How to gain muscle mass at home? Whether it's because you have little time, prefer to train in privacy, or simply don't feel like going out, you may have asked yourself this question.
Often, we think that to increase the size of our muscles, it's essential to go to the gym, be surrounded by weights, state-of-the-art machines, and trainers. But the reality is that, with the right guidance, you can gain muscle mass at home and build a strong and toned physique.
While in previous Be Levels articles we've already discussed the general keys to increasing muscle mass (include link) , delving into the importance of nutrition, rest, and consistency, today we're going to help you create routines to gain muscle mass at home . To do this, we're going to focus on the most practical aspect: the exercises.
The good news is that you need almost no equipment to do these exercises to increase muscle mass at home . With your own body weight and, at most, some furniture you already have, you can give your muscles the necessary stimulus to grow starting today.
Workouts to gain muscle mass at home
Push-ups
Push-ups are the star exercise for the upper body. They work the chest, shoulders, triceps, and, incidentally, strengthen the core.
Traditional push-ups:
Get into a plank position, with your hands shoulder-width apart. Lower your body in a controlled manner until your chest almost touches the ground, keeping your back straight. Push hard to return to the starting position.
Push-up variations for muscle gain:
- Hands closer together : to emphasize the work on the triceps and the inner chest.
- Elevated push-ups : Place your feet on a chair or bench to increase the load on your chest and shoulders. This will allow you to progress once traditional push-ups become too easy.
Squats
Squats are a fundamental exercise for building a solid lower body foundation. They are key to working the glutes, quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves.
How to make them:
Standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your toes slightly pointing outwards. Lower yourself as if you were going to sit in a chair, keeping your back straight and your chest up. Lower until your thighs are parallel to the ground (or as low as you can go without losing form), and then raise yourself back up in a controlled manner, squeezing your glutes at the end of the movement.
Chair Dips
This is one of the best triceps exercises you can do without weights.
How to do it:
Sit on the edge of a chair, with your hands gripping the sides of the seat. Slide your hips forward until they are off the chair. Lower your body by bending your elbows until they form a 90-degree angle, keeping your back close to the chair. Push up to return to the starting position.
A good alternative to change things up is the static triceps , which consists of holding the weight in the lowest position for a few seconds, in order to increase the time under tension and stimulate the muscle even more.
Calf Raises
Although we often overlook it, the reality is that strong calves help to have a much more complete and functional physique.
How to do it:
Stand on a step or a thick book, with your heels hanging off. Lower your heels as far as you can to stretch your calf muscle, and then raise them as high as possible, contracting the muscle. You can do the exercise with one leg to increase the intensity.
Abdominals
Abdominal exercises are key in any beginner's home workout routine to gain muscle mass , allowing you to work on core strength and stability, and therefore increase the size of your abdominal muscles.
Here are two very good abdominal exercises to get that coveted "six-pack":
- Plank : This is an excellent isometric exercise to strengthen your entire core. Get into a push-up position, supporting yourself on your forearms. Keep your body in a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles, squeezing your abdominal muscles. Hold the position for as long as possible.
- Reverse crunch : Lie on your back with your hands at your sides. Bend your knees to 90 degrees and raise your hips off the ground, bringing your knees towards your chest. Control the descent to feel the work in your lower abdomen.
Lunges
Lunges are perfect for working the legs and glutes unilaterally , helping to correct any imbalances.
How to make them:
Standing, take a long step forward. Lower the back knee towards the ground until both knees form a 90-degree angle. Push off with the front leg to return to the starting position. Alternate legs with each repetition.
Superman
An excellent exercise to strengthen the lower back, glutes, and shoulders.
How to do it:
Lie on your stomach with your arms extended forward and your legs stretched out. Simultaneously, raise your arms, chest, and legs off the ground, as if you were flying. Hold the position for a couple of seconds and then lower yourself back down.
Home workout routine for beginners to gain muscle mass
Now that you know the key exercises, you can create a simple but effective routine. Perform this routine 3-4 times a week , leaving a day of rest between sessions so your muscles can recover and grow.
- Push-ups : 3 sets to failure (until you can't do any more repetitions with good technique).
- Squats : 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions.
- Triceps with chair : 3 sets to failure.
- Lunges : 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions per leg.
- Plank : 3 sets of 30-60 seconds.
- Superman : 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions.
The conclusion of this post is that gaining muscle mass at home is more than possible if you know how . The key is consistency, progression (making the exercises harder or adding more repetitions over time), and above all, patience.
Combine this routine with proper nutrition and good rest , and you'll see your body start to change. You don't need a gym to start your journey towards a stronger physique. All you need is the commitment to start today.
And, to help you on your journey, remember that protein is the fundamental pillar for muscle growth and recovery. If you find it difficult to reach your daily requirements with food alone, Be Levels' isolated protein makes it easy . It's Be Levels' whey protein isolate with 90% purity and maximum absorption, which will help you increase muscle mass, accelerate post-workout recovery, and support your metabolism.
