Author: tom44

Want to go from a skinny guy to building muscle quickly? I got you.

I’ve spent my entire adult life trying to pack on muscle, and after years and years of trial and error, I finally cracked the code.

Today, I share that code with you!

This is a topic that is near and dear to me, because I’ve spent my life devoted to this stuff:

These are the exact tactics I’ve used, and the same strategies we use with our Online Coaching Clients.

Our coaching program helps people bulk up quickly. Learn how:

This free guide is gonna get you started off on the right foot!

Here are the 4 parts we’ll cover in this ultimate guide:

#1) INTRO:

• How I bulked up after years of struggling as a skinny guy.

#2) NUTRITION:

• The most important thing for putting on muscle (your diet).
• What foods should I eat to bulk up?
• What are the best bulk up strategies?
• What supplements should I take to bulk up and build muscle?

#3) STRENGTH TRAINING:

• How to grow bigger muscles (get stronger).
• Skinny Guy Workout Plans for bulking up.
• Can bodyweight training help you bulk up?
• I am skinny fat: should I gain weight or lose weight first?

#4) RECOVERY, TIPS AND TRICKS, NEXT STEP:

• Proper sleep and rest for putting on muscle.
• FAQ for skinny guys trying to bulk up.
• More resources for skinny guys looking to bulk up.

How I Bulked up After Years of Struggling as a Skinny Guy

Growing up, I was always the scrawny, skinny weak kid.

There was a reason I dressed up like superman every other day for the first six years of my life:

Superman was strong, big, and powerful…and I wasn’t.

To this day, it’s still a big challenge for me to gain weight or build muscle.

When people tell me “must be nice to have been skinny growing up,” I explain that a killer flat top, my height (5’2″ until I was 16), four years of braces, and two Acutane treatments made sure I still got the full adolescent experience 🙂

When I was cut from the high school basketball team (which I thought was the end of the world), I signed up for a gym membership to get big and strong.

Within five minutes I had almost killed myself when loading up way too much weight for a set of bench presses.

Fortunately, I survived, and thus began my love affair with strength training.

I spent the next six years training in a gym, reading every muscle and fitness magazine I could find, drinking protein shakes religiously…and had about 3 pounds of muscle gain to show for it.

I just assumed “I’m one of those people who can’t gain weight.”

It turns out, I was doing it all wrong.

After graduating college I moved to California, signed up for a gym membership, and received a few free personal trainer sessions. 

Although I thought I had known it all (I had been training for 6 years in a gym! I read the muscle mags! I was in good shape already!), I still took the free sessions for the hell of it.

I’m so glad I did!

The trainer drastically simplified my workout and DOUBLED the amount of food I was eating.

I thought he was crazy at first, but I stuck with it.

In 30 days, I had put on 18 pounds (pictured below), increased the strength in ALL of my lifts, and felt more confident than I ever had before in my life. 

That’s when the lightbulb when off in my head: there’s a better way.

And thus began a radical redefinition of how I thought the human body worked, how muscle was built, and where I needed to put my priorities.

Since then, I’ve spent seven years learning everything I can about how muscle is built.

A few years back, I took an epic 35,000-mile trip around the world, and despite not having access to a gym for 6 months, I managed to once again pack on even more muscle and get myself in great shape without once picking up a weight (pictured below):

Again, my world was turned upside down.

I learned that gyms are not a requirement to build muscle and get stronger, though a great gym workout can certainly speed up the process.

And after a few more years of up and down challenges, I had finally – jokingly – changed from Steve Rogers to Captain America (there’s a story behind this):

I’m still not the biggest guy in the world, nor will I ever be. I’m okay with that!

I’ve learned that anyone can pack on muscle, even skinny nerds like me. 

If you’re skinny and want to get bigger, you’ll be fighting genetics the whole way, but do not let that deter you.

Anything is possible.

Today’s article outlines everything I’ve learned over the past 13 years of mistakes, successes, failures, and adventures.

The Most Important Thing for Putting on Muscle: Eat More Food.

As they say, muscle isn’t made in the gym, but in the kitchen:

If you want to bulk up, you’d be better off working out twice a week for 30 minutes and eating right, than working out 6 days a week and not eating properly.

I learned this the hard way.

I spent four years of college working out five days a week for 90 minutes a day trying to get bigger.

I drank protein shakes like I thought I was supposed to. I got a little stronger, but never bigger.

Why?

BECAUSE I DIDN’T EAT ENOUGH CALORIES.

When I get emails from people who lament the fact that they can’t gain weight, I always first ask about the person’s diet.

More often than not, that person thinks they are eating enough, but are definitely not.

Here’s the truth:

If you are not getting bigger, you are not eating enough.

Your body can burn 2000+ calories every day just existing (and then factor in exercise and, gulp, cardio – I’ll get to that in a minute), and you need to overload your system with calories in order for it to have enough fuel for the muscle building process.

Want to know how many calories you burn every day just existing?

Plug your stats into our TDEE (Total daily energy expenditure) calculator:

Click right here for our Metric calculator.

Note: we have used The Mifflin-St Jeor Equation to create this calculator! ^[1]

For every person, the number of required calories for bulking up daily is different, especially when you factor in how much you move, fidget, and how much weight you need to gain:

• For some people, it might be 2,500 calories a day.
• For others, it might be 3,500 calories a day.
• For others, it might be 5,000 calories a day.

I don’t love calorie counting (I prefer a “Balanced Plate” approach), but I think for a newbie starting out, tracking calories for a few days is a great place to begin.

So, track your calories using something like MyFitnessPal over a few days and get an average.

I bet you’ll discover you’re eating significantly less than you thought you were.

LEARN HOW MANY CALORIES YOU NEED TO EAT FIRST.

And then eat MORE!

Spend the next two weeks eating an additional 300-500 calories per day above your TDEE (which you calculated above) and see how your weight adjusts (and how you look in progress photos!).

If you are not getting bigger, add an additional 300-500 calories per day and repeat the process.

Depending on your training, genetics, how skinny you are, and how much muscle you need to gain, you can decide how much weight you want to gain each week.

Everybody’s results will vary, and thoughts are mixed on how quickly we can build muscle:

• Under optimal conditions, some say you can expect to gain 1 pound (.5 kg) of muscle per week,
• My results have shown that 2 lbs (1kg) per month is more realistic.
• A 2016 study^[2]revealed that strength training produced a 2.2 lb increase (1kg) increase in lean mass in 8 weeks.

Regardless of how fast you bulk up, it might be helpful for you to gain weight by putting on some fat with your muscle!

Here are things to consider if you overeat WHILE strength training: extra glycogen, some fat, and water stored in your body can be a good thing for your confidence and get you headed down the right path.

So, don’t listen to the sites or programs that say “gain 40 pounds of muscle in two months!”

Unless you’re on the juice (‘roids, not Hawaiian Punch), it’s going to be a slow, long process.

Yes, it is possible to have incredible transformations in a short amount of time, like when I gained 18 pounds (8.1kg) in 30 days

This was due to strength training, overeating, protein, and extra water weight (from supplementing with creatine):

My advice: Rather than massive weight gain over a month, you’d be much better off gaining .5-1.5 lbs. (.25-.75 kg) a week, every week, for six months…and keeping the weight on!

Now, I know this stuff isn’t easy.

There’s nothing worse than spending 6+ months in a gym and doing what you think you SHOULD be doing, only to step on the scale and realize that you haven’t made any progress!

If you’re somebody that’s worried about wasting time, or you want to have an expert guide your nutrition based on your current situation, consider checking out our Online Training Program!

Learn to bulk up correctly with our Coaching Program!

What Food Should I Eat to Bulk Up?

Let’s go through how you should be prioritizing your nutrition, nutrient by nutrient:

• Protein: rebuilds muscle after you break it down.
• Carbohydrates: provides your muscle with fuel and body weight with energy
• Fat: helps your bodily functions and can also be burned as fuel in the absence of carbs.

Let’s look at each of these individually:

PRIORITY #1: PROTEIN

Protein can come from any number of sources, including:

• Meat (steak, bison, pork).
• Fowl (chicken, turkey, duck).
• Eggs!^[3]
• Cheese and dairy.
• Fish and shellfish (salmon, tuna, shrimp).
• Legumes (black beans, chickpeas).
• Other vegetarian protein sources here.

As we cover in our “How much Protein do I need?”, claims for the amount of protein needed vary wildly from source to source (and athlete to athlete).

Here is our recommendation for protein consumption:

If you’re of healthy weight, active, and wish to build muscle, aim for 1 g/lb (2.2 g/kg).

If you’re an experienced lifter on a bulk, intakes up to 1.50 g/lb (3.3 g/kg) may help you minimize fat gain.

Let me simplify it for you: target at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight (2.2 grams per kg). 

If you’re curious, from our healthy eating article, this is what a portion of protein looks like:

Also, here’s how much protein is in a serving of food:

• 4 oz (113 g) of chicken has around 30 g of protein.
• 4 oz (113 g) of salmon has 23 g of protein
• 4 oz (113 g) of steak has 28 g of protein.

Want to get more protein? Consider protein shakes, like so:

PRIORITY #2: CARBS

After protein, in order for you to get bigger, you need to eat enough calories, and those calories should come from sources composed of carbs and/or fats.

Here are foods full of carbohydrates you can prioritize for bulking up:

• Rice
• Quinoa
• Oats
• Legumes and lentils
• Sweet potatoes
• Yams
• Regular potatoes
• Whole grain pasta
• Whole grain bread

To help you get better at eyeballing serving sizes:

1 serving of a starchy carbohydrate is 1 cupped hand (uncooked), or your two hands forming a cup (cooked).

Here are some images to help you learn proper portion sizes (thanks to SafeFood):

In addition to consuming carbohydrates from these sources, it’s okay to consume plenty of fruit while trying to bulk up!

You can read our full “Is fruit healthy” guide to learn more.

PRIORITY #3: FAT! 

Fat is a macronutrient that you can eat that can help you reach your goals in the right quantity, as fat can be higher calorie and you can eat lots of it without feeling full.

Healthy fat can be found in foods like:

• Avocado
• Almonds
• Walnuts
• Macadamia nuts
• Olive oil
• Almond butter
• Peanut butter

Science has recently come around on saturated fat too ^[4]. Once completely vilified, but now considered okay for moderate consumption.

Saturated fats can come from things like:

• Whole milk
• Full fat dairy
• Coconut oil
• Grass-fed butter
• Fatty cuts of meat
• Lard

To help you gauge: a serving size of fat is roughly the size of your thumb!

For reference, this is a single serving of almonds (162 calories):

THIS is a serving of olive oil (119 calories):

As you can see, you can eat an extra 500 calories of “healthy fats” by eating lots of “heart-healthy” fats like nuts or adding more olive oil to your meals.

PRIORITY #4: VEGETABLES!

Last but not least, you need vegetables in your diet.

If you start to eat a lot more food, your “indoor plumbing” is going to really benefit from eating some high-fiber veggies with each meal:

A serving of veggies is about the size of your fist.

Here’s a quick, non-complete list of veggies that can fill your plate:

• Broccoli
• Broccolini
• Cauliflower
• Spinach
• Kale
• Spaghetti squash
• Brussels sprouts
• Zucchini
• Cucumber
• Carrots
• Onion
• Asparagus

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER:

This plate and serving size stuff above is just to help you get started thinking about healthy food differently and in proper portion sizes.

To recap:

HERE’S HOW TO EAT TO BULK UP:

• Calculate your (Total daily energy expenditure) and add +500 cal over your number.
• Consume 1-1.5g per pound (2.2-3.3g per kg) of bodyweight in protein every day.
• Consume the rest of your calories from foods composed of carbs and fats.
• Always eat vegetables so that your body can actually PROCESS all this extra food.
• If you are not gaining weight, add more carbs and/or fats to your meal.

It really does come down to the following:

If you are not gaining weight fast enough, you’re not eating enough. Increase your portions of carbs and fats!

Whenever we work with coaching clients who struggle to bulk up, this is the area we target: adding more carbs and fats to each meal.

Need an expert to help you bulk up quickly and safely? Learn more:

What are the Best Popular Bulk Up Eating Strategies?

If you read the previous section, you know that we have some pretty specific “best practices” on how to bulk up. 

However, there are multiple strategies that can also work, and I’d like to cover each of those here too.

Depending on your budget, your taste in food, and your goals, these strategies will work better for some than others.

#1) The “Healthy” Bulk

I have followed this method to great success multiple times (including right now).

Ultimately, I follow the “real food” principles whenever possible (good sources of quality meat, tons of vegetables, minimal amounts of gluten and processed carbs), but mixing in some specific items that are calorie/carbohydrate dense to reach my calorie goals for the day.

This is the exact strategy we lay out in the previous section of this article.

Speaking of quality calories – how I recommend doing this – receive your Get Bigger Shopping List and Bulk Up Cheat Sheet by putting your email in the box below:

#2) The “See Food” Diet

This is the diet I used to put on 18 pounds in 30 days.

Looking back at how I ate, I’m now grossed out.

But for me at the time, it worked (and got me interested in diet research).

If you are super skinny and on a tight budget, this might be your only option, and that’s okay!

Foods that are high in calories include:

• Whole milk
• Cottage cheese
• Cereal
• Pasta
• Rice
• Potatoes
• Ice cream
• Juice
• Peanut butter sandwiches
• Meatball subs from Subway
• Pizza
• Burgers

Etc.

Whatever gets you to your caloric intake goal for the day.

When I put on my 18 lbs, I used to drink 3 CytoGainer shakes a day, because it was the easiest way for me to stay on target.

If you are training properly, a majority of these calories will go towards building muscle instead of putting on a lot of fat.

Steve’s thoughts: I’m not a big fan of this method much, as I’ve come to learn the quality of food is as important (if not more so) than quantity when it comes to your overall health, and we’re aiming for bigger AND healthier.

#3) GOMAD 

Drink a gallon of whole milk every day along with your meals.

Sounds crazy, yup, but it works.

A gallon of whole milk is full of enough sugar, carbs, fats, and protein that when all said and done, results in 2400 calories consumed in liquid form.

Mix in vegetables and meat for healthy meals and you got yourself a simple to follow diet.

I’ve attempted this diet back in my younger days, and although my stomach hated me, I certainly had success with it, mostly because it was simple to follow and easy to understand.

#4) Paleo Bulk or Keto Bulk

Bulking up while following the Paleo Diet, or bulking while following a Keto Diet. 

Yes, it’s possible to bulk while following either of these diets:

If you are eating Paleo, you’ll want to eat LOTS of carbs and fats from calorie dense foods like fruit, sweet potatoes, and nuts.

If you are going Keto, you’ll want to eat LOTS of fat from cheeses, nuts, oils, and so on.

If you have the budget and want to try it, go for it. You’ll be eating truckloads of nuts, avocados, and meat.

“WHICH STRATEGY IS BEST FOR ME?”

In our opinion, we’ve had the most success with Coaching Clients who adapt a “healthy bulk” strategy, #1 above. 

It’s a focus on real food, sustainable increase in calorie intake, and can be adjusted easily by adding or reducing total portions of carbs and fats.

But hey, you do you, boo.

What Supplements Should I take to Bulk up? How to eat more calories.

If you are struggling to consume enough whole foods every day, then here are some tips to help you reach your caloric goals to bulk up:

“WHAT SUPPLEMENTS SHOULD I TAKE TO BULK UP FAST?”

Most supplements are garbage

Plus, you should ALWAYS prioritize consuming real food over shakes and powders.

HOWEVER, if you are interested in bulking quickly, there are two I would recommend:

1. Protein Powder. A great solution for getting extra protein and calories in your diet and building muscle.^[5] As we point out in our article on protein and protein shakes, mix and match your own ingredients and see how many calories you can get into a smoothie without breaking your blender.
2. Creatine supplement. It helps your muscles retain more water ^[6], and has been shown to increase the hormone IGF-1, which is needed for muscle growth^[7]. It’s one of the only two supplements (along with protein) that I take regularly.

Outside of these two supplements, you really don’t need to prioritize supplementation, despite what the muscle magazines tell you! Hell, many of these muscle mags are OWNED BY SUPPLEMENT COMPANIES.

I’ll leave you with two more big suggestions on how to bulk up in this section: 

#1) Liquid calories are your friend. Liquid calories can give us lots of calories without ‘filling us up,’ which is an easier way to consume enough calories every day without feeling overly full.

I personally get a huge chunk of my calories every day from making my own ‘Powerbomb Shake – from our Protein Guide

1. Water: 16 oz.
2. Quaker Oats: 3 servings (120g)
3. Frozen spinach: 1.5 servings (120g)
4. Frozen mixed berries: 1.5 servings (120g)
5. Protein powder: 2 scoops of Optimum Nutrition Vanilla Whey

And here is the macronutrient breakdown:

• Calories: 815 cal
• Protein: 70g
• Carbs: 107g
• Fats: 12g

I put all of this into a Vitamix Blender – yep, it was expensive, but worth the investment. This blender has been used twice a day for 8 years without a single issue.

If you need even more calories consider adding whole milk, coconut milk, or almond milk instead of water.

You can also add a shot of olive oil to add calories/fats to a shake in the quest for MOAR MUSCLE!

#2) Train your Body to Eat More: If you are cooking rice, each week try adding in an extra quarter cup when you cook it.

And yeah, you have to FORCE your stomach to accept more food, even when you’re not hungry.

This is not enjoyable, as you often feel like you’re going to explode.

However, just like it’s necessary to force your muscles outside of your comfort zone to get bigger, you need to force your stomach outside of its comfort zone until it adapts to accepting more calories.

So, start by adding a little bit more food each day and soon enough your stomach will expand. 

How to Grow Bigger Muscles: Get Stronger

When you strength train, your muscles are broken down and then get rebuilt stronger to adapt to the stress you have applied to it.

So every time you pick up a slightly heavier weight, you are increasing the challenge and forcing your muscles to adapt and get more resilient.

What I’m trying to say:

If you want to get bigger, focus on getting stronger.

As long as you are continually increasing the weights or increase the sets and reps you are lifting, your muscles will continually adapt to get stronger.

This is called “progressive overload” and it. is. everything.

Coach Jim walks you through the ins and outs of progressive overload in this video:

If you want to dive in more, check out our guide “What is Progressive Overload?“

Follow a progressive overload strategy and eat enough calories, and you will get bigger.

You have two approaches to consider while bulking up: 

PATH A: BODYBUILDER BULK. Follow a bodybuilder-type routine that focuses on isolation exercises that chops your body into different segments and works each of them out once a week.

You may have seen something like this:

• Monday: Chest
• Tuesday: Legs
• Wednesday: Shoulders
• Thursday: Back
• Friday: Arms and Abs

I think these routines are fine, and you might even enjoy them.

However, they do require a fairly large time commitment at the gym, and you’ll be training 5-6 days per week.

PATH B: STRENGTH AND MUSCLE. Focus on full-body routines that contain compound exercises like squats and deadlifts that give us the most bang for our buck.

Every time you train, most of the muscles in your body are getting worked out.

Specifically, this path has you focusing on getting really strong at these movements:

• Squats
• Deadlifts
• Overhead Presses
• Bench presses
• Body rows
• Dips
• Push-ups
• Pull-ups

If you can focus on getting really strong with the above exercises, and eat enough calories, you will also get bigger in all of the right places.

Path B is something we’re bigger fans of compared to Path A, and it’s what we recommend to our Coaching Clients.

Specially, we find it to be safer and also more time-efficient: you’ll be training just 2-3 days per week on this path (instead of 5-6 days per week with Path A).

Mark Rippetoe (author of Starting Strength, a must-read for anybody interested in the above exercises) lives for old school barbell training (path B):

Why?

Because it works.

Just. Keep. Eating. And. Lifting.

Skinny Guy Workout Plans for Bulking Up

As we cover in our “How to build muscle” article, here’s a sample routine you can follow NOW to start bulking up.

After you do your dynamic warm-up, do the following workout:

MONDAY BULK UP WORKOUT:

1. Squats: 4 sets of 5 reps
2. Bench press 4 sets of 5 reps
3. Wide Grip Pull Ups: 3 sets of 10 reps
4. Planks 3 sets of 60 seconds

WEDNESDAY BULK UP WORKOUT:

1. Deadlift: 3 sets of 5 reps
2. Overhead Press: 3 sets of 5 reps
3. Inverted Bodyweight Rows: 3 sets of 10 reps
4. Hanging Knee Raises: 3 sets of 10 reps

FRIDAY BULK UP WORKOUT: 

1. Front Squats: 3 sets of 5 reps
2. Weighted Dips: 3 sets of 10 reps
3. Weighted Chin-Ups: 3 sets of 10 reps
4. Reverse Crunches: 3 sets of 15 reps

Get stronger and the rest will take care of itself.

NERD FITNESS RECOMMENDATION: Feel free to pick WHATEVER workout program you want from wherever. If you don’t want to follow the workout above, consider these sources:

• 5 Beginner Strength Training Routines you can follow.
• Follow our 6 level gym workout routine.
• You can build your own workout routine.
• You can follow any workout from any muscle magazine.

If you’re curious, here are some commonly accepted strategies based on your goals for how many sets and reps you should do:

• Strength and power: 1-5 reps
• Strength and some size: 5-8 reps
• Size and some strength: 8-12 reps
• Muscular endurance: 12+ reps

Now, don’t worry too much about which path is best.

Nutrition plays the most important role in bulking up, and any strength training plan will help you get bigger.

There are 3 studies I want to point out:

1. A recent study showed that a higher intensity workout (heavier weight for low reps) created more muscle mass than a higher volume (lower weight for more reps).^[8]
2. Getting more volume (more sets of exercises) per week resulted in more mass compared to less volume (fewer sets of exercises), in this study^[9].
3. Studies show that weight training creates superior “bulk up” results compared to bodyweight training,^[10] but that doesn’t mean bodyweight training isn’t beneficial. Studies show that bodyweight training exercises can build muscle, but require a LARGE number of sets per rep, and pushing oneself to absolute failure.^[11]

What this means: Don’t overthunk it. 

1. Pick up heavy stuff for 3-4 sets of 5 reps. Pick up a weight that is heavy enough that you can only complete your specified number of reps.
2. Challenge yourself on bodyweight exercises, either by making them more difficult, adding weight, or doing high reps to failure.
3. And then do more next time.

What’s important is that you pick a plan and follow through with it while focusing on eating enough.

After a few months, you can reevaluate and then adjust based on how your body has changed.

On any of these days, feel free mix in bicep curls or tricep extensions or calf-raises at the END of your workouts.

Focus on the big lifts first and get stronger with them.

How much weight should you lift? For every one of the barbell movements above, I start with just the bar, and then add weight in 5lb increments each week.

It’s important to get form right and get your body used to the movement for when you start to lift heavy weight.

How long should you wait between sets? Again, don’t overthink it. Waiting 2-3 minutes allows you lift heavier weight, and thus makes you stronger.

Waiting 60-90 seconds puts more of an emphasis on muscular size and endurance (as you’re resting for a shorter period)…but don’t overthink it. Do the next set when you’re ready.

A piece of advice from 8-time Mr. Olympia, Lee Haney: “stimulate, don’t annihilate.”

Don’t destroy yourself for the sake of destroying yourself; stopping one or two reps short of maximum effort can save you from overtraining and potential injury – remember that muscles are built in the kitchen!

If you’re already overwhelmed and just want somebody to tell you what to do, you’re not alone.

I’ve had a coach since 2014 and it’s the best investment I make in myself every month.

Our coaching program helps people bulk up quickly and safely. Learn more:

Can Bodyweight Training Help Me Bulk Up?

Yes, you can get bigger and stronger doing exclusively bodyweight exercises.

Take a look at any Olympic gymnast: he is jacked, with giant muscles, all built with bodyweight exercises:

HOWEVER, it requires a very specific type of training regiment to see those results.

Studies show that weight training creates superior “bulk up” results compared to bodyweight training,^[12] but that doesn’t mean bodyweight training isn’t beneficial.

Studies show that bodyweight training exercises can build muscle, but require a LARGE number of sets per rep. In other words, you’ll need to push yourself to absolute failure.^[13]

So, here’s where the challenges arise:

Like with weight training above, you need to increase the difficulty in order for your muscles to adapt.

Because it’s often more challenging to add a few pounds to a bodyweight exercise to make it tougher – compared to putting a weight on a bar, you need to increase the difficulty of the bodyweight movement itself.

If you are trying to build size, you can also do sets where your rep ranges are in the 25-35 reps per set, and you are pushing your muscles to failure (woof):

• If you can do 4 sets of 15 push-ups, consider making them harder to progress. Do 4 sets of 15 push-ups with your feet on a bench. 

• Body weight squats too easy? Work your way up to pistol squats (one legged squats).
  4 sets of 12 pull-ups not a challenge anymore? Great. Make them tougher. Go for a wider grip, an uneven grip, or weighted pull-ups.

I highly recommend beginners start to take a serious look at strength training with free weights; it’s much easier to record one’s progress, easy to add more difficulty (just add more weight!), and very structured.

You can ALSO mix in bodyweight training, which is what I prefer to do!

In fact, I personally believe the best routine mixes both weights and bodyweight training. I have been working with my online coach for 4 years, and I’ve packed on size by following a barbell + bodyweight training routine.

Weight training for my lower body, advanced bodyweight movements for my upper body.

Every day starts with either a squat, front squat or deadlift.

Here I am pulling 420 pounds at a bodyweight of 172 pounds:

Each workout also contains a lot of Olympic/gymnastic style movements and holds to build upper body strength.

Handstands too (read our guide on handstands):

And I just try to get stronger.

What it really comes down to is this: no matter what you have access to (a gym, barbell, dumbbells, or just a pull-up bar) you can find a way to build strength and muscle if you follow a plan and eat enough calories.

If you’re trying to bulk with just bodyweight, it might be worth enlisting the help of a coach to help you scale your bodyweight exercises correctly and in the proper sequence!

Learn how to bulk up with bodyweight exercises in our Online Coaching Program!

I am Skinny Fat: Should I gain or lose weight first?

If you are skinny fat (you have skinny arms and legs but have a gut), there are three paths available to you:

1. Bulk up and build muscle, then lean out.
2. Lean out, then build muscle.
3. Build muscle and lean out at the same time.

We all want Door #3, right?

Here how to do accomplish both goals at the same:

• Heavy strength training…
• While following a healthy diet and slight calorie restriction…
• To decrease your body fat fat percentage.

If you follow a program with the right calories and strength training, you can both lose weight AND build muscle at the same time.

It’s how we helped NF Coaching Client Jimmy (these photos are 5 months apart):

Our advice: Get strong and eat a SLIGHT caloric deficit while consuming enough protein every day.

Get yourself down to roughly 12% body fat (~20% for women), and then start to increase the size.

By slimming down first, while building muscle, you don’t have to worry about buying BIGGER clothes first, only to then need smaller clothes once you start cutting the fat.

Then, once you decide to eat more and get bigger, if you notice your body fat percentage start to creep up, you can simply adjust until your body fat gets back in the acceptable range. Then keep building!

To recap, here’s what to do if you are skinny-fat:

1. Eat a caloric deficit while heavy strength training to build muscle while leaning out.
2. Prioritize protein intake: 1.5g per pound (.75g per kg) of bodyweight.
3. Get strong as hell with big lifts and low reps (this will build muscle even in a deficit).
4. Once you reach a certain body fat percentage you’re happy with (probably 10-12%), then you can increase your caloric intake to build more muscle without putting on too much fat.

Our coaching program can help you rebuild your physique. Learn how:

Proper Sleep and Rest for Putting on Muscle

Last but not least, the other important piece to this Triforce of muscle building:

Strength training, eating enough, and RECOVERY.

Your body builds and rebuilds its muscles during RECOVERY.

Our muscles generally need 48 hours or so to recover from its previous workout, so I do not recommend you do any serious strength training of the same muscle group on back-to-back days.

Feel free to do dynamic warm-ups or fun exercise if you feel like it doing some active recovery on off days, but I tend to take my off days OFF.

I might go for a walk (to Mordor!), but that’s about it.

A word about cardio: if you are serious about getting bigger and stronger, lots of long-distance cardio will work against you.

It’s something Coach Jim brings up in the video “7 things I learned adding on 50 lbs of muscle”:

Your body has to burn so many calories for your runs that it doesn’t get to use any of these calories in the muscle-building process.

If you love to run/bike, that’s cool, as long as you know it’s slowing (or halting) your progress.

So, cut back on the running or cut it out completely.

Try mixing in sprints and interval training if you want to keep the cardio up without having to do all of the crazy distance. You can always add it back in once you accomplish your weight gain goals.

A few words on SLEEP: You need more of it when you are building muscle.

It’s that simple.

Don’t be surprised if after a heavy deadlift day you find yourself wanting to sleep for 10 hours.

It might mean less TV or less video games.

Again, if you are serious about getting bigger and stronger, don’t neglect sleep.

FAQ for Skinny Guys Trying to Bulk Up

QUESTION #1: “But I just want to get toned, I don’t want to get too bulky.” 

That’s not a question, but I hear it all the time. Do NOT worry about getting too bulky. I’ve been trying to get “too bulky” my entire life – it takes years of concerted effort to pull that off.

I’m gonna guess you have 30+ pounds to gain before you’d ever even be considered “bulky.”

That means that if you struggle with weight gain, getting to the point where you are TOO bulky would actually be a good problem to solve.

As you start to put on weight if you ever find yourself getting a tiny bit too chubby, simply eat less at that point!

So, when in doubt, always err on the side of too many calories than not enough. If you’re not sure if you should eat or not, etc.

QUESTION #2: “But I don’t want to do that stuff, so I’m gonna do _____ instead.”

Again not a question. But hey, go for it. Give it a month, and see how your body reacts. If you’re getting bigger, stronger, and healthier, keep doing it.

If not, come back to this article and apply the lessons in here!

QUESTION #3: “I’m a vegetarian/vegan, can I bulk up?”

Absolutely. You just need to make sure you’re getting enough calories and enough protein in your system to promote muscle growth.

Beans and nuts have lots of protein; if you’re vegetarian you can still use dairy to your advantage (whey protein, whole milk, cheese, etc.).

If you’re vegan, then it’s slightly more of a challenge to get enough protein, but it can be done: almond butter is your friend 🙂

Check out our plant based protein suggestions.

QUESTION #4: “Should I do ___ reps and sets or _____ reps and sets?“

Either plan will get you there. It’s 90% diet anyways.

What’s important is that you pick a plan, you progress, you keep track of your results, and you consistently progressively increase the load that you are moving (be it your body’s weight or an actual weight).

QUESTION #5: “I want to get bigger and faster and have more endurance and flexibility ALL at the same time, can I do that?” 

I hate to say it, but building endurance and getting bigger simultaneously is brutally difficult.

As I point out in “How to build any physique,” compare a marathon runner’s body with that of a sprinter or gymnast. Put the running on hold for a while, and focus on getting bigger: you’ll get there faster.

When you decide to mix running back in, keep your calorie consumption high and don’t forget to keep strength training!

You can still go for walks, and still get a good cardio workout by lifting quickly with minimal breaks between sets.

QUESTION #6: “Do I need to eat every three hours?”

Nope, you don’t have to:

• The TOTAL number of calories you consume over the course of a day is more important than the timing of the meals.^[14]
• The same is true with protein intake: studies show it doesn’t matter WHEN you eat your protein. HOW MUCH you consume in a day is more important.^[15]

In fact, there are actually some scientific benefits that can result from not eating all day and instead condensing it into a smaller window.

But eating more frequently might help…

If you struggle to get enough calories in your system, spacing out your meals might help you feel less full, or give you more opportunities to reach your calorie goal for the day.

I eat all of my calories between 12pm and 8pm, and still get bigger despite only eating 2 MASSIVE meals each day.

QUESTION #7: “But what about this other article? And this other thing I read? Which workout is the best workout?”

Don’t overwhelm yourself. Keep it simple. Get stronger, eat more food, sleep. Break this down into simple steps and goals that aren’t scary, and get started.

The best advice I can give you is to start and make adjustments along the way.

Track your progress, track your calories, and track your workouts.

If you are getting bigger and stronger, keep it up!

I know this stuff can be overwhelming, as I struggled with this stuff for YEARS before getting results.

It why after I started Nerd Fitness, I eventually launched a coaching program: to help people skip the years of mistakes I made!

Learn how our 1-on-1 Coaching Program can help you!

More Resources for Skinny Guys Looking to Bulk Up

This is a monster of an article, and your head probably hurts at this point.

If I can narrow it down to three main points:

1. Get stronger by picking up heavy stuff or doing more challenging bodyweight movements.
2. Get bigger by eating enough.
3. Recover faster by sleeping enough and giving your muscles days off to rebuild.

If you made it this far, and you want more specific instruction and guidance, we have a few options for you:

1) If you are somebody that wants to follow a tailor-made program that’s designed around their life and goals, check out our popular 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program.

You’ll work with our certified NF instructors who will get to know you better than you know yourself, check your form, and program your workouts and nutrition for you.

2) If you want a roadmap for home workouts, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

3) Download our free Bulk Up Guide, which you can get when you sign up in the box below:

Lastly, I’d love to hear from you!

PLEASE leave your questions, eating or strength or otherwise below so we can answer them and become best friends and practice karate kicks in the garage:

How can I help you get bigger and stronger?

What part of this journey are you still struggling the most with?

What are your favorite bulking up foods!?

Share with your friends in the comments so we can all go buy it in bulk at Costco.

-Steve

PS: Make sure you check out the rest of our Bulk Up guides:

• How to build muscle quickly
• How fast can I build muscle?
• 9 Mistakes People Make Trying to Get Bigger
• 13 Tips for Guaranteed Weight Gain.

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photo source: Not Happy, Marina Pissarova © 123RF.com, magone © 123RF.com, Ekaterina Minaeva © 123RF.com, Morning run with the Fitbit, Inna Vlasova © 123RF.com, Viktor Hladchenko © 123RF.com; Olga Yastremska © 123RF.com; famveldman © 123RF.com; 167/366, LEGO bench

The post The Ultimate Skinny Guy’s Guide to Bulking Up Fast: How to Bulk like the Hulk first appeared on Nerd Fitness.

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If you’ve ever asked yourself “Am I doing too little or too many reps and sets?” then this guide is for you.

This article is part of our Strength 101 series, and we’ll show you exactly how to determine the number of repetitions and sets for specific exercises, so you can build your own workout routine.

It sounds easy, but depending on your goals, the answer to “How many reps and sets should I do?” can vary greatly.

We work hand-in-hand with our Online Coaching Clients to create the correct workout program that suits their goals, needs, and available equipment

Never wonder how many sets and reps again! Let us build a program that fits YOU. Learn more:

In today’s guide on workout programing, we’ll cover (click each to get right to that answer):

• What’s the correct number of reps and sets for a workout?
• How many reps should I do?
• How many sets should I do?
• How to build a workout routine.

The Correct Number of Reps and Sets for a Workout

As Coach Jim mentions above, “Rep” stands for “repetition” and defines one complete motion of an exercise.

And one “set” is a consecutive number of reps without stopping.

And one “smorgasbord” is a buffet of food.

(This has nothing to do with this article, but it’s a fun word to say.)

As we mentioned throughout our Strength Training 101 series, how many reps and sets you should do is really going to be dependent on your goals.

For example, is your goal to improve:

• Muscular endurance
• Muscular hypertrophy
• Muscular strength
• Muscular power

Depending on what your goal is, the sets, reps, and rest intervals will change.

Oh, you’re just starting your strength training journey?

Well, make sure you grab our free guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know.  I’ll send it to you for free when you join the Rebellion (that’s us!). 

Alright, let’s break down reps and sets for you, because I can see you still have questions.

How Many Reps Should I Do?

Remember, “Rep” stands for “repetition” and is more or less one complete exercise.

Like a push-up:

So “2 sets of 5 reps of push-ups” means, “5 consecutive push-ups, a rest, then another 5 consecutive push-ups.”

Cool?

Cool.

When deciding on how many sets and reps to do, it begins by asking “What am I trying to get out of this workout?!“

We’ll group different rep ranges into different goals, for:

• Muscular endurance
• Muscle size
• Overall strength

I’m going to share with you the commonly accepted answers, but they ALL come with a HUGE caveat that I’ll share at the end of this article.

I’m going to start with the “widely accepted numbers here.”

Let’s chat about the following:

1) MUSCULAR ENDURANCE (long-lasting muscle)

Endurance means encouraging and training your muscles to perform for an extended period of time. This means doing a LOT of repetitions. 

People targeting muscular endurance will aim for a range from 12 to 20+ reps.

Obviously, you won’t be able to lift heavy amounts of weight for 20+ reps, so you’ll be lifting lighter loads.

Also, because you’re targeting endurance improvements, you want to decrease the amount of rest between sets: 30 seconds to a minute.^[1]

If you are a runner or cyclist, strength training with higher repetitions can help your muscles develop more endurance as well!^[2]

Reps for increased muscular endurance: 12+

2) MUSCLE SIZE (“sarcoplasmic hypertrophy”) 

This is for folks looking to build larger muscles.

The scientific term here is “sarcoplasmic hypertrophy,” as it focuses on increasing the amount of sarcoplasm, the non-contractile fluid found in your muscle.

Up to 30% of your muscle’s size is attributed to the sarcoplasm, so focusing on this type of hypertrophy helps build overall size (i.e., increased cross-sectional area of the muscle).

If you’re looking to get bigger:

• Target a rep range of 6 – 12 reps per set.
• Aim for 3-5 sets.
• Rest time between sets should be short, about 60 to 90 seconds.

Reps for increased muscle size: 6-12^[3]

3) STRENGTH AND POWER (“myofibril hypertrophy”)

If you’re training for specific sports and just want to get stronger with more power – but not necessarily get bigger, this is the strategy for you.

This type of training focuses on strengthening the myofibril, the contractile part of the muscle, hence the name “myofibril hypertrophy.”

For this, target reps in the 1-5 range. And yep, that means you’re going to be picking up heavy weights, focusing all that concentrated effort into just one or a few reps.^[4]

Something to note when lifting for strength and power: not only are you shocking your muscles, but you’re also putting a lot of pressure on your body’s central nervous system (CNS).

So what does this mean?

In a way, it means your body’s ability to communicate with its muscles has grown fatigued, and performance may suffer.

That’s why you may want to rest between 2-5 minutes in this range.

Oh, and your CNS will adapt and become stronger, which will be critical for building strength and power.^[5]

This is how powerlifters train:

• Low reps
• High weight
• Long time between sets

Since powerlifting really taxes the central nervous system, you may be waiting 3-5 minutes between sets when training in this fashion.

TO RECAP, these are the rep ranges you should be considering:

• Reps in the 1-5 range build super dense muscle and strength.
• Reps in the 6-12 range build equal amounts of muscular power, strength, and size.
• Reps in the 12+ range primarily build muscular endurance and size and also cardiovascular health.

I realize this is a lot to figure out, so if you are somebody – like me – who just wants to be told what to do and outsource all the worry of “am I doing the right workout for my goals?” I got you covered!

I’d love to learn your story, and then build a custom program that fits your goals. We’ll help you with your nutrition, your workouts, and even check in regularly to keep you accountable!

Let us answer all of your training questions and create a program just for you. Details here!

How Many Sets Should I Do?

As explained above, a “set” describes a group of repetitions performed for an exercise without stopping.

For example, if you do 10 squats right now, you just did 1 SET of 10 reps of squats.

So let’s talk about the “correct” number of sets per exercise.

The simple answer: “Do 3-5 work sets of a given exercise.”^[6]

Just make sure you’re not compromising your form.

At least he’s trying!

The National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) will break this down, suggesting the following set ranges:^[7]

• 2-3 will help build muscular endurance (12 to 20+ reps)
• 3-6 build muscular hypertrophy (6 to 12 reps)
• 3-5 build muscular power (3 to 5 reps)
• 2-6 build muscular strength (less than 6 reps)

“STEVE, JUST TELL ME WHAT TO DO.”

FINE! Pick a weight that feels light to you, and then do 3 sets of 10 reps.

(Learn how much weight should I be lifting”).

And then next time?

Do more than last time:

• Did 3 sets of 10 reps of a 65 lb bench press? Do 3 sets of 8 at 75 lbs this week!
• Did 3 sets of 5 pull-ups last week? Go for 3 sets of 6 this week.

That’s the key to progressive overload, as Coach Jim explains in this article:

If you’re not sure if “3 sets of 10” or “5 sets of 5” is right for you, we got you covered.

We’ll build a program that fits your goals, and then adjust it each month based on your progress. Never guess or wonder what you should be doing again.

No more guesswork. Just results. And accountability. And nerd humor. Learn about our Coaching Program:

How to Build a Workout Routine!

Now that you have “edumacated” yourself on how your specific goals influence the number of reps per set, and what sets actually are, you can build your workout program around this info.

TO RECAP, aim for 3-5 sets in the following rep rangers per exercise based on your goals:

1. Endurance: 12+ reps per set.
2. Hypertrophy (bigger muscles): 6-12 reps per set.
3. Strength (dense, powerful muscle): 1-5 reps per set.

Two points worth mentioning:

• A recent study showed that heavier weight for low reps created more muscle mass than a higher volume (lower weight for more reps).^[8]
• Studies show that bodyweight training exercises can build muscle, but require a LARGE number of sets per rep, and pushing oneself to absolute failure.^[9]

What this means: studies suggest targeting heavier weight with fewer reps for big lifts like squats and deadlifts to build muscle, while targeting high reps to absolute failure with bodyweight exercises for muscle building.

Just remember to rest enough between sets so you don’t fatigue your central nervous system too bad.^[10]

One last point: Nutrition is still 90% of the equation!

Your rep range doesn’t matter nearly as much as you think, so don’t overthunk it!

Here are some examples:

1. If you’re trying to build muscle and get bigger, doing sets of 3 or sets of 5 or sets of 10 will ALL help you get bigger, if you’re eating enough to get bigger!^[11]
2. If you’re trying to lose weight, it doesn’t matter if you do sets of 15 or sets of 5 if you are consistently overeating by 1,000 calories a day. You need to eat the right number of calories.^[12]
3. It doesn’t matter if you train like a bodybuilder, you ALSO need to eat enough food to provide your muscles with enough calories to rebuild themselves bigger and stronger! This is the biggest mistake I see skinny people make when trying to bulk.

This brings me to my final point: because nutrition is 90% of the equation, your sets and reps don’t matter nearly as much as you think they do!

All that matters? Doing MORE this workout than the last workout.

Remember, how you build muscle and strength and burn fat: “progressive overload.”

One more rep than last time.

Doing one more set than last time.

Picking up a weight that’s 5 lbs. heavier than last week.

So get out of your own head, and START TODAY:

1) GET HELP: If you want expert guidance and accountability so you don’t have to figure out all of this stuff on your own, I got you. 

Click the red button below to get the details about our amazing online coaching program:

Put an expert in your pocket. Wait, that came out wrong. Learn about our Online Coaching App:

2) FIGURING IT OUT OUT ON YOUR OWN!

Download our free Strength Training 101 Guide! You get it free when you join our Rebellion (the name of our awesome free online community). Sign up in the box below:

3) WORKOUTS YOU CAN DO NOW:

• New to strength training? Read our entire Strength 101 series.
• Starting barbell training? Go to our “beginner weight training” workouts.
• BRAND new to any training? Start with this bodyweight routine, and aim for 3 sets of 10. Work on your form!

Remember: the goal should be to get stronger each workout.

Write down what you did last time, and then do MORE this time.

By continually challenging your muscles to do more, they’ll have to adapt by getting bigger, stronger, burning more calories, etc.

There are a lot of different truths and fallacies on plateaus and how your muscles can get “used” to working out and stop growing.

If that’s something you’re battling, here’s a way to continue making progress:

Spend a week in a different rep range with different amounts of weight.

This will introduce a little chaos into the system, which could be a good thing…unless you’re Batman.

What we’re talking about is muscle confusion theory, which is a preplanned period of variation.^[13] Not, you know, wandering into the gym with no plan and just doing something different every time (whatever you feel like doing at that moment).

That won’t help.

But spend a week deliberating mixing it up. Then go back to your regularly scheduled routine and you’ll be right back on track.

Make sure you know what you want, and then design a plan to get there.

-Steve

PS: If you want a nice shiny app to tell you EXACTLY how many seps and reps to do, our shiny new app will do just that!

You can sign-up for a free 7-day trial to Nerd Fitness Journey, which will build a workout around your experience level!

Jump in right here:

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All photo citations: Evel Knievel, Me riding a bicycle, Bicylelifter, Project Story 1/3

The post How Many Sets and Reps Should I Do? (Building The Correct Workout Plan) first appeared on Nerd Fitness.

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Pull-ups are my favorite exercise of all time.

But what if you can’t do a pull-up yet?

The answer: read this ultimate guide on getting your first pull–up ASAP!

We have helped hundreds of Online Coaching Clients get their first pull-up, and we’ll cover our exact strategies below! 

We help people get their first pull-up, and we’re really good at it. Learn more:

As part of our Strength Training 101 series, we give you an exact plan to follow leading you to your very first full pull-up:

• Tips on how to start doing pull-ups.
• Level 1 Pull-up Workout: Bent Over Dumbbell Rows
• Level 2 Pull-up Workout: Inverted Bodyweight Rows
• Level 3 Pull-up Workout: Assisted Pull-ups
• Level 4 Pull-up Workout: Top Holds and Bar Hangs
• Level 5 Pull-up Workout: Negative Pull-ups
• Level 6: Doing Your First Pull-up or Chin-Up
• Level 7: Advanced Pull-up Moves

If you can already do a pull-up (woot!), you might want to check out our article on proper pull-up form, although we’ll cover a lot of the same material here.

Let’s do this thang.

Tips on How to Start Doing Pull-Ups

In the video above, Coach Jim walks you through the exact progression system we use with our coaching clients who want to get their first pull-up (or chin-up).

Before we get into exercises to progress into a pull-up, let’s chat about some general strategies.

Consider the following three points when attempting to get your first chin-up or pull-up:

#1) This should hopefully be obvious, but the more you weigh, the more you have to lift in order to complete a pull-up.

If you’re truly serious about completing a pull-up, start by getting your diet under control. 

As we say here at Nerd Fitness, 80-90% of weight loss comes down to what you eat (#4 in the Rules of the Rebellion).

Here are some resources to help you with weight loss:

• Tried to lose weight in the past without success? I hear you, weight loss is super tough. Learn why in our article “Why Can’t I Lose Weight?” for a deep dive into the subject. We also have the 5 Rules of Weight Loss to help you get going.
• Not sure what a proper diet looks like? Check out our Guide on Healthy Eating for a full lesson on nutrition. 
• Wondering if Paleo, Keto, or Veganism can help you with weight loss? They might. Read our guide on determining the perfect diet (for you). 
• In the above guides, you’ll find me stating that losing weight comes down to eating fewer calories than you burn. Not sure how many calories you need? Check out our guide on calculating your daily caloric requirements.

#2) MAKE YOUR “PULL” EXERCISES A PRIORITY. A lot of people do every other exercise before doing any back-related exercises, if they do any at all.

After warming up properly, your first exercise should always be the stuff that you want to work on the most – in this case, it’ll be your back muscles.

Until you get your first pull-up done, focus on the back exercises detailed in the levels and workouts in this guide.

#3) The progression we outline is a path that works for most people, but does NOT need to be followed to a T.

We give sample sets and reps and when to move up, but if you feel like you can progress sooner or want to try doing full pull-ups sooner than we recommend, that’s OKAY.

This is the slower progression method, where some people will want to do fewer reps and progress to the next levels sooner – that’s okay.

We recommend moving up to the next level when you can do 3 sets of 8 reps of a particular exercise. If you want the accelerated path, move on up as faster as you can do 3 sets of 5 reps. You do you boo.

Want someone to build you a custom-made progression plan for doing your first pull-up? Our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program will do just that, plus your coach can review your movements through our app so you’ll know your training correctly and safely.

You’re not alone on this journey. Let our Online Coaches help you conquer your first pull-up!

Level 1 Pull-up Workout: Bent Over Dumbbell Rows

We’re going to start with bent-over dumbbell rows, the most basic of back exercises, in case you’re starting from ABSOLUTELY square one.

Level 1 Pull-up Workout:

• Bent-over dumbbell rows: 8 reps for each arm (or as many as you can do)
• Rest for a 2-minute break
• Do another set
• Repeat until you hit 3 sets

What weight should you start out with initially?

Whatever allows you to get to at least 5 reps a set.

Once you can do 3 sets of 8 reps (each arm), it’s time to pick up a heavier dumbbell.

This will allow you to get stronger and stronger. 

Make sure you give yourself at least 48 hours until you do the Level 1 Dumbbell Rows again, so you can include these dumbbell rows for your workouts on:

• Monday
• Wednesday
• Friday

As soon as you can do 3 sets of 8 reps, it’s time to move up to a heavier dumbbell.

• Once you can lift a 25-pound (10kg) dumbbell or heavier, consider moving up to the next level.
• If you are a little bit bigger than the average bear, you might want to stick with this step until you lose a little bit more weight and get stronger – maybe go to 35 or 40-pound (18kg) dumbbells.

Want help designing your own workout routine? I’ve got two options for you.

The first is to head over to “Build Your Own Workout Routine” and get your hands dirty. Our guide will walk you through building a full-body exercise program in 10 simple steps.

The second is to have a Nerd Fitness Coach do all the heavy lifting for you (not really, you still have to lift stuff), by having them build you a tailor-made workout routine:

Click here to have a Nerd Fitness Coach build you a routine to start crushing pull-ups!

Level 2 Pull-Up Workout: Inverted Bodyweight Rows

Bodyweight rows are the PERFECT precursor to pull-ups – they work the same muscles, and have you lifting your own bodyweight, just at a different angle.

For this level, we’ll provide you with two options: You can also make adjustments.

OPTION A: IF YOU HAVE ACCESS TO A GYM OR WANT TO JOIN A GYM:

You can follow the rest of this workout as part of our 6-Level Gym workout guide, which will help you go from total gym newbie to pull-up progressing badass!

At your gym, find your Smith Machine and set the bar at about chest height. 

A higher bar makes the exercise easier to start:

And as you get stronger, you can set the bar lower:

Here’s a whole post I did on inverted bodyweight rows.

Here’s how to do an inverted bodyweight row:

1. Set the bar at a height where it’s challenging for you to complete 3 sets of 8 reps with two minutes of rest between sets.
2. Clench your butt and keep your abs tight and body straight throughout the exercise. 
3. Pull your shoulder blades down and back towards each other (like you’re trying to pinch a pencil between them behind your back).
4. Focus your mind on PULLING with your arms.
5. Pull until your chest touches the bar (not your neck).
6. As soon as you can complete all 3 sets of 8 reps, set the bar heigh lower to make the exercise more difficult.

If it helps, here is a video demonstration with gymnastic rings, but you can start with a bar as displayed in the images below.

If you need to make the exercise less challenging, bend your knees and put your feet flat on the ground:

Level 2 sample workout routine:

• Monday – 3 sets of 8 reps of overhand bodyweight rows

• Wednesday – 3 sets of 8 reps of underhand bodyweight rows (hands reversed)

• Friday – 3 sets of 8 reps of overhand bodyweight rows

(And then go underhand, overhand, underhand the following week)

As soon as you’re doing bodyweight rows where your body is at a 45-degree angle or lower, you can progress to Level 3.

OPTION B: IF YOU DON’T HAVE ACCESS TO A GYM FOR INVERTED ROWS:

You have 4 paths here:

1) Purchase a door frame pull-up bar, hang a pair of gymnastic rings from them. And then follow the same advice as above!

2) Use your kitchen table for rows (BE CAREFUL):

3) Do inverted rows between a couple chairs, as we walk you through in How to Do Pull-ups Without a Bar:

4) Move up to Level 3 and progress with caution there.

If you are struggling with rows, you’re not sure you’re doing them correctly, or you’re not sure how to progress to the next level, check out our 1-on-1 coaching program. 

It’s the type of program that helped single mom Leslie lose 100+ pounds and start training with gymnastic rings and handstands! 

Want to get results like Leslie? Let us help you get your first pull-up ASAP! Learn more:

Level 3 Pull-Up Workout: Assisted Pull-Ups

Okay! It’s time to get to ACTUAL pull-ups here! Personally, I don’t like using the assisted pull-up machine in a gym as it doesn’t give you the full feeling of a pull-up, but it’s certainly better than nothing.

Instead, I recommend doing one of these alternatives:

#1) Assisted Pull-ups with a chair

Either one foot or two on the chair, depending on your needs. Your feet are ONLY there for support, use your upper body as much as possible.

You can also use a box or similar-sized object for the same result:

#2)Assisted Pull-ups with exercise band: 

You can get different types of exercise bands with different levels of strength, or a variety pack for easy progression.

Put your foot in the exercise band and pull yourself up.

#3) Assisted pull-ups with a partner:

Have a friend hold your feet behind you and help you complete each rep. Have them use the least amount of help possible to get you through your workouts.

Here’s how to do an assisted pull-up:

• Clench your butt and keep your abs tight throughout the exercise – try not to swing like crazy.
• Keep your shoulder blades pinched behind you throughout the movement and focus on PULLING the bar down with your arms.
• Use the least amount of assistance that you can handle – as soon as you can do multiple pull-ups with both feet on the chair, switch to just one foot.
• If you’re using an exercise band, try to get a few bands of varying tension so you can decrease the resistance as you get stronger.
• As soon as you can do 3 sets of 8 with assistance, it’s time to move on to Level 4.

For another reference, Coach Jim and Staci show you how to do a variation of assisted chin-up right here:

This is probably the TOUGHEST level before getting your pull-ups. If you get stuck on “assisted pull-ups” and “assisted chin-ups”, you’re not alone. This is where most people get stuck.

We work hand-in-hand with people like you to get them their first pull-up in our Online Coaching Program. If you don’t know how to fit these movements into your workouts, or you just want somebody to give you the exact workout to follow every day, we got you!

No guesswork. No confusion. Just a workout program that’s customized for you.

Finally, a workout that includes Level 3 pull-up exercises

• Monday – Assisted Pull-ups – 3 sets of 8 reps
• Wednesday – Inverted Bodyweight Rows – 3 sets of 8 reps
• Friday – Assisted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 8 reps

This will help you ramp up to Level 4.

Level 4 Pull-Up Workout: Top holds and Bar Hangs

Alright, so we’ve started off great! We’re working those pulling muscles and assisted variations – but an actual chin-up might feel miles (or kilometers) away.

Heck, just even holding onto the bar may be a challenge without some assistance.

What should we do now? 

How about we work on holding onto the bar!?!

Before we work on doing full range, unassisted chin-ups or pull-ups, it’s really helpful to be strong and confident in holding unassisted parts of the movement.

This is where Top Holds and Bar Hangs come in!

#1) A Top Hold is exactly what it sounds like – we hold the top position of the chin-up or pull-up for several seconds (5 to 10). You’ll likely find holding the top of the chin-up (palms facing you) easier than the pull-up.

This is definitely something that you want to first do assisted. We’ll then work to transfer more weight – bit by bit over several workouts – off our feet and onto our arms until we’re holding ourselves unassisted at the top.

Using a band is a good option for assisted chin-ups, but using a box, bench, or another sturdy object will be a better option here.

It will allow you to shift that weight onto your arms a little easier.

That said, if all you have is a band for this exercise then that’s ok! Look to use thinner and thinner bands, while lifting the feet and knees up a bit to further reduce assistance (as the band won’t be stretched as far).

#2) On the other side of the movement, we have the Bar Hang…which is pretty much what it sounds like too!

To perform a bar hang:

• Grab the bar with palms facing towards you or away from you. You’ll likely find hanging with palms facing away from you to be a bit more comfortable. Either direction will help strengthen up your grip.
• Just like with the top hold, you’ll want to start assisted then work to shift your weight from your feet onto your arms until you’re hanging unassisted.

To further supercharge this exercise: once you are hanging unassisted, work on retracting your shoulders down away from your ears.

Like so:

And so:

This small movement is TOUGH (and you can even practice it assisted) but getting strong here will set your shoulders in an even better position for your first chin-up/pull-up.

We’ll look to hang from the bar (assisted or unassisted) for a total time of 30 seconds to 1 minute. At first this time may be broken up into several sets (e.g., 10 seconds, 10 seconds, 10 seconds), but you should eventually work up to one full set.

So how should we integrate either of these into our training?

#1) For the Top Holds, do this at the start of your workout (after your warm-up) for 3 sets of 5 seconds. Make sure you give it your all! Really squeeze the muscles tight and put as much weight on the arms as possible!

With all that effort, you’ll want to give yourself 30 seconds to a minute rest in-between. I know that sounds like a lot for just 5 seconds of work – but if you were working hard enough, you’ll need it!

#2) For the Bar Hang, do this at the end of your workout for 30 seconds to a minute. Again, look to complete this in as few sets as possible, while making the exercise as challenging as possible. Move from assisted to unassisted, with the shoulders retracted downwards.

If you have to take a break during the bar hang time, then take enough rest so that the next hold is productive.

Here Are the Exercises You Can Include for Your Level 4 Workout Routine:

Monday:

• Top Hold (Assisted or Unassisted) – 4 sets of 5 seconds
• Assisted Pull-ups – 3 sets of 8 repetitions
• Bar Hang (Assisted or Unassisted) – 30 seconds total time

Wednesday:

• Top hold (Assisted or Unassisted) – 4 sets of 5-10 seconds
• Bodyweight Rows – 3 sets of 8 reps
• Bar Hang (Assisted or Unassisted) – 30 to 60 seconds total time

Friday –

• Top Hold (Assisted or Unassisted) – 4 sets of 5 seconds
• Assisted Chin-ups – 3 sets of 8 reps
• Bar Hang (Assisted or Unassisted) – 30 seconds total time

When you’re able to perform the Top Holds and Bar Hangs unassisted, then it’s time to move to the next level!!!

LEVEL 4.5 PULL-UP WORKOUT: (THE HIDDEN LEVEL)

What’s this??? Secret hidden exercises?

I just wanted to bring your attention to a great addition to any of these workouts – especially as things really ramp up.

Ready for it?

It’s . . . the front plank!

The front plank (or any of your favorite midsection stabilization exercises) is a great exercise to do, should holding a Top Hold or a Bar Hang prove tough.

If you haven’t already felt it during the previous pull-up workouts – your middle needs to be involved too!

During a pull-up or chin-up, if we squeeze through the midsection and glutes, the nearby muscles are able to contract stronger through a phenomenon known as muscle irradiation.

Besides sounding like something the Fantastic Four encountered in space, this cool “trick” can help engaged nearby muscles in the midsection, including those big back muscles that pull us up!

You can see muscle irradiation for yourself if you’ve ever been asked to flex your biceps for someone. You’ll instinctually squeeze your hand tight, because it helps the biceps engage stronger!

If needed, throw in some front planks work near the end of your workout.

You can even start on your knees:

Look to hold 30 seconds to one minute of total time.

Alright, back to our regular scheduled programming!

Level 5 Pull-Up Workout: Negative Pull-Ups

Okay! We are now DANGEROUSLY close to getting our first pull-up!

The big step at this level is doing a negative pull-up:

1. Grab onto the bar with an overhand grip
2. Jump so your chest is touching
3. Slowly lower yourself under control until you’re at the bottom of the movement.

WARNING: This can be very dangerous if you’re very overweight, which is why I’d recommend moving slowly through steps 1-3 first.

However, once you have a decent amount of back strength (which you got from Levels 1, 2, and 3), doing negatives is a great way to build arm and back strength.

You have two options for negative pull-ups:

1. Hop up on a chair to get above the bar and then lower yourself back down. The name of the game is “in control.”
2. Jump above the pull-up bar, and then begin to lower yourself back down IN CONTROL.

You don’t need to lower yourself so slowly that one repetition destroys you…lower yourself at a controlled speed – Counting to “three Mississippi” during the movement is a good tempo.

Here are the exercises you can include for your Level 5 Workout Routine:

Monday:

• Negative Pull-ups – 4 sets of 1 rep
• Assisted Pull-ups – 3 sets of 8 reps
• Bar Hang (Unassisted) – 30 seconds total time

Wednesday:

• Top Hold (Unassisted) – 4 sets of 5-10 seconds
• Bodyweight Rows – 3 sets of 8 reps
• Bar Hang (Unassisted) – 60 seconds total time

Friday:

• Negative Chin-ups – 4 sets of 1 rep
• Assisted Chin-ups – 3 sets of 8 reps
• Bar Hang (Unassisted) – 30 seconds total time

Once you’re doing all of the negative repetitions in each exercise…you’re ready to do a pull-up.

As you’ll see above, we’re giving you the “pull” exercises if you are building your own workout. If you want a good beginner gym workout program, these movements will fit in perfectly.

Alternatively, we can do all of the heavy lifting for you (well, not ALL the heavy lifting) – we’ll create a specific workout so all you have to do is log into your NF Coaching App each morning and do the workout your coach prescribed!

Never wonder what to do next. Learn how our coaching app can tell you exactly what to do every day!

Level 6 – Doing Your First Pull-up or Chin-up

OH BOY! My dear Rebel, it’s time for a…

At this point you have two options:

A chin-up is when you grab the bar with an underhand grip with your palms facing towards you.

Many find chin-ups slightly easier than…

A pull-up is when you grab the bar with your palms facing away from you. Seeing as this is a pull-up guide…

HOW TO DO A PULL-UP, STEP-BY-STEP:

1. Grab the bar with a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width, with your hands facing away from you.
2. Start from a dead hang.
3. Engage your shoulders, pull them down and back towards each other (like you are pinching a pencil between your shoulder blades!)
4. Flex your stomach, pull your body until your chest touches the bar.
5. Slight pause, yell out “I’m a champion!”
6. Lower yourself all the way back down to a dead hang.

We cover all of this and more in our post “How to Do a Proper Pull-Up,” but the above will get you started

Depending on your weight, your level of fitness and strength, and how far along you are in these progressions, you might be able to start with even more than one pull-up.

At this point, you can be a full Gym Class Hero by following a Gym Workout with these movements in there for your “pull” exercises:

 Level 6 routine weekly schedule:

Monday:

• Pull-ups – 4 sets of 1-2 reps (move onto the next exercise if you can’t perform a rep)
• Assisted Pull-ups – 3 sets of 8 reps
• Bar Hang (Unassisted) – 60 seconds total time

Wednesday:

• Negative Chin-ups – 4 sets of 1 rep
• Bodyweight Rows – 3 sets of 8 reps
• Bar Hang (Unassisted) – 60 seconds total time

Friday:

• Chin-ups – 4 sets of 1-2 reps (move onto the next exercise if you can’t perform a rep)
• Assisted Chin-ups – 3 sets of 8 reps
• Bar Hang (Unassisted) – 60 seconds total time

Congratulations! You’re now doing pull-ups. Make sure you watch that video above to make sure you’re doing pull-ups with proper form. Nearly everybody does them incorrectly, with bad form.

Want to make sure you have proper form with your pull-ups? Check out our 1-on-1 Coaching program! Our spiffy mobile app lets you send video of your pull-ups directly to your coach, who will provide feedback so you can perfect your technique.

They’ll also build a workout program that’s custom to your situation, which will have you doing sets of 10 pull-ups in NO time!

Have your Nerd Fitness Coach build you a pull-up workout and check your form! Click here to learn more!

Level 7 – Advanced Pull-up Moves

Once you’re able to do 3 sets of 10 pull-ups or chin-ups, you have a few options:

OPTION #A: Continue to get better at doing more reps – 3 sets of 12, 3 sets of 15, 4 sets of 20, etc.

OPTION #B: Start doing other types of pull-ups.

Here are some advanced pull-ups you can try: 

#1) WIDE GRIP PULL-UPS (grab the bar WAY out with both hands):

#3) SIDE TO SIDE PULL-UPS

#4) RING PULL-UPS

#5) TOWEL PULL-UPS (Great for grip strength)

OPTION #C) Add weight with a weight belt and do weighted pull-ups or weighted chin-ups:

Personally, my favorite thing to do in a gym is weighted pull-ups; if you’re at this level and interested in doing so, here’s what you need to do:

1. Get a weight belt. I bought this one on Amazon and it’s worked out incredibly well for me. I’ve tried doing the whole “put weights in a backpack” and it certainly works, but the angle of the weights hanging off your back is weird. With a weight belt, the weight hangs down between your legs (not a euphemism) so it feels more natural.
2. Add small amounts at a time. Most gyms will have 2.5 lb (roughly 1kg) weights; you might feel stupid putting on a big weight belt and only hanging a tiny weight off it, but you need to start somewhere.
3. Consistently add more weight. I’ll warm up with two sets of 5 pull-ups with no extra weight, and then do 3 sets of 5 weighted pull-ups. If I can complete all 3 sets of 5 reps (with my chin over the bar for every rep), I’ll make a note to add 2.5 or 5lbs (1 or 2kg) to my weight belt for the next time.

Here’s how to incorporate these Level 6 exercises into your gym workout routine:

• Monday – Weighted Chin Ups – 3 sets of 5 reps
• Wednesday – Elevated Feet Body Weight Rows – 3 sets of max repetitions
• Friday – Wide Grip Pull-ups – 3 sets of maximum repetition
• (The following week, I’d alternate by doing the chin-ups without weight, and then doing weighted pull-ups

Where do you go from here? How about working towards one of the most impressive exercises of all time? The MUSCLE UP (warning: uber advanced)!

Our new app, Nerd Fitness Journey, not only has an adventure to get you your first pull-up, but we’ll also show you exactly how to do cool bodyweight tricks like the muscle-up too. No guesswork needed here, just jump into the app and follow the missions and workouts for the day.

You can try your free trial TODAY, right here:

Lift Yourself Up (A Life With Pull-Ups)

No matter your starting point, you CAN do pull-ups.

And you WILL do pull-ups with this guide. 

You don’t need to follow the progression above exactly – it’s merely one path that you can take in order to reach the promised land…where the pull-ups flow like wine and the women instinctively flock like the Salmon of Capistrano.

Just ask Christina, who can now do multiple sets of pull-ups – her story is incredible:

Or Bronwyn, who lost 50+ lbs and now does chin-ups with her daughter on her back!

For people looking for the next step, we’ve built 3 options that might float your boat:

1) If you are somebody that wants to get results like the women above and follow a tailor-made pull-up strength program designed around their life and goals, check out our popular 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program.

You’ll work with our certified NF instructors who will get to know you better than you know yourself, check your form, and program your workouts and nutrition for you.

Click here to learn how Nerd Fitness Coaching can help you achieve your first pull-up!

#2) Exercising at home and need a plan to follow? Check out Nerd Fitness Journey!

Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally). We even have an awesome adventure to help you get your first pull-up!

Try your free trial right here:

3) Join our free community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion, and we’ll send you our free Strength 101 Guide, which you can get when you sign up in the box below:

Follow the path that works for your schedule, your experience, and your level of comfort with this movement – there’s no shame in going slowly and progressing safely.

And if you’re gung ho about pull-ups, ready for negatives and trying to squirm for that first rep, feel free to go for it. Just be safe.

When you DO finally do a pull-up, I want to be the first to know – email me at steve@nerdfitness.com and tell me about it!

For the Rebellion,

-Steve

PS: Check out our other three articles on pull-ups:

• How to Do a Proper Pull-up (Correct Form)
• 5 Common Pull-Up Mistakes
• How to Do Pull-ups Without a Bar

PPS: Want to learn more? Read the rest of the Strength Training 101 series:

• Strength Training 101: Beginner Strength Workouts
• 6 Gym Workouts for Beginners
• How to Find a Good Personal Trainer
• Strength Training 101: Inverted Rows
• Strength Training 101: How to Squat
• Strength Training 101: The Press
• Strength Training 101: The Deadlift

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Photo Souce: Muscles that Move the Humerus

The post Get Your First Pull-up Or Chin-up! 30-Day Pull up Progression Plan first appeared on Nerd Fitness.

from Nerd Fitness: Helping You Lose Weight, Get Stronger, Live Better. https://ift.tt/j7MiIcv
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Our simple beginner kettlebell workout will blow your mind.

Come on: Who else is going to teach you to use a kettlebell with Mario and Mega Man references?

In today’s guide, we’ll go over the following (click to go right to that section):

• The Nerd Fitness 20-minute Kettlebell Workout (with video demonstration)
• The 6 Best Kettlebell Exercises for Beginners
• What type of kettlebell is best? What is the best kettlebell weight for me?
• Can you lose weight with kettlebells?
• Download the Kettlebell Worksheet!

These are the types of programs that we create for our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Clients, and we’re getting amazing results for people. 

Let us create a custom Kettlebell program for you! Learn more:

And make sure you download our Kettlebell Worksheet! It’ll come in handy in just a moment.

Okie dokie, let’s jump right in.

The 20 Minute Beginner Kettlebell Workout (with Video Demonstration)

Once you’ve watched the video above (featuring Matt Shortis, a lead trainer in our 1-on-1 Coaching Program) here’s a quick recap with repetitions for the workout here:

COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING KETTLEBELL CIRCUIT 3 TIMES:

• 8 Halos (each side)
• 10 Goblet Squats
• 8 Overhead Presses (each side)
• 15 Kettlebell Swings
• 8 Bent Over Rows (each side)
• 6 Front Rack Reverse Lunge (per side)
  

And because we like to have fun around here, we made a graphic where superheroes do the workout.

Here’s the Beginner Kettlebell Workout as an infographic:

Our Beginner Kettlebell Workout is what’s called a circuit (you can learn all about circuit training here). That’s just a fancy term for doing a workout like so:

• 1 set of exercise A, go immediately to
• 1 set of exercise B, go immediately to
• 1 set of exercise C, and so on…
• Repeat from the top!

Your long-term goal should be to do 3 full circuits, back to back, for a complete workout.

4 if you’re on fire, like in NBA Jam.

If you can only go through it once or twice, that’s okay too!

And if you need to take a break at any time between sets or after a circuit, do it! You do you.

Prior to jumping into the kettlebell circuit, don’t forget to do some mobility warm-up (you can see our warm-up routine here):

Nothing too crazy, just something to “grease the groove” and get your body used to movement so you don’t pull any muscles once you start swinging the kettlebell.

In other words, preparing your muscles and joints to move some weight around!

A few minutes of running in place, air punches and kicks, some jumping jacks, and arm swings, should get your heart rate up and your muscles warmed for the Kettlebell Workout.

You can do all of the Beginner Kettlebell Workout with one single bell, from anywhere.

We’ll go over each more in our next section, so you can perfect your kettlebell technique.

When you’re done, do some light stretching to cool down. A couple of yoga poses would suffice. Make sure you drink water too.

Feel free to go through this routine at least once a week, and up to 2-3 times a week, with a day off between.

Remember, you don’t build muscle when you’re exercising, you build muscle when you’re resting.

Your muscles are broken down when you strength train, and then they rebuild themselves stronger over the following days of recovery!

If you just can’t sit still, feel free to do some fun exercises, go for a walk, or do one of these off-day activites.

Don’t forget to download our Beginner Kettlebell Worksheet, which covers the above sequence from Coach Matt.

You can print it out and track the number of sets and repetitions you complete, which will help ensure you progress in your training.

You can grab yours free when you sign up in the box below:

The 6 Best Kettlebell Exercises for Beginners

Let’s go over each exercise in the 20-Minute Beginner Kettlebell Workout: 

#1) KETTLEBELL HALOS

1. Grab the kettlebell with two hands on the handle.
2. Raise the kettlebell above your head.
3. Move around your head like you’re tracing a halo.

Tip from Coach Matt: with your halos, remember to keep the movement smooth. You don’t want to accidentally slam your head with the bell.

#2) KETTLEBELL GOBLET SQUAT

1. Grab the kettlebell with two hands “by the horns,” aka the handle.
2. Keep your elbows in tight and your feet about parallel.
3. Then lower down like you would in a bodyweight squat.
4. Reverse the movement to raise back up.

Tip from Coach Matt: for the goblet squat, focus on depth. It’s more important to practice doing a full squat than to pump out reps. If you can’t make 10, don’t stress it. Do what you can.

#3) KETTLEBELL OVERHEAD PRESS

1. Grab the kettlebell with one hand, with the handle going down your palm (if the handle is too close to your fingers it’ll pull your wrist down).
2. Press straight up with your fist driving the movement (your fist would be pointing up the entire time).
3. Reverse the movement and bring the kettlebell back down. Then repeat.

Tip from Coach Matt: when doing the overhead press, get tight. Tightening your muscles will engage your core, offering a fuller body workout.

#4) KETTLEBELL SWING

1. Get down into a bent-over, flat-back position and grab the kettlebell with both hands from the handle.
2. Swing the kettlebell behind you, then get ready to jump up.
3. Jump up (without leaving the ground) and swing the kettlebell up. You should be standing tall at the peak of the movement.
4. Reverse the movement and bring the kettlebell back down and behind you.
5. Repeat.

Tip from Coach Matt: during the kettlebell swing, focus on hinging your hips. The swing is like a deadlift movement, so you should feel it in your hamstring and glutes.

#5) BENT OVER ROW

1. Get down into a bent-over, flat-back position and grab the kettlebell with one arm.
2. Pick up the kettlebell by driving your elbow up into your rib cage.
3. Lower the kettlebell back down by reversing the movement.

Tip from Coach Matt: try to keep your back straight and stomach tight during the row. This will help engage your legs for stabilization as you pull the kettlebell toward your stomach.

#6) FRONT RACK REVERSE LUNGE

1. Grab the kettlebell with one hand and rest the weight between your arm and chest.
2. Step your leg back (the same side your kettlebell is on) and lower down until your shin is parallel-ish with the ground (or as low as you can).
3. Spring back up to your starting position.

Tip from Coach Matt: for the lunges, again keep your back straight. By keeping your shoulders back, you’ll get a fuller body workout when you come in and out of your lunge.

Boom! There you have it.

The 6 best kettlebell exercises for beginners. 

If you want someone to review your form on any of these kettlebell movements, or you’re looking to level up your kettlebell game, our coaches can do just that! Our spiffy mobile app lets you send a video of your exercises directly to your coach, who will provide feedback so you can perfect your technique.

Have a Nerd Fitness Coach check your form with a kettlebell. Learn more here!

In case you’re still on the fence about grabbing a kettlebell, let’s dig into them a little bit more.^[1]

What Type of Kettlebell Is Best? What Is the Best Kettlebell Weight for Me?

So you want to buy a kettlebell, eh?

They come in all sorts of materials, in all sorts of shapes, and in all sorts of sizes.

Which one you pick will come down to your personal preference, your budget, and your experience with kettlebells.

Let’s contemplate the following when picking the right kettlebell:

#1) Standard vs.Competition. A standard traditional kettlebell will be cast iron, and as the weight goes up, the dimensions go up.

For example, a 16kg (35 lb.) bell will be larger than a 6kg (15lb) bell. This isn’t true for competitive kettlebells.

No matter their weight, competitive kettlebells will have the same dimensions for bell shape, base, and handle width.

So the 16kg will look just like the 6kg. This can be helpful to make sure you are consistent with technique.

#2) Weight. In general, pick a weight that allows you to complete a workout with good form.

When in doubt, start with a lighter weight, as you can always increase the weight/size later. If you’re forcing me to pick one for you, knowing NOTHING about you, I’d say consider purchasing a 16kg if you’re a male or 8kg if you’re a female.

Now, this isn’t an exact science, and we are all unique snowflakes. If you think you’re stronger than average, go heavier. Not quite there? Go lighter.

#3) Ballistic vs. Grind. You’ll often hear the terms ballistic and grinding in kettlebell workout discussions, for fast and slow movements respectively.

Ballistic movements would be quick, like the kettlebell swing.

Grinding movements would be slow, like the overhead press. For ballistic movements, you might actually want a heavier kettlebell, to help with momentum.

For grinding movements, less weight might be in order to help with control.

For now, if you are just starting out, go ahead and stick to one kettlebell. Branch out as you advance in experience.

#4) Handle. This is where quality comes into play. You’ll be doing many, many repetitions with your kettlebell.

If the handle has rough edges, you’ll feel each and every one of the movements cut into your hand.

Not fun.

Quality matters when it comes to handles. So we’ll chat about ideal brands in a moment. I’ll end our discussion on handles by saying they are generally standardized at 35mm for thickness.

Use this as your baseline for differences when comparing bell grips.

Okay, let’s talk about kettlebell brands:

#1) Cap Barbell. This would be an ideal first kettlebell. Not too expensive and of decent quality, Cap Barbell kettlebells can be found on Amazon or at any Walmart.

The Cap Barbell is the most highly reviewed and reasonably priced kettlebell we have encountered. Do you have any experience with one?

Let us know in the comments if you like it!

#2) Kettlebell Kings. You see Kettlebell Kings ranked as some of the best bells out there. Not a bad price for the quality.

Plus, they offer free shipping in the US, which is nice since you’re essentially mailing a cannonball.

#3) Dragon Door. Some call Dragon Door the gold standard of anything and everything “kettlebell.”

I wouldn’t disagree, but expect to pay for it.

#4) Onnit. Onnit rocks, and they offer good quality bells that are quite popular.

OUR ADVICE: Before you go buy an expensive kettlebell, check your gym!

I bet it has kettlebells, and you can try out different brands/ sizes/ weights/ styles to see which one you like the best.

Afraid of going? Here’s how to train in a gym.

Don’t care about buying your bell new?

Check out Craigslist or a used sporting goods store like Play it Again Sports for a previously owned kettlebell from a person who no longer needs it.

A used kettlebell is still a kettlebell.

Crafty? Build your own!

Here’s a video on how to make a kettlebell:

If you make your own kettlebell (be careful – you don’t want it breaking mid-swing!), please email me. I would be so pumped!

And if you need help with ALL of this and just want somebody to tell you how to train, I got you covered too.

Let us create a custom Kettlebell program that fits YOUR situation. Learn more about our Online Coaching Program:

Can You Lose Weight with Kettlebells?

If you’re trying to lose weight, a kettlebell and the workout routine above would be a great part of the plan!

The other part of the plan should be your nutrition.

As we lay out in our Coaching Program and our massive guide on “Healthy Eating,” we believe that proper nutrition is 80-90% of the equation for weight loss.

No joke.

It’s by far the biggest factor for success.

So will you lose weight training with kettlebells?

Maybe!

If you fix your diet AND begin to incorporate our kettlebell routine a few times per week, you’ll will find yourself building muscle, losing fat, and getting stronger!

So how do you fix your diet?

Great question.

Whether you choose to follow a Keto Diet, Paleo Diet, Mediterranean Diet, or something like Intermittent Fasting, the best path will be up to your goals, your situation, and your habits.

Here are some basic tips though (as we cover in our Beginner’s Guide to Healthy Eating):

1. If your goal is weight loss, you have to eat less than you burn each day. This can be through eating less and burning more (from the kettlebell workout above)
2. Processed foods and junk food make it really tough to lose weight: They have lots of calories and carbs, low nutritional value, don’t fill you up, and cause you to overeat.
3. Vegetables are your friend. If you don’t like veggies, here’s how to make vegetables taste good.
4. Liquid calories are sabotaging your efforts. Soda, juice, sports drinks: they’re all pretty much high-calorie sugar water with minimal nutritional value. Get your caffeine from black coffee or tea, fizzy-drink fix from sparkling water.
5. Not losing weight? Track your calories and work on consuming slightly less each day. We tackle this point in-depth in our article “Why can’t I lose weight?”
6. Eat more protein! Protein helps rebuild muscle, and can help you stay under your calorie limit because it’s satiating and filling. Here’s exactly how much protein you should be eating every day.

Those tips should get you started, but if you want more specific instruction and guidance, check out the NF Coaching Program – Your Coach will build a routine tailored to your individual needs and what equipment you have available:

Weight loss doesn’t have to suck…let us help!

Download the Kettlebell Worksheet!

Like most things in life, the important aspect of any exercise regimen is starting it.

No matter what strength training program you choose, start TODAY.

You don’t need to get strong before you can play with a kettlebell. You can play with a kettlebell to get stronger!

Here’s that Beginner Kettlebell Workout one more time to recap:

1. Halos: 8 reps each side
2. Goblet Squats: 10 reps
3. Overhead Presses: 8 reps
4. Kettlebell Swings: 15 reps
5. Bent Over Rows: 8 reps each side
6. Front Rack Reverse Lunge: 6 reps each side

Here are the next two steps you can take with our community if you dig what we do! 

1) Check out our 1-on-1 Online Coaching program. Our coaches can work with you to pick up a kettlebell for the first time or to learn more advanced moves.

Whether you are brand new to your fitness journey, or ready to take it to the next level, we have your back!

Get strong as hell with Kettlebells in the NF Coaching Program. Learn more here:

2) If you want an exact blueprint for growing strong, check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

We even have a fun kettlebell adventure that you can follow!

Try your free trial right here:

3) Join the Rebellion! Join our free community with a biweekly newsletter, and I’ll send you our Beginner Kettlebell Worksheet.

Simply sign up in the box below, and let us know what you think of it!

I’d love to hear how this goes for you! Simply leave a comment below.

Hell, leave a comment if there’s anything else we can help you with too.

For the Rebellion!

-Steve

PS: If you are using Kettlebells to get started with Strength Training, make sure you read the other articles in our Strength Training series! 

• Strength 101: How to get strong
• Strength training workouts: get started!
• 6 Levels of Gym Workouts: never be lost again! 

PPS: As a reminder, this infographic shows you the Beginner Kettlebell Workout:

*All photo sources can be found in this footnote right here: kettlebell, kettlebell press, kettlebells, kettlebell II, svershinsky © 123RF.com.

The post The 20 Minute Beginner Kettlebell Workout: Try This Simple Workout at Home or Anywhere! first appeared on Nerd Fitness.

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It’s time to learn how to get fit without leaving your home:

Maybe you’re practicing a self-quarantine. 

Maybe you work from your apartment and are avoiding the gym.

Or maybe you just like living like a house cat.

Either way, you’ve come to the right place, because I put together a practical guide for rational people to help you get fit or stay fit, even if you can’t leave the house.

We’ve had incredible success with no-gym workouts for our 1-on-1 Online Coaching Program, allowing our clients to train from any part of the world…or an underground bunker.

No gym? No problem! Let our coaches build a home routine for you.

Here’s what we’ll cover in our guide, How to Stay in Shape Without Leaving the House: 

• How to stay in shape (while staying inside) 
• 11 Workouts you can do at home
• Building a Temporary Home Gym: What Equipment to Buy
• The Nerd Fitness “Stuck in the House” Game
• Tips and tricks for staying fit inside
• How to get fit from home (Next steps)

Note: this is not prescriptive, nor guidance about protecting against the coronavirus – see the PS. 

Let’s jump right in!

How to Stay in Shape (While Staying Inside)

So you’re stuck inside eh? 

Here’s the best advice I can give you: treat this as your new normal, and recognize the fact that nutrition is still 90% of the health and fitness equation!

Seriously. 90%. 

That means the most important thing you can do to stay in shape:

Focus on your nutrition!

It’s really easy for our brains to think: “Well, I can’t work out like I used to, who cares what I eat.”

This is the EXACT opposite of how we should be thinking.

Whether you rarely leave the house or bike to work every day, what (and how much) you eat will largely determine your overall weight.

Here’s a telling story from our community: one of our coaching clients, Kyle, rides his bike EVERYWHERE, which meant he was incredibly active.

He only started seeing results when his coach helped him switch up his diet. 

That’s why Rule #4 of the Nerd Fitness Rebellion states “You can’t outrun your fork.”

When you stock up your kitchen, pantry, or panic room with food, make sure the choices match with your fitness goals. 

Step #1) Use our Daily Calorie Calculator to determine how much you should be eating each day based on your goals.

Step #2) Learn about portion sizes of different foods! If you are largely eating meals composed of rice, pasta, oatmeal, cereal, etc. during your quarantine, it’s important to know the correct portion sizes.

These are the foods that are the easiest to accidentally overeat.

As we share in our Healthy Eating Guide and over on @Nerd_Fitness Instagram, here’s how to eyeball your portion sizes correctly:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Nerd Fitness | Steve Kamb (@nerd_fitness) on Aug 14, 2019 at 5:20am PDT

Step #3) Do the best you can. You might be stuck eating less than optimal meals for a few weeks or longer, which means controlling your calorie intake is the best step you can take to keep your weight in order.

Here are 5 resources to help you focus on nutrition while living inside:

1. How to Start Eating Healthy. If you have no idea what a healthy meal looks like, start here. We’ll explain ideal macronutrient ratios for weight loss, proper portion sizes, and putting it all together to build a healthy plate. 
2. 5 Rules of Weight Loss. Losing weight and keeping it off is tough stuff. Whether this is the first time you’ve embarked on a diet, or the 17th, read our guide for the exact rules to follow for sustainable weight loss. 
3. 10 Ways to Make Vegetables Taste Good. If you want to be healthy, you need to eat your vegetables. Vegetables are high in nutrients and low in calories, making them ideal for a healthy plate. But what if you don’t like veggies? Have no fear! Read our guide on how to turn any “picky eater” into a “vegetable lover.”
4. The Nerd Fitness Calorie Calculator. Losing weight comes down to eating fewer calories than you burn. But how many calories do you need to eat? What should be your calorie target for weight loss? Read our guide to discover your requirements!
5. Which Diet is Right for Me? There are a LOT of diets in the fitness world. However, not all of them are created equal. We explore the pros and cons of today’s most popular diets, plus strategies for determining which one is right for you.

11 Workouts You Can Do at Home

One challenge of staying in shape while staying inside comes down to movement, and actually STICKING with a routine. 

If you don’t have a home gym, how are you supposed to workout when confined to your house?

This is especially challenging if you’re a gym rat and used to a very specific gym routine!

So what’s a rational, level headed person to do in this situation?

In a nutshell here’s what we recommend:

• Schedule your workouts in your calendar, and treat them as you would a gym workout. 
• Have a specific routine to follow, or set a time to make sure you are getting enough fun movement! 

As for what’s possible, meet Jimmy, an aeronautical engineer who got in great shape without ever stepping foot in a gym.

Through our online coaching program – we developed a routine that Jimmy could do in his home with just bodyweight exercises, some dumbbells, and gymnastic rings:

Bodyweight training and gymnastics can build muscle, it just needs to be done with the right intention and intensity! Meaning you just need to have the right plan in place.

Like these types of plans!

Here are 10 workout routines you can do at home:

#1) Beginner Bodyweight Workout

This is the Beginner Bodyweight Workout (3 Circuits): 

• 20 Bodyweight squats.
• 10 Push-ups.
• 10 Walking lunges (each leg).
• 10 Dumbbell rows (use a milk jug or other weight).
• 15 Second Plank.
• 30 Jumping jacks

If you’re unfamiliar with any of these moves, check out the main post for a breakdown of each exercise.

This bodyweight routine has helped many a Nerd Fitness Rebel jumpstart their strength training journey. 

#2) Advanced Bodyweight Workout

If the Beginner Bodyweight Workout above seems too easy, try this advanced routine on for size.

This is the Advanced Bodyweight Workout (Do 3 Circuits):

• 10 One-Legged Squats – each side
• 20 Bodyweight Squats
• 20 Walking Lunges (10 each leg)
• 20 Jump Step-Ups (10 each leg)
• 10 Pull-Ups (or inverted bodyweight rows using your kitchen table)
• 10 Dips – Bar Stools
• 10 Chin-Ups (or inverted bodyweight rows with an underhand grip)
• 10 Push-Ups
• 30 Second Plank

Again, if any of these moves are unfamiliar, head to The Advanced Bodyweight Workout for a complete tutorial. 

#3) Do a Bodyweight Exercise Everyday

Strength training comes down to challenging your muscles more and more each workout. 

This can 100% be done with your own body’s weight, meaning you can train from the comfort and safety of your home. 

The trick is picking an exercise for each major muscle group (focusing on compound exercises to get the most bang for our buck) and making it more challenging as you begin to grow strength and muscle. 

So we’ll want to pick a bodyweight exercise for each major muscle group:

• Lower Body
• Upper Body – Push
• Upper Body – Pull
• Core

The lower body exercise can be a bodyweight squat:

The upper body “push” exercise can be, you guessed it, a push-up!

An inverted bodyweight row would be a great way to train your “pull” muscles, which can be done on a sturdy table in your dining room:

Alternatively, you could do doorframe rows:

To strengthen your core, you can perform some reverse crunches:

If these moves seem too tough, you can check out The 42 Best Bodyweight Exercises for easier (and more difficult) variations. 

If you’re stuck at home, try and do at least one of these moves every single day. 

You can also try “exercise snacking”: doing just a few reps of an exercise on the hour: 5 push-ups and squats every hour, for example.

Up for a real test? Consider the “PLP60 Challenge:” every day, you add ONE more rep of a push-up, pull-up, and a lunge, and do them in as many sets as you need:

• Day 1: 10 push-ups, 10 pull-ups, 10 lunges.
• Day 2: 11 push-ups, 11 pull-ups, 11 lunges.
• Day 3: 12 push-ups, 12 pull-ups, 12 lunges.
• And so on.

There’s a benefit to doing one of these bodyweight exercises every single day: 

Not only will you build muscle, but training can also remind us we’re trying to be healthy, which can remind us to eat healthier (remember our lesson on the importance of nutrition).

#4) Get a Kettlebell, follow our Kettlebell workout.

Right now, you can order a 30 pound kettlebell on Amazon for $40.  It doesn’t take up much room, and you can do dozens of exercises with a single kettlebell to stay strong!

Watch our Beginner Kettlebell Workout video below, and follow along with the workout:

• 8 Halos (each side)
• 10 Goblet Squats
• 8 Overhead Presses (each side)
• 15 Kettlebell Swings
• 8 Bent Over Rows (each side)
• 6 Front Rack Reverse Lunge (per side)

This Beginner Kettlebell Workout is what’s called a circuit (you can learn all about circuit training here). That’s just a fancy term for doing a workout like so:

• 1 set of exercise A, go immediately to
• 1 set of exercise B, go immediately to
• 1 set of exercise C, and so on…
• Repeat from the top!

Your long term goal should be to do 3 full circuits back to back for a complete workout.

#5) Get Your 10,000 Steps In!

Movement of any kind is beneficial for human health. 

That’s why we often recommend people starting their fitness journey begin by simply going for a walk. 

But this can be more difficult if you’re trapped in your house or apartment. 

That’s why you should create a walking path through your home.

Maybe it’s up the stairs, going around a perimeter of each bedroom (ask permission if it’s not yours), back through the kitchen and then out to the patio.

Or maybe it’s outside, walking circles around your backyard. 

The longer the walking path the better, and don’t be afraid to go one direction and then turn around to reverse.

A cheap pedometer, FitBit, or even just the pedometer feature of your watch/phone could help a lot here. 

Try to accumulate 10,000 steps per day if possible. 

#6) Create an In-Door Obstacle Course.

Just because you’re trapped inside, doesn’t mean you can’t play!

How about creating a fun obstacle course out of furniture? 

Of course, the floor is always made of lava.

This video might give you some ideas:

No one says you can’t do parkour in your apartment. 

We discuss obstacle courses, parkour, and much more in our guide 40 ways to exercise without realizing it. 

#7) Do Mobility Drills to Stay Limber

Here’s a great 5-minute drill from trainer (and great Instagram follow) Jack Hanrahan!

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jack Hanrahan, CSCS. (@jackhanrahanfitness) on Jan 19, 2020 at 7:46am PST

Even in just a few minutes, it’s possible to do a full-body mobility drill.

You don’t even have to follow a pre-made routine. Just get moving, find what feels good, and give yourself permission to get creative.

However, if you are more of a “follow the blueprint” type of person, check out our guide How to Stretch for some pre-made mobility drills. 

#8) Complete a HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training) Workout.

You don’t have to head to the gym to do High-Intensity Interval Training. You can do a complete routine right in your own home!

HIIT is just following a specific regimen where you vary your speeds and intensity throughout a shorter run, swim, bike, or row.

Unless you have a giant backyard, running at home might be tough.

But you know what doesn’t require a lot of room?

Burpees!

To complete a burpee:

• Start standing up, then squat down and kick your legs out.
• Do a push-up, bring your legs back in, and explode up into a jump.
• For a HIIT workout, try to do 20 repetitions, then rest for two minutes.
• Repeat until you hate yourself.

Check out our full guide on How to Start Interval Training for some more ideas on HIIT workouts.

You can also check out our post “The 20-Min HIIT Workout for Home” for another living-room-friendly interval routine!

Don’t have 20 minutes? What about a 4-minute tabata workout?

#9) Try A Yoga Routine!

You don’t have to head to a group class to do yoga. No “namaste” or “ohmmmmm” required either.

Here’s a 20-minute yoga routine, specifically designed for newbies, that you can do in your dorm room:

No idea what a downward dog is?

Check out 21 Yoga Poses for Beginners, where we cover each and every move covered in this video. 

#10) Practice Your Handstands (or Work Up to One)!

On the one hand, handstands are really tough. On the other hand, the amount of strength and balance required to perform a handstand will get you in great shape.

Plus, you don’t need to leave your home to practice. 

Never done a handstand before? No problem! Check out our guide on getting your first handstand to begin. 

#11) Train like Batman. Because, Batman.

We love the Caped Crusader here at Nerd Fitness, so naturally we have The Batman Bodyweight Workout for you to try!

This workout is separated into two days for you:

Batman Home Workout Day 1:

• Rolling squat tuck-up jumps: 5 reps
• Side to side push-ups: 5 reps
• Modified headstand push-ups: 5 reps
• Jump pull-up with tuck / Pull-up with Tuck-up: 5 reps
• Handstands against wall: 8 seconds

Batman Home Workout Day 2:

• ‘180 Degree’ jump turns: 5 reps
• Tuck front lever hold: 8 seconds
• Tuck back lever hold: 8 seconds
• Low frog hold: 8 seconds

This is a relatively advanced workout already, but if you want to progress to the next level, check out the main Batman Bodyweight Workout for tips on how to do just that.

Outside of all these super-sweet workouts we covered, there’s more!

If you want a more customized approach for your exact situation (kids, an old injury, you turn into a werewolf once a month), then check out NF Coaching. 

We know exactly how to get people into shape without ever leaving the house.

Want a coach to help every step of the way? Learn more here!

Building a Temporary Home Gym: What Equipment Should I buy?

If you’re going to be stuck in the house, some essential equipment might help you stay fit and healthy without breaking the back.

As somebody who trains in a gym four days per week, I’m going to be avoiding the gym for the upcoming few weeks.

In addition to plenty of bodyweight training (push-ups, pistol squats, and handstands), this is the equipment I’m using to create an inexpensive mini-gym in my apartment:

#1) A 30 lb Kettlebell. While you don’t need any equipment to grow strong, if you were going to buy anything, a kettlebell would offer you a lot of versatility. 

If you do end up picking one up, make sure you check out our 20-minute beginner kettlebell workout, which can be done with one single bell in your living room.

#2) A Door Frame Pull-Up Bar. With this one piece of equipment, you’ll have all you need to build a complete bodyweight workout.

If you’re serious about fitness, and you’re trying to get your first pull-up, a pull-up bar is a must.

I also will be hooking up gymnastic rings to the pull-up bar so I can stick with my ring training!

Here’s NF Coach Jim playing with his setup:

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jim Bathurst (@beastskills) on Sep 29, 2016 at 11:48am PDT

Honestly, if you have access to a kettlebell to help with some lower body strength training, and then a pull-up bar to do upper-body pull movements, you can build one heck of a workout!

#3) Resistance Bands. Exercise bands don’t take up a lot of room and can be a great way to increase the difficulty of normal bodyweight moves.

For example, you could start doing band squats:

You have a few different options on bands to purchase, so check out our guide to exercise bands for tips on what to secure.

If strength training isn’t your bag, consider these other two options:

#4) Healthy Gaming – Ring Fit Adventure

I’ve heard from multiple coaches and clients that Ring Fit Adventure provides a way to train in your living room that isn’t monotonous.

Do you have experience with Ring Fit Adventure? Please share in the comments below!

#5) Beat Saber: Come on, this is a no brainer! IT IS a video game to get you moving and THIS IS Nerd Fitness.

If you’re trapped inside and you can afford it, YOLO. 

You can also check out our guide “How to Build a Home Gym” for more ideas on how to create a fitness room in your house or apartment. 

The Nerd Fitness “Stuck in the House” Game

To play today’s game, you’ll need a twenty-sided die like you would use in Magic: The Gathering or Dungeons and Dragons.

To play our game, simply roll one die. 

Then do the activity that matches it:

MOVEMENT

1. Walk the complete perimeter of your house or apartment, reverse, and do it again.
2. Strike a yoga pose.
3. Do a 60-second workout (pick any bodyweight movement).
4. Balance on one leg for a total of 60 seconds, then switch.
5. Dance like no one’s watching, to something with a fast pace.
6. Try to read a chapter in a static pose (plank, wall sit, deep squat, etc).

NUTRITION

7. Eat a meal with protein and veggies.
8. Take a picture of a meal to share.
9. Skip the snack or eat a piece of fruit.
10. Make a 10-minute meal at home (try one from here).
11. Eat slowly and stop at 80% full.
12. Drink zero-calorie beverages today.
13. Skip a meal (a la intermittent fasting).

LIFESTYLE

14. Go to bed 30 (or 5) minutes earlier.
15. Take a 5-minute break to breathe, meditate, de-stress.
16. Pamper in the shower with a brush and special body wash instead of soap and washcloth.
17. Send Steve a message about your day (reach me on Instagram!)
18. Go outside for 5 minutes.
19. Work on a puzzle (jigsaw, sudoku, crossword).
20. Give the cat a thorough brushing (or dog, or child, or creepy doll).

Feel free to edit The Nerd Fitness “Stuck in the House” Game to make it your own!

(Oh, and share your favorite additional missions in the comments below!) 

Although this game seems very simple, don’t underrate its value.

One of our coaches plays this game with his clients, and they utilize it as an easy trigger for daily self-care.

Other Tips and Tricks for Getting Fit at Home

#1) Find ANY WAY to move more. 

Did you know ‘fidgeting’ (aka “small micromovements”) can account for up to 350 additional calories burned per day? It’s called NEAT (Non-exercise activity thermogenesis).

Per the New York Times^[1]:

“Overweight people have a tendency to sit, while lean ones have trouble holding still and spend two hours more a day on their feet, pacing around and fidgeting, researchers are reporting in findings published today.

The difference translates into about 350 calories a day…” 

350 extra calories burned per day ain’t no joke!

As we cover in our “How many calories should I eat every day?” guide, burning an extra 350 calories per day can result in sustainable weight loss and maintenance over time for many.

Here are some ways to increase NEAT at home:

• Watch TV standing up.
• Pace while talking on the phone.
• Sit on the floor and actively stretch while reading.
• Air drum like Dave Grohl. 

#2) Prioritize sleep!

When you never leave the house, you can really get off track with your schedule if you’re not careful.

You might be able to wake up tomorrow whenever. Why prioritize sleep if you no longer need to commute?

Well, because poor sleep can really mess with your immune system. 

Depending on why you’re isolating yourself (like a quarantine from a nasty virus), a hampered immune system can really be harmful.

Here’s how to build healthy sleep habits. 

#3) Wash Your Hands.

This hopefully goes without saying, but you should be washing your hands all the time, even without the threat of a virus or flu.

But I’m going to say it anyways. Wash your dang hands! Here’s exactly how to wash your hands:

Good hygiene is always important, but even more so if you’re trying to avoid sickness and have spent time in public.

#4) Consider a Vitamin D supplement. 

While most supplements are garbage, there are a few few that are worth considering (protein, creatine if you are focused on building muscle).

Another one to consider, especially if you are now living like a vampire and avoiding sunlight…

Vitamin D helps us absorb calcium and also plays a critical role in our immune system.^[2] 

We normally get our Vitamin D from sunlight, or from animals (who also get it from sunlight). In the absence of the sun, taking a Vitamin D supplement is the best we can do.

This brand is a well-reviewed option that I take personally.

#5) Fake Human Contact.

We are social creatures. Meaning if you aren’t careful, never leaving the house might give us cabin fever. 

Prioritize human connection, even if it’s not face-to-face:

• Call a friend (use Facetime, Skype, or Google Hangouts). Meeting a friend in person is preferred, but whether because of a mandatory quarantine (or you just live far apart) a phone call can be a great way to break the loneliness. Bonus points if you use FaceTime or a video service, which makes it seem like you’re closer than you are.
• Write a letter. You can go the other way with technology, and use some pen and paper to write a friend a letter. Yeah, you can just use email, but actual letters are becoming scarce in the 21st century (especially amongst friends) so you’ll set yourself apart by pulling out some stamps and saying “hello” to your mailperson.
• Message Boards. Digital communities can make one feel connected with people from all over the world. Many Rebels in our forums have become friends in real life. Go pick out a user handle and get going!
• Daily Check-In so People Know You Haven’t Gone Feral. It can be incredibly valuable to have an accountability buddy. An “accountabilibuddy” if you will. You can check in with each other to make sure you’re both training, or even compete against each other “I get 5 pull-ups today!” Personally, I have an online coach in my life to fill this role, because I value an expert who can build me a new workout program when the situation changes. 

#6) Look out the window!

Constantly glaring at computers and objects right in front of you isn’t exactly great for your eyes.

Solution: The 20-20-20 Rule!

For every 20 minutes spent looking at a screen, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.

There is some evidence it will help with eye strain, so it’s an easy enough rule to help your peepers stay healthy.^[3]

If you want some help here, the app Eye Care 20 20 20 will offer a reminder every 20 minutes to go look outside. 

How to Get Fit From Home (Next Steps)

Whether you’re only quarantined for a couple of weeks, or you’re somebody who works from home, the most important thing you do: 

• Schedule workouts in your calendar.
• Know your calorie intake.
• Move daily.
• Stay strong.
• Eat your vegetables.
• Get plenty of sleep.

It’s time to build a new routine, and it starts by treating your new life at home seriously. 

It’s easy to say “I’ll work out later” when your training takes place in the next room over. So easy in fact, that it’s easy to push out until tomorrow. 

Then the next day. 

Then the next. 

Before you know it, you realize you just don’t exercise anymore.

So, no matter how long you’re practicing extreme social distancing, KEEP up your momentum, train aggressively, and take care of yourself indoors.

This will allow you to get back on track without having lost all of your progress.

Note: it doesn’t really matter what time of day you train. Pick a time that works best for you. Just be consistent with it!

Our coaching clients who have the most success training at home are those that place working out in their calendar. 

Then at the end of the week, ask yourself “Did I complete this week’s training?” 

• If “yes”, that’s awesome. Keep at it.
• If “no,” don’t fret. Pick a smaller workout (5 minutes vs 10 minutes) and try again.

We discuss this throughout our guide on tracking your fitness progress. If you want to see results, make sure you’re hitting your goals. If you aren’t, pick smaller goals. 

The goals themselves aren’t so important at first. What is important is picking one, crushing it, then picking another.

This really is the quickest path to getting in shape. We’ve seen it time and time again throughout the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.

So pick a goal (or roll a die) and get going!

Want a little help? The perfect next step on how to start getting in shape at home?

No problemo!

Here are 3 options on how to continue with Nerd Fitness:

Option #1) If you want step-by-step guidance on how to get strong, lose weight, and level up your life, check out our online coaching program:

Our coaching program changes lives. Learn how!

Option #2) Exercising at home and need a plan to follow? Have questions you need answered? Join Nerd Fitness Prime!

Nerd Fitness Prime is our premium membership program that contains at-home exercise routines, live-streamed workouts with NF Coaches, a supportive online community, group challenges, and much more! 

Learn more about Nerd Fitness Prime!

Option #3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.

Sign-up below and receive our free guide Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. It includes step-by-step instructions for all the exercises covered in today’s guide. 

Alright, enough from me. Your turn:

How do you plan on staying active at home?

Stuck at home with kids? How are you getting them involved?

Do you have any tips or tricks for training without a gym?

Are you currently reading this from an abandoned missile silo?

Let me know in the comments!

-Steve

PS: Check out The 7 Best At-Home Workouts for more tips on how to train without a gym. 

PPS: Hopefully this goes without saying, but getting healthy and building a strong immune system is one of the best defenses one can have against getting sick. 

PPPS: Be careful where you are getting your medical news from with regards to this virus! If you are looking for the most up to date information on the CoronaVirus situation in your country, please refer to actual experts over at Johns Hopkins.

###

GIF Source: Mario dance, 

Photo Source: Home Sweet Home, Visiting Friends, Home Sweet Home II, Wizard, Strobist with the Hazmat Guy

The post How to Get in Shape Without Leaving the House: The Ultimate Guide for Getting Fit at Home first appeared on Nerd Fitness.

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