I'm a giant baby when it comes to the cold, and the heat for that matter, and I combat both by just refusing to leave my house. Were I less industrious, that plan would really throw a wrench in my workout routine, but lucky for me, the same determination that keeps me hermitted in my house for the winter helped me develop a workout routine that I can do from my living room.
I've said before that I haven't had a gym membership for years, but that doesn't stop me from exercising. I rage internally when I hear people use the excuse that they can't lose weight and workout because they can't afford or don't have time for a gym. Gyms are great, provided you know what you're doing there, but they are by no means essential. Unless you live in the ghetto, anyone can get out and go for a walk or a run, and if you do live in the ghetto, then the workout I'm about to share can be done inside locked doors.
When the weather's nice, I usually walk a couple miles a day, but while walking burns calories and helps strengthen your heart, it really doesn't do much for muscle tone, and, if you remember my post "Strength Training - the Necessary Evil", you'll remember that muscle burns more calories than fat. So, I still have to find a way to strengthen my muscles. Back in the day, I would go out to the garage and use our power rack to bench press and do barbell squats and lat-pulldowns, but we sold it, so that's no longer an option. Plus, I'm betting most people don't have a power rack in their garage. So, I developed this routine for myself that uses your own body weight and requires nothing but your body and a floor.
Typically, you should focus on one body part per workout when strength training, like your arms, or your legs, or your back, to give each muscle group time to recover before you stress them again, but this routine doesn't put too much strain on them, so it's a full-body workout. I still recommend waiting a day between workouts if you're sore.
The system is easy. It consists of 7 exercises, and for each exercise (except the last one), you do 4 sets of 25 reps. So, basically, you're doing 100 reps of each exercise. The final exercise is holding a pose, so you only do 3 reps. I know it sounds like a lot, but you don't have to do it all together. You can spread it out however you like throughout the day, but the more you do at one time, the more you'll get your heart rate up, and the more beneficial the workout will be. If I do them all together, it takes about 20 minutes.
EXERCISE 1: Kneeling Push-ups (works your arms). 4 sets, 25 reps/set
If you're strong enough to do them correctly, you can do real push-ups, but I stick with kneeling, or girly-style of you prefer. I'm hoping that by the time I'm strong enough to do 200 kneeling push-ups, I'll be strong enough to do 1 real push-up.
To do a kneeling pushing, get on the ground on your hands and knees. With your arms straight, lengthen your body, so that your legs and back form a straight line, and your arms are straight out under your chest, perpendicular to the floor. Lift your toes off the ground and balance your lower body on your knees. Bend your elbows and lower your body until your arms form a 90 degree angle and your chest almost touches the ground. Pause, push yourself back up and re-straighten your arms. That's one rep. Continue to 25 reps to complete your first set.
EXERCISE 2: Crunches (works your core) 4 sets, 25 rep/set
Lie on the ground on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Put your hands behind your head. This is your starting position. To perform a crunch, using your abdominal muscles, lift your head and neck until your shoulder blades are off the ground. Pause, then lower back down to the starting position. This is one rep. Continue to 25 reps to complete a set.
EXERCISE 3: Oblique Crunches (works your core and helps tone up your love-handles) 4 sets, 25 reps/set
Lie on the ground in the crunch starting position.Perform a crunch, but as you raise up, bring your left knee and right elbow as close together as you can. Lower back to start and repeat with right knee and left elbow. That's one rep. Continue to 25 reps for a set.
EXERCISE 4: Reverse Crunches (works core, specifically lower abs) 4 sets, 25 reps/set
To perform a reverse crunch, lie on the ground on your back. Place hands behind your head. Rather than putting your feet on the floor, bend your legs at a 90 degree angle, so that your calves are parallel to the floor. This is your start position. To do the crunch, keep your shoulders on the ground and pull your legs into your chest as much as you can. Return to start. This is one rep. Continue to 25 reps for a set.
EXERCISE 5: Body Weight Squats (works thighs and gluts, a must-have exercise if you want a curvy booty) 4 sets, 25 reps/set
To perform a squat, stand straight up with your feet planted firmly below you, shoulder-width apart. Put your hands on your hips. Stick out your butt and arch your back. Keeping your chest straight and staring straight ahead, bend your knees and lower your body until your knees form a 90 degree angle. Be careful not to push your knees out past your toes. Push your hips forward to stand back up. (This puts less strain on your knees.) That's 1 rep. Continue to 25 reps for a set.
EXERCISE 6: Body Weight Close Squats (works your thighs and calves) 4 sets, 25 reps/set
To perform a closed body weight squat, stand straight with your heels together and your toes angled slightly away from each other, like the ballet stance. With your back straight, bend your knees and lower your body until the backs of your thighs almost touch your calves. Use your hips to push forward and stand back up. This is 1 rep. Continue to 25 reps for a set.
EXERCISE 7: Planks (works your core) 3 reps, try for 30 seconds/rep
Planks are rough, but they strengthen your core like nothing else. For this exercise, you're holding a position for a designated amount of time, so you're only going to do it 3 times. For each rep, try to hold it for 30 seconds. To perform a plank, lie on the ground on your stomach. Plant your toes into the ground, like you're bracing to do a real push-up, but rather than straightening your arms, you want to brace yourself on your elbows with your hands under your chin. Dig your toes in and lift your body off the ground, so that your back is perfectly flat and all of your weight is balanced between your toes and your elbows, tighten your abs and start counting. Since all of your weight is being held up by your core, your abs should be on fire and your whole body should start shaking as you go on. This is normal! Count to 30, then lower back to the ground. That's one rep. Rest and do this two more times.
So, there it is - my full-body "I'm not leaving the house" workout. I hope you use it and I hope you like it. If you do it a couple times a week, you should notice a difference in your tone pretty quickly. As you get stronger, add more sets or more weight. You can hold dumbbells or a barbell during squats or place a medicine ball on your stomach during crunches.
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