Getting a quick, effective workout using minimal equipment is an important factor in the lifestyle of anyone who focuses on fitness. We recently received a reminder of the importance of this with the Covid-19 pandemic, which has left most of us without access to a proper facility for months at a time.
Quick and effective workouts
Other times, life tends to get in the way of a scheduled gym session. You can still apply by having an “insurance plan” at home. You might be looking to cut out the commute completely and create a complete workout based routine at home.
Regardless of the reason, there is value in having quick and effective home exercises at your disposal.
Whole body routine
The following exercise works multiple muscle groups in the body and can be completed with one pair of dumbbells. If you don’t have anything at your disposal, you can choose to use some weighted household items (like gallon jugs of water, bricks, laundry detergent containers, etc.) or even use no weight at all.
You can still gain a great deal of strength with bodyweight or light weight training, and since most of the movements included in this routine are dynamic in nature (meaning they involve multiple joint movements in a sequence), you’ll also see cardiovascular benefits.
Approximate Guidelines
Three pairs of exercises can be performed back to back with minimal rest between sets. For example, with the first pair below, one set of Burpees can be followed up with a set of squats, taking a short break in between to catch your breath.
Once you have completed three to four rounds of each pair, move on to the next pair. You can aim to perform as many AMRAPs as possible on each set, or decide to give yourself a specific rep goal. Since light weight is used or no weight is used, aiming between 20 and 30 repetitions should be sufficient.
Three to four rounds of six exercises total should result in a time commitment of approximately 20-30 minutes.
Pair #1: Burpee with pushup and cup squats
Burpees is basically a pushup with a jump at the end. Besides focusing heavily on the chest and quad, there will be plenty of core stimulation with this movement as well. After completing the pushup, raise your knees explosively and go straight into a squat jump. Go straight to the next pushup after landing the jump.
After completing a set of Burpee, get the dumbbells/weighted item (if you are using one) and set up the Goblet Squats. Your arms are preparing for the load near the sternum. Cup squats tend to allow for a greater range of motion than other forms of squats. Play with your foot position to see what works best on your knees.
Pair #2: Manups & Jumping Lunges
“Manups” tie three movements together: rows, power cleanup, and shoulder press. Start by going down to a plank while holding the weights/items (if you are using any). In a standing position, perform a single-arm row for both arms before moving to a standing position. To get there, start lifting the weight into your legs in a deadlift type motion, and once the weight approaches your hips, push your hips forward to create a momentum that allows you to “throw and pick up the weight” in a controlled manner. You don’t literally give up weight; The momentum from the push and swing of your arms will allow you to lift the weight into your shoulders, and from this point, you can move on to the shoulder press.
Sit in a lunge position with one leg bent forward and one leg behind you. Using one leg at a time, jump into a lunge position. You can choose to complete all repetitions on one leg before switching to the other as shown in the video, or you can switch drive legs each time you jump with a scissor motion.
Pair #3: Incline and lunge triceps with shoulder press
To complete the exercise, find an elevated platform to use on your Tricep Dips. This can be a sofa, bed, chair or table; Anything above ground level should work fine. Stand in front of the platform, extend your hand back behind you to place your palms on the edge, and walk your legs into a brace position with your buttocks off the floor. Begin by bending the arms, and push the palms of the hands to raise your body. This movement isolates the triceps muscle.
Finally, set up burst mode again. Instead of jumping through the lunge as in the previous pair of exercises, perform a regular lunge while holding the dumbbells/weights (if any) close to your shoulders. Once one lunge is complete, move straight into the shoulder press. Make sure to do an equal number of lunges with each leg.
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This trio of pairs will create a lot of fatigue in a very short time. The main focus of these exercises will be on your chest, shoulders, quads, and calf. This exercise can be used 2-3 times a week in conjunction with exercises that target more of your back chain (such as your back muscles, hamstrings, glutes, etc.) on other days of the week.
photo from photography Nathan Cowley
photo from photography KoolShooters
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