This New Year, make no excuses and earn that fab-body at home. Celebrity fitness expert Vinod Channa tells you how you can do just that.
After a long day at work, it is probably easier curling up on the couch to watch TV, than to make a trip to the gym. But remember, going to the gym is not the only way you can boast of a fit body. If you don’t feel like making it to the gym, you can always bring the benefits of the gym home. By this we mean, a set of home workouts that you can do safely within the confines of your home. Here’s a list of effective workouts that will give you great results on your way to fitness.
Create your own bootcamp
Bootcamp-style workouts are a lot of fun. You can create your own challenge by doing strength and cardio exercises at home.
Try this workout plan: Jumping jacks, lunges, squats, push-ups, Superman from floor and V sit-ups. Perform each exercise for 60 to 90 seconds rest in between exercises as needed. Repeat the whole thing two or three times for best results.
Master the home exercises
1. Jumping Jacks
How to do it: This classic cardio move is a great way to warm up. Start with feet together, hands at sides, core engaged. Now jump legs apart and bring arms overhead, clapping at the top. Keep knees bent as you jump feet back together and bring arms down. Repeat as quickly as possible.
2. Forward Lunge
How to do it: To begin, stand in a split-stance with one leg forward and one leg back. Bend your knees and lower your hips into a lunge position, keeping the front knee and back knee at 90-degree angles. Drop the back knee to the floor do a set of 10 to 15 reps and then switch legs. Do this for three sets total for best results.
3. Push-ups
How to do it: To begin, start face down on the floor with hands out next to your chest, fingers pointed straight ahead and slightly wider than your shoulders. Tighten your abs as you raise yourself up onto your hands and on your feet. Keep your body straight; avoid hiking up hips or sagging in the middle. Bend your arms and lower your body to the floor, stopping when your elbows are at 90 degrees. Then push back up to start position. If too difficult, try doing push-ups with your knees on the floor.
4. Squats
How to do it: Stand as tall as you can with your feet spread shoulder- width apart. Then lower your body as far as you can by pushing your hips back and blending your knees. Pause, and then slowly push yourself back to the starting position.
5. Superman from Floor
How to do it: Lie on the floor, facedown, with arms extended overhead and legs straight out behind you. Palms should be down on the floor. Squeeze your glutes and lower back to raise your upper body and straight legs off the floor. Hold the top position for two seconds, and then return back to the starting position.
6. V Sit-Ups
How to do it: Sit with your feet lifted off the floor, knees bent into your chest, hands clasped behind your head. Lean back and extend both legs straight out, touching your back to the floor but keeping your head and shoulders off the ground. Sit back up and return to your start position. Repeat as many times as you can in a row for one minute.
These easy exercises will help you in staying fit. One can also perform some indoor fun exercises Zumba, Aerobics, Dancing, Partner- and couple-exercises.
Get Back in Shape
Celebrities, they often need to lose weight or gain muscle within a stipulated period of time. So, when I train with them, I need to keep those requirements in mind. However, the essential principles of regularity and eating remain the same. Here’s what you need to keep in mind:
Eliminate wrong eating habits and add good food to your plans: Take in proper balanced foods as per your body’s requirements comprising essential nutrients such as proteins, fibre, vitamins, Maintained amount of carbohydrate with addition of good fat which is needed.
Follow a combination of functional and weight training: The mixing of all the fitness element - strength, metabolic conditioning, flexibility, endurance, body conditioning, speed, agility, reaction time, coordination, core balance and mental endurance give result. Most celebrities follow this regime of working out.
Practise body weight training: Prefer workouts that use your own body weight to achieve fitness goals. This also brings with it benefits of increased agility and reduces the chances of injury.
Make a weekly workout exercise routine: Do functional training for three days, engage in sports for a day or two, practice yoga/power /strength for a day, 1 Day strength training /weight training.
The writer is a celebrity fitness trainer with over 22 years of experience in the fitness industry.
