Wednesday, October 21, 2009

4 Great In-Home Workouts

If you have no workout equipment, don't fret, you can still get into shape. A body weight only workout is a great way to get yourself into shape at no cost to you. This workout is great for the beginning exerciser, it will let you workout virtually anywhere at any time. Here are some exercises to get you started.

The body-weight squat
The body-weight squat will work on your legs. You will want to start by putting your hands on your hips. Have your feet shoulder-width apart, from a standing position, squat down until your knees reach 90 degrees. As you squat make sure to keep your lower back slightly arched, head up and stick your glutes out like you are going to sit down in a chair. Make sure that your knees do not go past your toes as you squat; if they are you are not moving your glutes back far enough. Once you have reached the bottom position, flex your glutes, quads, and hamstrings to power yourself up to a standing position and repeat the exercise.

Push-ups
The good old fashion push-up will help work your chest. To perform a push-up, you will need to place your hands a little wider than your shoulders; your toes need to be on the floor, put your feet and legs together, and raise your arms to an extended position. You will want to slowly lower yourself until your chest just reaches the floor. Feel the stretch in your chest and flex on the way back up rather than using a quick motion to finish your set.

Close-grip push-ups
A close-grip push-up will work your triceps. To do a close-grip push-up, do the same as you would for a regular push-up, except you will want to your hands in closer so your index fingers and thumbs create a triangle under your chest. As you lower your body, your elbows will point outwards; your chest will come in contact with your hands, slowly raise your body back to the starting position and repeat.

Inverted push-ups
The inverted push-up will work on your shoulders. To do an inverted push-up, you will want to place your feet on a chair and have your hands out in front of you at a shoulders width apart. Without moving your feet, slowly move your hands back until your body is bent to approximately 90 degrees and your head is facing the floor. Press up your arms until they are completely extended, your body should now look like an inverted v, you will then lower your head towards the floor until your arms are bent to almost 90 degrees and repeat.

With these four exercises you can have a great full body workout. By using your own body weight you can perform exercises that will help build and tone these core muscles. Have fun and remember to not over due it, know your limits.

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