As a busy mom, I know how difficult it can be to fit in a workout everyday. I love finding easy ways to sneak in strength training at home or even when I am taking my daughter to the playground.
My health is very important to me, it makes me a better mom when I take the time to look after myself. I was diagnosed with high cholesterol earlier this year and I knew I had to make a change to my lifestyle so that I could be around a long time for my family.
It wasn’t easy, but I started making better food choices and doing Beachbody workout programs. The results I saw were incredible!
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I started doing the ChaLEAN Extreme workout that incorporates strength training as well as interval training. This program taught me just how important it is for everyone to start doing resistance training.
It has made a dramatic difference in my endurance and strength. I could barely do a push up on my knees when I first started the program and now I can do a proper push up and even go from a push up into a side plank and hold it!
I have about a week left in the program and I will be doing a full review if you are more interested in that.
When I don’t have the time to fit in a proper workout, I still like to do strength training exercises at home throughout the day. You will be surprised at how easy it is to do strength training even if you don’t have equipment.
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Why Should I Start Strength Training at Home?
When I was doing mostly cardio workouts, I saw some weight loss but soon hit a plateau. At a certain point, my body just wasn’t changing anymore.
I knew that if I really wanted to tone up and improve my endurance, I needed to add strength and resistance training. The more muscle that you have, the more fat you will burn. Muscle improves your metabolism so even when you are resting, you are still burning fat!
Not to mention that strength training is great for your heart health. The more muscle that you build, the wider your blood vessels become so that they can pump more blood to the muscle and limbs. This is great if you have blood pressure issues.
I found that if I do strength training 3 days a week, cardio 2 days a week, and one day of flexibility training (like yoga) I see the best results in the way my body feels and looks!
Strength Training Exercises without Equipment
When I do my strength training at home, I like to use a set of free weights (5lb, 8lb, and 10lbs) but you can also use a resistance band to see great results, too!
I know that not everyone has equipment on hand so there are plenty of strength training exercises that you can do without equipment.
This is a great way to get in some strength training at home throughout the day.
While Cleaning the House:
- Lunge across the room while you vacuum
- Do calf raises while washing the dishes
- Do hamstring curls while you cook dinner
- Do squats while carrying around the baby
At the Playground:
- Use the monkey bars to do chin ups or pull ups
- Do incline push-ups against a bench
- Do tricep dips on the edge of the bench
- Do squats and sumo squats to really work the glutes and thighs
- Do standing side leg raises
During Commercial Breaks:
- Do tricep dips on the edge of your couch
- Do lunges across the room
- Hold plank through each commercial: regular plank, then left side plank, then right side plank
- Do crunches
- Do side plank hip dips
- Do push ups and tricep push ups
There are so many little ways you can exercise throughout the day. Every little bit adds up, you don’t have to do it all at once to see some improvement in your strength.
I love doing strength training at home because I can fit it on my schedule when I have the time. I love using Beachbody on Demand because I don’t have to drive all the way to the gym.
Let’s be honest, I am usually done with my workout by the time it would have taken me just to drive to the gym!
Use some of these tips to sneak in some strength training exercises throughout the day without having to do a full blown workout.
If you need even more tips and encouragement to stay fit and healthy, check out Becky Mansfield’s course, Lose Weight, Gain Energy. She guides you on how to lose 20 lbs in 6 weeks the healthy way
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