Ever thought of ditching the gym-and doing your workouts at home instead?
It's not as crazy as it sounds. In fact, if you know the right exercises to do, you can get just as good of a workout (if not better!) at home than you would at the gym with little or no equipment.
So whether you're traveling, don't have a gym nearby, or just don't want to shell out the monthly membership cost of belonging to a gym, you can still lose weight, get fit, and get healthy by doing your workouts in your living room, your backyard, or even your garage.
Give these 5 exercises a try the next time you want to get in shape without a gym:
1. Handstand push ups
Handstands are an unrivaled exercise for your arms, shoulders, and back. They're also great for core strength and stability as well as overall balance. The push up variation adds an even greater challenge for those looking to gain strength at home.
To start, face the wall and kick your feet up so you're vertical against the wall. Make sure your shoulders are directly over your arms and that your core, glutes, and quads are tightened and in a straight line. Slowly lower yourself down toward the floor as far as you can go, then push yourself back up to a regular handstand.
To modify a handstand push up, simply rest your feet on an elevated surface (such as a chair). Put your hands on the floor so that your body is in an "L" shape. Lower yourself to the floor, making sure to keep your core and glutes tight the entire time.
If the idea of falling scares you, just put a pillow underneath your head-this works both in both the regular and modified version!
Try starting with 5 or 10 in a row. Then work your way up to 3 sets of 10, making sure to get your head as close to the floor as possible.
2. Squat jumps
Squat jumps are not only great for your quads, hamstrings, calf and glute muscles, they're also a fantastic cardiovascular exercise, and will leave you breathless!
To do squat jumps, start by lowering yourself into a regular squat. Then, use all your might to jump into the air, reaching for the ceiling. Land back into a squat position, and do it all over again.
Try adding squat jumps to a high intensity interval workout-since they don't require any equipment, you can essentially do them anywhere.
3. Plank pike jumps
Great for your shoulders, arms, back, and of course your abs, plank pike jumps are a variation on the regular plank that will also get your heart rate up and burn mega calories.
To do them, start out in a plank position with your hands on the floor, back straight, and abs tightened. Bend your knees and jump as high as you can, landing to the side. Next, jump to the opposite side. When you feel comfortable, increase your speed so you're constantly jumping without resting on each side.
Try doing plank pike jumps as quickly as you can for one minute. It's harder than you might think!
4. Pistols
Also called one legged squats, pistols are a great leg exercise for when you don't have any exercise equipment near by. Not only do they work your entire leg (quads, hamstrings, glutes and calves), they're also great for balance.
Start by balancing on one leg and lowering yourself down to the floor as you would a regular squat. Try to extend the non-working leg out in front of you at the same time. If you need extra balance, you can hold on to a wall or a chair-but try to work up to doing them freestanding.
Try it: Do 3 sets of 10 reps per leg. Your legs will be burning the next day!
5. Kettlebell swings
Burn fat, build strength, and improve cardiovascular fitness with the kettlebell swing. To try it, start with your feet shoulder width, holding the kettlebell between your legs. Point your toes out slightly.
Next, while keeping your arms straight, swing the bell between your legs so that it's slightly behind you. In this position, you'll be slightly squatted, your hips are back, your arms are loose and your back and abs are tight. You're going to then explode your hips and raise the bell above your head so that the kettlebell is pointing up toward the ceiling.
To lower the bell, simply reverse the movement so that you end up back in the squat position described above. Make sure and keep your arms straight the entire time.
Try it: Work up to 100 kettlebell swings in a row. That'll beat the treadmill any day!
Tip: Never take your eyes off the kettlebell. You don't want your hands to accidentally slip and the kettlebell to come crashing down on your head!
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