to 90 seconds.
This is critical because it’s up to you to decide how long you can do intense vs. rest.
Generally, folks recommend one minute of intensity and then two for rest when doing HIIT.
However, this all depends on the individual, and the exercises performed.
For example, burpees are tougher to do than jumping over a rope:
So feel free to make changes like 30 seconds of intensity and three minutes of rest. Make it your own.
Whatever way you chose to do HIIT, is fine, as long as you actually do it. The benefits of HIIT kick in when going HARD for you.
In other words, you don’t have to be an Olympic athlete to get the benefits of HIIT.[10]
A light jog totally works. Just don’t do it in a mascot costume.
As we discussed, if you’re consistent, you’ll improve.
So don’t stress about where you have to start.
For now, download an app and get going. Ours will help you train with HIIT too:
I hate multiple choice. Pick a HIIT workout for me!
Let’s power walk as our form of HIIT.
This is an example of a beginner HIIT workout we might prescribe for our Coaching Clients who are starting to train for their first 5K.
Let’s do seven intervals, two minutes each:
- Warm-up. For three minutes, walk at an easy pace.
- Intervals. For the first 60 seconds, power walk, like you’re trying to beat someone to the front of the line at Starbucks.
- For the next 60 seconds, just walk.
- Repeat six more times.
- Cool down. You can do some more light walking, or a little bit of stretching here would be great.
Total time: 20 minutes.
I want to stress, that you can do just about any exercise in exchange for this routine. Just minus “power walk” and add “push-ups and bodyweight squats”
It’ll still be a great HIIT workout.
“But Steve, that’s still multiple choice!”
Right, right… sorry. Stick to power walking! Done!
How to Start Interval Training now
Do our power walking routine above. It’s a great place to start.
Remember, our goal at this stage is to “build the habit.”
We can work on “whoa, that was intense” later.
If you’re looking for EVEN MORE stuff to do, we have a few options for ya:
1) Check out our popular 1-on-1 coaching program. You’ll work with our certified NF instructors who will get to know you better than you know yourself and program your workouts and nutrition for you.
2) Exercising at home and need a plan to follow? Check out Nerd Fitness Journey!
Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).
Try your free trial right here:
3) Enlist in the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.
Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. It’ll help you start incorporating interval training into your workouts.
Download our comprehensive guide
- Everything you need to know about getting strong.
- Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.
- How to find the right gym and train properly in one.
There are a zillion ways to do HIIT, so don’t let the options paralyze you.
Pick one. Anyone. And get to it.
Interval training, in any form, is a solid fitness choice and a great practice to have in the workout arsenal.
Any questions?
Which HIIT workout style is your favorite?
Leave it in the comments below!
-Steve
PS: Make sure you check out the rest of our content on interval training:
###
All photo credits can be found in this footnote.[11]
Steve Kamb
Source link -
How to Build Muscle as a Woman (5 Workouts) | Nerd Fitness
If you are interested in learning how to gain weight the right way, you have come to the right place!My name is Staci Ardison.
I overcame an eating disorder, discovered a love for heavy strength training, and now I help women like you get stronger for a living.
Believe it or not, I’m 50 pounds heavier in the photo on the right (and WAY stronger, and healthier, and happier!).
I’m currently a Senior Coach here in the Nerd Fitness Coaching Program, where we train women to pick up heavy weights, get strong, and build confidence.
Speaking of picking up heavy weights, here I am deadlifting 455 pounds:
This is what I LOVE to do.
In this Ultimate Guide to Building Muscle as a Woman, I’m going to be covering:
Alright, let’s do this.
Why Building Muscle is Difficult for Some Women
As Steve covered in “How to build muscle” and “How to bulk up for men,” the principles of weight gain are all the same regardless of your sex or gender:
“If you want to gain weight, eat more calories than you burn regularly. Want to put on the right KIND of weight? Exercise and eat the right way too.”
Now, there’s plenty of nuance to this when comparing men and women:
- Due to our natural hormones, it’s generally more difficult for people with typical female anatomy to gain muscle than people with typical male anatomy.[1]
- We have a lot of factors (such as hormonal birth control) that have been proven to make it even harder as well.[2]
But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible!
It just means we have to work harder for it.
Ugh, I know.
Now, one thing I want to touch on quickly: if you see a woman who is absolutely jacked and at an extremely low body fat percentage, I guarantee she has been working her butt off for a very long time with the goal of building muscle.
It’s not something that happens overnight, or by mistake.
In addition, some women with larger amounts of muscle mass choose to take steroids to help assist them in gaining muscle, because we simply don’t have the hormones naturally to get to that size.
So if you’d like to build muscle, but not as much as a professional bodybuilder – don’t worry, it’s not something that happens by accident.
With that out of the way, let’s talk about body fat and body types:
As we point out in that body fat percentage guide, we women can look very different at any weight depending on our body shape and how much muscle we have. It comes down to our own personal goals!
This guide is going to primarily focus on two things:
- How to eat to gain weight and build muscle.
- How to strength train to build muscle.
We’ve helped thousands of women with our online coaching program, many of whom are trying to gain weight and strength train for the first time in their lives.
Everybody is on their own journey, at their own pace, and everybody will end up with different results too!
Should Women Build Muscle? (7 Reasons Women Should Grow Muscle)
If it can be harder for women to gain muscle (compared to men), why go through the trouble?
I’m glad you asked!
Here are the top 7 reasons why women should strength train:
#1) When you’re stronger – everyday life is easier. No need to call for help to get that 50lb bag of dog food off the top shelf, or carrying an air conditioner unit up a flight of stairs. LIFE is easier when you’re stronger.
#2) Less injury risk – when you build strong muscles, you’re also building stronger bones, ligaments, and tendons, making you less prone to injury doing things you love (like playing in a quidditch league).[3]
#3) Helps combat age-related muscle loss,[4] allowing us to remain independent longer as we age:
#4) Muscle is harder to maintain, which means you need to eat more just to hold on to it.[5]
#5) Reduce pain – having a strong body makes living easier on your joints, as well as allows you to hold a better posture, and reduce back / hip pain.[6]
#6) Appearance – this is a personal preference! Some women like to have a lot of muscle, and some don’t. While you can’t spot reduce fat, you can choose to build more muscle in specific areas, changing your body shape. Growing up, I was an extreme pear shape, but due to strength training, I now have more of an hourglass shape.
#7) Live longer – want to spend more time on Earth? Strength training and growing muscle will help you do just that.[7]
How to Eat to Gain Muscle as a Woman
As we said above, gaining weight comes down to thermodynamics and science.
Every day, we burn a certain number of calories just existing, which is called our BMR (basal metabolic rate). We then factor in our daily activity level, and get a number that is called our “total daily energy expenditure.” You can calculate yours below.
The Nerd Fitness Calorie Calculator:
(Click here for our Metric calculator).
(Note: we have used The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation to create this calculator! [8]).
Since we want to gain weight, we want to take our TDEE and add 250 calories to it to get our daily goal. This should result in gaining about half a pound per week.
Now, although eating ANY EXTRA calories from any source will result in weight gain, our goal is to gain the RIGHT kind of weight, in a healthy way.
And thus, we’ll be focusing our efforts on a “healthy muscle building” strategy.
We could easily add more calories each day, and gain weight quicker, however, the slow method gives you the best chances at gaining mostly muscle, with minimal fat. The faster you try to gain weight, the higher the percentage that will likely be fat – so starting off at half a pound per week is a great place to start!
In addition to the number of calories we’ll be adding, we also want to pay attention to the type of foods we’re eating.
As we cover in our “Nerd’s Guide to Healthy Eating,” we’re going to build muscle by consuming the three big macros in the correct quantities:
- Protein: rebuilds muscle after you break it down.
- Carbohydrates: provides your muscle with fuel and body with energy.
- Fat: helps your bodily functions and can also be burned as fuel in the absence of carbs.
Let’s look at each of these individually:
PRIORITY #1: PROTEIN
Protein can come from any number of sources, including:
- Meat (steak, bison, pork).
- Fowl (chicken, turkey, duck).
- Eggs![9]
- Cheese and dairy.
- Fish and shellfish (salmon, tuna, shrimp).
- Legumes (black beans, chickpeas).
- Other vegetarian protein sources here.
As we cover in our “How much Protein do I need?”, claims for the amount of protein required for muscle growth vary wildly from source to source (and athlete to athlete).
Here is our recommendation:
- If you’re of healthy weight, active, and wish to build muscle, aim for 1 g per pound of body weight (2.2 g/kg).
- If you’re an experienced lifter on a bulk, intakes up to 1.50 g/lb (3.3 g/kg) may help you minimize fat gain.
Let me simplify it for you:
“To build muscle, target at least 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight (2.2 grams per kg).”
If you’re curious, from our healthy eating article, this is what a portion of protein looks like:
Here’s how much protein is in a serving of food:
- 4 oz (113 g) of chicken has around 30 g of protein.
- 4 oz (113 g) of salmon has 23 g of protein
- 4 oz (113 g) of steak has 28 g of protein.
Want to get more protein? Consider protein shakes.
PRIORITY #2: CARBS
After protein, we’ll be filling up our plate with calories from carbs (and fats).
Here are foods full of carbohydrates you can prioritize:
- Rice
- Quinoa
- Oats
- Legumes and lentils
- Sweet potatoes
- Yams
- Regular potatoes
- Whole grain pasta
- Whole grain bread
To help you get better at serving sizes:
1 serving of a starchy carbohydrate is 1 cupped hand (uncooked), or your two hands forming a cup (cooked).
Here are some images to help you learn proper portion sizes (thanks to SafeFood):
In addition to consuming carbohydrates from these sources, it’s okay to consume plenty of fruit while trying to build muscle!
For reference, here is roughly 200 calories worth of an apple (thanks to WiseGEEK):
You can read our full “Is fruit healthy?” guide to learn more.
PRIORITY #3: FAT!
Fat is a macronutrient that can help you reach your calorie goals (in the right quantity), as fat can be high in calories. Plus, you can eat lots of it without feeling full. Helpful if you’re trying to put on weight.
Healthy fat can be found in foods like:
- Avocado
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Macadamia nuts
- Olive oil
- Almond butter
- Peanut butter
Science has recently come around on saturated fat too.[10] Once completely vilified, but now considered okay for moderate consumption.
Saturated fats can come from things like:
- Whole milk
- Full-fat dairy
- Coconut oil
- Grass-fed butter
- Fatty cuts of meat
- Lard
To help you gauge: a serving size of fat is roughly the size of your thumb!
For reference, this is a single serving of almonds (162 calories):
THIS is a serving of olive oil (119 calories):
As you can see, you can eat an extra 500 calories of “healthy fats” by eating lots of “heart-healthy” fats like nuts or adding more olive oil to your meals.
PRIORITY #4: VEGETABLES!
Last but not least, you need vegetables in your diet.
As you start to eat more food, your stomach, intestines, and other bodily functions will thank you for consuming more high-fiber vegetables!
A serving of veggies is about the size of your fist.
Here’s a quick, non-complete list of high-fiber veggies that can fill your plate:
- Broccoli
- Broccolini
- Cauliflower
- Spinach
- Kale
- Spaghetti squash[11]
- Brussels sprouts
- Zucchini
- Cucumber
- Carrots
- Onion
- Asparagus
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER: A HEALTHY MUSCLE-BUILDING PLATE
This plate and serving size stuff above is just to help you get started thinking about healthy food differently and in proper portion sizes.
TO RECAP, HERE’S HOW TO EAT TO BUILD MUSCLE:
- Calculate your TDEE (Total Daily Energy Expenditure) and add 250 calories over your number.
- Consume 1-1.5g per pound (2.2-3.3g per kg) of body weight in protein every day.
- Consume the rest of your calories from foods composed of carbs and fats.
- Always eat vegetables so that your body can actually PROCESS all this extra food. I like to aim for half of my plate of vegetables.
- If you are not gaining weight, (and you’re hitting your protein goals), add more carbs and/or fats to your meal.
It really does come down to the following:
If you are not gaining weight fast enough, you’re not eating enough. Increase your portions of carbs and fats!
Whenever we work with coaching clients who struggle to build muscle, this is the area we target: adding more carbs and fats to each meal.
8 Strength Training Exercises For Women to Build Muscle
Years from now, you’ll look back and thank “Past You” for starting strength training today.
And don’t worry, I’m going to tell you exactly what to do so you can start strength training TODAY!
Here’s why strength training is so important: when you eat a caloric surplus (more calories than your body needs each day), the extra calories have to go somewhere.
- If you don’t do any exercise, your body will choose to store the extra calories as fat for later.
- However, when you strength train, your muscles are broken down. Then they’ll use the extra calories to rebuild themselves bigger and stronger over the next 48 hours!
“Staci that sounds great, but I’ve never strength trained before, and I don’t know what I’m doing…Halp!” You might be saying into your computer or phone.
Fear not! I’ll help. Strength training doesn’t need to be scary or overly complicated.
Simply put, “strength training” means two things:
#1) “Movement of any weight against “resistance” (including your body weight) – Doing ANY exercise that pushes your muscles outside of their comfort zone, forcing them to rebuild stronger to prepare for the next challenge.
#2) Progressive overload: doing slightly more than last time (lift a heavier weight or do 1 more rep) consistently. Your muscles will have to constantly adapt and rebuild themselves stronger. This is called “progressive overload.”
Coach Jim breaks down different strategies for progressive overload in this video:
This means if you drop down and do ONE push-up or knee push-up right now…
Technically, you’ve strength trained.
Now do that and then do a bodyweight squat…
Boom, you just did a strength training workout.
Here’s what you need to know about strength training:
- Strength training is one of the BEST things you can do for yourself.
- Strength training will help you put on muscle while eating in a surplus.
- While you can’t spot reduce fat, you can focus on building more muscle in specific areas, which can help you attain the specific look you’re going for.
- If you don’t like the gym, you don’t need to go, ever. But I hope you do. Because that’s the easiest way to start training with weights.
- Regardless of your fitness level, body fat percentage, strength level, or biological sex, you have every right to be in the free weights section in the gym, training with heavy weights, with everybody else. The people in the gym who are very strong with a lot of muscle started somewhere, too!
I used to be a CrossFit instructor, and my favorite thing about CrossFit was that it destigmatized barbell training and heavy lifting for many women.
In order for us to strength train and build muscle, we’re going to approach this intelligently.
We’re not going to pick up small dumbbells and do lots of reps.
We’re not going to sit down at various machines and scroll through our phones while doing leg curls.
Instead, we’re going to:
- Get very strong with compound movements that recruit LOTS of muscles to work together.
- Do our workouts quickly and get out of there. The workout should take no longer than 45-60 minutes.
This is how we efficiently build muscle in the minimum amount of time. What are the exercises that we’re going to target?
1) The Push-Up: The best exercise you could ever do for yourself when it comes to using your bodyweight for push muscles (your chest, shoulders, and triceps):
2) The Bodyweight Squat: This exercise serves a dual purpose: it is the foundation for building strength AND helps build proper mobility. If you are going to ever do barbell squats, you need to work on hitting proper depth with a bodyweight squat first!
3) The Inverted Bodyweight Row: Until you can get your first pull-up or chin-up, these exercises are GREAT to start building your pull-muscle strength (your back, biceps, and forearms).
4) The Pull-Up and Chin-Up: Once you can support your body’s weight above the bar, the world becomes your playground. No strength training routine should be without pull-up or chin-up work! (Click here if you can’t do a pull-up or chin-up yet):
And now we’re into the best weight training exercises:
5) The Barbell Squat: Probably the best exercise when it comes to building strength and muscle throughout your whole body. It also burns crazy calories and makes life better. This is a MUST:
6) The Barbell Deadlift: Maybe the best exercise of all time. Actually no, it IS the best exercise of all time. It’s certainly the most primal: “pick the weight up off the ground. Done.”This is a very technical lift, so make sure you read our article on how to deadlift with proper form:
7) The Barbell Bench Press. Lie on a bench, squeeze your shoulder blades to keep your back tight, and then lower a barbell until it almost touches your chest. Pause, and then press it back up towards the sky. Repeat! And get strong.
8) Barbell Overhead Press: Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart and lean back by pushing your hips forward. While keeping your entire body tight, press the bar overhead.
Once the bar passes your forehead, move your body back under the bar by driving your torso forward and back into a standing position. At the top of the lift shrug your shoulders slightly and lock your elbows.
These are some of the best compound exercises you can complete in order to build muscle. Want more muscle? Great! Get stronger at these movements!
One quick note: when I first started lifting, it took a while to build up the strength to be able to bench press or overhead press with the 45-lb bar. If your gym doesn’t have a lighter bar, dumbbells are a great option!
Your mission, should you choose to accept it:
Commit to trying ONE of these movements in the next week. Use 20 seconds of courage, recruit a friend who has lifted or trained before, and try your best.
I have three options for you next:
- Select one of the muscle-building routines for women in the next section.
- Build your own workout routine using these exercises!
- Work with me and our coaching program to follow a custom strength training routine for your goals.
5 Muscle Building Workout Routines For Women
I’m going to walk you through three different levels of strength training, and by the end of today, you’re going to know exactly how to get started.
My advice: do 2-3 strength training routines per week, with 1-2 days off in between. As the saying goes: “muscle isn’t built in the gym, it’s built in the kitchen!”
So your goal should be to do a strength training routine, and then make sure you eat a caloric surplus so that your body has enough calories to rebuild your muscles bigger and stronger!
LEVEL 1: BODYWEIGHT TRAINING
Here’s a beginner bodyweight training routine you can do in the comfort of your own home:
- 20 Bodyweight squats.
- 10 Push-ups.
- 10 Walking lunges (each leg).
- 10 Dumbbell rows (use a milk jug or other weight).
- 15 Second Plank.
- 30 Jumping jacks.
We also have a downloadable worksheet of this beginner’s workout that you can print out and hang on your fridge to track your progress! Get it when you sign up below:
Grab Your Beginner Bodyweight Routine Worksheet. No Gym Required!
- Complete this workout at home, no equipment required
- Avoid the common mistakes everybody makes when doing bodyweight exercises
- Learn how to finally get your first pull-up
LEVEL 2: DUMBBELL WORKOUT
If you have dumbbells at home or access to a gym, you can pick our Level 4 workout from our 6-Level Gym Workout Routine.
So your Dumbbell Workout is 3 circuits of the following:
- 10 goblet squats (holding the dumbbell like a goblet with 2 hands):
- 10 push-ups (or knee push-ups):
(By the way, these are two GREAT exercises towards getting your first pull-up)
LEVEL 2: BEGINNER KETTLEBELL WORKOUT
If you have a Kettlebell at home, here’s a 20-Minute Beginner Kettlebell Workout you can do:
Do 3 circuits of this Kettlebell Workout:
- 8 Halos (each side)
- 10 Goblet Squats
- 8 Overhead Presses (each side)
- 15 Kettlebell Swings
- 8 Bent Over Rows (each side)
- 6 Front Rack Reverse Lunge (per side)
If you like this Kettlebell workout and want to follow along on a worksheet, simply print out our Kettlebell Workout and bring it with you:
Grab Your Beginner Kettlebell Routine Worksheet!
- Complete this workout at home or gym with 1 kettlebell.
- Avoid the common mistakes everybody makes when doing kettlebell exercises.
- Build strength, burn fat, level up your life!
LEVEL 3: BARBELL GYM WORKOUT
Here’s a Barbell workout you can follow from our Level 5 Gym Workout Routine.
BARBELL BATALLION WORKOUT A:
- 3 sets of 10 barbell squats
- 3 sets of 10 bodyweight rows:
BARBELL BATALLION WORKOUT B:
- 3 sets of 5 barbell Romanian deadlifts (video pulled from our courses in Nerd Fitness Prime)
- 3 sets of 10 bench presses:
- 3 sets of 5 pull-ups, assisted pull-ups, or negative pull-ups:
PICK A WORKOUT, AND GET STARTED!
The whole point is to do challenging movements that really make your muscles work, and then try to do ONE more rep, or lift a SLIGHTLY heavier weight next time!
Don’t sweat the small details and instead use 20 seconds of courage to get started!
Track your workouts by writing down what you did, and then do what you can next time.
If you really want to level up quickly, LEARN HOW TO DO SQUATS AND HOW TO DO DEADLIFTS. These two exercises changed my life!
“Staci, that’s still too many choices! Can you just tell me what workout routine to follow?”
Okay fine! Here’s what I would do if I was you.
Still overwhelmed? Check out our coaching program. We get to learn your story, and then build a program and strategy around your goals that you CAN do.
10 Tips for Building Muscle as a Woman
I interviewed multiple other coaches on our team and asked for their best advice on how to build muscle as a woman.
Here’s what they said:
Susy (Coach, BS in Psychology, Certificate III & IV in Fitness, 5+ years of experience)
Tip #1: Food is your friend when you are looking to build muscle and get stronger – your body will need fuel, so you may need to eat more on the days that you work out!
Tip #2: Strength and muscle building requires structure to your workouts – you progress through getting better at specific movements, so make sure that you enjoy the style and structure of your workouts so that you can be as consistent as possible.
Tip #3: Your progress will always be fastest if you avoid injury, so correct form and listening to your body is super important. Your muscles will fatigue and feel sore, but joint pain and sharp, stabby pain means something isn’t moving quite right.
Kerry (Coach, NASM-CPT, 6+ years of experience)
Tip #4: Fall in love with the process. Getting stronger is a journey, one that is both rewarding and challenging. So no matter where you are starting from, take the time to celebrate each small step along the way towards a more badass version of yourself!
Christy (Coach, BS in Applied Health/Fitness, National Personal Training Institute Graduate, Precision Nutrition Certification, 6+ years of experience)
Tip #5: To get strong, you gotta lift weights. When lifting weights to get strong, you gotta be okay with testing your boundaries every now and then.
After exercising with your current weight, for the next training session…stop…and try a few reps with the next weight UP to test it out! It might surprise you how much more weight you can lift!
Here are some other tips to help you build muscle.
Tip #6: Boost your testosterone naturally: Consume enough saturated and monounsaturated fats, keep your sugar intake low, and make sure you’re getting enough Vitamin D and Zinc.
These are items linked with boosting your testosterone naturally.[12]
Speaking of testosterone – I know you may think of this as a “male” hormone, but it plays a huge part in women muscle building,[13] fat loss,[14] increase bone mass,[15] and many other health-related issues[16](remember: estrogen is made from testosterone).
Men make about ten to fifteen times what we make naturally,[17] but it doesn’t mean we don’t need it too.
Another way we can help our testosterone levels is to watch our cortisol levels.
Cortisol is a hormone that is promoted by stress and reduces free testosterone levels (in addition to signaling for your body to store fat).[18]
Want a way to naturally lower your cortisol levels? Try meditation.[19]
Tip #7: Not getting bigger? Eat more food.
Focus on more fats and carbs. They are the easiest ways to increase your total calories.
You can check out our Guide to Build Muscle for more specific tips on how to eat more food.
Tip #8: Make sure every meal has a solid protein source.
Protein is needed for building muscle, so prioritize this above all else when you sit down to eat.
Having trouble getting it all down? Buy a blender!
Steve drinks two smoothies a day to reach his protein goals and you can check out our Guide to Protein Shakes for his personal recipe.
On the go with no blender? I like to keep protein powder with me in a small Ziploc bag – that way I can grab a bottle of water, rip off the corner of the Ziploc bag, and use that as a funnel to get the powder into the water bottle. Then, just replace the cap and shake and you’ve got a protein-filled snack!
Tip #9: Get more sleep! When you build muscle, your body is working overtime, burning extra calories. It’s going to need some time to recover. Remember, muscle is built when you rest, not when you actually lift.
Go to bed!
Tip #10: Start today!
Gaining muscle comes down to eating right and strength training. Let’s get you lifting today!
Try some push-ups and squats as we discussed in our strength training section. Tomorrow we can work on eating right and lifting more.
The most important step you can take today is to begin.
Let’s give you some more tips to get you going.
Building Muscle: Next Steps!
If I can narrow down building muscle for women, it would be three main points:
- Get stronger by picking up heavy stuff or doing more challenging bodyweight movements.
- Get bigger by eating lots of food.
- Recover faster by sleeping enough and giving your muscles days off to rebuild.
That’s it. You can do this.
If you made it this far, and you want more specific instruction and guidance, we have a few options for you:
1) If you are somebody that wants to follow a tailor-made program designed around their life and goals, check out our popular 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program.
You’ll work with our certified NF instructors who will get to know you better than you know yourself, check your form, and program your workouts and nutrition for you.
2) If you want an exact blueprint for growing strong, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).
Try your free trial right here:
3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.
Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. It’ll help you begin your journey on building muscle.
Download our comprehensive guide
- Everything you need to know about getting strong.
- Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.
- How to find the right gym and train properly in one.
Lastly, I’d love to hear from you!
PLEASE leave your questions, eating or strength or otherwise below so we can answer them and become best friends and practice karate kicks in the garage:
How can I help you get bigger and stronger?
What part of this journey are you still struggling the most with?
What are your favorite bulking-up foods!?
Share with your friends in the comments so we can all go buy it in bulk at Costco.
-Staci
PS: Make sure you check out the rest of our Strength Building Articles!
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Photo sources: Women’s Day 2015, Sea spray, The Viking, The Evolution of LEGO Wonder Woman, Apocalyptic Motorcycle, Person Mountain,
Staci Ardison
Source link -
15 Warm-Up Exercises (to Prevent Injury) | Nerd Fitness
Today, you’re gonna learn the importance of warming up, and how to warm up with specific video routines…because I’m a nice person.
This is so critical for training safely that whenever we design a workout for our coaching clients, it always starts with a proper warm-up. So I’m excited to share these warm-up tips and tricks with you too.
In this guide we’ll cover the following (click to go to that section):
This stuff is so important because getting injured sucks.
And every single day I watch people wander into the gym, immediately lie down on a bench, and start cranking out their workout with a heavy weight within seconds.
This makes me weep for humanity.
These people are just WAITING to get injured. They’re essentially playing with dynamite (also not recommended).
So you’re reading the right article.
Also, if you’re interested in a program that tells you exactly how to warm up and work out, you may like our new app!
Nerd Fitness Journey will set you on an adventure that will tell you exactly when to workout, when to warm up, and when you should rest. No guesswork needed.
You can sign-up for a free trial right here:
Should I Stretch Before A Workout? No. Warm Up Instead
Above all else, the most important thing you can do when working out is to warm up properly.
Now, you might be saying to yourself, “Come on. Surely it’s not the MOST important thing…”
To which I’d reply: “First, don’t call me Shirley. Secondly, if you don’t have enough time to warm up, then you don’t have enough time to work out.”
Boom!
So WHY is it so important?
Think of your muscles like rubber bands.
If you spend all day sitting at a desk, hunched over a keyboard, those rubber bands have gone almost completely unused.
Then, if you go to a gym and immediately start lifting heavy weights or sprinting really fast, those cold, unstretched rubber bands get pulled apart very quickly and can get snapped or pulled out of shape.
#Fail.
So, what about just regular, static stretching before working out?
Nope.
As we point out in “Should you stretch before or after your workout?“:
“A consolidation of studies showed there aren’t many benefits to static stretching before workouts.
For starters, static stretching will not result in the reduction of the chance of injury.
Also, static stretching can actually decrease your potential for strength gains and performance.”
However, dynamic warm-ups – what you’ll learn in this article and what we focus on with our 1-on-1 coaching clients – are AWESOME for prepping you to get ready to strength train:
Think of it like a pregaming for your muscles – except replace “alcohol” with “awesome.” By jumping around and getting your muscles loose, active, warm, and ready for action, you are putting your muscles through their full range of motion and getting them ready to start handling heavier loads (strength training).
As pointed out in this study, “warming up” can also help reduce soreness after a workout.
On top of that, doing a dynamic warm-up can help activate your central nervous system, priming your muscles for a great workout that produces your best effort.
Add “improved blood circulation” to the list of benefits of warming up, which will help you perform well in each exercise.
Need another reason? When your body is properly warmed up, your muscles and joints are ready for maximum flexibility, which means you can perform each exercise with PROPER form (like deep barbell squats, for example) that maximize results and minimize the risk of injury.
So, whether you are running or strength training…a proper warm-up is probably the most important 5-10 minutes of your day.
Still with me?
Great. If you have been injured in the past, and you’re learning to warm up so you can stop stalling out on your progress, let us help!
We create custom workout solutions with nutritional guidance for busy people like you.
In other words, we help you get strong and eat better, every step of the way.
Beginner Dynamic Warm-Up Video And Exercises
The above video comes from Senior Coach Staci Ardison, whose success story is here (and she’s now a lead trainer in our NF Coaching Program)
Don’t overthink this: Your goal is to elevate your heart rate, put your muscles and joints through their range of motion to warm them up and make sure everything is functioning properly, and preparing your body to strength train!
This will get you prepped for a day of getting stronger.
If you read the above paragraph and thought: “Yes I am doing strength training, please tell me more Steve! More!”
Firstly, thanks for saying please – your mom taught you well.
Next: let us help get you strong, safely! We help busy people go from strength-training-newbie to strength training badasses.
Whether you’re doing bodyweight or new to weight training, we create a workout program and provide food guidance that’s specific to YOUR life.
3 Advanced Dynamic Warm-Ups And Videos
#1) Here is an Advanced Warm-up Circuit you can do anywhere:
- Jump rope: 2-3 minutes (optional)
- Jumping jacks: 50 reps(pull your shoulder blades back, extend arms and really focus on the movement)
- Bodyweight Squats: 20 reps
- Lunges: 5 reps each leg
- Hip extensions: 10 reps
- Hip rotations: 10 reps each leg (like you’re stepping over a fence)
- Forward leg swings: 10 reps each leg.
- Side leg swings: 10 reps each leg
- Push-ups: 10-20 reps
- Spider-man steps: 5 each leg
This particular warm-up might be more difficult than your actual workout, especially if you’re following something like The Beginner Bodyweight Workout.
Yes, there is a lot of work put on your hips, butt, legs, and core. As nerds/desk jockeys, these tend to be the muscles that are the tighest and least active, and thus most susceptible to an injury.
If your arms and chest are particularly tight or sore, you can throw two more movements as well:
- Arm swings (holding your arms straight out to the side, and then swing them and cross them in front of your chest)
- Shoulder rotations (holding your arms straight out to the side, and move your arms in a circular motion, making bigger circles each time)
Are you a runner?
#2) Check out our warm-up routine specifically designed for runners:
You can also check out our Beginner’s Guide to Running for more tips on how to run safely.
#3) Here’s another advanced dynamic warm-up which also covers a lot of Mobility:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psRf3k2wfII
When it comes time for your workout, if you are doing heavy strength training (with barbells or dumbbells), make sure you do some warm-up sets before jumping into the weight you’ll be training with for EACH EXERCISE.
Always start with a set using just the bar to work on your form and get your body used to the movement.
Then, do a few sets of just a few reps with increasing weight (but won’t tire you out) and THEN start your workout.
It’s something we bring up before every workout in Nerd Fitness Journey, our new habit-building app! If you want, you can test drive it right now for free!
15 Best Dynamic Warm-Up Exercises To Prevent Injury
These are our favorite quick warm-up exercises that can help you prevent an injury during your workout!
- Marching in place while swinging your arms.
- Jumping jacks
- Walking jacks
- Arm circles and shoulder shrugs.
- Mountain Climbers
- Swinging toe touches.
- Leg swings (forward)
- Leg swings (side to side).
- Hip rotations (like stepping over a fence)
- Hip circles (like you’re hula hooping)
- Bodyweight squats.
- Push-ups.
- Lunges.
- Hip extensions.
Get into the habit of doing these exercises before doing any workout. They’ll help keep you mobile and limber and injury free. If you’re not sure how to do any of these movements, watch the videos for them below.
1. MARCHING IN PLACE WHILE SWINGING ARMS
2. WALKING JACKS (If You Can’t Do Jumping Jacks)
3. JUMPING JACKS
4. ARM CIRCLES AND SHOULDER SHRUGS
5. MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS
6. SWINGING TOE TOUCHES
7. LEG SWINGS (FORWARD)
7. LEG SWINGS (SIDE)
8. HIP ROTATIONS
9. HIP CIRCLES
10. BODYWEIGHT SQUATS
11: KNEE PUSH-UPS
12: REGULAR PUSH-UPS
13. SUPPORTED LUNGES
14. REGULAR LUNGES
15. HIP RAISES
These exercises are the PERFECT movements you should be doing before any strength training program.Oh, what’s that? You’re new to strength training and not sure what you’re doing? No problem!
We help people exactly like you.
Well, not exactly. You’re a unique snowflake, your mom loves you, etc.
What I mean is we help people like you to start strength training.
We do form checks, create custom workouts based on your equipment and time commitment, and more.
To Answer Your First Few Questions…
“Steve, I can’t do jumping jacks/I live on the second floor.”
That’s okay – the reason I love jumping jacks is that they work out all four of your limbs at once and get you bouncing around.
Instead, channel your inner Chuck Norris and do punches and kicks with each leg. I don’t care if you can’t kick higher than your shins and your punch wouldn’t kill a fly…just get those limbs flailing and warmed up!
You could also just do “Walking Jacks.”
“Um, your warm-up is tougher than my actual workout!”
The dynamic warm-up above is designed for people who are doing serious training.
If you are doing heavy deadlifts and squats and overhead presses, a proper warm-up could keep you out of a career-ending injury.
However, if you are just getting started with exercise and you’re only doing bodyweight exercises, obviously 20 real push-ups during your workout isn’t possible…
THAT’S OKAY. Think of the above as the warm-up you aspire to complete. In the meantime, do the best you can. Let’s say:
Follow the rest of the routine as planned if possible.
In this routine, your warm-up will act as part of your workout, as you’ll be doing the same functional movements.
Do the BEST you can, keep track of your results for your warm-up too, and improve with each workout.
With enough consistency and persistency (not a word, but rhymed better and sounded way better than persistence), you’ll be busting out the full warm-up routine before kicking ass at your actual workout!
Don’t have a program to follow? Or tired of following a random plan online that’s not getting you results?
Check out our Online Coaching Program – we’ll take care of all the heavy lifting (except the actual “heavy lifting,” that’s your job).
Warm-Up Properly and Avoid Injury!
Hopefully, this is a post you bookmark, as it’s probably one of the more important ones I’ve ever written.
If you want to stay injury-free, put your body through a dynamic warm-up before you start your exercise.
If you are somebody that wants to follow a program that is tailor-made for their life and situation and goals, check out our popular 1-on-1 Coaching program.
You’ll work with our certified NF instructors who will get to know you better than you know yourself, answer any and all fitness questions you have, and program your workouts and nutrition for you.
What other questions can I answer for you about warming up properly?
I’m here to help!
-Steve
PS: Still here, but not sure what to do after your warm-up? Why not let our app tell you exactly what to do!
PPS: The companion post to this guide is “How to Stretch After a Workout.” Give it a read if you’re wondering about what post-workout routines you should try.
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All photo sources can be found right here.[1]
Steve Kamb
Source link - Jump rope: 2-3 minutes (optional)
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The Skinny Guy’s Guide to Bulking Up (Fast) | Nerd Fitness
Want to go from a skinny guy to building muscle quickly? I got you.
I’ve spent my entire adult life trying to pack on muscle, and after years and years of trial and error, I finally cracked the code.
Today, I share that code with you!
This is a topic that is near and dear to me, because I’ve spent my life devoted to this stuff:
These are the exact tactics I’ve used, and the same strategies we use with our Online Coaching Clients.
This free guide is gonna get you started off on the right foot!
Here are the 4 parts we’ll cover in this ultimate guide:
#1) INTRO:
#2) NUTRITION:
#3) STRENGTH TRAINING:
#4) RECOVERY, TIPS AND TRICKS, NEXT STEP:
How I Bulked up After Years of Struggling as a Skinny Guy
Growing up, I was always the scrawny, skinny weak kid.There was a reason I dressed up like superman every other day for the first six years of my life:
Superman was strong, big, and powerful…and I wasn’t.
To this day, it’s still a big challenge for me to gain weight or build muscle.
When people tell me “must be nice to have been skinny growing up,” I explain that a killer flat top, my height (5’2″ until I was 16), four years of braces, and two Acutane treatments made sure I still got the full adolescent experience 🙂
When I was cut from the high school basketball team (which I thought was the end of the world), I signed up for a gym membership to get big and strong.
Within five minutes I had almost killed myself when loading up way too much weight for a set of bench presses.
Fortunately, I survived, and thus began my love affair with strength training.
I spent the next six years training in a gym, reading every muscle and fitness magazine I could find, drinking protein shakes religiously…and had about 3 pounds of muscle gain to show for it.
I just assumed “I’m one of those people who can’t gain weight.”
It turns out, I was doing it all wrong.
After graduating college I moved to California, signed up for a gym membership, and received a few free personal trainer sessions.
Although I thought I had known it all (I had been training for 6 years in a gym! I read the muscle mags! I was in good shape already!), I still took the free sessions for the hell of it.
I’m so glad I did!
The trainer drastically simplified my workout and DOUBLED the amount of food I was eating.
I thought he was crazy at first, but I stuck with it.
In 30 days, I had put on 18 pounds (pictured below), increased the strength in ALL of my lifts, and felt more confident than I ever had before in my life.
That’s when the lightbulb when off in my head: there’s a better way.
And thus began a radical redefinition of how I thought the human body worked, how muscle was built, and where I needed to put my priorities.
Since then, I’ve spent seven years learning everything I can about how muscle is built.
A few years back, I took an epic 35,000-mile trip around the world, and despite not having access to a gym for 6 months, I managed to once again pack on even more muscle and get myself in great shape without once picking up a weight (pictured below):
Again, my world was turned upside down.
I learned that gyms are not a requirement to build muscle and get stronger, though a great gym workout can certainly speed up the process.
And after a few more years of up and down challenges, I had finally – jokingly – changed from Steve Rogers to Captain America (there’s a story behind this):
I’m still not the biggest guy in the world, nor will I ever be. I’m okay with that!
I’ve learned that anyone can pack on muscle, even skinny nerds like me.
If you’re skinny and want to get bigger, you’ll be fighting genetics the whole way, but do not let that deter you.
Anything is possible.
Today’s article outlines everything I’ve learned over the past 13 years of mistakes, successes, failures, and adventures.
The Most Important Thing for Putting on Muscle: Eat More Food.
As they say, muscle isn’t made in the gym, but in the kitchen:
If you want to bulk up, you’d be better off working out twice a week for 30 minutes and eating right, than working out 6 days a week and not eating properly.
I learned this the hard way.
I spent four years of college working out five days a week for 90 minutes a day trying to get bigger.
I drank protein shakes like I thought I was supposed to. I got a little stronger, but never bigger.
Why?
BECAUSE I DIDN’T EAT ENOUGH CALORIES.
When I get emails from people who lament the fact that they can’t gain weight, I always first ask about the person’s diet.
More often than not, that person thinks they are eating enough, but are definitely not.
Here’s the truth:
If you are not getting bigger, you are not eating enough.
Your body can burn 2000+ calories every day just existing (and then factor in exercise and, gulp, cardio – I’ll get to that in a minute), and you need to overload your system with calories in order for it to have enough fuel for the muscle building process.
Want to know how many calories you burn every day just existing?
Plug your stats into our TDEE (Total daily energy expenditure) calculator:
Click right here for our Metric calculator.
Note: we have used The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation to create this calculator! [1]
For every person, the number of required calories for bulking up daily is different, especially when you factor in how much you move, fidget, and how much weight you need to gain:
- For some people, it might be 2,500 calories a day.
- For others, it might be 3,500 calories a day.
- For others, it might be 5,000 calories a day.
I don’t love calorie counting (I prefer a “Balanced Plate” approach), but I think for a newbie starting out, tracking calories for a few days is a great place to begin.
So, track your calories using something like MyFitnessPal over a few days and get an average.
I bet you’ll discover you’re eating significantly less than you thought you were.
LEARN HOW MANY CALORIES YOU NEED TO EAT FIRST.
And then eat MORE!
Spend the next two weeks eating an additional 300-500 calories per day above your TDEE (which you calculated above) and see how your weight adjusts (and how you look in progress photos!).
If you are not getting bigger, add an additional 300-500 calories per day and repeat the process.
Depending on your training, genetics, how skinny you are, and how much muscle you need to gain, you can decide how much weight you want to gain each week.
Everybody’s results will vary, and thoughts are mixed on how quickly we can build muscle:
- Under optimal conditions, some say you can expect to gain 1 pound (.5 kg) of muscle per week,
- My results have shown that 2 lbs (1kg) per month is more realistic.
- A 2016 study[2]revealed that strength training produced a 2.2 lb increase (1kg) increase in lean mass in 8 weeks.
Regardless of how fast you bulk up, it might be helpful for you to gain weight by putting on some fat with your muscle!
Here are things to consider if you overeat WHILE strength training: extra glycogen, some fat, and water stored in your body can be a good thing for your confidence and get you headed down the right path.
So, don’t listen to the sites or programs that say “gain 40 pounds of muscle in two months!”
Unless you’re on the juice (‘roids, not Hawaiian Punch), it’s going to be a slow, long process.
Yes, it is possible to have incredible transformations in a short amount of time, like when I gained 18 pounds (8.1kg) in 30 days
This was due to strength training, overeating, protein, and extra water weight (from supplementing with creatine):
My advice: Rather than massive weight gain over a month, you’d be much better off gaining .5-1.5 lbs. (.25-.75 kg) a week, every week, for six months…and keeping the weight on!
Now, I know this stuff isn’t easy.
There’s nothing worse than spending 6+ months in a gym and doing what you think you SHOULD be doing, only to step on the scale and realize that you haven’t made any progress!
If you’re somebody that’s worried about wasting time, or you want to have an expert guide your nutrition based on your current situation, consider checking out our Online Training Program!
What Food Should I Eat to Bulk Up?
Let’s go through how you should be prioritizing your nutrition, nutrient by nutrient:
- Protein: rebuilds muscle after you break it down.
- Carbohydrates: provides your muscle with fuel and body weight with energy
- Fat: helps your bodily functions and can also be burned as fuel in the absence of carbs.
Let’s look at each of these individually:
PRIORITY #1: PROTEIN
Protein can come from any number of sources, including:
- Meat (steak, bison, pork).
- Fowl (chicken, turkey, duck).
- Eggs![3]
- Cheese and dairy.
- Fish and shellfish (salmon, tuna, shrimp).
- Legumes (black beans, chickpeas).
- Other vegetarian protein sources here.
As we cover in our “How much Protein do I need?”, claims for the amount of protein needed vary wildly from source to source (and athlete to athlete).
Here is our recommendation for protein consumption:
If you’re of healthy weight, active, and wish to build muscle, aim for 1 g/lb (2.2 g/kg).
If you’re an experienced lifter on a bulk, intakes up to 1.50 g/lb (3.3 g/kg) may help you minimize fat gain.
Let me simplify it for you: target at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight (2.2 grams per kg).
If you’re curious, from our healthy eating article, this is what a portion of protein looks like:
Also, here’s how much protein is in a serving of food:
- 4 oz (113 g) of chicken has around 30 g of protein.
- 4 oz (113 g) of salmon has 23 g of protein
- 4 oz (113 g) of steak has 28 g of protein.
Want to get more protein? Consider protein shakes, like so:
PRIORITY #2: CARBS
After protein, in order for you to get bigger, you need to eat enough calories, and those calories should come from sources composed of carbs and/or fats.
Here are foods full of carbohydrates you can prioritize for bulking up:
- Rice
- Quinoa
- Oats
- Legumes and lentils
- Sweet potatoes
- Yams
- Regular potatoes
- Whole grain pasta
- Whole grain bread
To help you get better at eyeballing serving sizes:
1 serving of a starchy carbohydrate is 1 cupped hand (uncooked), or your two hands forming a cup (cooked).
Here are some images to help you learn proper portion sizes (thanks to SafeFood):
In addition to consuming carbohydrates from these sources, it’s okay to consume plenty of fruit while trying to bulk up!
You can read our full “Is fruit healthy” guide to learn more.
PRIORITY #3: FAT!
Fat is a macronutrient that you can eat that can help you reach your goals in the right quantity, as fat can be higher calorie and you can eat lots of it without feeling full.
Healthy fat can be found in foods like:
- Avocado
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Macadamia nuts
- Olive oil
- Almond butter
- Peanut butter
Science has recently come around on saturated fat too [4]. Once completely vilified, but now considered okay for moderate consumption.
Saturated fats can come from things like:
- Whole milk
- Full fat dairy
- Coconut oil
- Grass-fed butter
- Fatty cuts of meat
- Lard
To help you gauge: a serving size of fat is roughly the size of your thumb!
For reference, this is a single serving of almonds (162 calories):
THIS is a serving of olive oil (119 calories):
As you can see, you can eat an extra 500 calories of “healthy fats” by eating lots of “heart-healthy” fats like nuts or adding more olive oil to your meals.
PRIORITY #4: VEGETABLES!
Last but not least, you need vegetables in your diet.
If you start to eat a lot more food, your “indoor plumbing” is going to really benefit from eating some high-fiber veggies with each meal:
A serving of veggies is about the size of your fist.
Here’s a quick, non-complete list of veggies that can fill your plate:
- Broccoli
- Broccolini
- Cauliflower
- Spinach
- Kale
- Spaghetti squash
- Brussels sprouts
- Zucchini
- Cucumber
- Carrots
- Onion
- Asparagus
BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER:
This plate and serving size stuff above is just to help you get started thinking about healthy food differently and in proper portion sizes.
To recap:
HERE’S HOW TO EAT TO BULK UP:
- Calculate your (Total daily energy expenditure) and add +500 cal over your number.
- Consume 1-1.5g per pound (2.2-3.3g per kg) of bodyweight in protein every day.
- Consume the rest of your calories from foods composed of carbs and fats.
- Always eat vegetables so that your body can actually PROCESS all this extra food.
- If you are not gaining weight, add more carbs and/or fats to your meal.
It really does come down to the following:
If you are not gaining weight fast enough, you’re not eating enough. Increase your portions of carbs and fats!
Whenever we work with coaching clients who struggle to bulk up, this is the area we target: adding more carbs and fats to each meal.
What are the Best Popular Bulk Up Eating Strategies?
If you read the previous section, you know that we have some pretty specific “best practices” on how to bulk up.
However, there are multiple strategies that can also work, and I’d like to cover each of those here too.
Depending on your budget, your taste in food, and your goals, these strategies will work better for some than others.
#1) The “Healthy” Bulk
I have followed this method to great success multiple times (including right now).
Ultimately, I follow the “real food” principles whenever possible (good sources of quality meat, tons of vegetables, minimal amounts of gluten and processed carbs), but mixing in some specific items that are calorie/carbohydrate dense to reach my calorie goals for the day.
This is the exact strategy we lay out in the previous section of this article.
Speaking of quality calories – how I recommend doing this – receive your Get Bigger Shopping List and Bulk Up Cheat Sheet by putting your email in the box below:
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- The Nerd Fitness “Get Bigger” Shopping List
- Bulk like the Hulk with our rules for getting bigger
#2) The “See Food” Diet
This is the diet I used to put on 18 pounds in 30 days.
Looking back at how I ate, I’m now grossed out.
But for me at the time, it worked (and got me interested in diet research).
If you are super skinny and on a tight budget, this might be your only option, and that’s okay!
Foods that are high in calories include:
- Whole milk
- Cottage cheese
- Cereal
- Pasta
- Rice
- Potatoes
- Ice cream
- Juice
- Peanut butter sandwiches
- Meatball subs from Subway
- Pizza
- Burgers
Etc.
Whatever gets you to your caloric intake goal for the day.
When I put on my 18 lbs, I used to drink 3 CytoGainer shakes a day, because it was the easiest way for me to stay on target.
If you are training properly, a majority of these calories will go towards building muscle instead of putting on a lot of fat.
Steve’s thoughts: I’m not a big fan of this method much, as I’ve come to learn the quality of food is as important (if not more so) than quantity when it comes to your overall health, and we’re aiming for bigger AND healthier.
#3) GOMAD
Drink a gallon of whole milk every day along with your meals.
Sounds crazy, yup, but it works.
A gallon of whole milk is full of enough sugar, carbs, fats, and protein that when all said and done, results in 2400 calories consumed in liquid form.
Mix in vegetables and meat for healthy meals and you got yourself a simple to follow diet.
I’ve attempted this diet back in my younger days, and although my stomach hated me, I certainly had success with it, mostly because it was simple to follow and easy to understand.
#4) Paleo Bulk or Keto Bulk
Bulking up while following the Paleo Diet, or bulking while following a Keto Diet.
Yes, it’s possible to bulk while following either of these diets:
If you are eating Paleo, you’ll want to eat LOTS of carbs and fats from calorie dense foods like fruit, sweet potatoes, and nuts.
If you are going Keto, you’ll want to eat LOTS of fat from cheeses, nuts, oils, and so on.
If you have the budget and want to try it, go for it. You’ll be eating truckloads of nuts, avocados, and meat.
“WHICH STRATEGY IS BEST FOR ME?”
In our opinion, we’ve had the most success with Coaching Clients who adapt a “healthy bulk” strategy, #1 above.
It’s a focus on real food, sustainable increase in calorie intake, and can be adjusted easily by adding or reducing total portions of carbs and fats.
But hey, you do you, boo.
What Supplements Should I take to Bulk up? How to eat more calories.
If you are struggling to consume enough whole foods every day, then here are some tips to help you reach your caloric goals to bulk up:
“WHAT SUPPLEMENTS SHOULD I TAKE TO BULK UP FAST?”
Most supplements are garbage
Plus, you should ALWAYS prioritize consuming real food over shakes and powders.
HOWEVER, if you are interested in bulking quickly, there are two I would recommend:
- Protein Powder. A great solution for getting extra protein and calories in your diet and building muscle.[5] As we point out in our article on protein and protein shakes, mix and match your own ingredients and see how many calories you can get into a smoothie without breaking your blender.
- Creatine supplement. It helps your muscles retain more water [6], and has been shown to increase the hormone IGF-1, which is needed for muscle growth[7]. It’s one of the only two supplements (along with protein) that I take regularly.
Outside of these two supplements, you really don’t need to prioritize supplementation, despite what the muscle magazines tell you! Hell, many of these muscle mags are OWNED BY SUPPLEMENT COMPANIES.
I’ll leave you with two more big suggestions on how to bulk up in this section:
#1) Liquid calories are your friend. Liquid calories can give us lots of calories without ‘filling us up,’ which is an easier way to consume enough calories every day without feeling overly full.
I personally get a huge chunk of my calories every day from making my own ‘Powerbomb Shake – from our Protein Guide
- Water: 16 oz.
- Quaker Oats: 3 servings (120g)
- Frozen spinach: 1.5 servings (120g)
- Frozen mixed berries: 1.5 servings (120g)
- Protein powder: 2 scoops of Optimum Nutrition Vanilla Whey
And here is the macronutrient breakdown:
- Calories: 815 cal
- Protein: 70g
- Carbs: 107g
- Fats: 12g
I put all of this into a Vitamix Blender – yep, it was expensive, but worth the investment. This blender has been used twice a day for 8 years without a single issue.
If you need even more calories consider adding whole milk, coconut milk, or almond milk instead of water.
You can also add a shot of olive oil to add calories/fats to a shake in the quest for MOAR MUSCLE!
#2) Train your Body to Eat More: If you are cooking rice, each week try adding in an extra quarter cup when you cook it.
And yeah, you have to FORCE your stomach to accept more food, even when you’re not hungry.
This is not enjoyable, as you often feel like you’re going to explode.
However, just like it’s necessary to force your muscles outside of your comfort zone to get bigger, you need to force your stomach outside of its comfort zone until it adapts to accepting more calories.
So, start by adding a little bit more food each day and soon enough your stomach will expand.
How to Grow Bigger Muscles: Get Stronger
When you strength train, your muscles are broken down and then get rebuilt stronger to adapt to the stress you have applied to it.
So every time you pick up a slightly heavier weight, you are increasing the challenge and forcing your muscles to adapt and get more resilient.
What I’m trying to say:
If you want to get bigger, focus on getting stronger.
As long as you are continually increasing the weights or increase the sets and reps you are lifting, your muscles will continually adapt to get stronger.
This is called “progressive overload” and it. is. everything.
Coach Jim walks you through the ins and outs of progressive overload in this video:
If you want to dive in more, check out our guide “What is Progressive Overload?“
Follow a progressive overload strategy and eat enough calories, and you will get bigger.
You have two approaches to consider while bulking up:
PATH A: BODYBUILDER BULK. Follow a bodybuilder-type routine that focuses on isolation exercises that chops your body into different segments and works each of them out once a week.
You may have seen something like this:
- Monday: Chest
- Tuesday: Legs
- Wednesday: Shoulders
- Thursday: Back
- Friday: Arms and Abs
I think these routines are fine, and you might even enjoy them.
However, they do require a fairly large time commitment at the gym, and you’ll be training 5-6 days per week.
PATH B: STRENGTH AND MUSCLE. Focus on full-body routines that contain compound exercises like squats and deadlifts that give us the most bang for our buck.
Every time you train, most of the muscles in your body are getting worked out.
Specifically, this path has you focusing on getting really strong at these movements:
If you can focus on getting really strong with the above exercises, and eat enough calories, you will also get bigger in all of the right places.
Path B is something we’re bigger fans of compared to Path A, and it’s what we recommend to our Coaching Clients.
Specially, we find it to be safer and also more time-efficient: you’ll be training just 2-3 days per week on this path (instead of 5-6 days per week with Path A).
Mark Rippetoe (author of Starting Strength, a must-read for anybody interested in the above exercises) lives for old school barbell training (path B):
Why?
Because it works.
Just. Keep. Eating. And. Lifting.
Skinny Guy Workout Plans for Bulking Up
As we cover in our “How to build muscle” article, here’s a sample routine you can follow NOW to start bulking up.
After you do your dynamic warm-up, do the following workout:
MONDAY BULK UP WORKOUT:
- Squats: 4 sets of 5 reps
- Bench press 4 sets of 5 reps
- Wide Grip Pull Ups: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Planks 3 sets of 60 seconds
WEDNESDAY BULK UP WORKOUT:
- Deadlift: 3 sets of 5 reps
- Overhead Press: 3 sets of 5 reps
- Inverted Bodyweight Rows: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Hanging Knee Raises: 3 sets of 10 reps
FRIDAY BULK UP WORKOUT:
- Front Squats: 3 sets of 5 reps
- Weighted Dips: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Weighted Chin-Ups: 3 sets of 10 reps
- Reverse Crunches: 3 sets of 15 reps
Get stronger and the rest will take care of itself.
NERD FITNESS RECOMMENDATION: Feel free to pick WHATEVER workout program you want from wherever. If you don’t want to follow the workout above, consider these sources:
If you’re curious, here are some commonly accepted strategies based on your goals for how many sets and reps you should do:
- Strength and power: 1-5 reps
- Strength and some size: 5-8 reps
- Size and some strength: 8-12 reps
- Muscular endurance: 12+ reps
Now, don’t worry too much about which path is best.
Nutrition plays the most important role in bulking up, and any strength training plan will help you get bigger.
There are 3 studies I want to point out:
- A recent study showed that a higher intensity workout (heavier weight for low reps) created more muscle mass than a higher volume (lower weight for more reps).[8]
- Getting more volume (more sets of exercises) per week resulted in more mass compared to less volume (fewer sets of exercises), in this study[9].
- Studies show that weight training creates superior “bulk up” results compared to bodyweight training,[10] but that doesn’t mean bodyweight training isn’t beneficial. Studies show that bodyweight training exercises can build muscle, but require a LARGE number of sets per rep, and pushing oneself to absolute failure.[11]
What this means: Don’t overthunk it.
- Pick up heavy stuff for 3-4 sets of 5 reps. Pick up a weight that is heavy enough that you can only complete your specified number of reps.
- Challenge yourself on bodyweight exercises, either by making them more difficult, adding weight, or doing high reps to failure.
- And then do more next time.
What’s important is that you pick a plan and follow through with it while focusing on eating enough.
After a few months, you can reevaluate and then adjust based on how your body has changed.
On any of these days, feel free mix in bicep curls or tricep extensions or calf-raises at the END of your workouts.
Focus on the big lifts first and get stronger with them.
How much weight should you lift? For every one of the barbell movements above, I start with just the bar, and then add weight in 5lb increments each week.
It’s important to get form right and get your body used to the movement for when you start to lift heavy weight.
How long should you wait between sets? Again, don’t overthink it. Waiting 2-3 minutes allows you lift heavier weight, and thus makes you stronger.
Waiting 60-90 seconds puts more of an emphasis on muscular size and endurance (as you’re resting for a shorter period)…but don’t overthink it. Do the next set when you’re ready.
A piece of advice from 8-time Mr. Olympia, Lee Haney: “stimulate, don’t annihilate.”
Don’t destroy yourself for the sake of destroying yourself; stopping one or two reps short of maximum effort can save you from overtraining and potential injury – remember that muscles are built in the kitchen!
If you’re already overwhelmed and just want somebody to tell you what to do, you’re not alone.
I’ve had a coach since 2014 and it’s the best investment I make in myself every month.
Can Bodyweight Training Help Me Bulk Up?
Yes, you can get bigger and stronger doing exclusively bodyweight exercises.
Take a look at any Olympic gymnast: he is jacked, with giant muscles, all built with bodyweight exercises:
HOWEVER, it requires a very specific type of training regiment to see those results.
Studies show that weight training creates superior “bulk up” results compared to bodyweight training,[12] but that doesn’t mean bodyweight training isn’t beneficial.
Studies show that bodyweight training exercises can build muscle, but require a LARGE number of sets per rep. In other words, you’ll need to push yourself to absolute failure.[13]
So, here’s where the challenges arise:
Like with weight training above, you need to increase the difficulty in order for your muscles to adapt.
Because it’s often more challenging to add a few pounds to a bodyweight exercise to make it tougher – compared to putting a weight on a bar, you need to increase the difficulty of the bodyweight movement itself.
If you are trying to build size, you can also do sets where your rep ranges are in the 25-35 reps per set, and you are pushing your muscles to failure (woof):
- If you can do 4 sets of 15 push-ups, consider making them harder to progress. Do 4 sets of 15 push-ups with your feet on a bench.
- Body weight squats too easy? Work your way up to pistol squats (one legged squats).
4 sets of 12 pull-ups not a challenge anymore? Great. Make them tougher. Go for a wider grip, an uneven grip, or weighted pull-ups.
I highly recommend beginners start to take a serious look at strength training with free weights; it’s much easier to record one’s progress, easy to add more difficulty (just add more weight!), and very structured.
You can ALSO mix in bodyweight training, which is what I prefer to do!
In fact, I personally believe the best routine mixes both weights and bodyweight training. I have been working with my online coach for 4 years, and I’ve packed on size by following a barbell + bodyweight training routine.
Weight training for my lower body, advanced bodyweight movements for my upper body.
Every day starts with either a squat, front squat or deadlift.
Here I am pulling 420 pounds at a bodyweight of 172 pounds:
Each workout also contains a lot of Olympic/gymnastic style movements and holds to build upper body strength.
Handstands too (read our guide on handstands):
And I just try to get stronger.
What it really comes down to is this: no matter what you have access to (a gym, barbell, dumbbells, or just a pull-up bar) you can find a way to build strength and muscle if you follow a plan and eat enough calories.
If you’re trying to bulk with just bodyweight, it might be worth enlisting the help of a coach to help you scale your bodyweight exercises correctly and in the proper sequence!
I am Skinny Fat: Should I gain or lose weight first?
If you are skinny fat (you have skinny arms and legs but have a gut), there are three paths available to you:
- Bulk up and build muscle, then lean out.
- Lean out, then build muscle.
- Build muscle and lean out at the same time.
We all want Door #3, right?
Here how to do accomplish both goals at the same:
If you follow a program with the right calories and strength training, you can both lose weight AND build muscle at the same time.
It’s how we helped NF Coaching Client Jimmy (these photos are 5 months apart):
Our advice: Get strong and eat a SLIGHT caloric deficit while consuming enough protein every day.
Get yourself down to roughly 12% body fat (~20% for women), and then start to increase the size.
By slimming down first, while building muscle, you don’t have to worry about buying BIGGER clothes first, only to then need smaller clothes once you start cutting the fat.
Then, once you decide to eat more and get bigger, if you notice your body fat percentage start to creep up, you can simply adjust until your body fat gets back in the acceptable range. Then keep building!
To recap, here’s what to do if you are skinny-fat:
- Eat a caloric deficit while heavy strength training to build muscle while leaning out.
- Prioritize protein intake: 1.5g per pound (.75g per kg) of bodyweight.
- Get strong as hell with big lifts and low reps (this will build muscle even in a deficit).
- Once you reach a certain body fat percentage you’re happy with (probably 10-12%), then you can increase your caloric intake to build more muscle without putting on too much fat.
Proper Sleep and Rest for Putting on Muscle
Last but not least, the other important piece to this Triforce of muscle building:
Strength training, eating enough, and RECOVERY.
Your body builds and rebuilds its muscles during RECOVERY.
Our muscles generally need 48 hours or so to recover from its previous workout, so I do not recommend you do any serious strength training of the same muscle group on back-to-back days.
Feel free to do dynamic warm-ups or fun exercise if you feel like it doing some active recovery on off days, but I tend to take my off days OFF.
I might go for a walk (to Mordor!), but that’s about it.
A word about cardio: if you are serious about getting bigger and stronger, lots of long-distance cardio will work against you.
It’s something Coach Jim brings up in the video “7 things I learned adding on 50 lbs of muscle”:
Your body has to burn so many calories for your runs that it doesn’t get to use any of these calories in the muscle-building process.
If you love to run/bike, that’s cool, as long as you know it’s slowing (or halting) your progress.
So, cut back on the running or cut it out completely.
Try mixing in sprints and interval training if you want to keep the cardio up without having to do all of the crazy distance. You can always add it back in once you accomplish your weight gain goals.
A few words on SLEEP: You need more of it when you are building muscle.
It’s that simple.
Don’t be surprised if after a heavy deadlift day you find yourself wanting to sleep for 10 hours.
It might mean less TV or less video games.
Again, if you are serious about getting bigger and stronger, don’t neglect sleep.
FAQ for Skinny Guys Trying to Bulk Up
QUESTION #1: “But I just want to get toned, I don’t want to get too bulky.”
That’s not a question, but I hear it all the time. Do NOT worry about getting too bulky. I’ve been trying to get “too bulky” my entire life – it takes years of concerted effort to pull that off.
I’m gonna guess you have 30+ pounds to gain before you’d ever even be considered “bulky.”
That means that if you struggle with weight gain, getting to the point where you are TOO bulky would actually be a good problem to solve.
As you start to put on weight if you ever find yourself getting a tiny bit too chubby, simply eat less at that point!
So, when in doubt, always err on the side of too many calories than not enough. If you’re not sure if you should eat or not, etc.
QUESTION #2: “But I don’t want to do that stuff, so I’m gonna do _____ instead.”
Again not a question. But hey, go for it. Give it a month, and see how your body reacts. If you’re getting bigger, stronger, and healthier, keep doing it.
If not, come back to this article and apply the lessons in here!
QUESTION #3: “I’m a vegetarian/vegan, can I bulk up?”
Absolutely. You just need to make sure you’re getting enough calories and enough protein in your system to promote muscle growth.
Beans and nuts have lots of protein; if you’re vegetarian you can still use dairy to your advantage (whey protein, whole milk, cheese, etc.).
If you’re vegan, then it’s slightly more of a challenge to get enough protein, but it can be done: almond butter is your friend 🙂
Check out our plant based protein suggestions.
QUESTION #4: “Should I do ___ reps and sets or _____ reps and sets?“
Either plan will get you there. It’s 90% diet anyways.
What’s important is that you pick a plan, you progress, you keep track of your results, and you consistently progressively increase the load that you are moving (be it your body’s weight or an actual weight).
QUESTION #5: “I want to get bigger and faster and have more endurance and flexibility ALL at the same time, can I do that?”
I hate to say it, but building endurance and getting bigger simultaneously is brutally difficult.
As I point out in “How to build any physique,” compare a marathon runner’s body with that of a sprinter or gymnast. Put the running on hold for a while, and focus on getting bigger: you’ll get there faster.
When you decide to mix running back in, keep your calorie consumption high and don’t forget to keep strength training!
You can still go for walks, and still get a good cardio workout by lifting quickly with minimal breaks between sets.
QUESTION #6: “Do I need to eat every three hours?”
Nope, you don’t have to:
- The TOTAL number of calories you consume over the course of a day is more important than the timing of the meals.[14]
- The same is true with protein intake: studies show it doesn’t matter WHEN you eat your protein. HOW MUCH you consume in a day is more important.[15]
In fact, there are actually some scientific benefits that can result from not eating all day and instead condensing it into a smaller window.
But eating more frequently might help…
If you struggle to get enough calories in your system, spacing out your meals might help you feel less full, or give you more opportunities to reach your calorie goal for the day.
I eat all of my calories between 12pm and 8pm, and still get bigger despite only eating 2 MASSIVE meals each day.
QUESTION #7: “But what about this other article? And this other thing I read? Which workout is the best workout?”
Don’t overwhelm yourself. Keep it simple. Get stronger, eat more food, sleep. Break this down into simple steps and goals that aren’t scary, and get started.
The best advice I can give you is to start and make adjustments along the way.
Track your progress, track your calories, and track your workouts.
If you are getting bigger and stronger, keep it up!
I know this stuff can be overwhelming, as I struggled with this stuff for YEARS before getting results.
It why after I started Nerd Fitness, I eventually launched a coaching program: to help people skip the years of mistakes I made!
More Resources for Skinny Guys Looking to Bulk Up
This is a monster of an article, and your head probably hurts at this point.
If I can narrow it down to three main points:
- Get stronger by picking up heavy stuff or doing more challenging bodyweight movements.
- Get bigger by eating enough.
- Recover faster by sleeping enough and giving your muscles days off to rebuild.
If you made it this far, and you want more specific instruction and guidance, we have a few options for you:
1) If you are somebody that wants to follow a tailor-made program that’s designed around their life and goals, check out our popular 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program.
You’ll work with our certified NF instructors who will get to know you better than you know yourself, check your form, and program your workouts and nutrition for you.
2) If you want a roadmap for home workouts, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).
Try your free trial right here:
3) Download our free Bulk Up Guide, which you can get when you sign up in the box below:
Download our free skinny guy’s guide to putting on muscle!
Enter your email below to download now
- The Nerd Fitness “Get Bigger” Shopping List
- Bulk like the Hulk with our rules for getting bigger
Lastly, I’d love to hear from you!
PLEASE leave your questions, eating or strength or otherwise below so we can answer them and become best friends and practice karate kicks in the garage:
How can I help you get bigger and stronger?
What part of this journey are you still struggling the most with?
What are your favorite bulking up foods!?
Share with your friends in the comments so we can all go buy it in bulk at Costco.
-Steve
PS: Make sure you check out the rest of our Bulk Up guides:
###
photo source: Not Happy, Marina Pissarova © 123RF.com, magone © 123RF.com, Ekaterina Minaeva © 123RF.com, Morning run with the Fitbit, Inna Vlasova © 123RF.com, Viktor Hladchenko © 123RF.com; Olga Yastremska © 123RF.com; famveldman © 123RF.com; 167/366, LEGO bench
Steve Kamb
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Kettlebell Workout: 20-Minute Beginner Routine & Worksheet | Nerd Fitness
Our simple beginner kettlebell workout will blow your mind.
Come on: Who else is going to teach you to use a kettlebell with Mario and Mega Man references?
In today’s guide, we’ll go over the following (click to go right to that section):
These are the types of programs that we create for our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Clients, and we’re getting amazing results for people.
And make sure you download our Kettlebell Worksheet! It’ll come in handy in just a moment.
Grab Your Beginner Kettlebell Routine Worksheet!
- Complete this workout at home or gym with 1 kettlebell.
- Avoid the common mistakes everybody makes when doing kettlebell exercises.
- Build strength, burn fat, level up your life!
Okie dokie, let’s jump right in.
The 20 Minute Beginner Kettlebell Workout (with Video Demonstration)
Once you’ve watched the video above (featuring Matt Shortis, a lead trainer in our 1-on-1 Coaching Program) here’s a quick recap with repetitions for the workout here:
COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING KETTLEBELL CIRCUIT 3 TIMES:
- 8 Halos (each side)
- 10 Goblet Squats
- 8 Overhead Presses (each side)
- 15 Kettlebell Swings
- 8 Bent Over Rows (each side)
- 6 Front Rack Reverse Lunge (per side)
And because we like to have fun around here, we made a graphic where superheroes do the workout.
Here’s the Beginner Kettlebell Workout as an infographic:
Our Beginner Kettlebell Workout is what’s called a circuit (you can learn all about circuit training here). That’s just a fancy term for doing a workout like so:
- 1 set of exercise A, go immediately to
- 1 set of exercise B, go immediately to
- 1 set of exercise C, and so on…
- Repeat from the top!
Your long-term goal should be to do 3 full circuits, back to back, for a complete workout.
4 if you’re on fire, like in NBA Jam.
If you can only go through it once or twice, that’s okay too!
And if you need to take a break at any time between sets or after a circuit, do it! You do you.
Prior to jumping into the kettlebell circuit, don’t forget to do some mobility warm-up (you can see our warm-up routine here):
Nothing too crazy, just something to “grease the groove” and get your body used to movement so you don’t pull any muscles once you start swinging the kettlebell.
In other words, preparing your muscles and joints to move some weight around!
A few minutes of running in place, air punches and kicks, some jumping jacks, and arm swings, should get your heart rate up and your muscles warmed for the Kettlebell Workout.
You can do all of the Beginner Kettlebell Workout with one single bell, from anywhere.
We’ll go over each more in our next section, so you can perfect your kettlebell technique.
When you’re done, do some light stretching to cool down. A couple of yoga poses would suffice. Make sure you drink water too.
Feel free to go through this routine at least once a week, and up to 2-3 times a week, with a day off between.
Remember, you don’t build muscle when you’re exercising, you build muscle when you’re resting.
Your muscles are broken down when you strength train, and then they rebuild themselves stronger over the following days of recovery!
If you just can’t sit still, feel free to do some fun exercises, go for a walk, or do one of these off-day activites.
Don’t forget to download our Beginner Kettlebell Worksheet, which covers the above sequence from Coach Matt.
You can print it out and track the number of sets and repetitions you complete, which will help ensure you progress in your training.
You can grab yours free when you sign up in the box below:
Grab Your Beginner Kettlebell Routine Worksheet!
- Complete this workout at home or gym with 1 kettlebell.
- Avoid the common mistakes everybody makes when doing kettlebell exercises.
- Build strength, burn fat, level up your life!
The 6 Best Kettlebell Exercises for Beginners
Let’s go over each exercise in the 20-Minute Beginner Kettlebell Workout:
#1) KETTLEBELL HALOS
- Grab the kettlebell with two hands on the handle.
- Raise the kettlebell above your head.
- Move around your head like you’re tracing a halo.
Tip from Coach Matt: with your halos, remember to keep the movement smooth. You don’t want to accidentally slam your head with the bell.
#2) KETTLEBELL GOBLET SQUAT
- Grab the kettlebell with two hands “by the horns,” aka the handle.
- Keep your elbows in tight and your feet about parallel.
- Then lower down like you would in a bodyweight squat.
- Reverse the movement to raise back up.
Tip from Coach Matt: for the goblet squat, focus on depth. It’s more important to practice doing a full squat than to pump out reps. If you can’t make 10, don’t stress it. Do what you can.
#3) KETTLEBELL OVERHEAD PRESS
- Grab the kettlebell with one hand, with the handle going down your palm (if the handle is too close to your fingers it’ll pull your wrist down).
- Press straight up with your fist driving the movement (your fist would be pointing up the entire time).
- Reverse the movement and bring the kettlebell back down. Then repeat.
Tip from Coach Matt: when doing the overhead press, get tight. Tightening your muscles will engage your core, offering a fuller body workout.
#4) KETTLEBELL SWING
- Get down into a bent-over, flat-back position and grab the kettlebell with both hands from the handle.
- Swing the kettlebell behind you, then get ready to jump up.
- Jump up (without leaving the ground) and swing the kettlebell up. You should be standing tall at the peak of the movement.
- Reverse the movement and bring the kettlebell back down and behind you.
- Repeat.
Tip from Coach Matt: during the kettlebell swing, focus on hinging your hips. The swing is like a deadlift movement, so you should feel it in your hamstring and glutes.
#5) BENT OVER ROW
- Get down into a bent-over, flat-back position and grab the kettlebell with one arm.
- Pick up the kettlebell by driving your elbow up into your rib cage.
- Lower the kettlebell back down by reversing the movement.
Tip from Coach Matt: try to keep your back straight and stomach tight during the row. This will help engage your legs for stabilization as you pull the kettlebell toward your stomach.
#6) FRONT RACK REVERSE LUNGE
- Grab the kettlebell with one hand and rest the weight between your arm and chest.
- Step your leg back (the same side your kettlebell is on) and lower down until your shin is parallel-ish with the ground (or as low as you can).
- Spring back up to your starting position.
Tip from Coach Matt: for the lunges, again keep your back straight. By keeping your shoulders back, you’ll get a fuller body workout when you come in and out of your lunge.
Boom! There you have it.
The 6 best kettlebell exercises for beginners.
If you want someone to review your form on any of these kettlebell movements, or you’re looking to level up your kettlebell game, our coaches can do just that! Our spiffy mobile app lets you send a video of your exercises directly to your coach, who will provide feedback so you can perfect your technique.
In case you’re still on the fence about grabbing a kettlebell, let’s dig into them a little bit more.[1]
What Type of Kettlebell Is Best? What Is the Best Kettlebell Weight for Me?
So you want to buy a kettlebell, eh?
They come in all sorts of materials, in all sorts of shapes, and in all sorts of sizes.
Which one you pick will come down to your personal preference, your budget, and your experience with kettlebells.
Let’s contemplate the following when picking the right kettlebell:
#1) Standard vs.Competition. A standard traditional kettlebell will be cast iron, and as the weight goes up, the dimensions go up.
For example, a 16kg (35 lb.) bell will be larger than a 6kg (15lb) bell. This isn’t true for competitive kettlebells.
No matter their weight, competitive kettlebells will have the same dimensions for bell shape, base, and handle width.
So the 16kg will look just like the 6kg. This can be helpful to make sure you are consistent with technique.
#2) Weight. In general, pick a weight that allows you to complete a workout with good form.
When in doubt, start with a lighter weight, as you can always increase the weight/size later. If you’re forcing me to pick one for you, knowing NOTHING about you, I’d say consider purchasing a 16kg if you’re a male or 8kg if you’re a female.
Now, this isn’t an exact science, and we are all unique snowflakes. If you think you’re stronger than average, go heavier. Not quite there? Go lighter.
#3) Ballistic vs. Grind. You’ll often hear the terms ballistic and grinding in kettlebell workout discussions, for fast and slow movements respectively.
Ballistic movements would be quick, like the kettlebell swing.
Grinding movements would be slow, like the overhead press. For ballistic movements, you might actually want a heavier kettlebell, to help with momentum.
For grinding movements, less weight might be in order to help with control.
For now, if you are just starting out, go ahead and stick to one kettlebell. Branch out as you advance in experience.
#4) Handle. This is where quality comes into play. You’ll be doing many, many repetitions with your kettlebell.
If the handle has rough edges, you’ll feel each and every one of the movements cut into your hand.
Not fun.
Quality matters when it comes to handles. So we’ll chat about ideal brands in a moment. I’ll end our discussion on handles by saying they are generally standardized at 35mm for thickness.
Use this as your baseline for differences when comparing bell grips.
Okay, let’s talk about kettlebell brands:
#1) Cap Barbell. This would be an ideal first kettlebell. Not too expensive and of decent quality, Cap Barbell kettlebells can be found on Amazon or at any Walmart.
The Cap Barbell is the most highly reviewed and reasonably priced kettlebell we have encountered. Do you have any experience with one?
Let us know in the comments if you like it!
#2) Kettlebell Kings. You see Kettlebell Kings ranked as some of the best bells out there. Not a bad price for the quality.
Plus, they offer free shipping in the US, which is nice since you’re essentially mailing a cannonball.
#3) Dragon Door. Some call Dragon Door the gold standard of anything and everything “kettlebell.”
I wouldn’t disagree, but expect to pay for it.
#4) Onnit. Onnit rocks, and they offer good quality bells that are quite popular.
OUR ADVICE: Before you go buy an expensive kettlebell, check your gym!
I bet it has kettlebells, and you can try out different brands/ sizes/ weights/ styles to see which one you like the best.
Afraid of going? Here’s how to train in a gym.
Don’t care about buying your bell new?
Check out Craigslist or a used sporting goods store like Play it Again Sports for a previously owned kettlebell from a person who no longer needs it.
A used kettlebell is still a kettlebell.
Crafty? Build your own!
Here’s a video on how to make a kettlebell:
If you make your own kettlebell (be careful – you don’t want it breaking mid-swing!), please email me. I would be so pumped!
And if you need help with ALL of this and just want somebody to tell you how to train, I got you covered too.
Can You Lose Weight with Kettlebells?
If you’re trying to lose weight, a kettlebell and the workout routine above would be a great part of the plan!
The other part of the plan should be your nutrition.
As we lay out in our Coaching Program and our massive guide on “Healthy Eating,” we believe that proper nutrition is 80-90% of the equation for weight loss.
No joke.
It’s by far the biggest factor for success.
So will you lose weight training with kettlebells?
Maybe!
If you fix your diet AND begin to incorporate our kettlebell routine a few times per week, you’ll will find yourself building muscle, losing fat, and getting stronger!
So how do you fix your diet?
Great question.
Whether you choose to follow a Keto Diet, Paleo Diet, Mediterranean Diet, or something like Intermittent Fasting, the best path will be up to your goals, your situation, and your habits.
Here are some basic tips though (as we cover in our Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating):
- If your goal is weight loss, you have to eat less than you burn each day. This can be through eating less and burning more (from the kettlebell workout above)
- Processed foods and junk food make it really tough to lose weight: They have lots of calories and carbs, low nutritional value, don’t fill you up, and cause you to overeat.
- Vegetables are your friend. If you don’t like veggies, here’s how to make vegetables taste good.
- Liquid calories are sabotaging your efforts. Soda, juice, sports drinks: they’re all pretty much high-calorie sugar water with minimal nutritional value. Get your caffeine from black coffee or tea, fizzy-drink fix from sparkling water.
- Not losing weight? Track your calories and work on consuming slightly less each day. We tackle this point in-depth in our article “Why can’t I lose weight?”
- Eat more protein! Protein helps rebuild muscle, and can help you stay under your calorie limit because it’s satiating and filling. Here’s exactly how much protein you should be eating every day.
Those tips should get you started, but if you want more specific instruction and guidance, check out the NF Coaching Program – Your Coach will build a routine tailored to your individual needs and what equipment you have available:
Download the Kettlebell Worksheet!
Like most things in life, the important aspect of any exercise regimen is starting it.
No matter what strength training program you choose, start TODAY.
You don’t need to get strong before you can play with a kettlebell. You can play with a kettlebell to get stronger!
Here’s that Beginner Kettlebell Workout one more time to recap:
- Halos: 8 reps each side
- Goblet Squats: 10 reps
- Overhead Presses: 8 reps
- Kettlebell Swings: 15 reps
- Bent Over Rows: 8 reps each side
- Front Rack Reverse Lunge: 6 reps each side
Here are the next two steps you can take with our community if you dig what we do!
1) Check out our 1-on-1 Online Coaching program. Our coaches can work with you to pick up a kettlebell for the first time or to learn more advanced moves.
Whether you are brand new to your fitness journey, or ready to take it to the next level, we have your back!
2) If you want an exact blueprint for growing strong, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).
We even have a fun kettlebell adventure that you can follow!
Try your free trial right here:
3) Join the Rebellion! Join our free community with a biweekly newsletter, and I’ll send you our Beginner Kettlebell Worksheet.
Simply sign up in the box below, and let us know what you think of it!
Grab Your Beginner Kettlebell Routine Worksheet!
- Complete this workout at home or gym with 1 kettlebell.
- Avoid the common mistakes everybody makes when doing kettlebell exercises.
- Build strength, burn fat, level up your life!
I’d love to hear how this goes for you! Simply leave a comment below.
Hell, leave a comment if there’s anything else we can help you with too.
For the Rebellion!
-Steve
PS: If you are using Kettlebells to get started with Strength Training, make sure you read the other articles in our Strength Training series!
PPS: As a reminder, this infographic shows you the Beginner Kettlebell Workout:
*All photo sources can be found in this footnote right here: kettlebell, kettlebell press, kettlebells, kettlebell II, svershinsky © 123RF.com.
Steve Kamb
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The 8 Best at Home Workouts (No-Equipment!) | Nerd Fitness
So you want to start working out, but you don’t want to leave the house?
No problem!
Our online coaches specialize in helping people get fit from home.
If you’re in a hurry, sign-up for our free weekly newsletter and we’ll send you PDFs of our “Work Out at Home” guides!
Let’s go over the 8 Best At-Home Workouts so you can start training today: no gym or equipment required!
Let’s jump right in!
At Home Warm-ups and stretching routines
No matter which at-home workout you pick, I want you to start with one important thing:
Warm-up!
I cover why you should always warm up in an article found right here. It doesn’t have to be much though, give it about five minutes to get your muscles active and your heart rate up.
This will help you do exercises properly and help prevent injury. You can run in place, do air punches and kicks, or some jumping jacks.
Here is NF Senior Coach Staci (you might know her incredible story) showing you many beginner options you can use to warm up as well:
If you’re curious, here’s my personal (advanced) warm-up:
Advanced Warm-up Routine:
- Jump rope: 2-3 minutes
- Jumping jacks: 25 reps
- Bodyweight squats: 20 reps
- Lunges: 5 reps each leg.
- Hip extensions: 10 reps each side
- Hip rotations: 5 each leg
- Forward leg swings: 10 each leg
- Side leg swings: 10 each leg
- Push-ups: 10-20 reps
- Spider-man steps: 10 reps
Our goal isn’t to tire you out, instead we want to warm you up.
That’s step one.
Completing your chosen at-home workout would be step two.
Below, you’ll find 8 sequences you can follow along with!
Home Workout #1: Beginner Bodyweight
This at-home routine, as we lay out in our Beginner Bodyweight Workout article, is as follows:
We also turned it into a fun infographic with superheroes, because that’s how we roll:
The above is what we call “circuit training,” with the objective being to run through the workout sequence once, then again, then again.
Note: Not a milk drinker?
If you don’t have milk in the house for the rows, find something of roughly the same weight with a good handle.
Also, if you want to download this Beginner Bodyweight Workout as a worksheet, you can do so when you sign up in the box below:
Grab Your Beginner Bodyweight Routine Worksheet. No Gym Required!
- Complete this workout at home, no equipment required
- Avoid the common mistakes everybody makes when doing bodyweight exercises
- Learn how to finally get your first pull-up
It’ll help you track your progress as you begin your training.
Home Workout #2: Advanced Bodyweight
If the beginner at-home workout above is too easy for you, move on to our Advanced Bodyweight Workout.
The Advanced Bodyweight Workout:
- One-legged squats – 10 each side [warning: super-difficult, only attempt if you’re in good enough shape]
- Bodyweight squats: 20 reps
- Walking lunges: 20 reps (10 each leg)
- Jump step-ups: 20 reps (10 each leg)
- Pull-ups: 10 reps [or inverted bodyweight rows]
- Dips (between bar stools): 10 reps
- Chin-ups: 10 reps [or inverted bodyweight rows with underhand grip]
- Push-ups: 10 reps
- Plank: 30 seconds
Not familiar with these moves? Check out the 21 Best Advanced Bodyweight Exercises for a full breakdown.
I warn you, the above sequence will hurt… in a good way. You should be proud if you can get through this three times.
Do you want to get as strong as possible so this workout ain’t no thang?
Sign up in the box below to grab our guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. It’ll teach you all of these advanced bodyweight exercises!
Download our comprehensive guide
- Everything you need to know about getting strong.
- Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.
- How to find the right gym and train properly in one.
Home Workout #3: The 20-Min Hotel Routine
Sometimes, you just plain find yourself stuck in a hotel room. Maybe you can find the hotel gym, but I bet it’s terrible! It probably has 2 machines, a broken treadmill, and no free weights.
Ugh.
Instead, how about a 20-min workout you can do in the room itself! Utilize the furniture to its full potential.
Hotel Workout Level 1:
Hotel Workout Level 2:
Set the alarm clock to 15 minutes from now and see how many circuits you can do!
Check out our full post on hotel circuits if you want Level 3!
We have a LOT of business travelers throughout the Rebellion! Learn how they stay fit on the road with the Nerd Fitness Starter Kit!
Get your Nerd Fitness Starter Kit
- The 15 mistakes you don’t want to make.
- Full guide to the most effective diet and why it works.
- Complete and track your first workout today, no gym required.
Home Workout #4: High-Intensity Interval Training
You don’t have to head to the gym to do High-Intensity Interval Training. You can do a complete routine right in your own home!
HIIT is just following a specific regimen where you vary your speeds and intensity throughout a shorter run, swim, bike, or row.
Unless you have a giant backyard, running at home might be tough.
But you know what doesn’t require a lot of room?
Burpees!
To complete a burpee:
- Start standing up, then squat down and kick your legs out.
- Do a push-up, bring your legs back in, and explode up into a jump.
- For a HIIT workout, try to do 20 repetitions, then rest for two minutes.
- Repeat until you hate yourself.
Check out our full guide on How to Start Interval Training for some more ideas on HIIT workouts.
You can also check out our post “The 20-Min HIIT Workout for Home” for another living-room-friendly interval routine!
Home Workout #5: Attack of the Angry Birds
The Angry Birds Workout is designed to be done when you have 5 or 10 minutes to kill.
Sort of like playing Angry Birds…
Here’s how The Angry Birds Workout Plan works: it’s deceptively simple – only four major movements.
If you don’t have time to run through the whole sequence, no problem!
Depending on how much time you have during the day, you can do your whole workout at once, or break up your training into four different sessions throughout the day (with each session being ONE of the exercises).
Here’s a sample day for your No-Equipment Workout:
- Wake up, do 40 jumping jacks to warm up, and then do bodyweight squats.
- At lunch, you grab your suitcase (if you’re at work, milk jug if you’re at home) and do inverted rows.
- After work, you do another 50 jumping jacks and then do your push-ups.
- After dinner, you do your planks while watching TV.
You could even split it up over two days if needed, but the goal would be to do it the whole sequence at once.
The main Angry Birds Workout article describes in detail Levels 1-6, but here’s Level 3 for you:
Once you’ve done the complete routine, you have my permission to whip out your phone and play the actual game!
Home Workout #6: Train like Batman
We love the Caped Crusader here at Nerd Fitness, so naturally we have The Batman Bodyweight Workout for you to try!
Bonus points if you somehow do this no-equipment workout in a cave, as that’s how Bruce Wayne would roll.[1]
This workout is separated into two days for you.
Here’s a video for the first day:
Batman No-Equipment Workout Day 1:
- Rolling squat tuck-up jumps: 5 reps
- Side to side push-ups: 5 reps
- Modified headstand push-ups: 5 reps
- Jump pull-up with tuck / Pull-up with Tuck-up: 5 reps
- Handstands against wall: 8 seconds
Here’s a video for the second day:
Batman No-Equipment Workout Day 2:
- ‘180 Degree’ jump turns: 5 reps
- Tuck front lever hold: 8 seconds
- Tuck back lever hold: 8 seconds
- Low frog hold: 8 seconds
This is a relatively advanced workout already, but if you want to progress to the next level, check out the main Batman Bodyweight Workout for tips on how to do just that.
Home Workout #7: The PLP Progression
The PLP is a progressive program in which you complete one additional rep of three exercises – Pull-Ups, Lunges, and Push-Ups – every day, for two months.
NOTE: This is NOT a beginner program, and should not be attempted unless you have been training consistently and can do multiple repetitions of pull-ups and push-ups with great form.
Like this perfect push-up:
And this perfect pull-up:
Here’s how the PLP Progression works:
Day 1:
- Pull-ups: 10 reps
- Push-ups: 10 reps
- Lunges: 10 reps (each leg)
Day 2:
- Pull-ups: 11 reps
- Push-ups: 11 reps
- Lunges: 11 reps (each leg)
Day 3:
- Pull-ups: 12 reps
- Push-ups: 12 reps
- Lunges: 12 reps (each leg)
How long do you keep doing this?
As originally envisioned by Chad Waterbury, the PLP Workout lasts 60 days.[3]
Yeah…by the end of it you’ll be doing more than 50 pull-ups.
There are two versions:
- If you can do 10 straight pull-ups: Start day 1 with 10 reps of each.
- If you cannot do 10 straight pull-ups: Start day 1 with 1 rep of each.
Complete your required reps each day in as many sets as you need, whenever you need to. The goal is to do it in as few sets as possible, but enough so that you can complete each rep with proper form.
Want to learn more? Check out my results on the PLP Workout.
Home Workout #8: The Star Wars Workout!
Do you have access to a hallway that you can commandeer for a bit?
Then you can do our Star Wars Workout!
It’s designed to be done in a very small space, like your home’s hallway…or an escape pod.
The “Padawan” Level of this workout is:
- 30-second knee or feet front plank (3 Sets)
- 10 assisted squats or squats (3 Sets)
- 10 doorway rows (3 Sets)
- A 60-second Farmer-carry (Farmer’s Walk) dumbbells (or milk jugs) (2 sets)
- March in place for 3 minutes of intervals (6 sets of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off)
- 8 elevated or knee push-ups (4 sets)
- 60-second Doorway Leans (2 sets)
If you want to advance to the Jedi Knight or Master Levels, check out The Star Wars Workout, which will also offer you a full description of each move.
Bonus No-Equipment Workout: The Playground Circuit
Do you have a nearby playground? Why not work out there! If you have kids, you can do it together. Or let them ignore you.
I’ll give you a Level One workout, and a Level Two. Check out The 20-Minute Playground Workout for some Level Three exercises.
Playground Workout Level One:
- Alternating step-ups: 20 reps (10 each leg)
- Elevated push-ups: 10 reps
- Swing rows: 10 reps
- Assisted lunges: 8 reps each leg
- Bent leg reverse crunches: 10 reps
Playground Workout Level Two:
- Bench jumps: 10 reps
- Lower incline push-ups: 10 reps
- Body rows: 10 reps
- Lunges: 8 reps each leg
- Straight leg reverse crunches: 10 reps
After you’ve gone through a complete set three times, go down the slide!
Can Home Workouts Build Muscle or Help With Weight Loss?
Throughout our Online Coaching Program, we get two common questions for those wanting to train at home:
- Can working out at home help me build muscle?
- Can working out at home help me lose weight?
The answer to both of these: yep!
Let’s tackle them one by one.
#1) Can working out at home help me build muscle?
You can 100% build muscle mass at home.
Just ask out friend Jimmy here:
Read more on how Jimmy turned into Spider-Man from home!
The trick is to follow a progressive overload strategy, as Coach Jim outlines in this video:
With progressive overload, we want to make our workouts more and more challenging, thus putting additional strain on our muscles.
So to build muscle with home workouts, focus on:
- Increasing your repetitions.
- Decreasing your rest periods between exercises.
- Performing more difficult variations (knee push-ups to push-ups).
- Increasing your time under tension (by going slower).
That will help you build strength and muscle from your casa.
Next up:
#2) Can working out at home help me lose weight?
You can totally train at home for a successful weight loss strategy.
Again, we have a great example with one of our Online Coaching Clients, Sarah the Supermom:
The trick here is to couple your home workouts with adjustments to your nutrition.
We’re big believers that you can’t outrun your fork, so any successful weight loss plan will include a focus on building a healthy plate.
That will look something like this:
If you want some help on adjusting your nutrition, I’ve got two great resources for you:
- The Nerd Fitness Guide to Healthy Eating. This massive resource will help you slowly adjust your nutrition, without forcing you to give up the food you love (yes, you can still eat pizza here and there). No more diets, instead we’ll work on building habits together.
- Nerd Fitness Coaching. If you want to take it to the next level, one of our trained professionals can help you adjust your way of eating to help you reach your goals. No shame. No judgment. Just a like-minded nerd who will show you the way.
How to Build Your Own At-Home Workout
We just went over 8 workouts you can do at home (plus a workout you can do in a park).
You don’t have to stick to these though!
I have two resources to help you design your own no-equipment workout:
- The 42 Best Bodyweight Exercises: This guide will teach you how to perform the best bodyweight exercises – no equipment required! Check it out if you are unfamiliar with any of the movements referenced in today’s guide.
- How To Build Your Own Workout Routine: Once you’re comfortable with a handful of bodyweight exercises, use this guide to pull them all together into a full-body workout!
That should get you going on building a workout you can do in the comfort of your own home.
Want more? Alright, eager beaver, I got you.
We built THREE options for people just like you:
1) If you want step-by-step guidance, a custom workout program that levels up as you get stronger, and a coach to keep you accountable, check out our killer 1-on-1 coaching program:
2) If you want a daily prompt for doing workouts at home, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).
Try your free trial right here:
3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.
Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. It’ll help you start incorporating these bodyweight moves into your training.
Download our comprehensive guide
- Everything you need to know about getting strong.
- Workout routines for bodyweight AND weight training.
- How to find the right gym and train properly in one.
Alright, your turn: I’d love to hear how your home training is going!
Which workout above did you try? Did you make one of your own?
Leave a comment below with your results or any questions you have on working out at home.
For the Rebellion!
-Steve
PS: If you were going to buy one piece of equipment to utilize in your home, a kettlebell would offer you a lot of versatility:
###
Photo Sources: Home Sweet Home 2, good dog, The minifigures of this series are really beautiful, it’s a rap, my friend:), Ekaterina Minaeva © 123RF.com, Hotel Room, af8images © 123RF.com, Tithi Luadthong © 123RF.com, Vintage House Bicycle,
Steve Kamb
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