No Gym? No Problem.
No Gym? No Problem. The Best Workouts That Can Be Done At Home!
By Travis Stevens 2016 Olympic Silver Medalist & BJJ Black Belt: FUJI Fit - Train Like The Pros
Never doubt the amount of quality training you can get in from the comfort of your own home. Too often people complain about not being able to get to a gym. Whether you don’t have time, or don’t have money, there is never a good enough excuse not to train. If you really care about your craft, you’ll find a way to work on it every single day. The good news is, at FUJI Fit, we’re here to help! Follow these guidelines to a quality at home workout and find a way to get it done!
Modalities
We like to break up workouts into modalities. Meaning components, and build upon one to the next. The main modalities we want to hit? Mobility, Activation, Plyometrics/Speed, Strength Training, Conditioning.
Mobility
Every workout for any judo/bjj athlete who is any good will include some component of mobility. From a simple 90/90, to ankle mobility work, and even hip CARs (controlled articular rotations) the best way to prime your body for the workout to come is through mobility work. Additionally, we find that a body that moves through full ranges of motion every single day, tends to gain more strength through those ranges. Ultimately this will yield in you being in control of your body, no matter what position it gets put into on the mats.
Activation
From mobility, we’ll move next into some activation work. It definitely helps to have a few varieties of bands at home. They’re pretty cheap but are incredibly versatile pieces of equipment as well. This will allow you to get some solid banded hip flexor drills in, some glute bridges, monster walks, some bear crawls, and even banded pushups to really fire up the body!
Plyometrics
Depending on how much room you have in your house, plyometrics may or may not be possible. While not necessarily pertinent to the at home workout, they can definitely elevate the level. When we talk plyos at home, we mean explosive stuff! This can include medicine ball work (if you have one), bodyweight jump squats, and sprinting/speed work (if you have the space. Keep this simple and keep it fun!
Strength Training
Now it’s time to get right down to it. Your workout for the day. Body weight workouts can be made more challenging by adding a tempo to each exercise. A tempo written as 3/1/2 means a 3 second descent, a 1 second pause, and a 2 second ascent. Consider this when you’re programming your workout too. For the actual workout we like to follow the concept of KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid). That means: Push, Pull, Core. For the entire workout, for the upper body, program a push, a pull, and a core. For lower body program a push, a pull, and a core. For variety, we like to program an upper body push with a lower body pull and a core. And an upper body pull with a lower body push and a core.
So what does that look like using body weight? Take a look at the potential at home program below for some general ideas:
DAY 1
Mobility:
Activation (Tri-Set):
Band Matrix 3 x 8 each
Monster Walks 3 x 10 each direction
Bear Crawls 3 x 10 Forward/Backward
Plyometric Circuit:
Jump Squat 3 x 5
Med Ball Rainbow Slams 3 x 5 ea
Lean Fall Run 3 x each leg
Workout Tier 1 (Tri-Set):
Single Leg Squat 3 x 10 ea (set a tempo to make it harder 3/1/2)
Chin Up 3 x 5 ea (find a stairwell or doorframe if you don’t have a chinup bar!)
Plank Circuit 3 x each (:60 front, :45 each side, don’t drop down!)
Workout Tier 2 (Tri-Set):
Single Leg DeadLift or SLDL 3 x 10 ea (Set a tempo for a big challenge!)
Push Up 3 x 12 (set a tempo or add bands or elevate feet for a bigger challenge)
Straight Leg Sit Up 3 x 12 (Add weight or reps for a bigger challenge)
Conditioning
It is always a good idea to finish with some kind of conditioning workout. Even in the comfort of your own home, this is still possible to accomplish. You can do 10 minutes straight of ladder drills if you have one, and keep your heart rate high (and improve the neuromuscular response of your footwork as well). Or you could lace up some running shoes and hit the streets for a longer run. Or head to the track for some sprints. Have an exercise bike? Great! Get some low impact interval work in! The options are endless here.
Last Thoughts
Working out at home has never been easier. Take a look at the FUJI Fit blog and talk to coaches you know and trust for more tips and tricks. Having access to bands and kettlebells will only elevate your home workout game too.
The best part about working out at home? It is simple, convenient, and a real time saver. Access to the right knowledge about how to program at home workouts helps to keep you on track. And most importantly, having a plan is absolutely necessary if you’re going to find success!
Check out some other body weight strength training we have at FUJI Fit too.
Thirty minutes and your body is all you need to get a little bit better today. What’re you waiting for?
by Gracie Essentials