Starting the morning with a warm-up is a useful habit that develops discipline, self-control and makes the day more productive. We invite you to include strength and functional exercises in your morning exercises for men in order to:
- cheer up;
- tone muscles;
- improve endurance, coordination and balance;
- accelerate metabolism;
- lose a couple of extra pounds.
Morning strength training for men (round 1)
In the first round, you will perform basic, isolated and advanced exercises to maximally pump the muscles of the entire body. Follow the correct technique to ensure the best results from your workout. Use your morning time to benefit your health and figure!
You can split the first and second rounds on different days. In this case, repeat 10 exercises in two circles (one circle will be enough if you have a short exercise period).
Walking in a plank without lifting
Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your arms along your body, and then lean forward and touch your palms to the floor. You can bend your knees slightly for comfort. Now “step” your hands forward until your body assumes a lying position. Hold for a couple of seconds and come back until your palms are next to your feet. Functional exercise is included in exercises for men at home, as it works the abdominal and core muscles, strengthens the arms and develops body endurance.
How much to do: 12-15 passes.
Side crunches
Lie on your back, put your hands behind your head. Bend your legs at the knees and lower them to the right. Raise your head and body, lifting your shoulder blades off the floor. Tighten your abs to increase the load. After all the repetitions, lower your legs to the other side and perform crunches again. Make sure your knees are flat on the floor, this will ensure that you are putting a good amount of stress on the target muscles. The exercise deeply works the obliques and transverse abdominis, which helps to define the athletic appearance of the abdomen.
How much to perform: 10-12 repetitions, first on one side, then the same number on the other.
Boxing push-ups
To perform this strength training exercise for men, stand in a prone position with your palms slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Bend your elbows as you do a push-up. Try to go as low as possible, and as you rise, lift your left hand off the floor and punch in front of you. Then do the push-up again and, as you rise, perform a forward kick with your right hand. Advanced push-ups will not only pump up the pecs, strengthen the back muscles and work the core, but also effectively use the deltoids and triceps.
Beginners can do push-ups from a chair or couch.
How much to do: 10-12 push-ups in total.
Squats with arms forward
Place your feet slightly wider than your shoulders and place your hands at your sides. Bend your knees, lowering yourself into a squat until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Move your pelvis back, do not round your back; to do this, keep your chin slightly raised. When squatting, raise your arms in front of you, and when lifting, return them to the starting position. A basic exercise can be included in strength training for men every day, since squats not only work the muscles of the legs and buttocks, but also strengthen the entire body.
How much to do: 12-15 squats.
"Good morning"
Stand up straight, put your hands behind your head, and bend your knees slightly. Bend your body forward until it is parallel to the floor without rounding your back. Bend from the hips, not the waist. You should feel your hamstrings stretch as you do this. Non-weight-bearing exercises work the posterior surface of the body: lower back, buttocks, hamstrings and calves, as well as spinal stabilizers, strengthening the muscles and making them more elastic.
How much to do: 12-15 bends.
Lunges in place
Stand up straight, put your hands on your waist. Take a long step forward and bend your knees at a right angle, lowering into a lunge in place. Straighten your legs without changing position, and then lunge again. Don't forget to repeat the exercise on the other side. Another basic exercise that is included in morning exercises for men, as it works the leg muscles, strengthens the abs, uses spinal stabilizers, developing balance and coordination of movements.
How much to do: 10-12 repetitions, first on one leg, then the same number on the other.
Full push-ups + butterfly
Take a lying position and bend your elbows, performing push-ups from the floor. At the lowest point, lower yourself to the floor and straighten your arms. Then synchronously move them back, to the sides and forward, performing rotations in the shoulder joints. Repeat the movement in reverse and rise out of the push-up. A functional exercise with static elements, it works the pectoral and latissimus dorsi muscles, engages the core and strengthens the arms, and also improves posture and has a positive effect on the spine.
How much to do: 10-12 push-ups in total.
Plank with straight arms
From a prone position, place your elbows on the floor to get into a forearm plank position. Now straighten your left arm, touching the floor in front of you. Go back and repeat the movement with the other hand. While in the plank, do not sag in the lower back and do not lift your pelvis up. Watch the position of your back; to do this, tighten your abdominal muscles. A simple exercise is included in exercises for men at home, as it effectively loads the shoulders, core, abs and pectoral muscles.
How much to do: 16-18 arm extensions in total.
Reverse crunches
Lie on your back, place your arms along your body, palms down, and raise your legs above the floor. Bend your knees and bring them to your chest, straighten at the extreme point and lift your pelvis off the floor, twisting in your body. Bring your legs back, but don't lower them to the floor. Keep your upper body still by placing your palms firmly on the floor. The exercise is included in strength training for men, as it helps pump up the rectus abdominis muscle, developing six-pack muscles.
How much to perform: 10-12 repetitions.
Gluteal bridge
Lie on your back, stretch your arms along your body, bend your knees. Lift your pelvis up, squeezing your buttocks at the top of the movement. Fix the position, and then lower your pelvis down and repeat all over again. An isolated exercise for the gluteal muscles is included in exercises for men at home, as it works well on the back of the thighs and buttocks, and also relieves tension from the lumbar spine. Men definitely need to work their gluteal muscles, as they support the spine.
How much to perform: 12-15 repetitions.
Basic complex of morning exercises
The morning exercise program is developed taking into account the physiological capabilities, level of sports training, as well as the age of the man.
A gentle set of exercises is recommended for older men who have not previously engaged in sports. After 40 years, metabolic processes slow down, the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases increases, and the body’s protective functions weaken. Intense exercise can cause deterioration in health.
During the period of adaptation of the body to physical activity, it is necessary to perform morning exercises for 10-20 minutes; you can gradually increase the time to 20-30 minutes. It is important to apply the principle of load dissipation, that is, to consistently involve different muscle groups in the work.
Morning exercises are a set of exercises that include a warm-up, the main block of exercises and the final stage of the workout.
Warm-up exercises include:
- head tilts;
- rotation of the brushes;
- circular movements of the shoulder joints;
- body bends;
- swinging movements of the arms;
- rotation of the pelvis;
- circular movements of the feet.
All exercises from the warm-up complex are performed calmly. Breathing is done through the nose. The number of repetitions does not exceed 15-20 times. Light exercises will help warm up the body and allow a smooth transition to the main complex.
The main block of morning exercises for men includes:
- Squats (3 sets of 15 repetitions). The exercise engages the muscles of the legs, lower back, upper back and abdominals. Starting position: standing, feet shoulder-width apart. You need to squat so that your pelvis is below your knees and your back remains straight. The heels should not leave the floor.
- Push-ups (2 sets of 20 repetitions). Starting position - lying down. It is necessary to bend your elbows, your torso should be parallel to the floor, then, straining your body, slowly straighten your arms and return to the starting position. The back and legs should be in one line.
- Lateral lunges (2-3 sets of 15 repetitions). Feet should be placed as wide as possible, arms extended forward. The back should be straight. Squats are performed alternately on one leg and then on the other. The toe of the straightened leg should point upward.
- Classic lunges (2-3 sets of 15 repetitions). Starting position: standing, feet shoulder-width apart. Alternately, the legs are put forward. The back is straight, the stomach is pulled in.
- Leg raises (2-3 sets of 10 times). Starting position: lying on your back. As you exhale, both legs rise; as you inhale, they return to their original position.
- Crunches (3-4 sets of 10 repetitions) are a classic abdominal exercise. Performed while lying on your back. Hands are under the neck. Legs are bent at the knees, feet pressed against the wall. As you exhale, bend your back so that your shoulders lift off the floor. In this case, the lower back should press harder to the floor. As you inhale, you need to return to the starting position.
- “Plank” (2 sets of 1 minute) is an exercise that engages the muscles of the abdominals, back, buttocks and thighs. You need to rest your palms or elbows on the floor (a more difficult option). The toes also touch the floor. The body should form a straight line from the pelvis to the crown of the head.
An excellent end to your morning exercises would be a run in pleasant sunny weather.
Morning strength training for men (round 2)
In the second round of morning exercises for men, you will find a selection of equally effective functional exercises that develop not only strength, but also coordination, speed and endurance. The workout will be a real test of strength, so challenge yourself quickly and go ahead!
You can split the first and second rounds on different days. In this case, repeat 10 exercises in two circles (one circle will be enough if you have a short exercise period).
Shoulder touch push-ups
Stand in a lying position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Perform a classic push-up with your elbows pointing back. As you rise, raise your right arm and touch your left shoulder with your palm. Push up from the floor again, and on the next rise, touch your right shoulder with your left palm. Another version of complicated push-ups fits perfectly into daily exercises for men, as it effectively works the chest, back and core muscles, and also strengthens the arms and shoulders.
How much to do: 10-12 push-ups in total.
Foot Touch Plank
Stand in a plank position with your palms under your shoulder joints. Lift your right arm off the floor and at the same time lift your pelvis up into a downward-facing dog yoga pose. Touch your right palm to your left foot and return to the starting position. Then change hands and repeat all over again. The functional exercise works the core muscles, and also works the arms, back and obliques, not only forming a beautiful shape, but also developing endurance and body strength.
How much to perform: 16-18 touches in total.
Lying body raise
Lie on your back, bend your knees, and extend your arms above your head. Lift your arms and body off the floor, including your lower back, and try to touch your feet with your palms. Then return to the starting position. Tighten your abdominal muscles as you lift your body to reduce stress on your lower back. Basic abdominal exercise is included in exercises for men at home, as it not only strengthens the stomach, but also pumps up the body's endurance.
How much to do: 10-12 lifts.
Sumo squats
Place your feet wider than your shoulders, clasp your hands at your chest. Spread your toes to the sides and squat until parallel to the floor, moving your pelvis back. Keep your back straight, focusing on working your buttocks. It is not necessary to bend your knees at a right angle, as this increases the load on the joints. Sumo squats work the biceps and quadriceps of the thighs, buttocks and even the abs, forcing the whole body to work.
How much to do: 12-15 squats.
Double bent over raises
Place your feet together, bend your knees slightly. Lean forward and straighten your arms. Bend not to parallel with the floor, but at an angle of 45 degrees, keep your back straight. Spread your arms to the sides with maximum amplitude, squeezing your shoulder blades at the extreme point. Come back and bend your elbows, performing flyes again. This morning exercise for men stretches the pectoral muscles, strengthens the back and improves posture.
How much to perform: 16-18 dilutions in total.
Back lunges
Stand straight, feet together, hands on your waist. Take a long step back and bend both knees, lowering into a lunge. Bend your knees at an angle of at least 90 degrees and then return to the starting position. Repeat with the other leg, performing alternate lunges. A basic multi-joint strength exercise for men will work your thighs and buttocks, strengthen your abs and core, and increase your endurance.
How much to perform: 18-20 lunges in total.
Elbow plank with turns
Stand in a side plank position on your left forearm, raising your right arm up. Now lower your right hand down and place your forearm on the floor, turning your whole body. Raise your left arm up into a side plank on your right forearm and repeat all over again. A complicated side plank will be a real challenge in exercise for men every day, as it will make the abdominal, back and shoulder muscles burn.
How much to perform: 14-18 turns in total.
Up and down in plank
Stand in a plank position with straight arms, stretching your body in one line. Fix the position, and then alternately bend your elbows, lowering yourself into a plank on your forearms. Straighten your arms again, returning to the straight-arm plank, and repeat everything again, only lowering with the other arm. Keep your back straight, do not sag in your lower back and do not lift your pelvis up. An excellent strength training exercise that effectively works your abs and core, as well as your arms and back, strengthening your entire body.
How much to perform: 14-18 repetitions in total on both hands (alternating).
Oblique crunches
Lie on your back, stretching your arms to the sides, straighten your legs. Now lift your body off the floor, simultaneously lifting your left leg and trying to touch its foot with your right palm. In this case, the left hand and right leg lie motionless on the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat for the other arm and leg. The exercise is included in the exercises for men every day, as it specifically works the oblique abs, and also strengthens the core and abdominal muscles.
How much to perform: 16-18 repetitions in total.
Swimmer
Lie on your stomach, straighten your legs, stretch your arms in front of you, palms down, hold your head up. Lift your right arm off the floor and at the same time lift your left leg, squeezing your buttocks. Feel how your back muscles work and your hamstrings and glutes engage. Come back and then repeat with the other arm and leg. Include a static power exercise in your exercises for men to work your back muscles and strengthen your legs.
How much to perform: 16-18 repetitions in total.
Programs for men without equipment:
- Ready-made training program for the whole body (for 5 days)
- How to remove sides and belly for a man (two ready-made workouts)
How to do the exercises
Incline Pull-Ups
Find a low horizontal bar, grab it with an overhand grip and stretch your body and legs into one line. Pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar and lower back down.
Adjust the difficulty of the exercise using the height of the horizontal bar: the closer your body is to a horizontal position, the more difficult it is to perform the movement.
Push-ups with alternating hand positions
Stand in a prone position and place your palms so close that your index fingers and thumbs are connected.
Perform a push-up, and then step your right arm to the side so that there is a space between your palms equal to the width of your shoulders. Push up in this position and again place your right hand next to your left.
Continue changing the width of your arms, stepping to the side with your right or left hand.
If you don’t yet know how to do push-ups, perform the exercise on a low horizontal bar or bench.
The higher the support, the easier it is to perform the movement.
Pistol squats
Try to squat so that the heel of your free leg does not touch the floor, and the supporting knee does not turn inward during the rise.
If you don’t yet know how to perform such squats, try a lighter version - “pistols” in half the range on the support.
You can also make “pistols” with support from a counter or on the edge of a bench.
