If you want to lose weight and get into shape then you know the drill – it’s going to involve a long period of dieting along with lengthy and exhausting workouts on a regular basis, and it’s going to mean saying goodbye to freedom or relaxation.
That’s the general consensus anyway, and it’s one that means a lot of people get put off before they even try to get in shape. This is a shame though as in reality you can in fact burn a lot of fat and build a lot of muscle without having to put yourself through hell – in fact some exercises are downright lazy and won’t take much effort at all. Here we will look at some of the laziest ways to work out and get into shape that will help you to dread the whole process a little less.
Self Resistance
Self resistance is a form of training that doesn’t require any weights or any gymnastic bodyweight moves. Instead what you are going to do is to use your own body to restrict your movement and add resistance – for instance you can simply curl while holding onto your own arm and pulling it back down. This is something easy and effective you can do anywhere, but better yet is ‘static contraction’ combined with self resistance…
Static Contraction
Doing a curl while holding down on your arm is called ‘dynamic self resistance’ because you’re going through the range of motions while slowing yourself down. With static contraction however you aren’t moving anywhere – just pushing against an immovable force. A great pec workout then is simply to push your hands together as hard as you can in front of your chest and then to hold that position for the count of ten. Repeat this for a number of repetitions and sets and you have a workout that actually didn’t require you to move.
Tension
Better yet is dynamic tension which is a form of training devised by fitness entrepreneur Charles Atlas. This workout simply involves tensing your muscles while going through a range of movements. For instance you can do a curl while tensing your bicep as hard as you can and this should have a similar effect to actually lifting the weights (though not quite as profound of course).
In Front of the TV
The dream for many of us is surely to be able to workout while sat down in front of the TV, and the good news is that there are a range of exercises you can do right there on the couch. From bicep curls with a light weight, to squeezing a ball between your knees to target your legs, to doing calf raises with a weight on top of your knee. You can literally vegetate while building muscle and burning fat. Another tip is simply to bob up and down like you have RLS (restless leg syndrome). A minor repetitive movement can burn a surprising number of calories throughout the day.
Scientific Methods
Science is not blind to our plight to get into shape without moving much, and there are a number of tools and services you can use then to get into shape. For instance you can try using an ab belt which works by using electrical stimulation to force your abs to tense and un-tense. Likewise you can consider laser treatment and other therapies, or a range of fun gadget you can use at home such as a bull worker or an ab roller.
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