Lockdown Fitness with Dave Richards

Fitness Model Dave Richards offers his tips on keeping fit during lockdown.

UK Gay Lads Fitness Blog

2020 will be remembered for many many things, but for those of us who frequently visit a gym, it will be remembered as the year we had to embrace the home workout. If like me, your vanity and self-esteem could not accept just taking a few months off taking care of my physique when lockdown hit us in March, you would have needed to get creative pretty quickly.

Looking back as we now find ourselves in Lockdown2.0, with the prospect of our gyms being closed on and off over the winter, here are my top tips to stay fit while working out at home:

Work with what you have got

If like me, you bought some dumbbells years ago and way back before you could afford a corporate gym membership, now it was time to dig them out and relearn what you can do at home with them. When lockdown started, I got by for a few weeks with just some dumbbells, a pull up bar that hooked over a doorframe, and a resistant band I had at home already. I pieced myself together a 40 minute HIIT routine and used a timer app on my phone to keep me moving. I could have stuck with this for a long time I think, but one day started looking online at what equipment available, which leads me to my next point....

Invest a little, or a lot

Bodyweight workouts serve their purpose, but can get boring quickly. So, whether you’re starting from scratch or adding to an existing collection like I was, to mix thing up you’re going to want some equipment. If you're on a budget, then I strongly recommend resistance bands as they are super cheap and really diverse. If you can afford a little more, adjustable 12kg dumbbells and a bench will be a great set up. If you have even more cash to splash (and space at home too!) then you could consider investing in a multigym. I paid £400 for one, which felt really extra at the time, but I have zero regrets as I have used it soooooo much.

Find a routine

Home gym equipment can easily and quickly become a place to hang clothes upon if they are unused, and committing to using it regularly can be a habit that is easy to fall out of. I found that sticking to home workouts was easier when I mimicked the routine I had for visiting the gym. I used to go in the mornings before work, but like many others, I was working from home and found I sometimes would wake up, slouch about a bit, and then log on. I pulled myself out of this by replicating my morning routine, and an important part to this ‘fake commute’ was working out before starting work – which very soon became a habit as the weeks went by!

Readjust your goals

I am no bodybuilder by any stretch of the imagination, but with lighter weights and limited equipment I could see I wasn’t getting the results I was from the gym. I think here it’s a case of being realistic, as unless you have the funds to buy really expensive kit to have at home, you have to accept these limitations. Be kind to yourself with this one, and don’t put yourself under pressure – so focus on maintaining what you currently have. You’re staying active and you should applaud yourself for it!

Don’t forget the diet

I live by the mantra that a good physique is made in the kitchen, and you can’t outrun a really bad diet. I am no way perfect as I eat carbs, drink beer and have a takeaway probably once a week. However, when you’re at home regular bad habits can sneak in like snacking on crisps, biscuits and chocolate – and drinking more alcohol! You’ve got to find some willpower with this one and try not keep things in your cupboards that you know will tempt you. Particularly when the weather was great in the spring, I found myself celebrating the end of another day working at home with a cold beer, or three, in my garden. I decided to switch to alcohol free beer during the week as it’s super low calorie, tasted surprisingly good, and satisfied my thirst on sunny evenings.

Have a positive mindset

This is a tough one, but if you talk negatively to yourself about keeping fit at home it’s not going to motivate you to get off your butt and do it. Try find ways to keep positive and give yourself credit for keeping active during a really tough time – not only will your body thank you for it, but so will your mental health! I found that during days when I couldn't be arsed, repeating my final point over and over would help...

Remember, it’s not forever

It’s not, it really really isn’t! Remind yourself of that daily, but especially in those moments you feel shitty about it all. Soon enough our lives and workout routines will not be dominated and impacted by lockdowns and social distancing. We will be back at the gym, back with our friends, and back on the dancefloor having a blast again! Hang in there, be kind to yourself (and others!) and take this time to focus on yourself and your health!

There is more I could probably add here, and appreciate that when you love fitness, you’re wired in a way that make doing it at home easier. However, I hope these pointers help some guys out there! I should point out that I am not a qualified fitness professional, I just love staying in shape and have invested time educating myself on how to do that. There are loads of websites and online resources to help you learn different exercises, apps to guide/time yourself with, and YouTube videos to work out too (I am a big fan of Joe Wick’s HIIT sessions – quick, simple and challenging).

I’d love to hear how you’re getting on and if you have any questions, or even hear what are the ways you are motivating yourself through this. Head over to my instagram @daverich_uk to say hello.

Stay safe, everyone!