3 Perfect At-Home Exercises To Build Muscle, Trainer Reveals
The loss of lean muscle mass is an uphill battle once you hit 30. According to WebMD, your muscle mass decreases by 3% to 5% every 10 years after your 30th birthday. This heightens your risk of suffering from broken bones if you fall. But don't fret, because there are plenty of ways to build your muscle mass back up, from weight training to working with resistance bands. We spoke with FightCamp trainer and USA Boxing Coach certified Jess Evans, who shares her top three at-home exercises to build muscle. Many of them are the same exercises she uses to curate her bodyweight strength workouts via the FightCamp app.
According to Evans, "It's important to build muscle because it helps support your joints and keep them strong. It also helps keep your posture strong because your muscles hold you up. Both of these factors are extremely important as you age because you start to feel or have more issues with your joints and even posture."
Read on to learn about Evan's top-recommended exercises to build muscle. The best part? You can do them from the comfort of your home—even while streaming Netflix. And next up, don't miss 5 Daily Exercises To Improve Muscular Endurance as You Age.
Pushups
No equipment? No problem! When it comes to productive at-home bodyweight exercises, pushups rank in the top bunch.
The pushup is a stellar, total-body muscle-building exercise that really works your core. To perform a modified version of the pushup, stand tall and position your hands on a wall in front of you. From there, perform your pushups. Once you're a pro at wall pushups, feel free to complete pushups on your knees, then move on to standard pushups by starting in a high plank.
If you're game for an extra challenge, Evans says, "You can tempo your pushup by going slow on the way down for a count of three and then pushing back up for a count of three seconds."
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Squats
Now, gear up for some squats, and get ready to feel the burn in your glutes and legs. "Don't underestimate the squat," Evans says, adding, "It is great for building your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and core stability. You can tempo this exercise again to make it more challenging, or pick up a box at home to add some weight if you don't have free weights."
Planks
Last but not least, it's time to wrap up with some planks. Evans points out that you can always adjust yourself and perform planks on your hands rather than your forearms to modify the exercise. She adds, "The plank is a great stabilizing exercise that helps build strength in your core muscles, including your lower back, and can help you perform more of your day-to-day tasks."
