Looking for a quick at home workout you can do with absolutely no equipment? Give these exercises a try.
For the foreseeable future, it looks like more of us will be looking for solutions to stay fit and sane while staying home.
Unless you've built out a fully functional home gym, it's going to be a while before you can get back to your normal routine.
In anticipation of gyms closing, I sat down this week to create workouts programs that can be followed from home as we all practice social distancing.
If you have questions on how to warm up or cool down after you complete this, I suggest you read Strength Training for Beginners.
Here is a workout that you can perform to help you stay in shape while working out from home.
Follow this up by performing a cool-down stretching routine.
You can adjust this circuit to your level of difficulty by adding or subtracting sets, repetitions, time or an exercise of your choosing.
The goal of this exercise - Strengthen the quads, glutes, hamstrings, improve lumbo-pelvic stability, and balance.
All reps should be performed on the weaker leg first before switching sides.
Start off in a split stance, one foot forward, hands at your sides, core braced. Keeping your center of gravity in the same place, draw a breath into your stomach and try to lower yourself down to your full depth as you drop your back knee (a range where you are able to maintain proper form).
Once you reach your bottom position, return to the start by squeezing your glutes, pressing your front foot into the ground while breathing out.
Aim to keep your knee in line with your foot, not allowing it to fall inward or outward.
Your front leg should be doing most of the work. Make sure that you engage your quad, hamstring, and glute of the front leg and push up, versus pushing backwards and transferring your weight to your back leg. Your body should travel in a relatively vertical path the entire time.
To make this move easier -Widen your feet. You may also hold onto a suspension system such as a TRX to help assist your legs.
To make this more challenging: Elevate your rear foot onto a bench or chair or hold weights at your sides while keeping the same form.
The goal of this exercise - Strengthen the chest, shoulders and triceps, improve shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability.
Start in the top position of a push-up:
While breathing out - Slowly lower yourself to the ground - aiming for a 3-5 count on the way down.
To make this move easier - elevate your hands onto a bench or stable surface so that you are pressing less of your bodyweight.
To make this more challenging - elevate your feet, pause at the bottom, go slow on the way down, fast on the way up or place a weight across the small of your back while keeping the same form.
The goal of this exercise - Strengthen the quads, glutes, hamstrings and lumbo-pelvic stability.
Start by positioning yourself on the edge of a bench or platform. The bench should be just beneath your shoulder blades.
Center your feet by placing them together at the distance where you feel this exercise most in your glutes. (squeeze your glutes at the top to find this spot before switching to a single leg)
Cross one leg across your hips or straighten it out in front of you.
Lower yourself to the bottom of your range of motion. Your depth with vary based on the height of the bench. Go as low as you can while keeping your back in contact with the bench.
Squeeze your glutes hard to start your ascent and hold the top end of the rep, with your chin tucked for at least 1 count.
To make this move easier - elevate your foot onto a bench or stable surface so that you are pressing less of your bodyweight.
To make this more challenging - Pause at various points, go slow on the way down, fast on the way up or place a weight across your hip while keeping the same form.
The goal of this exercise - Improve lumbo-pelvic stability, isometric glute strength and shoulder and scapular stability.
The most difficult muscle group to train without equipment are the muscles of your upper back. Without a chin up bar, resistance band or weighted implement to pull towards ourselves, we have to use a little bit of creativity.
The back or supine plank takes the place of our pulling movement in this case.
To start, find two chairs or benches of equal height and sit between them.
Dig your elbows into the surface and lift your hips to the top of a bridge position with your body straight from shoulder to knee. Your hands should be pointed directly towards the ceiling. Keep your glutes squeezed, brace your core and keep your body pushed away from the chairs. Your shoulder blades should be retracted towards your spine and you should begin to feel the muscles in your upper back.
To make this move easier - hold for shorter lengths of time or move the chairs closer to your body.
To make this more challenging - hold for greater lengths of time, move your chairs further away from you or raise one leg off of the ground.
The goal of this exercise - Improve glute strength and shoulder and scapular stability.
Begin by positioning your elbow just beneath your shoulder while lying on your side.
Stack your legs on top of one another at a 90 degree or right angle.
Before you start, brace your core, press your shoulder away from you and squeeze your glutes. Drive one knee into the ground while pressing the other away from you towards the ceiling.
To make this move easier - take longer breaks between repetitions.
To make this more challenging - Pause at various points, go slow on the way down, fast on the way up, add repetitions or place a weight across your hip while keeping the same form.
The goal of this exercise: Strengthen the core, improve lumbo-pelvic stability.
Lie on your stomach and position your elbows just underneath your shoulders.
You might place your elbows slightly closer to your body so that you will be in a straight line when you lift up.
Straighten your body from head to toe, feet together-the same position you would be standing up tall.
Before you lift yourself, brace your core (pulling your ribs down), squeeze your glutes and take a deep breath into your stomach.
Now lift yourself up and hold the position for time.
Throughout the duration of the exercise, try to take deep breaths into your core, letting your sides, lower back and stomach expand.
To make this move easier: Widen your feet or elevate your shoulder or hands onto a bench or stable surface.
To make this more challenging: Elevate your legs or hold one or more limbs off of the ground while maintaining your posture.
