Lose Fat and Build Muscle Tone With These 7 Home Exercises

Lose Fat and Build Muscle Tone With These 7 Home Exercises

Homeworkout

The scope of this article is to provide you with a beginner level
workout routine that will help you with fat loss and gain lean body
muscle tone. The routine targets your whole body and you will be
training with no fancy gym equipment. It is important to integrate
warm-up and flexibility training in your routine. However, this
article will focus only on the warm-up and exercise routine without
the flexibility. Flexibility training will be discussed in future
articles. Your workout days:

# Week 1 – Tuesday and Thursday
# Week 2 – Tuesday and Thursday
# Week 3 – Monday, Tuesday, Friday
# Week 4 – Monday, Tuesday, Friday
# Week 5 – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
# Week 6 – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday

Your rest period between sets are 1 minute.

Home Equipment that you will need:

To use this exercise routine you will need a pair of dumbells,
comfortable stretchy clothing, a swiss ball or stability ball and drinking water.

How much weight should you use:

This exercise workout contains exercises where you will be performing
12-15 reps per exercise set. Choose a weight that is not too light, in
that you can easily exceed 15 repetitions.

As an example: You can start out with 2 or 5 lbs dumbells for upper
body exercises and 5 or 10 lbs dumbells for lower body exercises.

Let’s begin by going through a short warm-up. Warming up your body
will help slightly prepare your joints, connective tissues and cardio-
respiratory system for your workout.

Warm-up exercises:

Jumping Jacks 2 sets x 20

Instructions:

Start with your legs side by side and your arms by your side. In one
motion jump and spread your legs out to the side while your arms raise
out and up over your head. Land in this position and then return to
the starting position and repeat.

High Knee Drill 1 set x 20

Instructions:

1. Stand in place with feet hip width apart.
2. Drive knee up towards chest and quickly place the foot back on the
ground.
3. Drive other knee up in a moderate to fast jog with minimal ground
contact time.

Lower Body Exercises

Dumbell squats 2 sets x 12-15 reps

Instructions: 1) Grasp DB’s (dumbells) and let arms hang down at
sides.

2) Start position: Stand with feet slightly wider than hip width
apart. Knees should be slightly bent.

3) Lower body by flexing at the hips and knees. Upper body can flex
forward at the hipsslightly (~5°) during movement. Be sure to “sit
back” so that knees stay over the feet.

4) Once thighs are parallel to floor, return to start position.

5) Remember to keep head and back straight in a neutral position –
hyperextension orflexion may cause injury. Keep weight over the middle
of foot and heel, not the toes.

6) DO NOT allow knees to go past the big toe or deviate laterally or
medially throughout movement. Keep abdominals tight throughout
exercise by drawing stomach in toward spine.

Dumbell Sumo Squat 2 sets x 12-15 reps

Instructions:

1. Start by holding a dumbell in each hand between your legs. You may
also hold just onedumbell with two hands as well.

2. Your feet should be wider than shoulder width and your toes pointed
slightly outward.

3. Proceed to squat down until the dumbells almost touch the floor.

4. Your hips should drop back and down while your knees stay directly
above your feet.

5. Repeat for the required number of repetitions

Upper Body

Dumbbell Fly 2 sets x 12-15 reps

Instructions:

1) Sit in an upright position on a swiss ball with a DB in each hand.
(You may rest each DB on the corresponding thigh.)

2) Start position: Lie onto your back and bring the DB’s to your
shoulders. Keep your hips up at all times. Press the DB’s up directly above the chest with the DB’s almost touching and palms facing each other (neutral grip).

3) Keeping the elbows slightly bent, lower the DB’s out and away from
each other in an arcing motion with hands aligned with the nipple-
line.

4) Let your upper arm go parallel to slightly past parallel to the
ground before returning to the start position.

5) To end the exercise, place the DB’s on shoulders and return to the
seated upright position.

Bench Press (dumbbell) 2 sets x 12-15 reps

Instructions:

1) Sit in an upright position on a Swiss ball with a DB in each hand.
(You may rest each DB on the corresponding thigh.)

2) Start position: Lie onto your back and bring the DB’s to your
shoulders. Keep your hips up at all times. Press the DB’s up directly above the chest with palms facing forward.

3) Lower the DB’s keeping your forearms perpendicular to the floor and
your hands aligned at the mid chest area.

4) Let your upper arms go slightly past parallel to the floor and
press the DB’s up to the start position.

5) To end the exercise, place the DB’s on shoulders and return to the
seated upright position.

Standing Bent Over Row (dumbbell) 2 sets x 12-15 reps

Instructions:

1) Stand with feet hip width and knees slightly bent.

2) Start position: Bend at hips with back straight. Hold DB in each
hand with neutral grip (palms facing each other) and let arms straight
down (perpendicular to floor).

3) Keeping elbows close to body, pull DB’s up to body and squeeze
shoulder blades together at top of movement.

4) Return to start position. Remember to keep back and head straight –
hyperextension or flexion may cause injury

Dumbell curl with shoulder press 2 sets x 12-15 reps

Instructions:

1. Start by holding the dumbells at your side with a neutral grip.

2. Curl the dumbells up to shoulder level and then proceed into a
shoulder press.

3. Keep your abs tight throughout the movement.

4. Return to the starting position

Total Body

Squat Pull (one dubmbell) 2 sets x 12-15 reps

Instructions:

1. Start by holding a dumbell between your legs.

2. Proceed into a squatting position until the dumbell touches the
floor.

3. Stand up to the starting position and pull the dumbell with your
arms as you stand.

4. You should pull until the dumbell reaches about chest level.

5. Return to the starting stationary position and repeat.

Don’t forget to finish your routine by properly and slowly stretching
your muscles. If you get dizzy at any time, please stop the workout
and rest for 2-3 minutes. Make sure you properly hydrate before and
after your workout routine. Before starting this workout routine,
please consult your doctor as he will ask you questions that will make
sure your ready for a beginner exercise routine.