| For the last three years, I've mostly been working | | | | 4. Single-leg squats: use a box to support your rear |
| out at home. For a while, I continued going to a | | | | leg and drop your knee gently down to the ground. |
| commercial gym as well but, eventually, I made the | | | | These are sometimes called |
| commitment to stop paying for a gym membership | | | | "Rear-Foot-Elevated-Split-Squats" by some very |
| that I didn't need and started working out exclusively | | | | technical people. If you find these easy, switch to |
| at home. | | | | free bodyweight single leg squats, also called "pistols". |
| To start with, I found the lack of equipment and | | | | I often use a small box to do pistols off because it |
| machines difficult to do without. After a few months, | | | | makes it easier to balance and takes the pressure |
| though, it got easier. And before the first year was | | | | off your lower back if your mobility isn't the best. |
| out I was enjoying exercising at home far more than | | | | Which mine isn't. |
| I ever did in a commercial gym. | | | | 5. Single-leg deadlifts: put your arms over your head |
| I soon found that there were in fact lots of different | | | | superman style and bend forwards, allowing one leg |
| options for exercising at home, even if you're | | | | to rise behind you, staying in line with your spine. |
| concentrating on cardio, or aerobic training. Most | | | | Don't be surprised if your balance is the problem |
| people think that they have to invest in the same | | | | here, however. If you get good at these, hold a small |
| piece of equipment that they've always used in the | | | | medicine ball in your outstretched hands. Step ups: |
| gym but that's not the case. | | | | using a small box, step up onto it and step down |
| Bodyweight circuits | | | | again. If you get good at these, use dumbbells in |
| One of the best and cheapest ways to do cardio at | | | | your hands. |
| home is by using bodyweight circuits. Bodyweight | | | | 6. Leg curls on slings: using two climbing slings, or a |
| circuits are great because you can do them with | | | | suspension trainer, attached to your pull up bar, you |
| almost no equipment, you can progress them easily | | | | can lie on your back with your feet in the bottom of |
| by doing harder exercises rather than by adding | | | | the slings and do leg curls. Honestly, just try it. |
| weight and they make you very strong, lean and | | | | 7. Leg extensions: you can do leg extensions from |
| well-balanced. Strength coaches often include | | | | the plank position with your feet on a box. It's really, |
| bodyweight circuits in their strength cardio or | | | | really hard and you'll probably find that your plank |
| weighted cardio programmes for athletes. | | | | collapses quite quickly if you're not paying sufficient |
| I have found that a circuit of approximately 5 to 8 | | | | attention, too. |
| sets of 5 to 8 reps works well. However, it is often | | | | 8. Hanging knee raises: Many powerlifters do |
| difficult to think of enough different bodyweight | | | | abdominal work for high reps regularly and who am I |
| movements to put into a good circuit. Here are eight | | | | to argue with them? If you find hanging knee raises |
| suggestions: | | | | too easy, try bent-leg or straight-leg hanging leg |
| | | | raises. If you can do your reps with straight legs |
| 1. Press ups and press up variations: try press ups | | | | easily, use a climbing sling to attach a weight plate to |
| with your feet on a box, or press ups with one hand | | | | your feet (carefully). If you can do couple of good |
| elevated on a 6 inch platform (try a pile of books), or | | | | reps with more than 10lbs, I'd love to see it. |
| even close grip press ups. If you find these too easy, | | | | My favourite bodyweight circuit is: inverted rows, |
| make them harder with resistance bands. | | | | close-grip press ups against bands, pistols, single-leg |
| 2. Inverted rows: if you have a power rack, you can | | | | deadlifts and hanging leg raises. |
| use your rack set at bench height to perform an | | | | Lots of options |
| inverted row. | | | | I hope this short article has gone a little way towards |
| 3. Pull ups and chins: use a door-way mounted pull up | | | | showing you that bodyweight circuits are an easy |
| bar and go for it. If you can't do a pull up, try using | | | | and beneficial way of doing cardio or aerobic training |
| resistance bands as assistance. Use a prussik knot to | | | | at home. |
| loop the band over the bar and put your feet into it. | | | | |