Over the last year I have been investing in equipment to complete my home gym and now with it all set up I am struggling on how to appraoch the weight side of things. I am 38 years of age and really want to tone up rather than put any kind of muscle on, has anyone got any suggestions that could help me start tackling this challenge? The equipment I have is a cable crossover machine and a pretty standard multi gym. Any help would be appreciated.
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Weight training at Home
- Thread starter rogermorgan33
- Start date
Most of these types of equipment come with a range of exercises that you can do. Without knowing exactly what you have it is hard to say which exercises to do but as long as you observe the standard systems for toning workouts you should be fine.
Make sure the workout is even. With limited equipment it can be very easy to end up training a few areas too much and others barely at all. Consider all muscle groups used in an exercise to do this. Bench press is often viewed as a chest exercise, but the prime movers are triceps and shoulders are heavy used too.
Rep ranges are in the high end for toning 12-20 is good or do timed circuits instead moving to a new station every minute or more either is with minimal rest.
You should tire rather than struggle to move during toning workouts. If you fail to complete the set decrease the weight slightly next time, only increase if not tiring at all on that exercise.
Toning will still build muscle, as will any activity that uses them. Even marathon runners build muscle, just very flat wiry slow twitchers.
If you are going for circuit style training, which most toning workouts are forms of, it is worth having everything set up and remembering that a small number of compound exercises repeated more times will often be far better than a lot of isolation repeated less.
Exercises that are good for circuit if you can.
Squat or leg press if can't
Bench press
High pull onto toes with cable
Lat pulls or low rows
Woodchoppers
Doing these a minute with enough rest to change exercise only 3 or 4 times around will be good. It will be suitable for someone relatively unused to weights if the load is minimal, or someone more advance with more weight or longer duration. Gauge intensity for yourself, if in doubt start lower, it is easier to add weight than nurse injuries.
I am just getting used to my home kit too, after years of training at gyms. I personally prefer it, especially because I know once I have finished cool down and stretch there is a nice sofa an TV just a few feet away, and plenty of food in the cupboards. If I am nice Santa will be bringing me a suspension trainer for Christmas, if not I'll nab it from his sleigh anyway.
Make sure the workout is even. With limited equipment it can be very easy to end up training a few areas too much and others barely at all. Consider all muscle groups used in an exercise to do this. Bench press is often viewed as a chest exercise, but the prime movers are triceps and shoulders are heavy used too.
Rep ranges are in the high end for toning 12-20 is good or do timed circuits instead moving to a new station every minute or more either is with minimal rest.
You should tire rather than struggle to move during toning workouts. If you fail to complete the set decrease the weight slightly next time, only increase if not tiring at all on that exercise.
Toning will still build muscle, as will any activity that uses them. Even marathon runners build muscle, just very flat wiry slow twitchers.
If you are going for circuit style training, which most toning workouts are forms of, it is worth having everything set up and remembering that a small number of compound exercises repeated more times will often be far better than a lot of isolation repeated less.
Exercises that are good for circuit if you can.
Squat or leg press if can't
Bench press
High pull onto toes with cable
Lat pulls or low rows
Woodchoppers
Doing these a minute with enough rest to change exercise only 3 or 4 times around will be good. It will be suitable for someone relatively unused to weights if the load is minimal, or someone more advance with more weight or longer duration. Gauge intensity for yourself, if in doubt start lower, it is easier to add weight than nurse injuries.
I am just getting used to my home kit too, after years of training at gyms. I personally prefer it, especially because I know once I have finished cool down and stretch there is a nice sofa an TV just a few feet away, and plenty of food in the cupboards. If I am nice Santa will be bringing me a suspension trainer for Christmas, if not I'll nab it from his sleigh anyway.