In Need Of A Home Workout?

If you’re like myself and my family, the Pandemic Emergency measures have us stuck at home.

So, to help us avoid the “quarantine 15” from creeping up I’ve put together a full-body workout that you can carry out at home.

Check out my 3  favourite home sessions that will work your whole body, give you a cardio blast, and help keep you sane!

WORKOUT 1: BODYWEIGHT BEAST

This is the simplest of the three workouts in terms of preparation and skills required – but that doesn’t make it easy! The only thing you may want is a yoga mat or old towel to place on the floor and protect your back a little when you do the V-Sits. The great thing about this one is that you should be able to do it day in day out, whereas the following two workouts may require a day of recovery between each session.

THE MOVEMENTS

SQUAT

• Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart.
• Bend your knees and drop your hips back and down – imagine that there’s a chair behind you and you’re going to sit on it.
• Squat down so that your hips are level with, or below, your knees. If your hips are still above your knees at the ‘bottom’ of the squat you’re making it too easy for yourself!
• Keep your hands out in front of you as you perform the movement.
• Stand back up straight.
• Repeat!

BURPEE

• Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart.
• Bend your knees and drop your hips back and down into a squat.
• Place your hands palm-side down onto the floor between your feet as you move into the squat.
• Jump your feet back so your body is out straight in a plank position (imagine the starting position of a press-up) and immediately use your arms to lower your chest and thighs so you’re lying flat on the floor. Your palms should still be flat on the floor, by your sides.
• Jump straight back up so your feet land outside your hands.
• Jump up in the air a few inches and clap overhead.
• Repeat!

V-SIT

• Lay on your back with your legs out straight and your hands straight overhead.
• Hinge at the hips and bring your feet up while keeping the legs straight. At the same time pull up your upper body, lifting up your shoulders, arms and hands. Keep your back as straight as possible when you lift your upper body rather than ‘crunching’. Think of a V shape!
• You should aim to touch your toes.
• Repeat!

Note that it’s totally normal to not be able to touch your toes – only those with very flexible hamstrings are normally able to do it!

Modified V-Sit

THE WORKOUT

Repeat the below sequence for 30 minutes:

• 10 x Squat.
• 10 x Burpee.
• 10 x V-Sit.

Keep a note of how many times you complete the sequence in 30 minutes and try to better it next time!

WORKOUT 2: BOX BLAST

OK, so you do need some equipment for this one, but it’s something you’re likely to have in your yard, loft or garage. It’s a great workout for building explosive power and leg strength, which will help you stomp on the pedals when you go out for a ride!

Find yourself a solid crate, wooden box, garden bench or similar platform, around 40-60cm high. We are looking for an improvised plyometric jump box like you see in gyms and training centers.

Make sure whatever you decide to use is sturdy and heavy! Ensure it is strong enough to take your weight and won’t move if you jump on top of it.

THE MOVEMENTS

BOX JUMP

• Start by standing around 50cm in front of the box, facing toward it.
• Squat down and explosively jump onto the top of the box. Use your arms to gain momentum.
• Land with both feet flat on top of the box, and with soft knees (to cushion the impact).
• Jump backward to the ground, landing with soft knees. You can also opt to step down slowly one leg at a time
• Repeat!

STEP UP

• Start by facing the box.
• Place one foot flat on top of the box, and leave the other foot on the floor.
• Use the foot that is on top of the box to explosively step up so that both feet come onto the box.
• Keep your upper body and hips level as you step. Focus on all the force being generated by the glute and thigh of the leg that starts on the box – the foot that starts on the floor should not be used for ‘spring’.
• Repeat, but keeping the other leg on the box!

THE WORKOUT

Perform the below every minute on the minute. The workout ends after 20 minutes or when you cannot complete the repetitions, whichever comes first:

• Odd minutes:16 x box jumps.
• Even minutes: 16 x step-ups (8 on each side)

WORKOUT 3: SHUTTLE RUN SMASH

If you’re lucky enough to have a reasonable size garden or yard (even 25 meters long will do), consider some shuttle sprints.

Repeated short sprint efforts with little recovery is a founding principle of TABATA or HIIT training, and is widely used in the cycling world with the likes of 30/30 or 20/40 sessions.

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FIRSTLY

• First, use a timer to establish the fastest you can run the length of your yard with an all-out sprint.
• Now you need to calculate your interval time. To do this, simply multiply the time you got in the step above by 1.5. So, if your all-out sprint took 20 seconds, your interval time is 20 x 1.5 = 30 seconds.
• Next, set a repeat timer on your phone or watch for your interval time (i.e., 30 seconds). The timer should sound an alarm at the end of each interval and then start again.

THE WORKOUT

• Run at around 90% of your full-on sprint speed to the other end of your yard or garden, and use the remainder of that interval time to recover.
• Repeat until you can no longer keep up with the timer!

Initially, this will feel easy. However, after five or ten minutes, it will get progressively difficult, as the sprints will become slower and the recovery time shorter.

Take note of how long you keep going before you can’t keep up with the beeps on. Feel Better – Function Better with Dr. Phil McAllister @ Forward Health Guelph