With the amount of COVID-19 cases increasing at an alarming rate, more and more people are working from home and staying home to avoid large crowds. The government has also urged the public to stay home and defer from any non-essential trips to malls.
On top of the closure of bars, clubs and other entertainment venues, multiple fitness chains such as ‘Fitness First’, ‘Virgin Active’ and ‘Pure Fitness’ have closed their doors to the public.
However, this doesn’t mean you can’t continue with your workouts. Despite gyms being closed, we have seen an increase in the number of Singaporeans jogging and brisk walking in parks. However, if you want to be safe, another way for you to work those muscles is through home workouts.
If you’re panicking at the sight of your equipment less home, wondering what you can possibly do at home, don’t worry as we have all the answers. If you are someone who has zero gym or workout equipment at home, this circuit workout is made specifically for you.
We have listed down a circuit workout called “The Survival Toolkit”, to help you survive this SHN, WFH and staying home situation.
There would be no rest time in between sets and in between the various exercises. This is achieved through staggering the sets of upper and lower body exercises to help facilitate the lack of rest time and fatigue build-up. Enabling you to push close enough to failure throughout the entire workout.
This is essential with lighter loads as, when you fall well short of failure between your sets, you fail to fully activate all your motor units within your muscles. Resulting in minimal to no muscle gain. Substitutes for the exercises will also be provided for certain exercises where you may unable to perform that specific exercise.
The Survival Toolkit
Lower body:
1 ½ Squats > Tuck Jumps > Squat Jumps
The advanced circuit will begin with targeting the lower body such as the legs and the glutes. Starting with a minute of one and a half squats which exploits the lower range of moment, usually the weakest point, of the squat. This can be performed by doing a full squat, rising to mid-point, going back down to depth and rising back up to your starting position.
This is followed by a minute of Tuck Jumps which can be performed by starting by dropping your hips back and down and quickly, drive your arms out, push your legs off the floor and lift your knees towards your chest. Your downstairs neighbour may hate us for this.
This is immediately chased by one minute of Squat jumps, which can be executed by squatting to depth and jumping up explosively.
Push: Upper body
Wall Push-ups > Diamond push-ups > Elevated Pike Press
The circuit continues with push exercises targeting the upper body such as the chest and shoulders. Starting off with one minute of Wall Push-ups, focusing on the chest, it is performed with both feet planted on a wall whilst in a push-up position. The difficulty of the wall push-ups can be changed according to the elevation of your legs hence, the lower you plant your feet to the wall, the easier it is to execute this exercise.
Substitute: normal push-ups or knee push-ups.
Next, it would be Diamond push-ups which based on a study by the American Council on Exercise (ACE), the diamond push-up is the most effective triceps exercise. This can easily be performed by going into a push-up position and narrowing the width between your hands till it forms a shape of a triangle. After, descend and ascend your body whilst tucking your elbows back and clenching your core tight.
Substitute: Knee Diamond push-ups.
As a finisher, one minute of the Elevated Pike Press which focuses on your shoulder. This can be performed by planting your feet on an elevated platform, such as a chair or a bed, lift your hips up as high as possible to an inverted V, keeping the back flat. With your legs and arms staying as straight as possible, bend your elbows and lower your upper body until the top of your head nearly touches the floor and push back up till your hands are straight.
Substitute: Pike Press or knee pike press.
Lower Body:
Squat Lunges > Bulgarian Split Squats > Plyometric Lunge
Continuing with the circuit, we come back to the dreaded lower body. Which starts off with squat lunges which can be done by first going into a squat and alike the squat jump, press your feet off the floor and in mid-air, go into your lunge vice versa.
This is followed by a minute of Bulgarian Split Squats which not only provides you with a larger range of motion but can also recruit your stabilizer muscles. This can be performed through elevating one leg on a stable platform, such as a couch, bed or chair, and performing a lunge like squat.
To end off the lower body, it would be a minute of Plyometric Lunges. Start by doing a lunge with either leg in front and switching it to-and-fro by explosively pushing your legs off the ground. (Ensure that your knee bend is around 90 degrees.)
Pull: Upper Body
Superman > Back widow
Right after the Plyometric Lunge are the pull exercises for the upper body. Start off with one minute of Superman, targeting not only the lats but even the lower back and glutes. This is done by lying face down on the floor and externally rotating your shoulders back and squeeze your back. The difficulty of the exercise can be adjusted by the duration of how long you hold at peak contraction.
The last upper body exercise will be targeting the upper back and its none other than a minute of the back widow. Performed with both feet flat on the ground and driving your torso off the ground through driving your elbows into the ground and squeezing your back.
Core Exercises
Russian Twist > Wall Sit > V tucks
Now we come to the last set of exercises. The core. Kicking it off with one minute of Russian Twists. Which can easily be done by starting out in a seated position with your legs in front of you, lean back, and lift your legs off the ground, creating a V-like shape with your body and legs, and twist your abdomen to the left and right. Ensure that you are twisting your core to your body’s limit and not cutting short on its range of motion.
Substitute: Russian twist with your feet planted to the ground.
Right after the Russian Twist will be a minute of Wall Sit, which is an excellent core exercise that also trains your legs. This can be performed by placing your back parallel against the wall, setting your feet shoulder-width apart, bending your feet till they are 90 degrees and holding that position for a minute. If this is too easy, engage more of your legs and calves by tiptoeing.
The last exercise of the circuit would be V Tucks. This can be accomplished by lying down with your back flat on the ground, contracting your abs while simultaneously, lifting your feet and torso off the ground and bending your knees and bring them to your chest. When resetting the motion, keep your feet off the ground and repeat the motion.
Repeat this circuit 2 to 3 times to finish the workout. The workout would last 30 – 45 mins. If done until failure and the minute is not up, it is ok to rest for a few seconds then continue.
Summary of the Exercises in the Circuit
One minute of each exercise and repeat this circuit 2 to 3 times without rest in between the sets, exercises or circuits to finish the workout.
Lower body: (1 minute each, 3 minutes total)
1 ½ Squat> Tuck Jumps > Squat Jumps
Push: Upper body: (1 minute each, 3 minutes total)
Wall Push-ups (Push-ups, Knee Push-ups) > Diamond push-ups (Knee Diamond Push-ups) > Elevated Pike Press (Pike press, knee Pike Press)
Lower Body: (1 minute each, 3 minutes total)
Squat Lunges > Bulgarian Split Squats > Plyometric Lunge
Pull: Upper Body: (1 minute each, 3 minutes total)
Superman > Back widow
Core: (1 minute each, 3 minutes total)
Russian Twist (Russian twist with feet on the ground)> Wall Sit > V tucks
There you have it, 30 to 45 mins of a home workout. Staying at home does not mean you have to sit around and do nothing. For other things to do at home, check out this article. In the meantime, stay safe everyone!
Written by Ryan Liang
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