Combined with recent insights from Leigh Breen, a professor of translational physiology at the University of Leicester, things seem to be getting a lot more exciting. You can get seriously strong at home WITHOUT heavy weights! It’s a common misconception that lifting heavy weights is the only way to build muscle. As Breen points out, bodyweight exercises and resistance bands provide good alternatives, particularly for those starting their strength training goals.
Breen is a big fan of bodyweight exercises like press-ups, squats, dips, and lunges. These activities are all things they can do in the comfort of their own home with no gym membership or costly equipment needed. He suggests that new users begin with a 5kg dumbbell to familiarize themselves with strength training. Plus, he recommends incorporating resistance bands to level up the efficiency of their routines.
If you’re looking for the best results, Breen recommends doing these exercises two or three times per week. As people get stronger and start to discover these movements worth getting easier, they can begin to slowly increase their repetitions. For example, what initially requires ten repetitions can progress to fifteen or twenty as an individual’s strength increases.
“The muscle should feel fairly fatigued – like you couldn’t do too many more reps,” – Leigh Breen
Breen stresses the importance of quickly increasing training volume, making this key to continued muscle building over time. He stresses that altering your exercises every few months adds variety and intensity to your routines. Not surprisingly, this strategy is an effective way to stimulate muscle growth. This approach enables people to find their edge and adjust their practice as their bodies develop beyond the first few movements.
The myth that you have to use heavy weights to build muscle is one that Breen wants to clear up. We believe him when he claims that bodyweight exercises and resistance bands can be incredibly effective in regardless of muscle growth. Anything is possible today, including taking control of your fitness journey from home by building a well-rounded workout routine. Stretch yourself by gradually increasing the intensity of each movement.