Strength training is such a great way to help you achieve your physical fitness goals. Whether that is to feel stronger, lose weight, or generally feel happier within yourself, strength training can help.
However, not everyone has access to a gym where there is a weight section of equipment and machines. And some of us aren’t able to afford the investment of dumbbells, kettlebells, and whatever else you might need to do strength training at home.
So can you still embark on your weight loss journey and have strength training form a part of that without any equipment? The answer is yes!
I wanted to share with you strength training for weight loss without equipment ideas to help you start your journey from home.
Benefits of Strength Training When Losing Weight
Strength training is a great way to lose weight. You might usually associate cardio and aerobic exercise with weight loss, but strength training can be a secret weapon to help you boost your weight loss chances by adapting your body. Here are some of the benefits of strength training for weight loss:
- Increases muscle mass – the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn at rest and during exercise workouts.
- You build leaner muscle – This means that you can burn more calories and more effectively as you increase your metabolism.
Things to Consider When Strength Training to Lose Weight
As weight loss is the goal here, there are a few extra things you need to consider before starting and during your strength training workouts:
- Limit the amount of rest between exercises and sets.
- Use big movements that encourage more muscle to be used
- Up the tempo with your movements, where possible and where you feel comfortable to do so.
What Can You Use As Weights From Home?
You don’t always need fancy equipment to start strength training. There are things in your home that you can easily access that can help give you extra resistance when trying out some of the exercises shared below. This includes:
- Cans of food
- Filled up bottles such as water bottles
- Large fruits like watermelons
- A weighted duffel bag or backpack
- A belot or scarf
- Towels
What Strength Training for Weight Loss Can I Do Without Equipment?
Now that you are fully prepared to give strength training for weight loss without equipment, here are some of the exercises that you could try. Remember as you get more confident with them you can increase the sets and reps that you do, or add some of the resistance and weights suggested above.
The Plank
The plank is one of the best ways to increase your strength across your whole body.
Burpees
This is a little more energetic but can be a great way to increase your strength in your legs.
Lunges
Another exercise that is great for your leg muscles and can also have weights and resistance added for your arms.
Push-ups
Push-ups are an obvious exercise that you can do to improve your strength in your arms and also your core. You can build this up to other poses and positions such as the Pike Push-up.
Mountain Climbers
Finally, mountain climbers, where you get into a push-up position and then use your feet to up and down as if you were climbing something.