Many #LSFbabes worry that a home workout will be insufficient if they’re not able to get to the gym. Well, that doesn’t have to be the case! By utilising a few strategies for success, results from a home workout can be just as impressive compared to a gym routine. 

The Basics Of Fat Loss

Let’s start with the basics of fat loss. You’ve probably heard the saying ‘Abs are made in the kitchen’ and it actually has some merit. I explain this further in my e-book series, Mastering The Basics of Nutrition.

In order to achieve fat loss, you must be in a calorie deficit. Between 10-20% below your daily calorie goal for maintenance is recommended. This doesn’t sound like a huge amount but it is enough to get you the results you want. This magic number is not so noticeable if you are filling your diet with fiber-rich and nutritious foods. You may be thinking ‘If I go lower than this, surely I will lose more?’ but this is not the case and can cause detrimental effects to hormone function and may induce metabolic adaptation. Believe me, I’ve been there and it is not a good time! I want to empower my #LSFbabes with nutrition knowledge to go alongside your training regime so you can really get the most out of your program. 

What Equipment Will I Need?

A small amount of equipment is needed for a home workout. Once you make the initial investment you can continue to use the same equipment for many different exercise variations to increase the difficulty. In my workouts, you will need a set (or two / adjustable weight) dumbbells, a swiss ball, and differing resistance booty bands.

Adding Intensity To A Home Workout

Intensity can be added to home workouts in a variety of ways. When performing bodyweight exercises it is possible to add difficulty to an exercise by varying it slightly. For example, after a few weeks, you may begin to find a regular plank to be quite easy to perform for one minute. If you’re wanting to increase the difficulty try rocking back and forth on your toes to engage your abdominal muscles further OR you could also raise an opposite arm and leg while performing the plank to increase your focus on stability and strengthen your core further. 

Another way I love to add intensity to a workout is by adding in a quick  high-intensity interval training session. This gets the heart rate pumping which will allow you to burn calories more readily. Handy tip: Did you know HIIT training gets your body to continue burning calories for up to 24 hours after your workout? Making it a great addition to include in a fat loss program. 

Time under tension (or TUT) is a great tool to utilise at home in order to increase intensity. This means that your muscles are under MORE tension for MORE time! To do this, slow down each repetition. You may choose to slow the eccentric phase ( the ‘lowering’ part of the movement) or the concentric phase (coming out of a rep - when your muscles are contracting). Either way will have those muscles firing extra hard and work for longer. You may even want to slow down both phases!

1 & ¼ repetitions are another popular tool that you can use. You will perform one full rep plus an extra ¼ rep at the most difficult part of the exercise (for example in a squat you would add the extra ¼ in the bottom). This will quickly fatigue the major muscles that are working in the exercise, as you are basically doubling the reps for that phase!

Paused repetitions are when you come to a complete pause during one part of an exercise. To use the squat for another example, you would likely choose to pause in the bottom when the muscles are under the most load - therefore being the most effective spot! This is a very easy way to fatigue the muscles, especially when performing high repetitions or using a weight like a dumbbell or kettlebell.

You may choose to utilise one of these tools for each workout one week, then try out a different one the following week!

Beating A Plateau

Ahh the dreaded plateau. We’ve all been there, and it is not a place that you want to be stuck for a long time! A plateau happens when our body becomes accustomed to our training and we stop seeing results. Knowing tools on how to beat a plateau will empower you to get through these frustrating times. Try some of these strategies below to overcome a plateau.

Switch Up The Exercises – Slightly!

Continuing to do the same exercises week in week out can cause our bodies to become accustomed to these types of exercises, however, be careful how much you change it up. In my program I keep you girls performing the core lifts each week, because they are essential compound movements that keep you progressing! The core exercises are squats, deadlifts, overhead or chest press and pull exercises. Each fortnight I will add different variations of these core exercises. This is to both improve your technique, increase intensity and target slightly different prime muscles. You will notice that your accessory movements will also change slightly each fortnight for the same reasons - but also to keep the sessions fun and exciting!

Increase Intensity

Once you’ve mastered an exercise with correct form, you then should aim to increase the weight, even if it is by 5% as this will continue to put your muscles under stress. You can also increase the intensity of an exercise by upping the resistance on a booty band OR doing a single leg squat instead of a regular squat. Other ways to increase intensity include reducing rest time between sets OR increasing reps or sets during a session. 

Unfortunately, when training at home there is a limit to how much extra load you can add to your exercises, which makes it seem more difficult to increase intensity. However adding extra repetitions is a great way to do this instead - especially when shredding! 

Adequate Sleep 

Lack of sleep can cause a number of detrimental health impacts that even extend to your training routine. When you’re not sleeping enough you may find you aren’t able to lift as heavy and your coordination is off. Sleep is also when most muscle repair and regeneration happens, so it is super important if you are wanting to avoid injury. I aim for 7-9 hours of quality sleep every night to help me train at my best. 

Giving Your Body Enough Rest

A plateau can sometimes happen if we are overtraining or with continuous long-term training. This is why I recommend a week of deload training one week before starting a new program, or around every 4-6 weeks. Deload training is an easier exercise program utilising a lot lighter weights in order to give both your muscles and nervous system a break. This may include doing your regular program but only doing 1 set instead of 4, OR doing the regular program but with only 80% of the weight you used last time. 

Don’t Give Up

Be consistent with your training and don’t give up. Plateau’s can be super disheartening and some people may give up before they get over the plateau. Hang in there! Sometimes it can take around a week or two for fat loss to begin again. 

If you’re a busy girl, a busy mum, you don’t like the gym, or if you just can’t get there for a workout, my Power Booty Home is the program for you. This program can be done completely from home and if followed correctly will guarantee you some great results. 

Here’s a sneak peek of my Power Booty Home program for you babes to try. I promise you’ll believe results can be gained from a home routine after you try this workout!!

So ladies, do not be disheartened or lose your motivation if you need to train at home, can't get to the gym or just don’t want to get to the gym. You CAN see results at home, and I can’t wait to see your results! 

Check out this full-body burner workout straight from my latest BOSS BABES Challenge home training program HERE!