4 Strength Training Exercises You Can Do in Your Apartment

Strength training exercises can help you perform better when engaged in any sports or activities such as biking or running. They should be done two to three times a week on non-consecutive days. Therefore, plan a strength training regimen on, say, Monday, Wednesday and Friday or Tuesday and Thursday to give your muscles a chance to rest and recover. Many strength training exercises can easily be done in an apartment, and they provide an excellent way to keep in shape without having to visit a gym.

1. Squats

Probably the best strength training exercise you can do with respect to developing and toning the muscles in your legs and rear end are squats. Practice this exercise by holding a couple of 5 pound or 10 pound weights in your hands. Start the exercise by standing with your feet about hip width apart. The toes should be angled outward to a slight degree. Slowly bend your knees as if you were getting ready to sit down and lower your rear until it’s parallel with the floor while keeping your abs pulled in and your torso straight. Make sure your knees stay behind your toes. Rise up slowly. Repeat the routine, doing two sets of 15 squats each.

2. Pushups

Of course, no strength training regimen would be complete without including pushups. This particular exercise is a good way to become stronger as it works out almost all the muscles in the body, including the shoulders, triceps, back, abs and chest. Begin the exercise by balancing on your hands and toes while looking face down. Slowly bend your arms and lower your body, taking a deep breath as you do so. Stop when your elbows are at 90 degrees. Exhale and push your body back up keeping it straight. Work up to at least 50 pushups.

3. Lunges

Lunges are also an excellent way to tone and strengthen your glutes and muscles in the calves, quads and hamstrings. Begin the exercise by standing with your feet staggered about 3 feet apart, with one foot in front of the other foot. Bend your knees and lower your torso into a lunge. Keep most of the weight in your heels and push back up once again to your beginning stance. Never bend your knees past your toes when executing this exercise. Switch to the other side and repeat. Work up to 20 repetitions for each leg. You can perform lunges in one of several ways, or vary how you do them by practicing side lunges, back lunges or front lunges.

4. The Plank

An excellent isolation exercise that is often incorporated into a yoga routine, the plank is designed to strengthen and tone the abs, arms, legs and back. Start this exercise by lying face down on an exercise mat, allowing your elbows to rest at the side. Push your entire body off the floor and rest it on your elbows, hands and toes. Hold the pose for about 30 seconds. Repeat 10 more times. If you’re a beginner, start out by resting your body on your knees instead of your toes.