*Disclaimer This blog has nothing to do with curing or improving coronavirus otherwise known as Covid-19 symptoms. This is educational for home workouts while social distancing.* For more info check out www.cdc.com.*
I’m in America and we are experiencing coronavirus otherwise known as Covid-19. With that being said I don’t have a gym in my garage and still want to stay in shape. I’ve done some P90X and Onnit workout programs in the past but I usually prefer to go to the gym.
With that said, we still need to carry on. We need exercise to stay healthy, to keep our immune systems strong and to also reduce the stress from all of the negative sources out there.
You can still stay in shape and build muscle while doing bodyweight exercises only. The key principles for building muscle with weights and without are very similar. Focus on Time under tension, focus and squeeze muscle during reps, slowing the speed of the exercise, increasing volume training, and decrease rest period. These are principles used in bodybuilding that can be used for working out without weights for muscle recruitment.
Despite any type of training program and for general health getting enough protein isn’t always easy in our busy lives. Onnit is one of the most natural and organic reputable companies out there. There chocolate whey powder is the best that I’ve ever had.
5 exercises that can help keep you fit while stuck at Home
- Push-ups/Dive bomber pushups
- Pull-Ups(Pull up bar needed for this exercise)
- Slick Floor Hamstring Curl
- Body Weight Squats
- Burpee
Push-ups/ Dive bomber
The great thing about bodyweight exercises is that you can use your body for weight training. Some of these exercises sound too simple to do and that you won’t be able to build muscle while doing them.
By adding progressive overload by adding either sets or reps will help put more stress on your body to build muscle. The push-up is one of the most perfect exercises. It’s great because it activates muscle stimulation from all over.
Muscle groups being worked are the chest, arms, abs, legs, and hips. Another way to add intensity is by doing a few small adjustments. Such as, slowing your speed down and controlling the exercise, the angle of your body and even the width of your hands can help.
One study discovered that by placing your hands with a slight angle inward that chest muscle activity was increased. This study was from 2016, from the Journal of Physical Therapy Science. When the hands were place outward the triceps were worked more
The great thing about pushups is it can be modified in many ways. By doing them on your knees or at an angle off sturdy objects. By doing a standard push-up you will be lifting roughly 50%-75% of body weight.
This percentage varies depending on the person’s weight and body shape. Doing modified push-ups use around 36%-45% of body weight.
Surprisingly, not only do pushups help build muscle by working multiple muscles at once, but it’s a great way to stay in shape cardiovascularly.
A study showed that it could predict any risk for cardiovascular issues.
A group of male firefighters study that was published in 2019 from JAMA.
Essentially, men could do at least 40 push-ups over 30 seconds had a much lower chance of heart failure, heart attack or any other related cardiovascular issue over the next 10 years when compared to men who were unable to do less than 10.
| While simple, push-ups are one of the best exercises for recruiting more than one muscle group at a time and also for drastically lower heart attacks and other cardiovascular diseases. |
Pull-Ups
I know, I know I said weight free, but you can skip this exercise if you don’t have a pull-up bar. It’ just a really good exercise that with a small investment, you can get a piece of good equipment here.
The main drivers in the muscle groups being worked are the latissimus dorsi, trapezius, deltoids, erector spinae, rectus abdominus, and biceps.
Pull-ups are tough, especially for beginners but they are a staple exercise whether they are done at a gym or at home. It’s challenging because you are pulling literally your dead bodyweight.
Practice over time will help you do more to help build muscle. You can also time yourself and see how long you can hang for modified pull-ups. There is also a certain type of exercise that can help improve pull-ups.
Exercises that can help improve Pull-ups
| Lat pulldown | Assisted Pull-up machine |
| Kipping Pull-ups | Partner Spotted Pull-ups |
Slick Floor Hamstring Curl
If you are a gym rat it’s just as the name sounds, kind of. Basically, you want to find a slick surface that is safe such as a wooden floor. what you want to next is sit down on the ground and put the rolled-up long ways under your feet.
From here lay backward flat on your back with your feet still on the towel. Slowly bring your feet back to your bottom and concentrate on your hamstrings being worked.
Another way to do this would be is to squat down on your knees and have a spotter hold your feet down while you slowly lean forward. This is a little more advanced than the towel exercise.
Muscles worked during a hamstring curl are well, your hamstrings the muscles on the back of your legs. The quadriceps, the large muscle on the front of your legs. Followed up by last but not least your calf muscles.
Body Weight Squats
It’s easy to scoff at bodyweight squats, especially if you are you to doing barbell squats regularly. On the contrary, doing bodyweight squats can be just as hard or harder. especially if you do a lot of them or do them slowly.
one study was sp[erformed to look at overall muscle mass gained from bodyweight exercises. This 12-week program also looked at muscle strength, and how steady their balance and gate were in older men and women.
15 adults with an average age of 78 years old. They needed help with their ADL’s “performing activities of daily living.” It was done in a group setting using only their body weight as resistance while singing for one set consisting of 48 reps 2x’s a week for 12 weeks.
There was a multitude of high-end testing done to examine their results. They looked at body mass, thigh girth, muscle thickness assessed by B-mode ultrasound, knee extension torque, static and dynamic balance, sway velocity.
They were also tested for their ability to stand on firm surfaces with their eyes closed and open and were evaluated for their stability. Following the study, they found that the participants had significantly had a drop in body mass.
Although the thigh girth did not change, there was an improvement in thigh muscle. Also, an improvement in standing on a flat surface with their eyes open did improve.
| Bodyweight exercise improved muscle mass and strength but had little impact on balance. |
Burpee Exercise
The hell of all hell of exercises, the burpee. It works with that being said though. it works as a cardiovascular exercise as well as building muscle.
Tips on how to do a burpee
- Start in a standing position and then start to do a squatting position with both hands on the ground.
- From the squat position kick your feet back into a plank position with your arms extended.
- From this position return from a plank back into a squat position.
- Then go back to a standing position by jumping straight up with your hands straight above your head.
There are many benefits to doing burpees such as increased strength, fat burning, and conditioning.
The great thing about this exercise is it is a full-body exercise. The muscles worked are chest, arms, front deltoids, thighs, hamstrings and core.
As far as conditioning goes, studies have been shown up to 50% more fat can be burned when compared to strength training workouts. Burpees have also been proven to help increase your metabolism.
Even though I despise doing them they are one of the all-around best exercises you can do.
| Burpees are great for cardio and building muscle. It works for multiple muscle groups at once while also increasing metabolism and burning fat. |
Final thoughts
Bodyweight exercises are a great way to still stay in shape and build muscle while stuck at home social distancing from the coronavirus. It’s a big misconception that you can’t stay in shape with bodyweight exercises. Follow the principles above and going back to the gym won’t be starting all over again.