4 Types of Home Workouts That Can Be Performed Best on Rubber Surface

We’re nearing the end of what has been an overwhelming year, to say the least. 2020 is sure to go down in the history books as one of the most noteworthy years, both on a global scale (obviously) and for many — on a personal level too.

Why? Because the pandemic has impacted all of us individually in one way or another. From the anxiety that the virus brought about in all of us to a near-instant transition to working fully remotely — our way of life has changed dramatically.

The same extends to our fitness routines. Gone are the days when we used to head over to the gym before or after work and have a nice sweat sesh, coming out pumped with endorphins.

And heading back to the gym is still not the best idea as you’ll be exposing yourself to the virus. Thankfully, there are plenty of amazing home training routines you can adopt to come out stronger and fitter in 2021. Let’s take a look at the top four ones in this post.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

As the name suggests, high-intensity interval training involves short bursts of intense exercise followed by rest, and repeat. HIIT is a highly effective way to torch calories at home and build strength with minimal investments of time and money.

HIIT is a full-body strength and cardio workout that builds muscle and burns fat. It doesn’t require any equipment. Plus, it has an ‘afterburn’ effect, so you continue burning calories even after your workout is done.

It boosts metabolism and regulates insulin levels. Furthermore, various studies conclude that HIIT can enhance oxygen consumption as much as conventional steady-state endurance training (such as distance running), even if you only train for about half as long.

A typical way to go about it is to start with a 1:2 work to rest ratio wherein you go all out on a chosen activity for, say, 30 or 60 seconds, rest for twice as long, then continue with the next set.

Depending on your current level of fitness, you can start with 20 minutes of HIIT twice or at most thrice a week and slowly take it up to 30 or 40 minutes. Just make sure to have 24 hours of rest after each session.

Here are some of the best exercises to include in your HIIT sessions:

• Burpees
• High Knees
• Mountain Climbers
• Jumping Jacks
• Squat Jumps
• Bicycle Crunches

HIIT is a fun and challenging way to workout at home and with a typical workout lasting 30 to 40 minutes, it doesn’t eat up a lot of your time either.

CrossFit

CrossFit is a branded fitness program developed by Greg Glassman and is a registered trademark of CrossFit, Inc. — a California-based company. According to the company, CrossFit is “a lifestyle characterized by safe, effective exercise and sound nutrition.”

This training regimen includes elements of HIIT (burpees, push-ups, etc.) but at its core, CrossFit workout is all about variety and different dynamic exercises each day —  calisthenics, Olympic weightlifting, kettlebells, running, gymnastics, etc. — tailored to the individual and their goals.

It is designed to boost your overall fitness in terms of strength, stamina, speed, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance without using machines.

What makes CrossFit notably different from other workout programs is the social and community-building aspect of it. CrossFit has more than 15,000 affiliated fitness centers, aka “Boxes”, around the world.

It’s also competitive, with reps and rounds and everything in between measured not just against yourself, but other CrossFitters. It may be competitive in nature, but the CrossFit community is a remarkably supportive one.

That being said, the various exercises in a CrossFit program can very well be done at home too. In a nutshell, if you love variety in your workout and wish to maximize the amount of work done in the shortest amount of time, CrossFit may be for you.

Circuit Training

A bit similar to HIIT, circuit training involves a series of fast-paced exercise in which you do one exercise for 30 seconds to 5 minutes and then move on to the next exercise. Once you complete a series of exercises (typically five to seven), you repeat the circuit.

However, unlike HIIT, in which you always strive to give your maximum effort, circuit training can be done at moderate intensity. And while HIIT has more of a cardiovascular aspect to it, circuit training alternates between aerobic exercises (like stationary cycling or jogging) and muscle-strengthening activities such as weight lifting.

The idea is to work different muscle groups all at once and with a minimum amount of rest. For instance, since your legs get to rest during pull-ups and your arms get to rest during squats, you minimize the rest time between exercises and thus have a more time-effective workout that builds overall body strength.

So, if you have weights at home and want to combine strength and aerobic endurance in one efficient and fast-paced workout, consider circuit training.

Strength Training

Last but not least, if you’re all about gains and bulking up, strength training — also known as resistance training — is meant for you.

But strength training is not just about gaining muscle.

According to Staci Ardison, Senior Coach at Nerd Fitness, strength training “increases bone density, builds a stronger heart, reduces your resting blood pressure, improves blood flow, halts muscle loss, helps control blood sugar, improves cholesterol levels, and improves your balance and coordination.”

Strength training is accessible even if you don’t have weight machines at home. You can use free weights, resistance bands, or your own body weight in the form of push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, squats, etc. Or, you can improvise by using water bottles, sandbags, or canned goods if you don’t have dumbbells or bands.

Now that you’re aware of the various types of home workouts, here’s a word on…

Why Rubber Surfacing is Your Best Bet for Home Workouts

For optimal performance in your home workouts, you need the right flooring. From vinyl and artificial turf to wood and foam, there are certainly plenty of options to choose from.

However, when it comes to the versatility of what you can do on the surface, rubber surfacing is hands down the clear winner. Here’s why:

• It is easy to install and maintain. Rubber flooring can easily go right over a carpet and most other surfaces, so installation is quick and hassle-free. It is also more long-lasting than all other materials and requires little-to-no maintenance.
• It is durable, shock-absorbent, and water-resistant. Rubber surfacing can withstand your intense workout and sweat, and provides adequate shock absorption, cushioning, and traction so you don’t slip or suffer impact-related injuries.
• It is soundproof, so your jumps and shouts during intense workouts don’t translate into bothersome noise for your family and neighbors.

Thus, no matter which type of home workout regimen you choose, you can’t go wrong with rubber surfacing.

Wrapping Up

Hope is on the horizon as several COVID-19 vaccine trials are showing signs of success, and distribution may begin in early 2021. But until then, working out at home is the sensible thing to do and as you can see, there’s a training regimen for every goal. Finally, regardless of which type of home workout you pick, make sure to choose the right rubber surfacing so you maintain peak levels of performance while avoiding injuries.