Many of you here have either already made the jump to working out at home or are now considering it. This article is here to help you make the most of your home gym workouts or help you not miss a beat if you are accustomed to working out at a commercial gym. There are a number of ways to maximize what you can accomplish and in my experience, I actually get more done in less time with my at-home workouts. I no longer have to commute to the gym or wait for the equipment I planned to use.

There are a number of ways to ensure you are maximizing your strength training, cardio, or a combination of the two in your home gym. I will go through some key ways to keep you moving forward on your fitness goal and stick to your workout routine.

Nothing sucks more than planning to workout on a given day and then not finding the time to get your workout in. I get it, things get in the way, maybe you had a bad night of sleep but scheduling your resistance training sessions is a sure way to reduce the times you miss your exercise routine.

If you find yourself winging it and not conducting regular exercise as often as you would like, schedule it. It can be the same days each week or some other reoccurring schedule that works for you. We all know that we are more apt to make excuses or push our physical activity off to another day if we don’t plan for it.

Some additional tips include; making a specific time that you will work out every day. Make it a habit and a set time every day. If you can’t do the exact same time every day, then make sure you plan out your week. The process should only take you a few minutes and this will make sure you get it done. Put it on your calendar so you can see your week or month weight training plan in totality. This usually also makes your program look less overwhelming.

Many people talk about losing motivation or asking how to stay motivated. Motivation ebbs and flows but knowing you are making progress is a great way to keep you coming back. Whether you visually see the increase in muscle mass or weight loss or see weight improvements on paper, you can see your hard work paying off. Tracking your results can be done in several different ways and I have provided several options below. Keep in mind, that not every way possible is listed.

You would think that everyone does this but many do not. They go into each workout based on feel and just winging it. Ask yourself this question, do you just want to work out, or do your want results? If you just enjoy working out and don’t care about muscle or strength improvement, or muscular endurance then have at it and just be your healthy self! If you are looking for more, you will need a program to progress your fitness level.

There are a number of resources, including us here at Renegade, that specialize in this area and can help you optimize your time in the gym. As a personal trainer myself, I always recommend that people follow some type of programming as it allows you to track your progress (see above), identify what does and does not work for you, and celebrate when you hit goals!

Additionally, if you are not making progress, then it’s time to find something different. A workout will work well for so long and over time, not only do new workouts provide variety but they also provide new stimuli. However, this does not mean your workout needs to change every day. I prefer to keep my main exercises consistent and change my supplementary exercises to get that variety many of us seek. One last point on this, there is no need for changing a program so long as it is working. Once it stops, you either need a break or deload or a new program.

There is nothing like setting a fitness goal or desiring a great chest or explosive quads but all you have are a set of 5 and 10-pound dumbbells and a resistance band. This will likely not get the job done after a period of time. Also, if you are relying on bodyweight exercises like pushups and sit-ups, you will only progress so far. You can certainly start your healthy lifestyle this way, especially as you grow your at-home workout space, but if you have goals to build a great physique, then you’ll need the gear to accomplish those goals. Adding the workout equipment needed for progressive overload and some compound exercise options will be needed. You can get all the gym equipment you need here at Renegade and I am available to help you!

You can get custom-made or pre-built packages as well.

These are only some of the tips you can use to get the most out of working out at home. There may be other things that you do and if so, I would love you to share them and help others on their journeys.