Article Excerpt
Don’t let shelter-in-place orders prevent you from exercising! Even if your gym is closed, you can still stay in shape. Try out this routine using only a couple dumbbells and your body weight.
If you’re a regular gym-goer, you probably won’t have access to facilities for a while. But quarantines don’t mean we have to stay sedentary! You can get a full workout in right at home, even without fancy equipment. Kids can join in on the cardio portions, too.
This at-home workout combines strength training and cardio. It’s super effective with a set of dumbbells. You can pick up a simple dumbbell set for around $50 at Wal-Mart.
Warm-up
First, let’s get warm and stretch. Physically warming your muscles helps prevent injury. This could be a short 15-minute walk around the neighborhood. Run through each of these stretches to loosen up:
- Reach as high as you can toward the ceiling for 10 seconds
- With knees straightened, reach each down to your toes for 30 seconds
- Loosen hips and groin with a butterfly stretch for 30 seconds. Push down on your knees to increase intensity.
- Use a wall to stretch calves for 20 seconds (see image).
Chest + Triceps
These two exercises should be combined into a super-set. A super-set is where you perform two different kinds of exercises back-to-back without rest. Try to get through two or three super-sets.
- 10 pec flys - push a couple ottomans together to use as a makeshift bench. Lay down face-up with dumbbells, stretch your arms outward, and come back together squeezing the target muscle group.
- 10 push-ups - without rest, continue into ten push-ups. Make sure your body is straight throughout the motion. A wider arm stance will work outer pecs, while narrow arms will work triceps more. If you can’t get through ten, put your knees down to make it easier.
No dumbbells? Make a super set out of 15 wide-set push ups and 15 narrow-set push-ups. Get through three super-sets.
Back & Biceps
These two exercises should also be performed as a super-set. Try to get two or three super-sets in.
- 10 one-arm dumbbell rows - use a bench or a couple chairs to place one knee on. Pause for a second at the top of each lift, and let down with control.
- 10 one-arm dumbbell rows - use a bench or a couple chairs to place one knee on. Pause for a second at the top of each lift, and let down with control.
- 10 concentration curls - while seated, isolate each bicep with ten curls. Your arm should make contact with your thigh just above the elbow. Avoid using your back while you curl.
- 10 concentration curls - while seated, isolate each bicep with ten curls. Your arm should make contact with your thigh just above the elbow. Avoid using your back while you curl.
No dumbbells? Pull-ups are excellent for biceps and your back. If you’re not ready for pull-ups and don’t have dumbbells, try making a super-set out of these two:
- 10 dolphin kicks - while face-down, leave your legs hanging off the end of a bench. Hold yourself steady by gripping the sides of the bench. With legs together, move them upward and back down to 90 degrees again. Focus on squeezing your back muscles.
- 10 dolphin kicks - while face-down, leave your legs hanging off the end of a bench. Hold yourself steady by gripping the sides of the bench. With legs together, move them upward and back down to 90 degrees again. Focus on squeezing your back muscles.
- Superman, 10 reps - lie face-down on the ground, and lift both arms and legs upward a few inches. Perform these slowly as you engage your back.
- Superman, 10 reps - lie face-down on the ground, and lift both arms and legs upward a few inches. Perform these slowly as you engage your back.
Legs
Never skip leg day! Let’s combine three exercises together into one big superset, working glutes, quads, and calves.
- 12 squats - while standing with dumbbells at your sides, simply sit down in a chair behind you. Focus on glutes as you rise back up to the standing position.
- 20 lunges - with or without dumbbells, take a step forward and lower down to one knee. Then stand back up again.
- 30 calf raises - with or without dumbbells, raise your heels a few inches off the ground, hold for a second, and come back down
No dumbbells? All three of these exercises can be done without them! But if you want to add some weight, find any object around the house to carry.
HIIT Cardio
Now that we’ve broken a sweat and we’re fully warm, the calorie burning truly begins. This little HIIT (high intensity interval training) cardio routine is sure to tire you out. But push through! We’re almost to the finish line. Do all three exercises together in one superset without rest. Then repeat the triple superset one more time if you can.
- 30 jumping jacks
- 90-second jump rope - you don’t necessarily need a rope. Little jumps standing in place is what counts!
- 10 burpees - from standing, to pushup, to an explosive jump as high as you can, burpees, are intense. Try to crank out ten.
Abs
Finish strong with an ab routine bound to burn. Ideally, all six exercises would be performed without rest in between them.
- 15 crunches
- 15 sit-ups
- 15 leg raises - while your back’s on the floor, lift both legs in the air about 18 inches, and come back down in a controlled movement. Keep your legs straight, and resist the temptation to use the floor as a springboard.
- 15 V-ups - perform a leg raise, except bring your upper half of your body up, too. With arms extended, reach to your toes, and come back down again.
- 15 bicycle kicks - bring each knee toward your head, one at a time. Meet the knee with the opposite elbow. Focus on your obliques (the “sides” of your abdominal muscles).
- 1-minute plank - at this point, it’s really burning! Facing down, hold your body in the air using your toes and forearms. Keep your body completely flat, and hold for one minute.
Whether you're sheltering-in-place, or you've simply decided to pass on a gym membership, these at-home exercises will help you stay in shape and keep your body active!
