Surprisingly, more people are exercising in lockdown. It seems that the realization that life isn’t going to be “normal” for a while has encouraged men and women to get creative. Whether it’s going for a jog or using home-based workouts, the evolution of remote exercise is pretty stark.
However, you have a problem – you need to build muscle mass. As a result, closed gyms mean you don’t have access to the specialist machines and equipment that help you hit your goals. You’re happy to stay at home to keep safe, yet you want to be healthy, too.
Here are four quarantine tips for people who want to build or maintain muscle mass.
Use Small Weights
The big weights are under lock and key at the gym, which is annoying, but it isn’t the end of the world. Although it feels as if you’re priming your muscles by benching 200lbs, you can overload your body. When this happens, you won’t complete as many reps or sets, and the net loss will be higher.
The good news is that small weights are easy to store in the home, and they’re excellent for burning calories and getting ripped. Everything from bicep curls to leg raises should get them popping!
Involve Resistance
Lots of people will say “I don’t have any weights.” Don’t worry if you fall into this category because you don’t need weights – you need resistance. The force that pushes back when you exercise is the key to toning up and adding mass, so it’s essential to include it in your work out.
It is as straightforward as taking a heavy object – any will do – and performing standard exercises, such as push-ups. All you do is keep the weighted object in your hand and pull it up to your body. Your whole upper body will thank you for this hack!
Make Up For Supplement Loss
Self-isolation is mentally challenging, so training as hard or as often may not be on the cards. If you can feel yourself slipping, you should try to motivate yourself to get back into a healthy routine. However, there is a loophole that will help – supplements.
From SARMs to creatine, consuming nutrients such as these will enable the muscles to bulk-up without expending too much energy. Small and steady workouts should maintain your current level of mass with the right supplements and vitamins.
Take A Break
Resting isn’t the enemy. If anything, taking a break is critical to maintaining and building your muscles. Studies prove that it can take up to three weeks for well-trained men and women to show signs of atrophy. Even then, the level of loss isn’t very high.
Of course, you’re not going to go twenty-one-days without exercising. Still, you should ensure you have at least one rest day so that your muscles can regroup. On this day, you should be active without overly extending your body.
You could, for instance, go for a long walk to cool down and increase the oxygen supply to your muscles.