Sports Then and Now

Are you an indoor or outdoor person? Some of us do not feel very comfortable in an enclosed environment, and lifting weight in a gym might not be the best option. On the other hand, if you do not have a budget to apply for the gym, you might be looking for an alternative. In both cases, outdoor workouts are a great way to start building strength and muscle mass.

But what’s the best way to start?

In this article, we will give you 4 basic outdoor workouts you can use for strength and muscle-building. Based on these principles, you can start adding more exercises and build your own way into an engaging world known as calisthenics.

Pull-ups for your back muscles and biceps

It is the best workout for your upper back, even if you can do only one repetition. Keep at it, and you will master pull-ups, getting a massive back and nice biceps in the process. All you need is a high bar, which can be found in most parks. If your own weight is too much, you can also perform an inverted row using a low bar.

Dips for your triceps

In some parks, you will also find parallel bars, and you can use them to exercise your triceps. 3 to 5 sets of parallel bar dips are enough to bulk up your arms after a while. If you can’t handle parallel bars, you can also perform dips on a bench or a chair. 

Modified push-ups for your pecs

We all know the classic push-up, an excellent bodyweight exercise for your chest muscles. However, there are plenty of modified push-ups according to your level. You can use knee push-ups or an incline push-up on a bar if you can’t handle regular push-ups. But if you’re a bit more experienced, you can raise your legs and perform decline push-ups to make it a bit harder.

Lunges and squats for your legs

You don’t always need excessive weight to exercise your legs. Adjusting repetitions to your body weight is enough for squats and lunges. They are core exercises to build a nice pair of legs, and you only need discipline and perseverance. Squats are sometimes named the King of exercises, and even though it appears to be simple and easy, it has a precise technique. So, if you do it appropriately, you will feel the work after a few repetitions.

The importance of stretching and warming up

Even if you’re not lifting massive weight, it is essential to warm-up before any outdoor routine. This allows your muscles to have enough blood flow and helps your body focus attention on the muscle group you’re planning to exercise.

After warming up, perform a stretching session. There are stretching stations in some parks, but you can still use anything around you to hold with your hands and extend your articulations as much as possible. Stretching appropriately increases your flexibility, which will be useful to prevent injury and may sometimes contribute to reducing muscle soreness.

Author: Sam Andreas – Content Manager at https://thefitwizard.com/