Working out from home without guidance can be a challenge. Fitness trainers share tips with MW on how to work on specific muscle groups, the precautions to take, and the myths to break.

LEGS  

Rohit Nair  

Rohit Nair, MMA fighter, coach, and an official of the MMA Federation of India, says, “A lot of people think training legs just for aesthetic or size is enough. They think doing leg press and extensions will provide them with strength and stability. It is important to develop functional strength as well as explosive power along with quickness and agility in your legs through plyometrics, speed drills, and stability work, which involves exercises that not only work on your quads, but also hamstrings, calves, ankle, and foot mobility.”  

Nair further advises that correct warm ups are very important to avoid pain as well as serious injuries. One should focus on the technique by perfecting the movement, rather than blindly jumping into the workout. Nair says, “More weight is not always the best way to go, and soreness doesn’t always mean that the workout was great.” Busting some myths, he said that Plyometric, Agility, and Mobility drills are not only required for sportspersons and athletes, but also are important for the health and strength of your legs. He adds, “Explosive movements always result in injuries. If the exercises are done with proper warmup and correct technique, they will not result in injuries.”  

BACK  

Karran Kharas  

Karran Kharas, a lifestyle and fitness influencer, provides personal training, curates personalised diets for his followers, and is a major supporter of chest hair. He thinks it is a better option to always start with deadlifts. “Deadlifts create the main foundation to build not only a huge back but an overall massive physique. Stick to the basics. Pull-ups and rows are all you need for overall back development after you’ve hammered your lower back. Do not forget to train your posterior deltoids. They are usually weak, and are more often than not, left neglected. Talking about taking necessary precautions, he says to use proper form, especially the right breathing technique. You certainly don’t want to injure   

ARMS  

Jitender Rajput  

We then bring in Jitender Rajput, who has spent close to 24 years in the industry, and is known to be a transformation expert. He constantly educates his 240K plus followers with various tips and secrets for better results. For a good set of arms, he suggests, yourself by doing things the wrong way. Increase your weights gradually. You mustn’t rush into it and feel like it’s more than you can take. Always make sure you go through the full range of motion,” he advises 

“Avoid overtraining your arms. A total of 10 sets of biceps and 10 sets of triceps followed by 8-12 reps are good enough. Once a month, you can even add drop sets or supersets. The first exercise you do should cover the weakest part of your arm. If you are experiencing fewer peaks in your biceps, then start with the dumbbell concentration curl. Keep flexing your arms while you train. It helps your arms grow in size. Also, massaging them after you’re done will improve blood flow.”  

A few precautions should be taken into consideration. He continues, “Train with moderate weights. Don’t be overconfident and go for heavier weights at the start and risk injuring yourself. Avoid arm workouts if your elbow or wrist is already in pain. Or else, apply some ointment, wait, and train with less heavy weights if you want to maintain your muscles. Make sure you use gloves if you have sweaty palms. You would not want to have a slippery hold on a rather heavyweight.” 

SHOULDERS   

Pranav Saini  

Pranav Saini is a certified personal trainer and fitness influencer. He runs a YouTube channel where he gives tips on not only fitness, but also grooming. He gives the lowdown on the shoulder workout. “To test if your shoulders are balanced, try performing a wall slide. Stand with your back against the wall, bring your arms to shoulder height against the wall, and bend your elbows about 90 degrees so your hands are pointing upward. Now simply move your arms up and down along your body, in parallel with the wall, while keeping your back against the wall. You should feel your shoulder blades moving downward. If your arms keep moving forward, you’re probably too stiff, or your shoulders are simply overdeveloped in the front. Give importance to the cuff. Most people only realise rotator cuffs exist after they get injured, which is why your rotator cuffs deserve extra attention. Always start your shoulder workout with rear delt exercises, such as rear delt flyes. Setting up your workout in this manner will create symmetry and keep you healthy.” 

For each exercise, Saini continues, you should do 20 to 30 reps, three to five times. “Keep your range of motion small at the beginning, and increase it over time. If you choose to use weights, start small, and increase a little each week. Watch your elbows. Whenever you’re doing an overhead press, you always want to have your elbows directly under the bar so you can create tension on the delt from the start. Pay attention to structural imbalance. Most people injure their shoulders due to structural imbalance — shoulders that are overdeveloped in the front and too weak in the rear. Don’t lift too high. The problem is that most people invariably lift the weight too high, which can lead to shoulder impingement,” he explains. 

ABS  

Jitendra Chouksey  

Jitendra Chouksey is the founder and CEO of Fittr, a community-first online health and fitness platform. Suggesting an ab workout, he says, “Start with ab crunches, where you lie face-up on the floor with your knees bent, and feet flat. Place your hands behind your head, allowing your elbows to bend out to the sides. Contract your core so that your lower back gently presses against the floor. From here, exhale as you lift your head and shoulders a few inches off the floor, contracting your abs. Now, breathe in as you slowly lower back to your starting position, with control. Another exercise would be lying leg raises. Lie on your back, legs straight and together, and with your arms at your sides. Keeping your legs as straight as possible, lift them all the way up until they point to the ceiling. Slowly lower your legs back down till they’re just above the floor, and raise your legs back up. Lastly, the most important: planks. Lie down flat on your stomach, legs stretched out. Come up on your arms with the torso in a straight line with your legs. Rest your forearms on the floor, keep your torso tight, and hold this position for as long as possible. Take it to the next level by adding weights to your back. Working out alone cannot help you lose fat and achieve your goals. It is equally important to focus on your diet, following quantified nutrition, and creating a calorie deficit.” 

ALL ABOUT CARDIO

VEDARTH THAPPA   

Vedarth Thappa is one of the country’s leading CrossFit athletes and coaches. Here are a few cardio tips from Thappa:  

1.Implement interval weight training to build muscular endurance and the ability to move large loads for longer distances. Interval training can also help you mix things up, and make your workout more interesting.   

2.Be aware of your capabilities and the limitations of your heart. You should know your heart rate, and train according to your heart rate zone.   

3.Try to include an aerobic type of training in your cardio routine. This will effectively help build capacity