You don’t necessarily need additional weight to build and tone your muscles. Sometimes your own body is heavy, especially if you are focused on increasing repetition and tired muscles.
There are many weight exercises that you can easily perform anytime, anywhere without the need for lots of space. This gives you a great opportunity to train, whether you’re at a hotel, on the beach or on a plane. Here are some of the best weight exercises you can do to help you build muscle.
Squat
You can’t get the squat wrong. A simple weight air squat, one of the major exercises in all possible training programs, is effective enough to rejuvenate and tone the legs and gluteal muscles. They work throughout the posterior chain, but require the active quadriceps as well as the hips. This makes them the perfect exercise for your lower body and you can do them even when you are brushing your teeth.
Start from a standing position and keep your feet away from your hips. Extend your arms forward at the same height as your chest to activate the core. As you breathe in, slowly begin to sit down, as if you were sitting in a fictitious chair behind you. Tilt your pelvis forward to prevent your back from arching. At the bottom of the inhalation, try to be as parallel to the floor as possible.
When you start to exhale, stretch your legs back to the starting position and press on your gluteal muscles at the top. Repeat 25 to 30 times, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat 2 more cycles.
To enhance your air squat, add a small pulse to the deepest squat to burn your gluteal muscles, or turn it into an air squat jump that explodes at the end of the lift to maximize your foot activation.
Lunge
Another major exercise that can be performed in different ways is a rush. You can do front, reverse, curtsy, side, or any combination, and you can actually work on all leg muscles up to the point of burnout.
If you are new to lunges, start with a basic reverse lunge. It requires the least stability and has the lowest risk of injury. Start from the standing position and separate your legs by the width of your hips. Place your hands on your hips to rejuvenate your core muscles.
Inhale, step back on your left foot, bend your knees and raise the ball of your left foot. The goal is to create two 90 degree angles. One is the front ankle knee hip and the other is the hind ankle knee hip. Exhale, return to the starting position, and press on the upper gluteal muscles.
You can repeat it 20 to 25 times with the same foot and do the same with your right foot, or alternate each time you reach the starting position. Repeat the entire cycle two more times, 20 to 25 times for each leg, for a total of three times.
push ups
Push-ups are rarely done in practice by gaining weight. Sometimes you can see people trying with a weight plate on their back, but it’s reserved for more adventurous gym enthusiasts because the setup itself isn’t the most comfortable.
When it comes to challenging and building chest and shoulder muscles, regular basic push-ups are sufficient. And, coupled with a board hold, your upper body is really for weight treatment.
Start with your hands under your shoulders, your knees under your hips, and on all fours. Activate the core to keep the ground away from you, slightly curving the upper back and creating space between the shoulder blades. Stretch your legs and raise the base of your toes.
Now, if you are a beginner, drop your knees on the floor and create a straight board line from your knees to your shoulders. Inhale, bend your elbows, open slightly and lift your body an inch off the floor. Aim to put your chin on the floor and keep your chest lifted. Exhale and push yourself back to the board.
If you’re used to doing push-ups and it’s easy to kneel on the floor, start with a full plank. When you lift your body an inch off the floor, you exhale and push your entire body up like a board. Make sure your quadriceps are active and your body feels like a really sturdy and sturdy board.
For maximum results, do as many people as you can until you fail. Take a break and repeat two more times.
Dip
Another great weight exercise that really challenges your upper body is dips. It’s easy to do on a bench on the floor or on a hill, keeping your entire body off the ground and literally lifting your entire weight. These may seem easy, but you’ll have a hard time after the third iteration.
If you are a beginner, start from the bench. Place your hand on the edge of the bench with your fingers facing forward. Bend your knees and lift your hips to the bench. Activate the core muscle, inhale, start bending your elbows, and stop when you meet your shoulders. Exhale, push your body up and stretch your arms.
You can strengthen it by stretching your legs forward and digging your heels into the ground. Or try using a hanging bar or high surface to cross your legs behind you and literally lift your entire weight. Stretch your arms.
Whichever option you choose, it repeats until it fails. Take a break for 30 seconds and do another 2 cycles.
Pull up
Pull-ups, one of the most difficult weight exercises you can do, can take years to master. They require a lot of upper body strength and are really effective in building muscle. That said, there are a lot of changes in the beginning.
The basic chin-up begins with hanging on a stable bar, grabbing the bar with your hands and stretching your arms. Rejuvenate your body, exhale, start pulling up, bring your elbows closer to your trunk, and bring your chin over the bar. Slow down and control your movements to avoid cramping movements and pulling from your hips. You can stretch and bend your legs and cross your ankles. There is basically no pull-up set count. You do everything you can. Then take a break and repeat twice.
If this cannot be achieved, grab the bar in front of your chest with both hands and come to the reverse plate or row. Stretch your legs forward while digging your heels into the floor. Inhale and exhale while pulling your straight body towards the bar. Repeat 15 to 20 times, actually isolating the arm and feel the arm lifting the whole body. Take a break and repeat for another two cycles.
Add these weight exercises to your next muscle building routine and feel each person get stronger. And if you really want to focus on your feet, check out these hamstring exercises that you can do without stepping into the gym.