Stay Happy and Fit at Home - Workout Challenge
By: Aidan Rodriguez
During this quarantine, many people have found themselves sitting around at home; I, for one, have been binge-watching shows on Netflix. It’s easy to stay idle during this time, so I wanted to challenge everyone to try and exercise as much as they can. Below, there is a list of workouts to try throughout the week with three different levels: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. The goal is to stay active and challenge yourself, so if anything feels too easy, feel free to make it harder.
(None of these exercises include weights, but if you have some and would like to add them, feel free to do so.)
Stretching: This should be the first (or second if you stretch after your cardio) item you try. If you have stretches that you normally do before workouts, feel free to stay comfortable, but if you don’t, here’s a link to some quick stretches you can do.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2L2lnxIcNmo
Cardio: I advise going on a walk or a light run before you start, but any form of cardio works.
After stretching and cardio, pick one of the three circuits below. You only do one circuit a day. Then, when you are finished with all three, you start again. After doing all three circuits twice, use the seventh day as a rest day. The circuits are short, so you can do them multiple times (I suggest 2 or 3 times).
Arms:
10 Push-ups.
For all of these push-ups, the most important thing is that your nose touches the ground (or gets very close). If you can’t touch the ground, go back a step then work your way back up. For beginners, you can do knee push-ups. The intermediate step is regular push-ups, advanced being narrow push-ups (link below).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnDsuA1OntY
2. Dips
For dips, you put your hands on an elevated surface, like your couch, with your feet on the floor, then you “dip” down and touch your bottom to the floor. The only difference between levels on this one is quantity. Beginners do 10; intermediates do 20; advanced do 30.
3. Handstands
All of the handstands use the wall, so don’t get too worried. For beginners, the main goal is to simply kick up into a handstand five times (do NOT kick too hard; you will make a dent in your wall.) Intermediates should try to hold a handstand for about 30 seconds (you only have to do one). The advanced workout is a handstand push-up (link below).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z6JgP219T8
Abs:
10 Upper
The beginner’s workout is crunches. For intermediates, the workout is sit-ups, and for advanced, the workout is reverse sit-ups. In reverse sit-ups, you start with your chest to your knees, then slowly lower your back to the floor.
2. 10 Lower
The beginner’s workout is leg-lifts. You lay down flat on the floor and lift your legs up to a 90-degree angle. Then, you lower them back down, trying not to let your feet touch the floor between leg-lifts (put your hands under your bottom to make it easier). The next workout, intermediate, is single-leg v-ups (link below). Finally, the advanced workout is v-ups. They are the same as single-leg v-ups except with both feet instead of just one.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8lo0lGPC6k
3. 10 Obliques
For this one, everyone is doing the same workout. They are called penguins and there is a video link below to show you how they’re done. Beginners do 10. Intermediates do 20. Advanced do 30.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geDCHO7Jq-c
Legs:
Calf Raises
The beginner and intermediate workout is calf raises (link below)— beginners do 20, and intermediates do 30. The advanced workout is single-leg calf raises, so it’s the same thing, but just with one leg (20 on each side).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV8gOrHmuKc
2. 20 Squats
Beginners are doing regular squats. The intermediate workout is squat jumps, and the advanced workout is single-leg squats. Because they are harder, do ten on each side for single-leg squats (if needed use the wall or an armchair for support).
3. Lunges
Again, beginners and intermediates are going to do the same thing— lunges. Beginners will do 10 on each side, and intermediates will do 20 on each side. Advanced is doing lunge jumps, which means 20 on each side (link below).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIkkHg8YZQU
Stay safe, and keep your body healthy!