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The High Performance Journal - July 2nd, 2024

In 2020, the Covid pandemic swept the world, and everything around me closed down, including the gym.

Like most people, my home gym was non-existent. I didn't have anything to workout with and Amazon was backordered due to everyone trying to get equipment.

I wanted to keep myself in shape, but I couldn't use weights or machines to get a workout.

This is where I learned a crucial fitness lesson:

You don't need to have a gym to build and maintain muscle.

Yes, having them is a benefit but, for the most part, you can still make gains by being a little creative.

While we may not have to deal with another pandemic (hopefully), there will be times when we will have to exercise without a gym.

Also, for various reasons, some people don't like going to gyms (or can't afford to due to financial or life circumstances), and I understand.

Again, you don't need a gym membership at a fancy commercial gym to get results.

So, in this article, I will show you how I created a great home workout to keep building muscle and burning fat.

How To Burn Fat And Build Muscle Without A Gym

This article will be broken down into:

• Equipment
• Workouts
• Exercises

Before reading this article, you should know that getting a great workout for your upper body and core without a gym is simple while getting a great workout for your lower body is harder.

Home Gym Equipment

You also have less to work with, making it more challenging to apply progressive overload to your workouts.

When it comes to making gains it comes down to challenging the body.

This is why I would recommend considering adding some unique equipment to your home gym setup:

• Kettlebells
• Pull-up bars
• Gymnastic rings
• A strong table
• Resistance bands
• Plastic water jugs
• Chairs and stools
• Backpacks or duffle bags loaded with weight or water bottles for resistance
• Jump rope for cardio

These will help you build a nice home gym without making a huge investment.

Types of Home Workouts

There are a few different workouts to consider when working out without a gym.

#1 - Muscle Building

These workouts are done in straight sets and focus on training upper and lower body days or full body.

These are optimal for ​building muscle​ as they allow ample rest times, improving strength output.

#2 - Circuit Training

These workouts are done in ​supersets, tri-sets, or circuits​. They are optimal for time-strapped people because they employ a mix of cardio and strength while taking half the time to complete. This is the type of workout we use in the ​Lean Body 90 course​.

#3 - Skill Development

This is where you are trying to learn a bodyweight skill, such as pistol squats, human flags, or L-sit pull-ups.

This can be done with #1 or even #2, as building up to a bodyweight skill is a form of progressive overload.

List of Exercises for Home Workouts

Upper Body Push Exercises

•  ​Push-ups​ 
•  ​Incline push-ups​ 
•  ​Deficit push-ups​ 
•  ​Band resisted pushups​ 
•  ​One arm pushups​ 
•  ​Gymnastic ring pushups​ 
•  ​Couch dips​ 
•  ​Couch dips legs elevated​ 
•  ​Close grip pushups​ 
•  ​Decline close-grip pushups​ 
•  ​Pike press​ 
•  ​Handstand pushups​ 
•  ​Overhead press​ (using resistance bands, backpack, or water jugs)
•  ​One arm overhead press​ (using resistance bands, backpack, or water jugs)
•  ​Side delt raises​ (using resistance bands, backpack, or water jugs)

Upper Body Pull Exercises

•  ​Pull-ups​ (use bands if too difficult)
•  ​Chin-ups​ (use bands if too difficult)
•  ​Tabletop inverted rows​ 
•  ​Bi-lateral or unilateral rows​ (using resistance bands, backpack, or water jugs)
•  ​Motorcycle row with bands​ 
•  ​Backpack weighted pull-ups​ 
•  ​Upright rows​ (using bands or water jugs)
•  ​Rear delt flies​ (using bands or water jugs)
  
  

Lower Body Exercises

• Squat​ (using bodyweight, kettlebell, backpack, or water jugs)
• Pistol squat​ 
• Step-ups​ (using bodyweight, resistance bands, backpack, or water jugs)
• ​Lunge​ (using bodyweight, kettlebell, backpack, or water jugs)
• Bulgarian split squat​ (using bodyweight, kettlebell, backpack, or water jugs)
• ​Lateral lunges​ (using bodyweight, kettlebell, backpack, or water jugs)
• ​Romanian deadlift​ (using a kettlebell, backpack, or water jugs)
• ​Single-leg romanian deadlift​ (using bodyweight, kettlebell, backpack, or water jugs)
• ​Glute bridges​ 
• ​Hip thrusts ​(using bodyweight, kettlebell, backpack, or water jugs)
• ​Single-leg calf raises​ (using bodyweight, kettlebell, backpack, or water jugs)
• Towel leg curls

Core

•  ​Leg raises​ 
•  ​Hanging leg raises​ 
•  ​Dead bugs​ 
•  ​Pallof presses using bands​ 
•  ​Planks​ 
•  ​Side planks​ 
•  ​McGill Crunches​ 
•  ​Bird Dogs​ 
•  ​Hollow body holds​ 
•  ​Weighted crunches​ 
•  ​Russian Twists​ 
•  ​Human flags​ 
•  ​Dragon flags​ 
•  ​L-sits​ 
  
  

Outro

When it comes to getting results in the gym you should know that you have options.

The gym is not a prerequisite for getting in shape, and there is a lot you can do using items you already have at home.

Are home workouts perfect? No. But they get the job done.

Remember, if this is your preferred method of working out it's recommended you employ

Onwards and upwards 🚀

- Dan

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