Build Muscle at Home.  5 Methods that Work + 2 Full Workouts

Build Muscle at Home. 5 Methods that Work + 2 Full Workouts

Can you build muscle at home, without the gym? Yes, but doing hundreds of push ups every day isn’t going to get it done. Read on to see how you can use some advanced techniques and science to your advantage.

Note: This article contains affiliate links. Anything purchased comes at no additional cost to you.

What Makes Muscles Grow?

Your muscles will grow when:

  1. The right type and amount of stress is placed on them regularly.
  2. You consume enough calories and protein to have the extra resources to build muscle.

Regardless of what methods you’re using, there are 2 things that lead to muscle growth:

  1. Mechanical Tension – The muscle can sense the resistance it’s being forced to work against.
  2. Metabolic Stress – The buildup of lactate in the muscle from doing higher repetitions. This is what causes the “burning” in the muscle, usually resulting in a “pump.”

The two are not completely separate. There must be enough mechanical tension to stimulate growth, meaning you must challenge the muscle.

Doing hundreds of standard push ups might feel tough, but the body will quickly adapt to the load being placed on it.

If you want a much more thorough explanation on how the body builds muscle, check out my article: How to Build Muscle: The Full Guide to Gains. Otherwise, let’s move on.

How to Build Muscle at Home: 5 Methods

5 methods to build muscle at home

Here are 5 methods you can use to build muscle from home. I’ll throw in some specific examples and workouts too.

1. Use Explosive Movements

People are too hung up on just doing basic push ups and body weight exercises. These certainly have value, but are not optimal long term for building muscle at home.

Explosive exercises will force your body to recruit fast twitch type II muscle fibers. Your fast twitch muscle fibers are capable of far more growth than the slow twitch fibers.

Just look at a sprinter vs. a marathon runner, and think about how differently they train.

Here are some explosive exercises you can use from home:

  • Squat Jumps
  • Bounding
  • Explosive Push ups
  • Split Squat Jumps
  • Box Jumps (onto any platform)

These explosive movements force the body to recruit the maximum amount of muscle fibers as quickly as possible (rate of force production.) As a result, this is an excellent way to train to be more powerful and to build some quality muscle.

2. Use BFR Bands for Faster Muscle Growth

If you’ve read some of my other articles, then you already know I’m a huge fan of BFR Bands (blood flow restriction bands.) I’m a fan of them because they work. Research says so.

Specifically, BFR Bands are meant to be used with lighter loads and higher reps. In the video below, I’m doing plate curls.. but you can grab anything.. a gallon of milk, a jug of water, or anything you can hold and perform high reps with. You can use them for push ups, or any high rep body weight exercise.

How BFR Training Works

Normally, during a high rep set (15-30 reps), the slow twitch muscle fibers would be dominant in performing the movement. However, the bands restrict blood and oxygen into the muscle. As a result, the slow twitch fibers are unable to keep up, forcing the fast twitch muscle fibers to take over.

Adding in some BFR training (also known as occlusion training) into your body weight routines can make a big difference in your ability to build muscle at home.

Check them out below. These are only $28 and have lasted me well over a year so far.

3. Use Tempo Training For Bigger Gains

tempo push ups to build muscle at home

Tempo training means performing each rep at a specific pace. For example, on a push-up: 2 seconds up, 2 seconds down, trying not to pause at all (continuous movement).

Changing the tempo of an exercise can dramatically change how it feels. Try a set of tempo push ups with 2 seconds up and 2 seconds down with no pauses. The muscles will be burning with fatigue (metabolic stress.)

Tempo reps keep the muscle under constant tension. By slowing down the rep, you are forcing the muscle to recruit more and more muscle fibers as the muscle fatigues.

The more muscle fibers you recruit, the bigger the response. This is why bodybuilders often do slower repetitions.

4. Use Exercise Variations to Challenge the Body and Build More Muscle

If you want to build muscle from home, you have to find ways to challenge the body. Doing hundreds of push ups every day is just not going to work.

Instead, use variations that can challenge the body from different angles. For the push up alone, there are probably over a hundred variations.

Here are a couple of my favorites. If you want to see more, check out my article: 20 Awesome Push Up Variations

There are variations of every exercise. Body Squats, push ups, sit ups, and pull ups all have several different variations that can make the movement both different and more challenging.

Start playing around with some variations and get better at them. Challenge your body!

5. Use Resistance Bands

resistance bands build muscle from home

When it comes to building muscle at home, resistance bands are a tool you definitely should have.

A 2019 Study showed that working out with resistance bands resulted in similar strength and muscle gains compared to using conventional methods (the gym).

With a set of resistance bands, you can replicate almost any gym movement. Squats, Deadlifts, curls and rows can all be performed with a set of bands.

Here are a few examples from my article: 16 Muscle Building Exercises With Resistance Bands.

They’re affordable and extremely versatile. A set of bands can completely change up how you work out at home. Get a few with varying resistance so you can use them for your whole body effectively.

Check these bands out from American Barbell. High quality and affordable

Workouts that can Build Muscle from Home

build muscle at home lisa dips

The best approach would be to combine all 5 methods from above.

Start with explosive movements, then pick some challenging exercise variations. End each session with 10 minutes of BFR training with resistance bands and/or tempo training.

Here’s 2 muscle building workout examples you can try from home:

Tip: Check out the articles below if you need to see video descriptions of these exercises and others you can use.

Upper Body At Home Workout

ExerciseSetsRepsRest
A. Explosive
Push ups
38-122 Mins
B. Pull ups/
Chin ups
3Max Reps90 Secs
C. Slideboard
Push ups
33-6/arm90 Secs
D. BFR Circuit: 10 MinsOnly when
Needed
D1 – Close Grip
Tempo Push ups
/8-10/
D2 – Band Curls/15-25/
D3 – Band Chest Fly/15-25/
D4 – Band Pull-apart/15-20/
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Lower Body At Home Workout

ExerciseSetsRepsRest
A. Jump Squat310-1590 Secs
B. Step Ups310-12/leg90 Secs
C. Banded Good Mornings312-1590 Secs
D. BFR Circuit10 MinsOnly When
Necessary
D1 – Walking Lunges/20 total
(10/leg)
/
D2 – Banded Tempo Squats/8-10/

Create Your Own At-Home Workouts to Build Muscle

You can use the above workout templates to make your own home workouts up. Just plug in different exercises.

Choose an explosive type exercise to start. Then try to look for a challenging variation or two to challenge the body.

Lastly, pick a few exercises you can get relatively high reps with, strap on your BFR Bands and hammer out a 10 minute circuit.

You may have to be creative. Find a way to do pull ups, whether it’s from a beam in the garage or a doorway pull up bar. Find objects you can use for curls and other exercises.

I used to work in a prison, and inmates would fill up trash bags with water or fill pillowcases with books. Where there’s a will, there IS a way.

Conclusion

You CAN build muscle at home. You just need to do things a little differently and use methods that can actually force the body to build muscle.

If I had to put it in an ordered list, it would look like this:

  • Get yourself some BFR bands and resistance bands
  • Start using explosive exercises, tempo training and BFR circuits
  • Eat more and make sure you’re getting enough protein (0.7 grams/pound of body weight, approximately).

Stop doing the same old thing, and take your home workouts to the next level!

As always, I hope this article helped in some way to get you a little bit closer to that best version of you! Leave a comment and follow my blog for more awesome fitness articles and workouts.

Mike (Supastrong)
Mike (Supastrong)

Bioforce Certified Conditioning Coach and personal trainer. I’ve run boot camps and served as the wellness coordinator for a fortune 500 company. Currently a Federal Agent in San Diego, CA, and an Infantryman in the Army Reserve.

How to Get Bigger Arms Using BFR Bands.

How to Get Bigger Arms Using BFR Bands.

Want to know how to get bigger arms, faster? Don’t worry.. I got you!

In this article I’m going to show you that research on Blood Flow Restriction Training (BFR) clearly shows that it works for building bigger arms and overall muscle.

By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly where to get them and how to use them for big muscle growth and bigger arms. Time for some new t-shirts. The hypertrophy is about to start flowing.

Note: This article contains affiliate links to products I use and believe in. They come at no additional cost to you.

What are BFR Bands?

bicep curls bigger arms workout

Originally used in a physical rehabilitation setting, BFR Bands are “Blood Flow Restriction” Bands. BFR Bands are used to perform a type of training known as “Occlusion Training.” Bodybuilders have been using occlusion training for a long time.

How do BFR Bands Work?

BFR Bands work by restricting blood and oxygen to the working muscles. When performing high reps with lighter loads, the slow twitch muscle fibers cannot continue to contract without that additional blood and oxygen.

As a result, the fast twitch muscle fibers must take over. BFR Bands work by essentially “tricking” the muscle. You get to stimulate the powerful fast twitch muscle fibers using lighter loads.

BFR bands can help get you bigger arms and bigger muscle gains overall by allowing you to get a ton of quality volume in where you would otherwise not be able to with heavier weight.

The bands create an environment within the muscle conducive to hypertrophy, while using lighter loads and higher reps.

Does BFR Really Work?

resistance bands build muscle from home

Yes, Blood flow restriction training really works. Studies have shown occlusion training with BFR Bands enhances muscle hypertrophy and strength in athletes.

Another study showed that BFR Training can also increase the size of nearby muscles as well. So, placing the bands on your arms and doing high rep dumbell presses, lateral raises or other upper body exercises can result in additional muscle growth in the chest and shoulders as well.

Check them out here from Amazon. These have lasted me almost 2 years so far with no issues.

How Do You Get Bigger Arms With BFR Bands?

how to get bigger arms with BFR Bands
Me, hitting arms with BFR Bands.

To get bigger arms using BFR Bands, you should strap them on at the end of your workout for a final 10-12 minute circuit. The bands should feel like a 7/10 tightness.

You’ll want to use lighter weight (50% of your max or even less) and high reps (15-30).

After the 10-12 minutes of punishing high rep lifting, remove the bands. You’ll have a massive pump that’s impossible to replicate without BFR.

Read: Supastrong big arms program: Full program for bigger arms (includes BFR Training).

BFR Workout for Bigger Arms

Here’s a workout you can use at the end of an upper body lifting day like chest, back or shoulders.

Put the bands on and perform these exercises for 10-12 minutes in a circuit, resting as little as possible. Shoot for 30 reps on your first set, then 15-20 reps on each set after.

BFR Workout 1: ARM-ageddon

Performed as a circuit. Hit 3-4 rounds, or set a timer for 10:00 and go hard until it’s over.

Reps for each exercise: 30, then 15-20 each set after

Plate Curls

Deficit Push ups:

Make two platforms with plates, dumbells or whatever you have. Go nice and low to get a deep stretch of the chest and shoulders. When you have to pause for longer than a second or two, the set is over.

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Reverse Curls: Use an empty barbell

Banded Triceps Extensions

Get a good squeeze at the bottom of each rep by pulling the band apart. Resistance Bands are great here because you can get a ton of volume in without the stress of dumbells or cables on your joints.

Now remove the bands and marvel at the massive pump. Eat a big meal and prepare for massive growth and huge arms.

BFR Bands Occlusion Training Bands, PRO Premium, 1 Set of Bands, Works For Arms OR Legs, Blood Flow Restriction Bands Help Gain Muscle without Lifting Heavy Weights, Strong Elastic Strap, Metal Buckle

Make Your Own BFR Circuits for Increased Muscle Growth

You can make up your own circuits as well very easily. Simply choose exercises where you can get high reps and that aren’t going to put too much stress on your body. (I wouldn’t deadlift or do heavy squats with them, for example.)

Resistance bands are great for BFR, and lighter dumbells are as well. Here’s a list of some great options for a BFR circuit for bigger arms, chest and shoulders.

Be creative. Anywhere you want additional muscle growth, you can focus on. Just remember to go lighter, shoot for 30 reps on the first set then 15 reps each set after.

How to Get The Best Use of BFR and Maximize Your Gains

Research has shown that BFR is most effective when combined with higher intensity lifting. The combination of higher intensity lifting and low intensity BFR training leads to significantly more muscle growth than either style would on it’s own.

Studies show that mixing heavier lifting along with lighter BFR lifting produces optimal muscle growth and strength. Knowledge is power.. put this into practice right away and make the most out of your time in the gym!

BFR in rehabilitation and Recovery

Occlusion Training was originally developed for use in a physical therapy/rehabilitation setting. Research shows that training with BFR can improve muscular strength and size when recovering from an injury without the added joint stress of heavy lifting.

So, BFR is great for getting bigger arms, but is also a great way to speed up injury recovery.

Read: How to Build Muscle From Home: 5 Methods that Work!

Conclusion/Summary

BFR Training is a scientifically sound method you can use to get bigger arms and to speed up muscle building overall.

This can be accomplished without having to rely on more intense/heavy lifting all the time. Knowledge really is power, and your time is valuable.. If you can spend $28 or so and get bigger gains at the gym, I’d say it’s a no- brainer.

Word of advice, put the band over your sleeve instead of skin. Pinching the skin hurts like hell and is hard not to do.

Hope this article was helpful for you.. Let me know what you think in the comments, or email me at Contact@supastrong.net

Mike (Supastrong)
Mike (Supastrong)

Bioforce Certified Conditioning Coach and personal trainer. I’ve run boot camps and served as the wellness coordinator for a fortune 500 company. Currently a Federal Agent in San Diego, CA, and an Infantryman in the Army Reserve.