Exercise and fitness have always been hot topics.
But since everything went online it’s been put in front of us so much more.
Especially with the introduction of Facebook and Instagram.
It’s so easy to keep up with what’s popular and see all the new things going on in the fitness industry.
Training at home or even bodyweight training is not a new thing.
But with the current situation we’re facing globally it’s becoming a lot of people’s only option.
Gyms are still closed or only accepting limited numbers of people at a time.
And it’s hard on both sides here, for the clients wanting to train but finding their options becoming more and more limited.
But also for the gym owners and fitness professionals who are finding their income being cut in half or cut off completely.
We’re finding more and more people having no choice but to train at home.
Online shops are people’s only option for gym equipment.
But as I’m sure you’re all aware.
Weights are expensive to ship!
Not alone that they take up a lot of space!
And with smaller living spaces very much the way the world is for most of us, how do we fit all the equipment into our homes to stay in shape?
If we just talk about cardio what options are there?
How do you fit a treadmill, exercise bike, or rowing machine into a 2 bedroom apartment?
I don’t know of any that pack down and fit under your bed.
But I know of something you can fit inside a sock and dates back to 1600 AD!
But it’s been popular globally since about the 1940s. So what is this wonder cardio tool?
A skipping rope.
That’s right, so compact you lose them!
And they don’t take up much space at all! I use mine inside our 2 bedroom apartment all the time.
Sure there are only a few spots I can actually use inside thanks to our ceiling fan.
But it’s perfect out on the balcony or out in the driveway.
But why don’t we move on to some equipment for getting swole!
So how can we build muscle at home with equipment that won’t take up too much space?
The same way I do.
My full home-based gym equipment fits into one milk crate that sits under a shelf in the laundry.
In fact, it’s so full of useful equipment I take it with me when I train clients at their homes or at the parks nearby.
That’s right, we’ve had to change the way we do things.
Sure gyms in Australia have opened back up, but people have seen a new way to train and they like it!
Most people have gone back to their gyms I admit.
But there are now more people than ever switching it up and training outdoors with minimal equipment.
So what do I keep in my milk crate?
3 Kettlebells, 4 resistance bands, a TRX, an Ab wheel, and 3 skipping ropes.
3 Skipping ropes because they’re all at different lengths as my clients are at different heights.
For me, this is perfect for me to get in a great strength workout or a high-intensity fat-burning workout.
I can use everything for both, and I only need a few square feet of space.
If you can lie down you have enough space for a workout.
The resistance bands are awesome for building muscle.
They replicate a cable machine so well and the only real issue I find with them is tying them to things.
I admit if it’s a rainy day it limits what I can do with the bands.
Out the back of our place, I can get a full range of movements easily, as I can tie the bands high or low.
When I’m inside I can loop the band under one leg of the couch but that means I can only pull up not down.
I can still get my whole body but there is a limit to the movements I can do.
But still, better than nothing right?
And the kettlebells really have no limits inside, Unless I had 50 people over…
But who wants to work out when they have that many people in their house.
If you’re still not convinced then get yourself a FREE copy of my EBook Train wherever the f*ck you want!
It’s my full guide to resistance bands and how they’ve become the perfect gym you can take anywhere!
So other than the skipping rope how else can we get some cardio in?
Let’s break down what cardio actually is because so many people think it’s just going for a run.
Cardio means to train your cardiovascular system, your heart pretty much.
So to put it simply, cardio is anything that gets your heart rate up.
So that’s where my little box of toys ticks that box as well.
Do 50 kettlebell swings and tell when your heart rate is.
Can you feel it in your throat?
There we go, cardio.
You can even replicate kettlebell swings with a resistance band.
Go to my favorite video on youtube.
It’s a 30 second interval timer, I use this all the time with myself and clients.
Now you’re ready for your cardio sessions.
30 seconds of work, 30 seconds of rest.
Rotate through push-ups, jump squats, kettlebell swings, and banded thrusters.
Have a full minute rest at the end of the round.
Do 3 more rounds of that and tell me how you feel.
Heart rate up, breathing heavy, and lying on the floor slipping around on the now sweaty tiles?
Boom! Cardio done.
Home cardio without equipment at all is quite easy as well.
Follow the same sort of formula and do intervals of work-rest with exercises like push-ups and squats.
The same thing will happen: you’ll get your heart rate up high and the rest isn’t long enough to let it get right back down again.
10 minutes of that and you’ll be toast!
Check out this video I put up recently showing you a great no-equipment workout that you can follow along with.
I did the workout in our cafe just to show you that it can be done anywhere!
So I’ll be super biased here and say that my equipment is all you need.
But I’m not wrong, I use it myself and have seen great results and then there are my clients who are getting the same results.
And like I said, it takes up next to know space.
Even less if you got rid of the kettlebells.
Just the resistance bands on their own are great for burning fat and building muscle.
I really can’t recommend resistance bands enough.
All you need is 4 to get a good variety in the level of resistance.
But just one for starters is great.
I know plenty of people that went out and bought 1 to try it out and they never bother getting more.
And just like the skipping rope, you could easily put your bands in the corner of your sock draw.
So what are you waiting for?
Get your copy of my free EBook and see how you can train anywhere you want. Build muscle and burn fat anyway?
Doesn’t get much better than that, does it?
