| Many people online are Google searching for the | | | | other support. Doing isometrics, you basically |
| terms "workout without weights", or "exercises | | | | press into something that's immovable and hold |
| without weights" in hopes to find a simple | | | | the press for a specified period of time and do |
| exercise routine to do at home. There are | | | | several reps of this. |
| infomercials and a lot of hype around fitness | | | | Exercise Without Weights #4 The Squat |
| programs and equipment that can make it pretty | | | | What can be said about this fundamental human |
| confusing when you are looking for an easy home | | | | movement? This exercise is important on so |
| exercise program that doesn't require a lot of | | | | many different levels. Primarily we look at it as a |
| time or a lot of equipment. | | | | leg and hip strengthening exercise. However, it |
| By learning and mastering a few basic | | | | also strengthens the low back. |
| movements most people can get into the shape | | | | But, in addition to strengthening the lower body, |
| of their lives. Performing these 6 movements you | | | | done correctly it stretches all aspects of the |
| can work all the major muscle groups of your | | | | lower body and keeps us limber. Starting at the |
| body. Because the majority of people are not | | | | bottom, the muscles of the sole of the foot, the |
| competitive body builders, mastering these 6 | | | | ankle, the back of the calf, the quads, the glutes, |
| movements will build and strengthen all the | | | | and hip rotators, are all stretched by doing the |
| muscles that the majority of us need to look, feel | | | | squat. Not only are the muscles stretched, but |
| and perform at our best. The best thing about | | | | the joints are lubricated with the extreme |
| these 6 movements is that they require no | | | | movements of the squat when performed |
| equipment, only you, your house, and a pair of | | | | correctly. |
| athletic shoes. | | | | To learn the correct form of the squat, all you |
| When starting out, it's important to understand | | | | need to do is watch a 2 year old. They use |
| that your main priority is to learn how to do the | | | | correct form and shame most adults with their |
| exercises. Once you are familiar with what they | | | | ability to drop straight to the floor. Do it like this |
| are, then you can work on increasing the intensity. | | | | without weights and get used to it. Done correctly |
| Let's look at these 6 exercises and see what | | | | and consistently, you won't need to use a squat |
| they are and what they do: | | | | rack. |
| Exercise Without Weights #1 The Pull Up | | | | Exercise Without Weights #5 The Front/Side |
| Primarily thought as as a mid and upper back | | | | Plank |
| exercise, the pull up also targets the arms and | | | | This is so superior to crunches when it comes to |
| low back. But, the most essential function of this | | | | strengthening your ab muscles. The reason for |
| exercise is to help build the scapular stabilizers. | | | | this is that it strengthens the deeper obliques and |
| This is important in any lifting or carrying that you | | | | transverse abdominus rather than the superficial |
| do. It's also important in throwing and reaching for | | | | rectus abdominus that crunches primarily target. |
| objects in front or overhead. | | | | To do the plank, you simply suspend your body in |
| To do a pull up you will need an overhead bar. | | | | the air as your hands/elbows, and feet/knees |
| The hands use an overhand grip and are slightly | | | | support your body. You can do it face down with |
| wider than shoulder width. To objective is to lift | | | | both arms and feet suspending your body. Or, |
| your bodyweight against gravity. This may not be | | | | you can do it on either side with one arm/foot |
| possible for those just starting out and so to | | | | suspending the body. Again, hold for a specified |
| decrease the resistance, you just rest your feet | | | | length of time. |
| or calves on a chair either in front, or behind you. | | | | Another benefit of the plank is that it is |
| When combined with #4, you get a complete | | | | "functional" holding the torso and abdomen stable |
| back workout. | | | | in order for us to perform tasks such as reaching, |
| Exercise Without Weights #2 The Push Up | | | | carrying, lifting, and so forth. Crunches, on the |
| The push up is the opposite compliment to the | | | | other hand, teach the stomach muscles to |
| pull up. While the pull up works the back of the | | | | contract in a totally non-functional pattern. Most |
| body, the push up works the front. Most people | | | | people don't realize that we hardly ever do "a |
| think that they have an idea of how to do a push | | | | crunch" motion in real life except when we are |
| up. But, similar to Exercise #1, the push up is also | | | | working under a car or something similar. |
| works to stabilize the shoulder blade. When doing | | | | However, we are constantly doing something that |
| a push up the correct way, emphasis should be | | | | requires us to stabilize our torso and activate our |
| placed on fully protracting the scapula when the | | | | abdominals that way. Don't believe me? What |
| arms are fully extending and then fully retracted | | | | happens when...you open a door, push a shopping |
| when the chest is close to the floor. Working in | | | | cart around the store, reach in the back seat of |
| this way, the push up becomes more than just a | | | | your car, reach up from bed turn off the light? |
| chest exercise. | | | | You get the picture. |
| Another area to be aware of when working on | | | | Exercise Without Weights #6 Running/Sprinting |
| your push up variations is your abdomen. The | | | | I am not talking about "jogging" per se. I am |
| core abdominal workout that the push up gives is | | | | talking about running fast. Yep, make sprinting a |
| frequently over looked. You can work more of | | | | regular routine. Again, we're talking about function. |
| your abdominals by experimenting on hand and | | | | How many times do we actually have to jog |
| foot placement. Remember: Learn to do the | | | | compared to actually having to sprint? |
| exercise. Get curious. | | | | Do you jog to the elevator when the door is |
| Exercise Without Weights #3 The Overhead Push | | | | closing? Do you jog across the street when a |
| Up | | | | fast moving car is coming? Do you jog toward |
| This exercise will work primarily the back, | | | | your baby if they are in harms way? While |
| shoulder, and arm muscles. It is essential for | | | | jogging is an excellent exercise in an of itself, it's |
| learning to stabilize and balance your body while | | | | something that we rarely need to do. Sprinting on |
| your arms are overhead. | | | | the other hand... |
| The overhead push up is what some in the gym | | | | Sprinting is a good way to loosen up all your |
| would call the military press. However, if you don't | | | | muscles after you have already done the above |
| want to go to the gym, you can do a simple hand | | | | movements. It's also important because it will |
| stand with feet supported on the wall. However, | | | | work on your aerobic capacity and give you more |
| some can't do this particular workout without | | | | energy when done as interval training. This is |
| weights because they would be supporting their | | | | where you sprint for 30 seconds and rest for 1 |
| total body weight on their arms. | | | | minute. Complete this cycle as many times as |
| A modification would be to do an isometric over | | | | you can. |
| head push up against the top of a door frame. | | | | These are the 6 essential movements that make |
| Your height can be adjusted by a step stool or | | | | up your workout without weights. |