Best Strength Training Exercises Without a Gym

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Strength training is important for balanced fitness and a strong mental and physical body. Better still, you don’t need a gym! These are some of the best strength training exercises.

(Photo by Sam Knight on Unsplash)

 

Many people believe they need a gym in order to get serious about strength training. This is wrong and an easy excuse for staying stagnant. While having access to a gym offers advantages, you can still get your strength training in without one. Whether at home or outside in your yard or the park, all you need is a strong pair of comfortable sneakers and great workout clothes you can move in. Then its time to exercise!

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With the right body weight exercises, you can get a full-body workout wherever you are. These are critical for maintaining a daily workout plan and great for days when you can’t make it to the gym or are away from home. Or maybe you want to shed that membership altogether. Get yourself a thick workout mat and read on for the best strength training exercises without a gym.

 

Best Strength Training Exercises

 

Push-ups (5 main types)

Pushups are one of the best body weight exercises for strength training. Plus, there are a wide variety of push-ups including diamond, wide arm and assisted. Not only are they good for working out your arms and your chest, but push-ups are great for the muscles in your upper back and shoulders. Additionally, staying stable in push-up position, known as plank, can help to strengthen your core. 

Standard push-ups will do a lot for your strength training routine no matter where you are. However, learning the different push-up variations allows you to target different muscles or increase the intensity of your workout. We also recommend this 30 day push-ups challenge to start small and build up your arm strength.

Squats (5 main types)

Squats need to be in your strength training routine, whether in or out of the gym. Along with being one of the best exercises for strengthening your lower body, squats are also beneficial to your core and overall body stability. As an additional benefit, squats build functional strength that you can use every day. Check out our squats tutorial for learning the perfect form.

Just like pushups, one of the best features of this exercise are the multiple varieties. Beyond the 5 main types of squats, are are a total of 45 different types of squats you can do. If you are aiming to target different muscles or increase the difficulty, then try things like pistol squats or side squats. You can also try a 30 day squats challenge to carve up those muscles.

 

Pull-ups and Chin-ups

Pull-ups and chin-ups offer one of the best upper body workouts you can get. All you need is a great pull-up bar for your home. The difference between these two exercises is your hand position. Your palms face out for pull-ups and your palms face in for chin-ups. In addition to working out your arms, both of these exercises strengthen your upper back and improve your grip strength. 

Part of the reason these exercises are so beneficial is that they are very challenging. However, you can always get a helping hand from a friend or roommate. Many people have trouble doing just one pull-up or chin-up when they are getting started. If you are new to this exercise, start by just hanging from the bar with your hands in the correct position. This will help to strengthen the muscles you need to eventually complete pull-ups and chin-ups.

Resistance Bands

Going beyond body weight, you can use resistance band exercises to add some variety to your routine. Resistance bands are great for strength training because they are affordable and they travel well. With a good set of resistance bands, you can perform a wide range of exercises that offer a more diverse full-body workout. Nearly every exercise can be modified with resistance bands.

 

While the gym has its advantages, there are other great benefits from working out elsewhere. Its not only possible, but easy to get an effective strength training workout with nothing more than your body weight. Using the exercises mentioned above, you now have the foundation for a solid strength training routine without a gym.

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