3 ways to add resistance to your workout without buying new equipment

Do you want to pump up your resistance routine? There are a few financial obligations that come with staying fit. Whether that be paying a monthly gym membership, spending on supportive sneakers, or investing in expensive exercise equipment.

But what if you could knock the last one off the list, never having to pay for a pricey pair of weights again? Resistance training is vital to your overall health, with such benefits as greater bone density, better posture, a boosted metabolism, increased range of motion, and improved cardiovascular health.

But to really reap these advantages, it’s essential to vary resistances after a period of time to prevent progress plateaus when your muscles recognize predictable movement patterns.

Rather than purchase toning tools every time you outgrow what you’re working with, try these free, effective techniques the next time you strength train instead:

Slow burn. Although it may be tempting to fly through your weight workout so you’re done faster, impressive muscle growth can actually come from slowing down. By slowing down your reps, especially on the downward phase of an exercise such as biceps curls, clams, or a push-up, your muscles are engaged longer. This requires more control and stamina than when relying on the momentum generated during a quicker movement.

Pause your pump. What if I told you there was a workout for which you didn’t have to move a muscle? Although that may sound too good to be true, isometric exercises do just that. But don’t let the lack of movement fool you, isometrics can be an arduous task because they once again requires total muscle control, strength, and endurance. Luckily, the more you practice these static holds, the better you will become at those skills.

Examples of isometric exercises are planks, wall sits, and glute bridges. You can apply this style of strength training to any exercise you enjoy just by adding in a pause. When performing a shoulder press, on the upward phase, hold it overhead for 10 seconds longer than you normally would, then slowly lower so gravity gives extra resistance to work against. This easy tweak will make your old set of 10-pound weights feel twice as heavy by the time you complete your final rep.

Compound it. By combining several exercises into a single one, you’re forcing the body to work multiple muscle groups at once. This sort of full-body workout helps to improve coordination, sharpen your everyday movement patterns, gain greater muscle mass, and burn more calories in less time.

To do this, get a little inventive by weaving your favorite exercises together, such as a squat and a shoulder press, or a reverse lunge and a lateral lift. There is no limit to the number of combinations you can create, which helps getting and staying fit much more fun.

Ashley Blake Greenblatt is a certified personal trainer and wellness coach in South Jersey. Learn more about her virtual training program at ashleyblakefitness.com.