If you’ve skipped out on exercise because you were either cramped for space, short on time, or lacked gym workout equipment like free weights, then you’re not alone. After all, it is challenging to work out in an environment that isn’t set according to your liking. It makes you hit the hay and forget about exercising altogether.
However, the idea of clanging and banging when you don’t have access to the gym is something that professional trainers quickly debunk. Sure, these professionals know a thing or two about working out in the gym. However, they also know that people have busy schedules and don’t like spending money on an expensive gym membership.
In such cases, these people can easily work out in the comfort of their homes with little to no gym equipment. Plus, bodyweight exercises are, in some ways, just as practical as equipment-based exercises.
With the help of gravity, your body is an excellent weapon for working out at home. So, whether you’re looking to work out your arms, core, legs, and glutes or get your heart pumping through a calory-burning cardio session, there are tons of exercises that people can churn out whenever they feel the need. Of course, dumbbells required! Listed below are some weight-free exercises that experts swear by for themselves and their clients.
Yoga
If you’re doing yoga regularly, your entire body will feel revitalized and re-energized, no matter your level of expertise. There are tons of different yoga poses, ranging from more expert-level poses such as the forearm stand to simple ones like the Downward Dog. However, the posses you’ll be able to do depends entirely on your body’s conditioning.
If you’re an athlete, you’ll be able to tackle the most challenging poses in no time. But, if you’re a beginner, consider starting with something as simple as the plank or the child’s pose. All you’ll need is a ten by ten feet space and a few custom yoga mats to keep things interesting.
Pushups
Pushups are amongst the most effective bodyweight exercises that a person can do to tone their chest muscles without ever needing to hit the bench. Primarily this exercise targets your anterior deltoid, triceps, and chest muscles. Furthermore, it gives your core a nice pounding as well. not to mention, you’ll feel like a badass when you do pushups regularly and see yourself improve as time passes.
You can do pushups by starting in the high plank position with your arms shoulder-width apart and your hands firmly planted on the ground. Then, slowly lower yourself while extending your elbows to the side of your body. Move up and repeat the motion as many times as you can.
Bulgarian Split Squats
While Bulgarian split squats require a chair or a stool on which you’ll rest your back leg, you won’t need any weights to perform the movement correctly. Once you complete this move, you’ll feel a nice burn in your hamstrings, inner thighs, glutes, quads, and even your calves.
To do a Bulgarian split squat, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your back facing the chair. Next, keep your left foot on the floor and your right foot on the chair’s cushion. Lastly, bend your knees and lower your body as if you’re doing a lunge. Get back up and repeat as many times as you can.
Decline Pushups
The name of the exercise says it all. A decline pushup is a variation of the regular pushup that works your glutes, triceps, shoulders, anterior deltoids, back, core. Moreover, it also improves your balance when walking or standing.
To perform a decline pushup, you won’t need any weights, but you’ll need something to lift your feet above the ground, like a chair or a bench. Start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart, just like a regular pushup. Now, instead of following the normal pushup movement, you’ll need to place both your feet on the bench or chair.
Next, lower your body and follow the same steps as you would with a regular pushup while keeping your feet planted on the chair or bench. Repeat the motion at least 12 times per set to see great results.
Single-Leg Tricep Dips
While most arm exercises focus on working out your biceps, the single-leg tricep dip targets your triceps and lats. When you hug your elbows towards your body and use your body weight to lift yourself, you’ll feel the burn in your triceps. Not to mention, you don’t need large amounts of space to perform this exercise.
To perform a single leg tricep dip, sit down, bend your knees, and keep your feet flat on the ground. Now, move your hands behind your back while keeping your fingers pointed towards your body. Next, lift your left leg and slowly lower your body while keeping most of your body weight on your hands.
Bring your body up using your hands with your leg lifted high in the air, repeating the motion at least 20 times for each set. In your next set, you can also alternate between legs to target your hamstrings.
Conclusion
With tons of knowledge available on fitness and exercise these days, people should have no excuse for not working out and achieving their fitness goals. At the same time, most people love to say that they don’t have the time to work out.
However, dozens of weight-free at-home exercises will allow them to break a sweat in the comfort of their homes. Please go through the list of weight-free exercises mentioned in this article and use them to turn your body into a lean and well-oiled machine.