Are 30 Minutes of Strength Training Enough?

An efficient way to approach strength training is to work the main muscle groups that are responsible for much of your body’s movement. That will allow you to spend a small amount of time getting results that will benefit a large part of your body. Dr. Edward R. Laskowski, M.D., co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center recommends that healthy adults should exercise their main muscle groups at least twice a per week for maintenance, and three times a week to increase muscle mass and reduce body fat. For added results, add in at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity — such as walking, biking, swimming, or running — on the other days as well, so you’re active for at least half an hour every day.

Exercises to do in 30 minutes

You don’t need the whole day and an entire gym to get results from your strength training. Working out at home with simple equipment — like the Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbell set and Glute Drive — lets you efficiently target major muscle groups. You won’t have to worry about spending time on exercises that don’t yield big results, and you don’t have to clutter your home with exercise equipment. Core Home Fitness equipment is compact enough to fit anywhere in your home, including under your bed or in a closet. Setup is easy, so you can quickly squeeze in a training session whenever it's convenient for you.

Do these exercises to work your major muscle groups and get you seeing results fast from weight training. These movements will work for everyone from beginners to fitness experts. If you’re just starting, don’t worry if you can’t complete 30 minutes at a time.  With regular exercise and practice, you’ll build up the strength to do your full workout at a comfortable pace.

Walking Dumbbell Lunges

Lunges are an effective exercise that engages your back, core, glutes, hamstring, quadriceps, and calves. They will increase your balance, improve weight loss, and enhance your overall body symmetry. While you can do lunges with just your body weight, their effectiveness can be greatly increased by adding weight. Using the Core Home Fitness Adjustable Dumbbells, choose a weight that works for you, take a dumbbell in each hand, and lunge as described below.

• Stand with your feet together and your arms to the side.
• Step forward and bend your front leg to 45 degrees.
• Kneel your back leg towards the floor and hold.
• Stand up, bring your feet together, and repeat on the other side.
• Repeat while keeping proper form.

Planks

This full-body exercise is an excellent addition to your at-home strength training routine. This simple but effective move will work your upper body, lower body, and core all in one movement. Planks can increase your muscle endurance and strength while lowering your risk of injury. While there are multiple variations, the basic plank goes like this.

• Lie on your stomach with your shoulders and elbows aligned and your forearms in front of you.
• You can either have your palms down and arms straight like a push-up or position your forearms on the floor in front of you.
• Press your forearms (or hands) and toes into the ground as you lift your body.
• Hold for as long as you can keep proper form.
• Another variation if you find it uncomfortable to hold a plank with straight arms and flexed wrists: use dumbbells under your hands to take the pressure off your wrists.

Shoulder Press

A shoulder press with adjustable dumbbells is an incredibly effective exercise you can perform at home. Shoulder presses work your triceps, shoulders, and upper chest. You should add these to your exercise routine to work your upper body. You can vary the grips, angles, and variations of a shoulder press to work different muscles, but the primary method is this.

• Select a dumbbell for each hand with your preferred weight.
• If muscle endurance is the goal, choose a lighter weight for 12 to 15 reps.
• If building muscle strength is your goal, choose a higher weight for eight to 10 reps. 
• Keep your elbows out and bent at 90 degrees with your arms facing up.
• Press the weight above your head without leaning back.
• Slowly lower your arms to the starting position.
• Repeat 8-12 times, then do multiple sets.

Standing Hip Extensions

This isolation push exercise will target your glutes, erector spinae, hamstrings, hip adductors, and more. You can quickly and easily achieve this exercise at home by using a resistance band with your Glute Drive. While there are multiple variations on hip extensions, this is how you perform the basic principle.

• Attach your resistance bands to your anchor on the floor.
• Put one leg into the band while facing the anchor point.
• Keep your back and legs straight.
• Extend the leg behind your body, slightly hold, then bring it back.
• Repeat 8-12 times for each side. Repeat for multiple sets.

Experts say Strength Training Helps

The Mayo Clinic recommends that strength training be done at least twice a week to stay healthy and protect your body’s movement, and three times a week to build strength. During your workouts, you should do at least one set of exercises that targets each of the major muscle groups. 

When you target specific muscle groups, use enough resistance or weight to make your muscles feel tired after about 15 reps and do multiple sets of each exercise if you are able. Generally, if your goal is to lose weight or stay healthy, you should do more reps with a lighter weight. If you want to build mass, you should use a heavier weight and fewer reps.

Have a Workout Plan for Your Goals

While many exercises focus on cardio and strength training, you really want to know your fitness goals to work out a plan to help you reach those goals. Your individual goals will dictate how often you should complete strength training exercises in your workout routines.

If you are looking to get healthy and lose weight, your workout days should be a mixture of cardio and strength training exercises. If you want to add mass, vary your workout schedule with more strength training days and more workouts. With only 30 minutes of strength training twice a week for maintenance or three times a week to increase muscle mass, you can strengthen your body, protect against future injuries and improve how you look and feel.

All you need are simple equipment and exercises to achieve gym-quality strength training results in your home. No matter your fitness experience level, there are several exercises you can do at home. These exercises are simple to perform and understand, making them perfect for all fitness beginners or experts. Combining these simple exercises with a machine like the Glute Drive Plus will allow you to do exercises using a bench, resistance bands, and more in your home.