Transitioning to a Garage or Home Gym
November 30, 2022 | Words by Gabe Yanez
Last week in our EOE Newsletter and in this blog post, we announced that we’re using the next six weeks to answer questions from our readers.
We have received some great questions so far, but we’re still looking for topics to cover that YOU will find most interesting and helpful as we close out the year STRONG. So if you have any topic suggestions, questions, or ideas, message us on social media and ask away!
This week, we’re answering a question from Chandler F.:
“How do you transition from working out in a group class functional fitness gym to a home or garage gym?”
Awesome question! While some people might be headed back to working out exclusively at a brick-and-mortar gym, many people now have access to equipment at home and can’t make it to the gym as often as they’d like. So, how can you make the most of the equipment you have at home to stay on track this holiday season?
Making the Most of What You Have
Nothing can compare to the accountability and energy of working out alongside other people in a physical group class. We all tried fitness over Zoom sometime in the past two years and there’s no comparison — taking a class at one of our NCFIT flagship locations in the Bay Area is an unmatched fitness experience.
But most of us also know that when life happens and things get busy, getting to the gym is often one of the first things to go.
So how can you get the most out of your workouts at home with limited equipment, time, and space?
Can’t Go Heavier? Try Slowing It Down.
When it comes to working out at home, strength work is some of the most challenging types of training to get done. Unless you have a fully decked-out garage gym or a barbell with plenty of accessible weights, it can be hard to go as heavy as you’d like for some quality strength work.One way to make weights feel heavier is to incorporate tempo work into your lifts and slow down the movements. There’s no better way to make a moderate set of dumbbells feel heavy than doing that movement with a 3-second tempo on the way down, a 2-second pause at the bottom, and a 2-second tempo on the way up.
More Volume or Less Volume — It Doesn’t Matter
If you can’t do the full weights prescribed for a workout, you could add more reps or rounds to get more of a stimulus using the equipment you have.Sometimes, you may need more time to complete the workout as written. In this case, just cut some of the rounds or reps and make the workout just long enough for you to get it done in the time you have.
You don’t have to do the entire workout as it is written to get the most out of your EFFORT. Do something. That’s what counts.
Equipment Isn’t a Prerequisite for Fitness
The workout calls for a barbell and a pull-up bar, but you only have a pair of dumbbells — just make it work.When we’re used to working out at a fully-equipped gym, we sometimes think that having the right equipment is a prerequisite for improving our fitness. It’s not.
You can get your minimum dose of fitness and more with bodyweight movements alone. Don’t forget that next time you think you don’t have the right gear to get a workout in.
One Thing to Try This Week: Workout 5-6 Times This Week
Commit to 5-6 workouts this week, even if that means getting some of your fitness done at home. If you need some inspiration for workouts, download the NCFIT App and get started with a free 3-day trial.
Don’t worry if you don’t have all the right equipment or time to do all the work programmed on any given day. Pick and choose what you can get to, use the tips we discussed above, and get the most out of a week of consistency to stay on track this holiday season.
