More and more often you will see outdoor gyms that someone is actually using. It’s no longer just old ladies who want to pass the time or kids who don’t care what they look like, it’s people of all ages, all genders. This makes many people swap the traditional gym for the one under the house. It’s closer, faster and cheaper. However, can you achieve your dream results there?
For many years outdoor gyms were not very popular. They were most often used by the elderly or children, who used orbiters as bases instead of exercising. Many people didn’t know how to exercise, others were afraid they would look silly while working out. You might ask: didn’t they have such fears at a normal gym? Not likely. There they were among “their own” who also did not know how to work out, also looked silly, but focused on their workout. At an outdoor gym, anyone can come and start laughing. Fortunately, people are slowly starting to get bolder and outdoor gyms are coming back to life.
An outdoor gym is cheap and you can usually see it from your own apartment window, making it much more attractive than traditional gyms. However, exercising outdoors is no substitute for the specialized machines found in an indoor gym. It is said that a beginner should exercise 3-4 times a week for 45 minutes each. At least two visits should be made to a traditional gym, where a personal trainer and specialized equipment will be waiting.
An outdoor gym can’t be improved, but you can make it a little better by bringing your own mat or dumbbells. It’s also important to be creative when exercising outdoors because not everything can be found there.
First of all, you need to start with a warm-up. All you need is 10-15 minutes of exercises such as twists, bends or squats. Outdoor gyms are usually equipped mainly with aerobic exercises, which are not very helpful during the main training for muscle mass. Instead, they are useful during the warm-up. It’s better to start light and short to gently warm up your muscles. You need to prepare them for the effort that awaits them.
The main way to build muscle mass is strength training. It is believed that for each body part we should do about 40-60 repetitions (6-12 in one series). Strength training is mainly about working with weights. Weightlifting, deadlifting or training with dumbbells. In many exercises barbells can be easily replaced with dumbbells, but you must be careful that they are neither too heavy nor too light for you. The easiest way to check this is by performing several exercises. One series will quickly show whether you should change the load.
It is best to build muscle mass through general exercises. At an outdoor gym, it is best to focus on exercises that can be performed without machines, such as squats with dumbbells or the very popular plank. It’s a good idea to plan your outdoor training session in advance, as there will be no one there to ask for quick advice.
It is necessary to finish every effort with stretching, which, just like the warm-up, should last about 10-15 minutes. It’s a good idea to get on the treadmill, calm your breathing, and then stretch.
Since working on muscle mass consists of general development exercises, no part of the body should be forgotten during the warm-up and stretching.
Featured photo: Freepik
