Get Pumped for BBQ Season With This 6-Week Muscle-Building Garden Workout – Men’s Health
Don’t squander the spring weather in a corner at your local gym. Make your days brighter with this six-week muscle-building garden workout instead.
By Mens Health Staff | | Nov 8, 2022
Whatever your daily routine, chances are you spend too much of your day indoors. In fact , most estimates suggest we spend roughly 90 per cent associated with our time within four walls. And this dearth of fresh air, green space and sunlight has an impact – on our mood, motivation and overall wellbeing.
Okay, so you might not be able to drag your desk out into the back garden. But swapping the particular bright lights of your local leisure club for an open-air garden workout? That’s easily done. Besides, summer is coming. Create the majority of it.
Contrary to what you might think, gym-free training needn’t mean foregoing muscle-building with regard to a lighter effort. Using nothing more than a garden bench or two (or deckchairs, if a person like) plus a resistance band, your alfresco efforts can serve up some meaty muscle-building, with a side associated with stamina and seared kilojoules. It’s the perfect appetiser ahead of a weekend barbecue and offers a mind-clearing mood-boost on your WFH lunch breaks.
Our three-tiered approach divides your body up to optimise the pump, but it also makes it easier for you to sub in these garden workouts for your usual gym go-tos. If you want to make this your own regular routine over the next six weeks, work your way through all three sessions in the linear fashion. Let rest days fall where they may, then repeat, aiming to beat your performance each period.
Now, who’s hungry for progress?
Press Onwards
Your first session focuses upon pressing movements, targeting your chest, shoulders and triceps – the particular mirror muscles, in other words. It’s a primo grilling that will add slabs of prime beef to your own pecs. Start a countdown for 20 mins and do as many rounds associated with the below as a person can. Rest as needed to keep your form tight – but avoid going too hot, too early, plus running the risk of overcooking.
1 . Dip
(5 reps)
Jump up on your own boxes, benches or deckchairs with your arms locked out straight, supporting your body weight (A). Bend at the elbows, slowly lowering yourself until your elbows are at right angles, ensuring they don’t flare outwards (B). Drive yourself back again up to the top and repeat.
2. Feet elevated push-up
(10 REPs)
Kick both your feet up on to your box, creating a strong plank position together with your hands on the ground, shoulder-width apart (A). Slowly lower your chest in order to the ground (B) before explosively pressing back to lockout plus repeating the particular move.
3. Hands-elevated push-up
(15 reps)
Place your hands upon your package and assume a strong plank placement, along with your hands straight and your fingers below your shoulders (A). Gradually flex in the elbows, lowering your body towards the box till your chest just touches it (B). Power back up and repeat, keeping a steady rhythm.
4. Banded lateral raise 21s
(7/7/7 reps)
Step both feet into a light resistance band, gripping the top, with tension, at waist height (A). Pull the band up, laterally, until both hands reach shoulder height (B). Do 7 reps in this style, followed by 7 reps only performing the particular top half of the movement, and finally 7 repetitions of the bottom half.