The quarantine has made all of us have to change our lifestyles in more ways than one-hello sweatpant wardrobe! Another change that has come about is a lack of access in the gym and onset worry of the dreaded loss of gains. Never fear though!- there are ways you can keep up and in some ways increase the intensity of your workouts without the gym.
Use Paused Reps.
One method you can use to make exercises more challenging without access to heavier weights is to implement paused reps. Paused reps are simply taking a 5 second pause at the bottom of your repetition, (such as the bottom of a squat or chest press ) before exploding back up to increase time under tension and the amount of work you are doing with each repetition. This method can be done with virtually any movement so go ahead and give it a whirl- promise it will be a welcome and unexpected new challenge!:)
Do Timed Sets.
One problem I have with at-home workouts is losing focus and thus having 30 minute Vanderpump Rules binge watch session rest periods between each exercise- not a good thing! One method I have used to help combat this is to instead of counting reps- I time them! What I mean by this is I will do a 40/20 work scheme- exercise for 40 seconds, rest for 20 seconds, and repeat! This helps to keep me on track and a lot of times I end up doing more reps than I normal would. It also is a good tool to track improvement and push yourself. Say last time you did a routine you got 10 repetitions in the 40 seconds- this time push for 12! This is a great tool to amp up that intensity without having to leave your living room ;).
Slowed Eccentrics.
One last method I use to increase time under tension and thus the intensity of my workouts, is to slow the eccentric or lowering phase of each method. With a chest press this would be when you lower the dumbbells towards your chest. With a squat this would be when you begin your descent towards the ground. To do this take 4-6 seconds to lower the weight, pause, and then explode back up. This method is a lot harder than it looks and will definitely help to boost those gains when equipment is limited!
These are just some methods I have used to keep up my intensity while working out at home. If you have any questions or need any good routines following these principles- please don’t hesitate to reach out- I would love to help.
As always keep working, keep striving, and keep thriving!:)
xoxo- - - Peanutbutter & Push-Ups
