How to Build Muscle at Home

Building muscle at home is surprisingly straightforward and doesn't require any fancy gym equipment. All it takes is a little creativity and a commitment to workout regularly.


1. Find a replacement for dumbbells. 2 cans of food or 1-2 litre bottles of drink can be a great substitute for dumbbells and can be used for a number of exercises.

2. Do bicep curls. A good arm exercise for building muscle is a Bicep Curl. Stand with your feet hip width apart, knees slightly bent, back straight and stabilize your core.

* Hold a can/bottle in each hand, elbows bent and tucked into your sides and forearms parallel to the ground. In a controlled manner bring the bottle/can up towards the shoulder, keeping your elbow tucked into your side.
* Breathe out as you do this and then breathe in as you lower your arm back down till it is once again parallel to the ground.

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3. Do these curls 10 - 12 times on each arm, once you have done one set of these go on and do another 2 sets of 10 - 12 on each arm. When you can do these comfortably then you need to find something heavier to use as it is time to increase the weight.

4. Try some tricep dips. Another good exercise for building muscle that you can do at is a Tricep Dip.

* Sit on a chair/bench and place your hands on either side of your body on the chair.
* Wriggle your bottom off the chair so that your arms are supporting your weight.
* Feet hip width apart out in front of you. Drop your bottom down until your elbows are at about 90 degrees and then raise yourself up until your arms a straight again. Breathe out as you lower yourself down and breathe in on the way up. Do 10 - 12 of these, 3 times.

5. Always remember some form of pushup. Push ups are a fantastic way to build muscle. If you are a real beginner you can do a push up standing up against a wall. The same positioning, just in an upright position. Once you have mastered wall push ups you can graduate to the floor.

* Before commencing traditional toe push ups, start with knees on the ground until you can comfortably manage 20 - 30. To do a pushup, lay on the ground face down, with your hands flat on the ground at about chest level.
* Push yourself up so your arms are supporting your weight and make sure your core is braced and that your back and head are in alignment.
* Imagine you have a broomstick resting on your back from head to bottom and you need to keep your body in alignment with it.

6. Work on large muscle groups. Working big muscle groups is a great way of burning fat and building muscle. Some of the best muscles for this are the Quadriceps and Glutes. Squats are a brilliant way of working both of these muscles.

* To perform a squat stand with feet hip width apart, back straight, head up and brace the core. Put your hands on your hips or straight out in front of you, whatever is more comfortable. Lower yourself down into a squat as if you were about to sit in a chair. Do this 10 times and then do another 2 sets.

7. Do these exercises 3 times a week, making sure you have at least a days rest between to give your muscles a chance to recover and regenerate. This workout coupled with some cardio such as running, walking, swimming, bike riding or other sport will have you well on your way to developing muscle mass.