Oops, missed the gym

3 comments June 3rd, 2008

Missing your trip to the gym doesn’t have to mean missing your workout.

You might not get to socialize with your favorite partners, but don’t discount the value of body-weight exercises as a good way to effectively hit several major muscle groups without the need for a lot of equipment.

The tried and true pushup works the chest and upper back. Make sure, for the basic position, that your hands are positioned directly under your shoulders.

You can suspend yourself between two chairs with your hands on one chair and your feet on the other for dips that will work the triceps and, if you have a bar you can hang from, chinups are going to work your biceps as effectively as several sets of curls.

Squats and walking lunges will hit the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes. If you have a volleyball or basketball, hold it in front of you as you perform the lunges and swing the ball out over the leg that steps forward to add some work for your obliques. For example, if you step forward with your right foot, you should try to swing the ball to your right until you are holding outside of your right quadriceps.

For abs, there are several versions of  crunches, but a good alternative is the plank or bridge in which you start in a position much like the middle position of a pushup. Your elbows are positioned directly below your shoulders and you hold your body in a straight line down to your toes. Try to work up to being able to hold the position without letting your bottom sag or rise too high for a minute.

And, of course, you only need your feet and a pair of shoes to head out the door for a walk or a run.

Good luck.