Strength Training Exercises at Home
Strength training exercises at home are effective, efficient, and economical!
You can get a full-body strength training workout with minimal equipment in the privacy of your own space, at your own convenience.
Types of resistance
There are many types of resistance tools that are affordable and easy to store – beginning with your own body! Calisthenics are exercises that use body weight alone, like push-ups and squats. These classic exercises help perfect your form and alignment and prepare you for more advanced work. A shift in body weight can increase or decrease the level of resistance in bodyweight exercises. See related: 4 Functional Exercises for Lifelong Fitness
Other forms of resistance include free weights, toning and medicine balls, stretch bands and tubes.
Benefits of strength training exercises at home vs. machines at the gym
There are many advantages of using this at-home equipment as opposed to gym-based machines, including:
Using your own core muscles to stabilize instead of relying on an external structure
Training in a more functional manner, using movement patterns that reinforce the way you perform your daily activities
Spotting asymmetries in the body and correcting these imbalances, bringing the body into better alignment
Challenging your balance and coordination, making strength training more of a sport
American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) strength training guidelines
At minimum, all you need for a full-body workout are two sets of dumbbells (one light and one 2-5 pounds heavier) and a sturdy chair.
Select 8-10 exercises that work the major muscle groups.
Perform one set of 8-12 repetitions for healthy adults, or 10-15 repetitions for older and frail individuals.
Do the routine 2-3 times/week on non-consecutive days, allowing one day of rest in between workouts.
Sample routine of 10 exercises that meets ACSM guidelines
Step by step instructions and videos of the exercises follow below.
Lower body
Squat
Stationary lunge
Calf raise/toe life
Standing upper body
4. One-arm lat row
5. Shoulder raise
6. Biceps curl
Floor and core
7. Push-up
8. Plank
9. Bird dog
10. Glute bridge
The Exercises
1) Squat The #1 Exercise for life is the squat, the movement that we need to get up from a seated position that keeps us functional and independent throughout life. It works the major muscles of the thighs, buttocks and lower legs and uses the abdominal and back muscles to stabilize the torso.
Stand in front of the chair with your legs parallel about hip width apart.
Shift your weight back on your heels.
Bend your knees and reach back with your hips, lowering yourself toward the chair as if to sit down.
If you are just beginning, go partway down and then squeeze the buttocks to return to the start position. As you become more experienced, continue to bend your knees until you tap the edge of the chair with your hips. When you are ready, hold a weight in each hand, arms by your sides, palms facing in.
Squat: Strength Training Exercises at Home - Video 1
Video 1 - The squat is the #1 functional exercise for life.
2) Stationary lunge As in the Squat, the Stationary lunge works the major muscles of the lower body, the glutes, quads, and hamstrings. Along with the Squat it is a functional movement that we need to safely get down to and up from the floor.
Stand sideways to the chair, feet parallel.
Take a giant step back with one leg.
Keep your hips square to the front and your weight centered evenly between your legs. Bend both knees, keeping your front knee directly over the ankle, allowing the back heel to lift off the floor.
Straighten both legs and return to start position. The motion is up and down, not forward and back. When you are ready, hold one heavy weight in the hand opposite the front leg.
Stationary lunge: Strength Training Exercises at Home - Video 2
Video 2 - The Stationary or Modified Lunge works all the major muscles of the legs - the glutes, quads, and hamstrings.
3) Calf raise/toe lift This exercise addresses strength in the lower legs for walking ability and ankle stability.
Stand near the chair for support, legs hip-width apart, feet parallel.
Lift up on the balls of your feet as high as you can, then slowly lower your heels back to the floor.
Lift both forefeet, rocking back on your heels slightly.
Repeat, alternating calf raise and toe lift without resting.
For other exercises to reduce your risk of falling, see Exercises for Fall Prevention.
Calf raise/toe lift: Strength Training Exercises at Home - Video 3
Video 3 - Do the Calf raise/toe lift to improve ankle stability and walking ability. Every time you take a step, land with a heel strike, forefoot lifted, and roll through the foot.
4) One-arm lat row Working the major muscle of the back, the latissimus dorsi, is essential for good posture, pelvic stability, and upper body strength.
Stand sideways to the chair in a staggered lunge position with your feet planted, front knee bent directly over your ankle, back leg straight.
Lengthen your spine and hinge forward from the hip to 45 degrees.
Hold one heavy weight in your hand opposite the front leg, hanging directly below the shoulder, palm facing in.
Draw your shoulder blade toward the spine; then bend your elbow, pulling the weight up to your waist, keeping your elbow close to your side.
Release slowly and repeat. Do all reps, then switch sides.
One-arm lat row: Strength Training Exercises at Home - Video 4
Video 4 - The One-arm lat row works the largest muscle of the back, the latissimus dorsi, for better posture, stability, and strength.
5) Shoulder raise Along with the muscles of the back and the chest, the shoulder is central to upper body strength. However, because of the highly mobile shoulder joint, it is also vulnerable to injury and is at risk with daily activities as well as with exercise. This is the safest variation of a shoulder raise exercise.
Stand with your legs hip-width apart, feet parallel.
Hold a light weight in each hand, palms facing in.
Pull your shoulder blades down and together and externally rotate your upper arm.
Lift both arms out to the sides in a wide “V” (slightly forward of the midline of the body) to shoulder level (no higher).
Keep your arms straight but not stiff, with your thumbs up at the top of the movement. Return to start and repeat.
For a full complement of other ways to work the shoulders safely, see Home Shoulder Exercises.
Shoulder raise: Strength Training Exercises at Home - Video 5
Video 5 - This variation of a shoulder raise exercise has been proven to be the safest way to target the shoulders with least risk of injury.
6) Biceps curl The biceps muscle in front of the upper arm is important for lifting and carrying in our daily life, whether it’s groceries, your laptop, or a carry-on.
Standing, hold a weight in each hand, palms facing forward. Alternatively, sit with a band looped around the arch of one or both feet as shown in the video below.
Bend your elbows to bring the weights up toward your shoulders, then slowly straighten your arms back to the starting position.
Repeat without resting.
Biceps curl: Strength Training Exercises at Home - Video 6
Video 6 - As an example of using different kinds of resistance, you can do the seated biceps curl with a band or standing with free weights.
7) Push-up The push up engages three muscles of the upper body, the chest, shoulder, and triceps in the back of the upper arm.
It’s a perfect example of a how a shift in bodyweight can increase or decrease the level of resistance. The classic half push up is performed from the knees on the floor. If you are just beginning, first do a push up standing in front of a wall with your arms extended, 3-4 inches wider than shoulder width apart. When you are ready to progress, do a diagonal push up against the kitchen counter, with your body at a 45-degree angle to the floor. To advance, move to the floor.
Kneel on the floor with your arms slightly forward of your shoulders and 3-4 inches wider than shoulder-width apart.
Drop your hips and shift your weight forward so there is no direct pressure on your knee caps. Your torso should form a straight line from shoulder to knees.
Draw your shoulder blades down and together, then bend your elbows out to the sides to form a box as you lower your chest to the floor.
Straighten your arms and push up.
Push-up: Strength Training Exercises at Home - Video 7
Video 7 - The Push-up is an example of how a shift in bodyweight can change the level of resistance, as well as how you can target different muscles by changing the position of your arms.
8) Forearm plank The forearm plank is an isometric core stabilization exercise in which you hold your trunk in perfect neutral spinal alignment. As in the push-up above, a shift in bodyweight changes the level of resistance. You can perform a standing plank with your forearms planted against a wall, a half plank from your knees on the floor, or a full plank with the entire length of your body from your toes to your forearms hovering above the floor. For the full plank:
Begin lying on your stomach, arms bent with elbows directly beneath the shoulders, forearms on the floor.
Come up onto your toes and lift your body off the floor, creating a straight line from shoulder to knee to ankle.
Pull your abs tight and anchor your shoulder blades.
Hold for 30-60 seconds, breathing normally.
Forearm plank: Strength Training Exercises at Home - Video 8
Video 8 - The Forearm plank is another example of how a shift in bodyweight changes the level of resistance, from standing against a wall, to a half-plank on the floor, to a full body plank.
9) Bird dog is a pet name for the opposite arm and leg lift performed from a kneeling (quadruped) position. It is a type of back extension that, while working the erectors spinal and glutes, challenges your balance and core stability.
To begin, learn to hold a proper quadruped position supported on the hands and knees, with your hands under your shoulders, knees under your hips, head and neck aligned with your spine.
When you can successfully hold this position, lift one leg and, when you have your balance, add the opposite arm. Hold for a moment, then release and repeat with the other side.
Continue to lift opposite arm and legs in this manner, alternating sides, for 5-10 repetitions (one rep = both sides).
For a detailed step-by-step description of this exercise sequence, please visit What is the Bird Dog Exercise?
Bird dog: Strength Training Exercises at Home - Video 9
Video 9 - Bird dog is a spinal extension exercise that challenges your balance and core stability while working the posterior side of your body - spine, glutes, hamstrings, and back of the shoulder.
10) Dead bug is a progression of movements that strengthens the core by challenging the deep abdominal muscle, the transverse abdominis or TVA, to stabilize the pelvis against the resistance of the moving arms and legs. As the movements become increasingly difficult, the TVA gets stronger to keep the low back from arching and the pelvis from tilting.
Lie on your back with your legs bent in the air, knees over hips and calves parallel to the floor, extend your arms to the ceiling, hands directly over your shoulders, palms facing forward.
Contract your abdominals by drawing your belly button toward your spine. Lower one arm overhead and straighten the opposite leg, lowering it as close to the floor as possible without arching your back.
Bring the raised bent knee in closer to your chest.
Return to the start position and repeat, alternating sides, until you’ve completed 10 reps (one rep = both sides).
To increase the level of difficulty, hold the lowered position for a count of 10, then change sides and repeat.
For the step-by-step series of movements building up to the full Dead bug, please see What is the Dead Bug Exercise?
Dead bug: Strength Training Exercises at Home - Video 10
Video 10 - The Dead bug is a series of movements strengthening the deep abdominal muscle to stabilize the pelvis against the moving resistance of the arms and legs.
As you get stronger, you can progress by adding one to two sets of each exercise, using heavier weights or longer holds, and incorporating new exercises. Remember that you should periodically change your routine to keep your muscles stimulated.
© Copyright – Joan L. Pagano. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
For expert guidance on strength training techniques, step by step photos depicting how to perform the exercises and a selection of well-rounded workouts please check out the book Strength Training Exercises for Women by Joan Pagano at https://amzn.to/3mm1GDN