Lifting weights, especially in a heavier and specific sense has for a lot of people been eliminated since gym closures.

Unless you actually own a gym or have a completely decked out gym in your yard, you will not have access to every exercise and machine that you previously did.

That’s fine, a few basics will help out with this:

• A Squat rack

• Barbell

• Weight plates

• Dumbbells

• Bands

Please keep in mind that just the above is expensive. Especially the Dumbbells and the weight for the bar. For the truly committed, this will be a no brainer. For those who have just started or don’t yet value weight training or resistance training specifically, the call to forgo resistance training might have been made. Some may not be able to afford it, or some would rather not spend the money. Those of you without weights or resistance equipment, I’m sorry to say, you will find that regression is happening in one way or another and there is only one thing you can do about it- train with resistance again.

Imagine going from lifting weights in the gym to then lifting little to no weights. There has been some form of reduction in the stress that you place on your muscles. It will be almost impossible to increase muscle mass, hard to maintain it and likely that you will lose some. This is an issue for some, especially powerlifters, bodybuilders and any performance athlete. However, for the vast majority of people with main goals of losing weight, improving fitness, increasing energy or flexibility, you can without a doubt achieve those goals in the comfort of your own home with limited equipment.

Losing Weight

Watch your food intake (ensure you are reducing the amount of calories consumed and increase your output). Walks, runs, bodyweight workouts all can be done without the gym. Most of the work here is done in the kitchen.

Improving Fitness

Increase the amount of cardiovascular activity that you do. Once again, bodyweight workouts, runs, walks, bike rides, swimming (at home if you have a pool, or an open beach). Get that heart rate up basically.

Increasing Energy

Do anything that increases blood flow, or causes any stress on the body. Once again- walks, runs, bike rides, swims, even stretching can help achieve this.

Improving Flexibility

Stretching, rolling out, using a trigger ball, taking an online yoga class. Anything that stretches the muscles and provides some form of muscular release.

Improving Strength/ Muscle Mass

Progressive overload resistance training. Weights will be the most efficient way to do this. It hasn’t changed since COVID-19 arrived. If you don’t have the funds for a home gym, at a minimum buy a few dumbbells or some bands to help increase the resistance that your muscles undergo during this period of gym lockdown.

For those who are hoping to build muscle mass without weights, it is very limiting. Once your body has adapted to being able to lift your body weight easily, that’s as far as you will progress. This will happen in a matter of weeks.

Not to worry, there are still other things you can focus on if you don’t have access or are not wanting to commit to gaining access to weights. Get good at those things and you will be in a much better position when you can return to weight training again- fitter, more mobile and with more energy than before.