How to Get Toned Whilst Working From Home
I get it.
Working from home isn't the easiest to make fitness progress - if anything, you probably think it's more complicated.
Less motivated than usual?
Gained a bunch of weight?
Consistency becomes a struggle?
It's been a worldwide recurring theme over the past 1.5 years.
Luckily, I've broken this article down to allow you to make long-term sustainable progress in the most digestible manner, once and for all.
So, wanna get more toned whilst working from home?
Then keep reading. I'm excited for you.
In No Particular Order, Here Goes:
We'll start with working out, specifically resistance training - it's vital when you build muscle and get stronger - it's also super important for the 'toned' look.
Why's that? Because the toned look comes from having low body fat (more on this later) and sufficient muscle to go with it.
"But Leo, I'm worried about resistance training, just in case I get too big." - said someone who'll never have to worry about getting 'too big.'
Aside from the abundance of research that tells you why you should resistance train, only having a low level of body fat without sufficient muscle will result in the 'skinny fat’ look. Meaning that only doing HIIT, pilates, or cardio won't cut it.
Plus, getting 'big' requires a lot of conscious effort over a long period.
So again, you've nothing to worry about.
Where Should You Train?
Now, regarding 'where' you should resistance train, whether at home or the gym, it is down to you.
I'll help you in making a decision below.
Pros of Training at Home:
The convenience is unmatched.
Not having to share equipment.
Not having to wait for equipment.
You can be assured your own equipment is more hygienic.
No commuting to and from the gym.
You can blast your own music.
If you have gym intimidation, that'll instantly vanish.
Cons of Training at Home
It can get boring more quickly.
Proper equipment can be costly.
It may be the same space you work and relax in, which may be less motivating.
Easier to make excuses.
No one else to push you.
Less access to equipment.
Pros of Training at a Gym:
More motivating environment.
Better equipment than a home gym.
You can always ask for help from one of the trainers.
Access to more weight allows for more long-term progression.
Have more of a community feeling.
You may enjoy some of the classes.
Cons of Training at a Gym:
Membership fees.
If you have gym intimidation, overcoming that can initially be tricky.
You may easily be distracted by other people's presence.
Location is only sometimes convenient.
Pick whichever one you can be realistically consistent with over a long period.
For example, the thought of training at a state-of-the-art gym is nice, but do you think it's something you'll be consistent with three times a week when it's a 25-minute commute one-way, on top of the other life responsibilities you have?
Or is it wiser to invest in some decent equipment at home for your long-term health?
I've seen people opt for the former even though they can't keep up with it and then place themselves in another cycle of 'I'll get around to doing it soon' but never follow up.
So make sure you make the right choice because only you know the correct answer.
Take Kairos Online member Igor.
He's a brilliant Brazilian who moved to south London at a young age, creates video games for a career, and owns a lovely dog. He's trained both at the gym and home while working from home.
He followed his workouts and nutrition suggestions, and now the results speak for themselves - he built a bunch of muscle that allowed him to create a more 'toned' look.
Regardless of where you decide to train - the most important thing is that you can stick with it for at least six months.
Pro tip 1:
Many people who work from home also tend to work out at home (if this isn't you, feel free to skip this paragraph).
The key in this situation, for both consistency and long-term progression, is to optimise your environment. Because working for 6-10 hours, studying, relaxing and cooking all in the same place etc., it's super easy not to feel motivated when it comes to working out.
My suggestion to create a more motivating environment is to create a 'workout area' if possible, e.g. avoid working out in the same space you sleep or study in.
Pro tip 2:
Invest in decent equipment that'll allow for long-term progression because getting stronger is motivating. Ensure you have equipment that'll allow for this and not just a single kettlebell, for example.
You could also put some upbeat music on, and make it a non-negotiable in your schedule - because if you don't, it'll be super easy to put off and not do.
Progressive Overload
Turning up to the gym and getting a workout done is excellent. Still, to progress and create great muscle tone over the long term, you'll need to implement forms of progression into what you're doing and to play devil's advocate - how are you doing that right now?
A progressive overload is non-negotiable.
So, how do you progressively overload? I'll attach some images that explain.
Think of it this way: if you aren't increasing the number of reps you can do, the amount of weight you can lift, or controlling the exercises better, how will you grow muscle?
Your body doesn't just magically create muscle.
You must force the muscle to grow by applying gradual stress over time.
"But Leo, I've been growing muscle and getting stronger without worrying about progressive overload."
There are three potential reasons for that.
You're new to resistance training, so you can do little for something to work. In your earlier days, you could look at a barbell and grow.
Although progress will eventually slow down, which is when you'll have to start putting more thought towards how you're going to progress in your workouts.
You've been progressively overloading without realising. An easy analogy is saying, "I've been losing fat without being in a calorie deficit". A calorie deficit is fat loss.
Getting stronger and growing more muscle is due to applying a progressive overload. It's not one or the other.
You're in the 0.1% population for elite muscle-building genetics, although it's most likely one of the first two.
For example, take Kairos Online member Azam. Born and raised in London, enjoys video games, works from home, and previously recovered from a hernia, which was terrific to hear.
When he first started, he naturally had 0 idea what to do. Fast forward after putting the workouts, exercises, reps and sets together - he'd report back to me about how much weight he lifted for each set, which led me to quickly notice he wasn't progressively overloading.
That's okay, though, as it took me two years to understand the concept myself (purely because I didn't reach out for help when first starting). Still, luckily for Azam being a member of Kairos Online, he understood the concept in about two minutes.
Ten weeks later and the results speak for themselves.
If you're subscribed to my email list, you'll know that the progressive overload drum is something I beat a lot - you can check out either of those for more info.
Pro tip:
Start logging your workouts. This way, your sessions will no longer be a guessing game about how much weight you can or can't lift. It'll also catapult your progress.
It's impossible to remember how much weight you lifted and how many reps for each set for every exercise you do during the week.
Memory will play up. If you're not logging, you're guessing - and if you're guessing, you're cheating yourself out of progress.
Increasing Expenditure
If you're working from home, then aside from when you're working out, expenditure levels will likely be super low.
So, how do you get around this? Two potential ways:
By scheduling walks more often, even if it's just for 15 minutes. I understand that 15 minutes may sound like 'not much' - but done every day will have totalled almost 2 hours by the end of the week. Walking is also the most underrated option.
Investing in some cardio equipment, e.g. a treadmill or stationary bike (which tend to be two of the more popular ones), is a great idea. This option is the best for when the days get darker, colder and shorter, where doing cardio outside or walking suddenly feels like a tonne of effort.
Other great suggestions for cardio equipment are a cross runner or rower, or if you're really on a budget, then a jump rope could work too!
Regardless of whatever you're tempted to choose, ensure it's something you'll enjoy doing long-term.
It's also important to note that I didn't include this section because of 'fat loss' because you shouldn't exercise for fat loss. You should exercise to get stronger, fitter, and more athletic, and even more so to keep your health in check - which will help you get more toned whilst working from home.
Pro tip:
If you're surprised at the fact I said you shouldn't exercise for fat loss, I'll tell you why in two sentences:
- Exercising for fat loss is a great way to build a negative relationship with exercise.
- The main driver of fat loss is a calorie deficit, a.k.a your nutrition.
Nutrition
Now that we've covered physical activity, it's important to note that you'll need a low enough body fat to achieve the toned look, as mentioned at the start of this article.
This brings me to the next section: should you aim for a surplus, deficit or maintenance? Great question, although the answer will entirely depend on your starting point.
My opinion?
If you're overweight or obese, then aim for a calorie deficit.
If you're skinny fat or at a healthy weight, then aim for maintenance.
If you'd describe yourself as skinny, aim to be in a slight surplus.
All three should be done whilst keeping protein high.
Feel free to use my online calorie calculator to help you determine your goal.
How to achieve a calorie deficit? Well, aside from the obvious answer of 'by eating fewer calories', a few suggestions would be:
Swap your 20% fat minced beef for 5% fat minced beef.
Eating more fruit and vegetables, at least two or three a day, could be a great aim.
Try using Fry Light spray instead of regular oil.
Use low-sugar ketchup instead of ketchup.
Swap regular mayo for light mayo.
Try some 0% fat or semi-skimmed milk instead of full-fat milk.
Choose diet soft drinks instead of full sugar.
Try low-fat cheddar cheese instead of full-fat.
Choose chicken breast instead of thighs.
Try having 0% fat Greek yoghurt instead of regular Greek yoghurt.
Swap a traditional bagel for a thin bagel.
Try having your coffee black or with low-fat milk.
Boil instead of fry.
Have 0/1 sugar in your coffee instead of 2/4 sugars.
Choose lean meats like turkey and chicken instead of meats with high fat.
If you're having a takeaway choose smaller portions rather than larger portions.
Minimise the calories you have from liquids and opt for 0-calorie drinks.
For the Final Section, Protein
Suppose your protein is low over the long term, and you're simultaneously in a calorie deficit. In that case, that is the perfect recipe for muscle loss.
I know you're here because you want to get more toned whilst working from home - meaning that you need to start making more conscious efforts towards getting protein in.
So, how much protein should you aim for? You'll need to eat a certain amount of protein to ensure optimal progression. A target of 0.7-1g per lb of body weight (BW) is excellent. However, if you're more overweight, you can aim for less, e.g. 0.4/0.6g per lb of BW, as otherwise, your protein goal may be unrealistically high.
Although I must admit - there's no science to back the 0.4/0.6g figure up. But what I can tell you from experience I've had working with busy people like yourself who haven't put much thought behind protein intake before – starting at the 0.7-1g per lb of BW can be tricky.
For example, for someone 100kg in body weight, or 220.5lbs;
Situation A:
0.7-1g x 220.5 = a daily protein goal of anywhere between 154g to 221g
Situation B:
0.4-0.6 x 220.5 = a daily protein goal of anywhere between 88g and 132g
Situation B is much easier to achieve in your earlier days, so it is much more motivating.
Plus, it's important to note that if your protein goal is 132g, then it should be a 'minimum 132g', meaning if you go over, that's fine too!
So that's the 'How to get more toned whilst working from home' article now finished.
I hope it made sense, and certainly don't hesitate to send over a message via Instagram @leoalvespt if:
You have any more questions in mind.
Speak soon,
Leo
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