Some Health Kik members don't have a gym membership, they have limited equipment which they use at home. This means I am always asked by these members how they can follow the workout programs in the Health Kik member's area - today I am going to answer this question.
This will serve as a great tool for all "stay at home" Health Kik members, alongside people who just like reading my blogs but are yet to join Health Kik.
The Essentials...
With a barbell, some dumbbells and weight plates you have almost everything you need to transform your physique. Having a bench and something like a power rack for safety is also highly advisable. Other than that, everything else is just a luxury which gives you more options.
Compound Lifts First
There will never be a replacement for compound lifts such as bench press, military press, squats, deadlifts, rack pulls, pull ups and dips. Exercises like these will always provide the biggest impact per repetition on a like for like basis. Pretty much every key compound lift can be done in some way using the basic equipment outlined above.
Isolation exercises are also extremely valuable, don't misconstrue the above point. Prioritize compound lifts though and then add single-joint movements to compliment them.
Like For Like Alternatives
In the Health Kik programs, you have a very detailed workout plan to follow every single week. The most simple advice I can give is to use "like for like" changes. Some people may not really grasp what this means, so let me explain.
If the program says to use the pec-dec, do dumbbell flys. If the program says to do leg press, do squats. If the program says to do pulldowns, do pull-ups. Not all alternatives will be directly comparable, however, you can get close enough! The most important thing is using compound lifts when that has been programmed.
Perhaps the biggest variable is the volume, repetitions and rest periods - let's look at why.
Apply The Same Volume & Repetitions
If the workout scheduled has 19 sets, that is what you must get done even if the exercises are all the same. If the repetition ranges are 10-12 for the first exercise, then grow to 15-20 for the next exercise that is what you must do. The rest periods should also be reflected in your homemade variation of the workout on Health Kik.
This means that you will cover the same training volume, stimulate the same muscle fiber types, induce the same form of hypertrophy and create the same level of intensity. All of these things are what really drives change, they are still firmly in your control even at home with limited equipment.
Use Rep Tempo Strategically
Every Health Kik workout will give you a prescribed repetition tempo, this means the time at which each rep takes to complete. If the weight you have at home is too light then you can slow down your rep tempo to compensate for this - even with modest amounts of weight, your muscle will quickly fatigue if your tempo is slow enough!
This is a strategy I have used many times with my VIP online clients who are on the road and without much equipment to really stimulate change.
Summary
Don't allow a lack of training equipment to be an obstacle, provided you have the basics I have outlined above you have the ability to achieve incredible results!
Kris Gethin