Buzz
After gyms shut down in March, I transitioned to home workouts. However, due to limited space indoors for my preferred exercises, I moved most of my training outside. Here are the lessons I’ve gathered from this experience.
Choosing the perfect location
In a gym, equipment is fixed in place, but at home, you have the freedom to decide where to exercise. Initially, I considered using my garage, but the low ceilings posed a problem. Raising my arms overhead risked hitting the garage door opener, and handling larger equipment meant moving everything outdoors.
This is where things become more intricate than anticipated. My requirements are minimal: a platform and a barbell. However, challenges still arise.
First, my driveway is uneven and covered in gravel. While this works for certain exercises, others demand a flat, solid surface. Fortunately, I have a horse stall mat that I can move outside to solve this issue.
Second, while the area is mostly level, it’s not entirely flat. It required some experimentation to identify the ideal location for placing the mat.
It’s also crucial to consider your surroundings. If I drop the barbell, where will it land? My chosen spot is far from cars, the house, trash bins, and areas where children often play or walk. If the bar falls behind me, as sometimes happens during snatches, it will roll. Thankfully, a row of shrubs prevents it from rolling into my neighbor’s yard, so it’s a safe setup. These are the details you need to account for.
Monitor the weather and lighting conditions
Lifting with the sun glaring in your eyes is unpleasant, and working out under intense sunlight is equally unbearable. I soon discovered that my preferred lifting area is shaded only before 10 a.m. or after 5 p.m. (These times are rough estimates and vary with the seasons.)
Of course, keeping an eye on the weather is essential. Before moving my equipment outside, I always check that rain isn’t expected within the next hour. There have been days when I hurried to complete my sets before storm clouds arrived.
Having a backup plan for rain is crucial. Just yesterday, a heavy downpour began right before my scheduled workout. However, since I knew my Thursday routine could be done indoors, I swapped the two days. If rain persisted for several days, I’d need to adjust more significantly. My default rainy-day workout includes power cleans and seated presses, both manageable indoors. Without a garage, I’d opt for yoga or dumbbell exercises in my living room.
Ensure you have shelter between sets
While this might not matter for circuit training or CrossFit-style metcons, weightlifters and powerlifters enjoy extended three-to-five-minute breaks between sets.
During the chilly spring months, I’d take breaks between sets by sitting in a camp chair inside the garage. I’d drape a hoodie over my shoulders and enjoy sips of coffee from a thermos.
Now that summer has arrived, I still use the same camp chair, but with a box fan positioned to blow cool air directly on me. I hydrate with water, and occasionally treat myself to frozen bananas toward the end of a session.
Be mindful of outdoor risks
One unexpected issue I encountered was equipment needing time to acclimate in humid conditions. The mat, cool from being stored in the semi-air-conditioned garage, develops condensation when exposed to hot summer air—similar to a cold pitcher of lemonade. On particularly humid days, it takes about 30 minutes for the mat to dry enough to prevent slipping during split jerks.
Other risks depend on your local climate. Weights and gear can become uncomfortably hot or cold after being left outside. Falling pinecones or low-hanging branches might also pose hazards. I’ve even had chipmunks and birds attempt to sneak into my garage while the door was open during workouts.
Avoid going back inside the house
My home is bustling with activity. With a husband and three children, mornings are often filled with everyone waking up and having breakfast while I complete my workout.
At one point, my routine included pull-ups. We have a pull-up bar installed in a bedroom doorway, but stepping inside is a distraction. The kids will inevitably need something, and even without children, there’s the temptation to sit on the couch or get sidetracked by the TV. It’s best to remain outside until the workout is finished.
To solve this, I found an outdoor spot for pull-ups. If that hadn’t worked, I would have replaced them with an alternative exercise, such as rows, or, as a last resort, removed them from my regular routine and scheduled a dedicated pull-up session for later in the day.
It feels unusual at first, but eventually, it becomes familiar
The initial weeks of outdoor weightlifting felt downright strange. The unfamiliar sounds, sights, and smells were jarring. My bumper plates didn’t bounce like the ones at the gym, and I had to stay alert for kids in my peripheral vision. Everything just felt off.
However, I pushed through the urge to skip sessions or avoid exercises that felt awkward outdoors (clean and jerks, for instance, were particularly intimidating at first). When frustrations arose, I reminded myself that people throughout history have trained in far more challenging and unusual conditions. I stayed committed.
Over time, I grew accustomed to it. Now, I even enjoy it. When my gym reopened, I expected to rush back, but instead, I built a squat rack after realizing I’d be staying home long-term. This is my home now—the red camp chair in the garage with a drink in the cupholder, the spot where I place my tripod for form videos, and the exact four-by-six-foot area where my mat lies every morning.
