Category: Fitness

Pull-up is a great way to develop back muscles. It is very important for people who do desk jobs for nine to twelve hours a day to develop strong back muscles if they want to avoid back pain.

But, just because you don’t have a bar at home or don’t have the time to go to a gym because of a time-pressing job, doesn’t mean, you can’t do pull-ups at home.

Here in this article, we are going to suggest alternative ways of doing a pull-up without using a rod.

Ways to do pull-ups without a rod 

Only, if you look around you will find plenty of alternatives that can be used as a substitute to a rod. If you wish to do your rounds of pull-ups at home; some of the best alternatives have been listed below for your convenience.

Use the door of your study room

If you do not have a rod at home for pull-ups, you don’t need to worry. Every house has a door. You can turn the door of your study room as a substitute for the metal rod, and do your rounds of pull-ups.

Process                                                  

You must be wondering how to convert a door into a rod. Just follow the steps below –

• Open the door of your study room. Place the door bolt, and keep a mat at the bottom of the door. So, that the door does not move.
• Face the door and cover the top of the door with a towel.
• Lift your hands and place them on the top of the towel so that you can have a strong grip.
• Lift yourself keeping your spine straight facing the door.
• Hold yourself up for 5 seconds, and then bring yourself down. Follow this movement three to 5 times in each set. It is going to have the same effect on your back and shoulder muscles.

Walk up to the nearest playground to do your rounds of pull-up

If the gym is quite far, or you do not have sufficient money to invest in a gym, you can always choose to walk down to the nearest playground for your rounds of the pull-up.

Process

A lot of parks have monkey bars for children. You can use them for doing a pull-up. They are strong, and can bear the weight of an adult. In case, the park does not have monkey bars, it will surely have swings for children. You can use the bar of a swing set for doing pull-ups. Just stand in the middle of two swings, raise your hands and touch the rod, then gently lift your body up and down slowly. Swing set bars are perfect alternatives to pull-up bars. In case you are lucky, you might also find dedicated pull-up bars in the playground.

Use the branch of a tree and convert it into a pull-up bar

In case you stay in a place where you can’t find any metal rods nearby, you can still do your rounds of pull-ups holding the branch of a tree.

You’d be surprised to know that some branches of trees are really strong and can hold a man’s weight. All you need to do is find a tree, which has sturdy branches, which you can reach up to.

You need to make sure that the girth of the branch should be just right, so that you can hold them. Trees that have wide branches are mostly difficult to hold.

Process

• Find a tree with strong branches. Make sure you can touch the branch of the tree comfortably.
• Face the branch of the tree and stand tall.
• Lift your hands to get a firm grip. Once you feel your grip is strong enough to lift yourself, breathe in to lift yourself.
• Hold yourself up for 5 seconds then breathe out while coming down.

Make use of a smooth fence

Fences are generally strong, and if you can find a fence that is, smooth enough to drag your legs, during pull-ups. You can replace the pull-up rod with the fence. Most people avoid using fences for pull-up, because the surface of the fence is rough, and you might end up hurting your knees when your legs are dragged against the wall. It helps to develop the spine.

Therefore, if you are thinking of replacing the rods with a fence, just make sure the walls of the fence are smooth so that your legs don’t get hurt.

Process

• Face the fence, and put your hands on top of the fence.
• Lift your body in the air. Make sure you breathe in while lifting yourself.
• Hold yourself up for five seconds, and then slowly come down while you breathe out.

Lay a broomstick across two different chairs to make it into a rod

This is the most common practice that can be followed at home to do pull-ups. Most people use this method because a broomstick and two chairs are things you don’t have to go around hunting for in a house.

Process

• Place two chairs parallel to each other.
• Place a broomstick on the top of the chair.
• Lie on the ground in between the two chairs, and lift your hands to hold the broomstick.
• Breathe in while you lift yourself holding the broomstick. Make sure only your upper body moves, while your lower body lies still on the ground.
• Hold yourself up for 5 seconds, and then go down slowly while you breathe out. Follow this step again five to seven times in each set.

Conclusion

Therefore, it can be said that “where there is a will, there is a way” if you make up your mind that you want to do pull-ups, you will surely find a way to do it, even if you cannot go to a gym or, don’t have a pull-up rod at home.

All you need to do is look around. The best alternatives to a pull-up rod can be the door of your study room, the swing set rod, or monkey ladder in the playground, a fence that has smooth walls, a branch of a tree, or a broomstick.

If all else fails you can still do your rounds of workout, using the railing of your house. All you require is the will to do it.

We are sure if you understand the importance of pull-ups, and after you read this article, you will surely find an alternative way to do your rounds of pull-ups at home. End of the day, what matters is the exercise, not the rod.

 Don’t let excuses like not finding a pull-up rod restrain you from your regular rounds of pull-ups at home.

A lot of us were once very active in the playground and spent hours in the gym but, with time, we got stuck in the rat race so badly that we almost forgot our way to the gym. It is a common scenario with almost every working individual. As they say, it’s never late to start over; even if it’s a decade of not stepping into the gym. We are going to share some tips to restart the fitness training that will help you climb back on the treadmill, lift weights, swing kettlebell, and whatnot!

Tips on How to Restart Exercise

We all take a break from our daily routine of exercising at some point in life. Sometimes, it is due to personal hang-ups, and sometimes it is because of a physical ailment. But, the toughest part is getting back on track.

Here are a few ways you can restart your workout session.

Try not to take a long break

The best way to restart fitness training is to avoid taking a long break. If you were already into the habit of exercising, it is advised that you should get back on the gym floor, the minute you feel it’s a long time since you have last worked out. It is ok to take a break for a few days but if you wish to start exercising again it is best not to break the habit of exercising. 

Take monthly resolutions

Another way to restart fitness training is by taking small resolutions. You can start by going to the gym for 30 days to get back into the habit of exercising. Make up your mind to exercise for 30 minutes a day for a start. These small monthly resolutions will help in solidifying the habit of exercising. 

Start enjoying your daily workouts

It’s difficult to habituate something you generally don’t like doing. Therefore, to restart your workout session, you need to first start enjoying your workout sessions. Once you find joy in exercising, you will see how easy it becomes to step back into your running shoes. 

You may find difficulties in doing your old sets because you might have gained weight or are simply out of practice. But this should not be the reason why you do not enjoy doing workouts.

There are a lot of fitness centers that offer a range of fitness programs for people. If you feel you are losing interest try speaking to a fitness expert. They might have something in store for you that you will enjoy. 

Schedule your workout sessions during quiet hours

When you decide it’s time to start exercising, don’t let anything else change your mind. The most common mistake we make when we decide of working out is that we schedule the time of workout during busy hours. We end up skipping the session because something or the other keeps cropping in at the time of workout that needs attention. So, if you want to restart your workout session make sure you schedule the time during quiet hours. Usually, early mornings, before we start working and late evening, just after we got done for the day are considered to be the best time for working out.

Keep a count of the days you pay a visit to the gym

Another good way to restart your workout session is to either keep the count of the days you have gone to the gym or keep a count of the days you do not go to the gym. There is an easy way to keep a track of how long you have not been to the gym. You can simply mark a cross on the calendar on days you have either gone to the gym or have stayed home. It helps you analyze your habit at the end of each month. 

Get a like-minded partner

The most common reason why people drop out of the habit of exercising is lack of motivation. To get back into the habit of exercising and restart fitness training you need to motivate yourself. The easiest and the most effective way to stay motivated is to get a like-minded partner who can accompany you in the gym and workout with you. This way, you will have a reason to go to the gym every day and workout without feeling bored. It will help you stay committed to the habit. 

Turn exercising into a ritual

Once you start working out, make sure your habit of working out turns into a ritual. The habit of exercising should be ingrained into your daily routine in a way that it becomes a ritual. Following this ritualistic regimen should be effortless, in a way that as soon as the clock strikes 6 in the evening or the morning, you automatically head out to go to the gym without thinking of anything else. 

Try working out when you feel stressed

Daily workouts can work as a morale booster and helps you control your stress levels. Therefore, try doing a few rounds of the workout when you get stressed. You will see how effective it is. This also creates a dependency on people. So, the next time you get stressed, try working out and feel the difference. People who are used to working out in times of stress are more likely to get back into the habit and it becomes easy for them to restart fitness training. Spend on cultivating the habit than on expensive equipment

Fitness training has indeed become attractive with all those fitness equipment lying in the gym. But the equipment will only attract you to the gym for a few days. Therefore, it is important for people who are starry-eyed seeing the dumbbells and treadmills in the gym to first get in the habit of exercising. We advise you to spend more time and energy cultivating the habit than spending loads of money on expensive instruments. At the end of the day, it is the habit that keeps you going, not the instruments. 

Start loving yourself

Most people get into the habit of exercising to impress others. The best and the most lasting way is to start admiring yourself. Once we start loving ourselves, it becomes easier to get back into the old habits that are beneficial for us. So, in case you are still in two minds of whether to restart your workout session or not, we suggest, just look into the mirror and ask yourself. Do you wish to start working out for yourself? Or are there some external factors involved?

It is best if you start admiring yourself and eliminate all external factors that motivate you to restart fitness training. Because, if these external factors are motivating you, they also can be the reason for de-motivation at a later stage, if things do not go as planned.

Conclusion

Therefore, it can be said that if you wish to restart your workout session you need to first ensure that you do not break the habit of working out. If you feel you are being detached from the gym, you should make it a point to go to the gym at least for 30 minutes a day. It becomes easier to get habituated if we like doing something. 

Therefore, you need to enjoy your workout sessions. You also need to keep a track of how often you go to the gym by marking the days on your calendar. This will help you get back into the habit faster because you are constantly monitoring your habit. To get habituated, you need to follow the routine ritualistically. 

If you keep these tips in mind, we are sure that it will be easy for you to restart fitness training.

Once you get back on track we recommend you ensure not to fall off the habit again. With a little dedication and commitment, you can easily continue with this habit even in difficult circumstances. Good habits are difficult to form. So, they should not be given up easily.

Push-ups are mandatory for people who intend to build strength and increase flexibility. It is the fastest exercise that works on the pectoral muscles, triceps, and shoulders.

It is very effective and the best part about push-ups is that it does not require any instruments. People can do push-ups anywhere, anytime; all they need is a ground to stand on.

In our day-to-day lives, we hardly find time for extracurricular activities. In this fast-moving world where we are constantly running to earn our living, push-ups come in handy. People, who are health freaks, and conscious about their physical appearance, ensure they take out 10 minutes from their busy schedule to do a round of push-ups.

So, if you too are thinking of making a resolution that you’ll positively take out time for personal care and exercise. Then, this article is for you.

Today we are going to talk about the different types of push-ups that will help you remain healthy, and fit and at the same time, will also help you lose weight.

Six Different Kinds of Push-Ups

When we talk about push-up types, we mean the different kinds of push-ups that are widely being practiced throughout the world in different forms. Some of the push-ups that are highly effective for people have been listed below for your convenience.

The Humble Push-up

The most common among different kinds of push-ups is the humble push-up. It can be done outdoors without any equipment. It is the favorite push-up of athletes.

Process

If you wish to do a humble push-up, your arms should be extended and your hands, elbows, and shoulders should be placed in a straight line. The distance between your feet should be no more than 12 inches. If you are doing this exercise you should remember that if you keep your legs closer it will be difficult for you to do push-ups. The humble push-up emphasizes stability, more than core activity. Make sure you keep your spine neutral throughout the movement while giving push-ups.

Strict Military Push-up

The second most popular among different types of push-up is the strict military push-up. It strengthens the upper body, primarily the chest, shoulders, and triceps. And, also works on the back muscles.

Process

You need to stand straight in a standing position, keeping your feet together. Make sure the gap between your feet is not more than 12 inches. The hands need to be placed on the ground below your shoulders, and the arms should be kept straight. You need to breathe in as you are bending your elbows. The chest should be lowered slightly below the level of your bent elbow. Make sure you exhale as you push back to the starting position. Then, repeat the action in sets of 10 in each round.

Wide Hands Push-ups

The third most popular push-up in the list of different types of push-ups, is wide hands push-ups. People practice this to strengthen their upper body and core, with more focus on the pectoral muscles. 

Process

As suggested in the name, this is the strictest push-up among all other types of push-ups. Here your hands need to be laid on the ground, at a distance of 2.5 to 3 feet apart from each other. And the person who is doing this exercise needs to keep tracking back the elbow throughout the movement. 

Triangle/Diamond Push-up

The triangle push-up is popularly known as a diamond push-up. Among different types of push-ups, this push-up is widely practiced by people who wish to develop their triceps. It builds their triceps and strengthens the upper body and core. 

Process

This push-up is slightly different from other push-up types. Here, you need to begin in a plank position. Your hand needs to be together and angled inward at 45degree. They should be placed on the ground, in a way that your index fingers and thumbs form a triangle or a diamond.

This is precisely why this push-up type is called a diamond push-up or a triangle push-up. The elbows should be held tightly and bent down to lower the chest closer to the triangle. This movement should be reversed in rounds of five to ten depending on the capacity of the individual. 

Pick Push-up

This is the fifth most popular push-up among different types of push-ups. If you wish to develop your shoulders in less time chose to do a few rounds of this push-up type. Pick push-up strengthens the upper body and makes your shoulders strong. 

Process

To do this exercise, you need to bend in the downward dog yoga position. Your feet and hands should be placed on the ground, at a distance that is just wider than the shoulder width. Your hips need to be high and your heels should be low. You are advised to bend your elbows and lower your head towards the floor while maintaining the V position. This push-up is the fifth widely practiced push-up among the different types of push-ups. 

Super (Hindu) Push-up

You must be wondering why the name of this push-up is so different from other different types of push-ups.

The reason why the name of this push-up does not resemble other different kinds of push-ups is that this push-up resembles a yoga posture. This exercise was widely practiced in India in the form of yoga, and its origin is in India. This exercise is practiced to develop the triceps and core. 

Process

If you intend to practice this push-up, you need to slowly swoop from downward dog to cobra pose. The elbow should bend, and the lower nose should be able to touch the ground similar to a pike-push-up. While doing this you should make sure you do not rise from the ground. You need to simply move your torso forward so that you can slide your chest, chin, and rib-cage between your hands. When you see your ribs are closer to your hands, make an arc with your head and torso looking upwards.  Keep moving upwards slowly forming an arc, till your hands are straight and the hips are pressed in the ground.  You can continue this exercise 3 to 5 times in each round.

Summary

To conclude it can be said that if you wish to lead a happy, healthy, and fruitful life, you need to take out at least 30 minutes in a day, to work out. Because our lifestyle does not allow us to spend time doing physical activities.

If we neglect our bodies now, then in the long run it is also going to affect our minds. In this scenario, where we are constantly running after our dreams, and ambitions, we hardly find time to go to a gym. And, most importantly most of us stay in small apartments. We hardly have space to keep big instruments.

Therefore, the easiest way to exercise is doing a few rounds of push-ups. We are sure the six widely practiced types of push-ups that we have mentioned in this article are going to help you sail through your difficulties, and will improve your health in the long run if practiced religiously and regularly.

There are several different kinds of push-ups you can practice without using equipment, but these six push-up styles are the most common and are globally practiced because they are easy, and do not require much space.

If you can spend at least 10 minutes in a day, and practice at least two rounds of any of these six push-ups, on a count of 10 in each round, we are sure you can overcome a lot of your health problems.  

When it comes to fitness and workout, everyone has their own set of preferences. Some people prefer Cardio, while some prefer Yoga. On the other hand, some are fond of freehand exercise whereas some love weightlifting. But according to health experts, the fastest way to get a well-toned body is by doing compound exercises.

It tones the body quicker than other health regimens because these exercises work on multiple muscle groups at one time. They are effective because these movements help in burning fat faster.

Today, we are going to talk about the five best compound workouts for beginners. So, if you have been looking for ways to burn your fat and lose weight, then this article will surely get you one step closer to your dream.

The Best Compound Exercises for Beginners

Listed below are five best compound exercises for you that will help you strengthen your muscles and increase your flexibility.

Push-Up

When we talk about the best compound exercises for beginners, we would like to mention the most common and widely practiced exercises .e., push-ups. It is extremely effective.

Push-up is an exercise where the body weight is used to push muscles. If you wish to work on your pectoral, triceps, deltoids, and abs, this is the best compound exercise. Push-ups help in burning fat and reducing weight. Push-ups are very effective for spot reduction. It falls under the category of compound exercises because it involves the movement of multiple muscles at the same time.

So, if you have developed a beer-belly that is making you look ugly we suggest you start doing a few push-ups daily. In a few months, you will see a visible difference. An easier variation of push-ups isknee Push-up. Whereas on the other hand tougher variations include decline push-ups; it is considered to be one of the best compound exercises for beginners.

Bodyweight Squat

For people who have a sterile life, it is very important that they either get involved in activities that require physical movement or take out at least 30 minutes in a day for exercise.

If you are getting confused about which are the best compound exercises for beginners, then we would suggest practicing bodyweight squat.

There are two benefits of this exercise. Firstly, it helps in building a foundation for building strength.

Secondly, it helps in increasing mobility. There are a lot of people who are interested to go for weight training.

But, you need to remember that, if you are heading for barbell squats, you need to first master bodyweight squat. People who wish to develop their quads, glutes, hamstrings, or core muscles should try bodyweight squat. The easy variation of Bodyweight squat is assisted bodyweight squat- where the person has a mentor beside them throughout the exercise who watches over them. One of the most difficult variations of bodyweight squat is Goblet Squat. 

Inverted Bodyweight Row

Have you seen people in the gym doing 20 to 25 pull-ups at one shot? We know it looks extremely cool. The person performing the exercise does the pull-ups and chin-ups such effortlessly, that seeing them perform their rounds, and it feels like it’s a piece of cake.

But, it is not that simple. If you have recently joined the gym we suggest not heading for the pull-ups on day one. Instead, try the inverted bodyweight row. It is considered to be one of the best compound exercises for beginners.

These exercises are extremely important for people who are aiming to go for pull-ups in the later stage. They help in developing your pull-muscle strength.

They too have variations in them. The easy variation of the inverted bodyweight row is inclined bodyweight row and the tough variation is elevated feet inverted row.

In case of inclined bodyweight row the body is inclined over a surface during the pushups. In elevated feet inverted row the feet are elevated during the push-ups.

You can develop all your back muscles that include dorsi, trapizious, and rhomboids by doing a few rounds of the inverted bodyweight row. You can also develop your biceps and forearms and improve your grip as well. 

Pull-Up and Chin Up

Physical training becomes fun once you learn to balance your body weight above the ground. If you wish to develop all your back muscles, dorsi, trapizious, and also, wish you had a strong grip. You should focus on doing regular rounds of pull-ups and chin-ups. The easy variation of pull-up is a negative pull-up and the tough version is a weighted pull-up. 

Bodyweight Dip

Once you are used to push-ups and pulls ups you will observe less of fatigue when you complete your regular rounds. This is an indicator that you need to increase the rounds. In order to increase the challenge, you can try doing a few bodyweight dips.

Easy variation of bodyweight dip is assisted dip where you are given constant guidance.

The difficult variation of bodyweight dip is weighted dips.  In case of weighted dips you are made to carry a weight in between your legs while performing the dips. It requires more effort than assisted dip. It develops your pectoral muscles, triceps, deltoids, rhomboid, and abs. 

Conclusion

There are a lot of people who come to the gym with the objective to lose weight or stay fit. But, among these people, a certain percentage of people wish to take this as a profession. They land up becoming either body builders, or physical trainers.

These five compound exercises will help you take your first step in bodyweight training. So, if you wish to set a benchmark in the world of exercises and develop your body faster than usual, you need to get into the habit of doing these compound exercises. And remember the following points-

• Firstly, Push-up is an exercise where the body weight is used to push muscles. If you wish to work on your pectoral, triceps, deltoids, and abs, this is the best compound exercise.
• Secondly, if you are looking forward to building a foundation for building strength.You need to do a few rounds of the bodyweight squat. It helps in increasing mobility.
• Thirdly, the most popular compound exercise is the inverted bodyweight row. They help in developing your pull-muscle strength. They too have variations in them. You can develop all your back muscles that include dorsi, trapizious, and rhomboids by doing a few rounds of the inverted bodyweight row. You can also, develop your biceps and forearms and improve your grip as well.
• Fourthly, if you wish to develop all your back muscles, and have a strong grip you should focus on doing regular rounds of pull-ups and chin-ups.
• Finally, there comes a time for every person when they get used to the regimen of the exercise. This is when they can increase their challenges by doing a few rounds of bodyweight dips.

Therefore, if you wish to develop your muscles, lose weight, and get a great physique that suits your personality. We are sure that these five compound exercises will help you attain the body you always desired in no time. These exercises also help in strengthening the body mass and bring in flexibility. People all over the world are practicing these simple exercises to stay fit and agile.