How To Workout At Home

It was eight in the evening. One person remained in a thousand-person office, alone in the dark. The only light came from the screen, where numbers and letters scrolled endlessly. You could hear every keystroke and the creaking of the chair as Tommy shifted his weight. It was the fifth day in a row, and Tommy was still working tirelessly to deliver the project. He knew he’d have to maintain this pace for the next two weeks. Sitting in the office with his head in his hands, he thought about how he hadn’t worked out in the past three weeks.

He didn’t know what to do. He wanted to get back to training, but he couldn’t spare the time to go to the gym and spend an hour working out.

The next day, Tommy listened to a podcast about working out at home. The hosts talked about how you could buy equipment and exercise directly from your home, eliminating the need to commute to the gym if you were busy.

At first, Tommy thought about buying all the gym equipment they mentioned, but he didn’t have the space in his apartment to create a mini gym. He felt it was impossible to train again and doubted there was a solution. Besides, the cost of the equipment was a significant investment.

As the podcast continued, the hosts explained how you could work out at home using just your body weight and everyday furniture, like a chair or a couch.

However, they also mentioned a downside: when training legs, you’d ideally need additional weight because bodyweight squats eventually become too easy.

One of the hosts recommended a few essential items: a pair of dumbbells or kettlebells, a resistance band, and a pull-up bar for the doorframe.

Tommy thought it would be much easier to work out with minimal equipment. As he considered it further, he realized he only needed a pull-up bar and a resistance band to start. He went on Amazon and ordered a pull-up bar, designed to tighten between doorframes, and a set of resistance bands—all for fifty euros.

Tommy wasn’t overly excited, as he doubted the pull-up bar would hold his weight. He had already decided it was likely to fail before even receiving it.

The delivery arrived the next day. Despite getting home late in the evening, Tommy quickly unpacked the package and prepared for a training session the next morning. He tested the pull-up bar to see if it could hold him and was pleasantly surprised when it supported his weight as he hung from it for 30 seconds.

The following morning, Tommy began his first quick workout, doing pull-ups, push-ups, squats, and bench dips using a chair. He felt good, finally working out again. It was great to move his body and get his blood flowing.

By the second week, though, squats had become too easy and were no longer challenging. He also struggled to feel progress, particularly in his hamstrings, and found it hard to target specific leg muscles. Deciding he needed more resistance, Tommy ordered three kettlebells of different weights.

Once the kettlebells arrived, Tommy incorporated deadlifts and weighted squats into his workouts. The added weight made a huge difference, enabling him to train his legs far more effectively.

As Tommy finished his last set one evening, he smiled, realizing he had finally found a way to balance work and fitness. For the first time in weeks, he felt in control.