Dad Bods are real, and there’s a reason they’re labeled that way: Between covering all of the numerous responsibilities required of your daily life and carving out blocks of time to enjoy life with your family, it’s easy to see how the waist line becomes less of a priority and more of gelatinous no-man’s land as the days go by.
Never was I more physically exhausted than when I was a new dad. My mind, emotions, patience, and ego were being tested at all times and the last thing in the world I wanted to do was exercise on top of that. I felt myself getting flabbier and flimsier by the day. You know about the sympathy weight thing? (For those who don’t, men typically eat more with their pregnant partners to “go on the journey” with them.) Yeah, I got that.
Actually, I got the newborn-is-here, sleep deprived new dad weight too. You heard of that one? I sure hadn’t, but there it was; 15 more new pounds, and 30 heavier than I’ve ever been in my life!
Sleep deprivation is it’s own challenge. But you can read about how to conquer that HERE (A different blog post about sleep deprivation).
To change your body, you have to change your mindset. If you used to be a guy solely getting his workout in at the gym, it’s time to LET THAT GO. Not saying the gym is bad; if your schedule/routine is conducive to making your way there, excellent and more power to you.
But for so many dads out there, time is on short supply and the exercises I’m about to list can be done and in the sculpt bank before you would even get your first set in at the gym.
So what are they?
- Push Ups – One of the oldest, simplest, and most effective workouts, a solid push-up done with precision will strengthen your chest, shoulders, arms, and core. I recommend starting with at least a set of 10, working your way up to 50. If you can make it to 100/day, you’re pecs will push out farther than you gut in no time. Progress made. BOOM,.
- Pull Ups – Another oldie but a goodie, this exercise done right engages so many back, arm, core muscles, there’s a reason it’s in every training montage. Conveniently, you can install one in your house with very little effort (affiliate link here). But also, pretty much every playground is properly set up for all of your pull-up needs. It requires a decent amount of hubris to test the waters of judgement from other parents who may be watching, but hey, whatever gets it DONE.
- Yoga – Stretching is working out, dudes! Cannot stress this enough, and in fact it’s probably the one most men need far more of. As the G.O.A.T. Tom Brady would say, pliability is key! Lengthening and softening your muscles will improve your vitality and keep your body loose and energized for years of child-raising to come. Best of all, YOU CAN DO THIS AT HOME. There are amazing resources online (Yoga with Adirenne), that can help you get in a session based on the amount of time you have. All you need is a decent mat (Maybe yoga mat affiliate link). I can promise you this; even 20 minutes of yoga squeezed into your day is not something you will ever regret.
- Leg Lunges/Squats – A lot can be accomplished working with your own body weight. Really good form, executed with extreme control and precision, and your legs will be a-shakin! This is a great exercise that you can do anywhere and while on baby duty. Even if you had a toddler running around like crazy in the yard, you can follow them with leg lunges!
- Burpees – This is a great one to do in tandem with number 4. It’s a full body exercise that will suck the wind out of you if you’re not used to them. It’s also a great cardio supplement for when you’re anchored in one place (I.e. Watching the newborn so mom can get some self-care time).
- Free Weights – Even if you go to the gym, you’re most likely working free weights into your workout routine. So this a great, relatively cost-effective alternative to working out multiple muscle groups at home. A set can be pricy, it’s true, but spread out over time these are much more solid investments than a gym membership you can’t find time to use. More caution is required if you’re using these around the kids however, because it only takes having one to realize they can sneak up on you REAL QUICK.
- Sit Ups/Plank – I’m more partial to a solid plank workout myself, but either of these guys done well will get your wife looking at you with all that pre-baby electric attention you used to get. A solid variety of ab exercises are available online and the more balanced the better (Athlean X link?)
- Total Gym – Now this one requires some investment, but it is well worth it. This is an amazing piece of equipment because it’s so diverse and you can workout many parts of your body quickly, without moving a bunch of weights around. It takes a watchful eye, but you can absolutely get some great sets in while your baby plays nearby, whether indoors or outdoors. Also, Chuck Norris! Need I say more?
Working all of these into a routine or simply starting with what you’re most comfortable, start small and build yourself up from there. Fatherhood fitness is about holding onto your vitality for as long as possible, so that you can keep up with those kiddos late into their teens and beyond. So get going, bros!
