Ah, March the month people expect you to be fit and have abs and be on that daily fitness grind 24/7 with nothing but healthy food and that rusty old treadmill you use once every month. Since the pandemic is slowly fading away, gyms have started opening once more to full capacity and work from home isn’t really much of an option nowadays since the economy is slowly opening its doors once more, but since most of us are still working from home just to play it safe, but wants to get back on track with their fitness journey just in time for that summer body, Here are simple yet effective workouts that can help you get back on track.
Before we start our exercise we would want to start with some basic stretches so we don’t accidentally injure ourselves, first off we have cow pose, followed up by knee to chest, cat-cow, leg swings, hip circles, arm circles, and lastly figure four stretch. (Do each of the stretches 2x for 10-20 seconds each)
Listed below are some bodyweight exercises for your top body and how to do them in your condo in Laguna, from the step-by-step, return to the starting position and other details you might need:
Push-ups
The push-up, yes, we all know this timeless and simple yet effective movement that can be performed almost anywhere and everywhere you go, in this case in your capacious condo in Laguna. For those of you who don’t know the chest is divided into two parts, the pectoralis major, also commonly known as the “pec” muscle, it is the largest and most often utilized muscle in the chest, second we have the pectoralis minor, the muscle beneath the pectoralis major. So, how do we target these muscle groups and fire them up to create that burning sensation, you see there are different types of pushups, but let me save you the time and show you the most effective pushup variations you could do to switch up that chest day routine of yours.
Incline push-ups
Stand facing a bench or in this case grab that sturdy coffee table you have in your condo in Laguna. Plant your hands on the edge of the bench/coffee table, slightly wider than shoulder width and perform the push-up movement, keeping the body straight but not too straight somewhat neutral. This will help ensure lower chest activation. Perform 3-4 sets of 12-20 reps depending whether you are an intermediate or a beginner, remember more isn’t always better. Quality over quantity.
Wide grip push-ups
Wide grip push-ups are performed the same way as regular push-ups, but with the slight change in arm placement and positioning, hence the name “Wide grip push-ups” was born. So, while performing this push up variation you should place your hands on the floor wider than shoulder width apart, with this you can place more stress on the chest by eliminating a big part of your triceps. If you find this to be easy or you don’t even break a sweat, try this alternative but only and only if you find the wide grip push ups easy, crucifix push-ups by placing your arms as wide as you can while maintaining a slight bend at the elbows to allow the pushing movement. Perform 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps (only if you find the Wide grip push ups not challenging enough)
Decline push-ups
Alright now it’s time to hit the upper chest fibers with this banger of a push up variation, this time, place your feet on a bench or that well-structured coffee table, while placing your hands firmly on the ground. Steadily lower yourself to ensure the quality of this push up variation so you can feel those chest fibers open up, then push back up with a controlled firm movement. This advanced push-up variation will help the development of your upper chest and can be performed in the spacious living room space. Perform 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps.
Regular push-ups
Keep it simple, they say. Nothing beats this classic push-up variation, the regular push-up. Begin to lower your body, keeping that back neutral, until your chest touches the floor, then you push yourself back up with controlled form. This should be your warm up exercise, so Go for 3-4 sets of 12-15 reps.
Abdominals
These are the most effective ab exercises to help workout your core and core strength. You can do them on their own or cycle them in your workout routine.
From crunches to planks, core workouts are an important part of any exercise regimen. After all having a strong core helps improve your posture and reduces the risk of back pain. It can even improve endurance when running and help prevent injury when lifting weights.
I am not a fan of doing ab workouts on separate days, but this is only my preference, it depends if you would like to have a separate day just for abs and cardio, but I prefer doing mine after weight lifting sessions. So, here are a few ab exercise that are simple yet effective.
Lying leg raise
For those of you who want to target that V-cut shaped abs, here is an effective ab exercise that can do just that, performed with both your hands behind your lower back or on the side with both your legs straight out. (depending on your preference if you find the workout to be too easy with your hands behind your lower back or not) Raise your legs while keeping them straight until they are at the 90 degree position and then slowly lower your legs back but not full on the ground, we would like to leave at least an inch or two between your feet and the ground to keep the tensions on abs. Do 5 sets of 10-12 reps.
Crunches
Next we got an ab exercise that everyone knows but does wrong. We got crunches. So, what you would want to do is find an open space in your condo in Laguna and lie on your gym mat or carpet with both feet planted on the ground and knees bent. Place both your hands on the temple, now curl your shoulders off of the floor keeping tension on your abdominals. Quick tip: you don’t want to go super high when you do the crunch, because we are just trying to contract the abs, so when you go high you slowly release the tension between the abdominals, another tip why I don’t like putting my hands behind my neck when I do the crunch, it’s because I can or might strain my neck in the process, So I hope you use these tips to your advantage to get that summer six pack. For this do 3 sets of 15-20 reps.
Plank
Is time moving too fast for you? Well, I have a solution for you why not do this exercise that is not only known for strengthening your abdominals but also known for slowing down time! Yup, you guessed it it’s the plank. So, starting on your stomach with feet extended, raise your core up while supporting your weight on your forearms and balls of your feet. Try to make a straight line from your head to your toes and hold your core muscles tight and hold for as long as 30 seconds to 1 minute or so, this will sure activate those core muscles and at the same time strengthen
Pull-ups
So, I for one is a fan of the body weight pull up, because it only requires your body weight and hits all muscles in your back when done correctly, especially when you start adding in different variations. These exercises can help build grip strength that will help you in day to day activities.
Chin ups/under-hand pull ups
With chin ups we use more of an under hand grip or supinated grip that recruits more of the biceps more than some of the other pull up variations I will be showing you. It also works towards the lower part of your muscle, which can create more thickness in your back. The chin up is actually the easiest pull up on this list believe it or not. I suggest 3 sets of 8-10 reps.
Body weight rows
If you have a sturdy table in your condo in Laguna, lie underneath it and grab onto the top of the table with your fingertips. Leave your ankles on the ground so that your body is in a diagonal line. Pull on the resistance band until your elbows are at right angles. Pull your shoulder blades in simultaneously as your arms come down. Slowly lift the band until your arms are straight again. For this do 4 sets of 12-15 reps, this is as easy as it gets.
Classic pull up
No bar no problem, we got a pull-up variation that most us can utilize… with a towel. You can either use a sturdy hand towel or washcloths. Tie an overhand knot on both towels, which will be used as your anchor. Then place these knots over a door and close it. Make sure your knots are secured before doing your pull-ups. You’ll want a door that opens away from you. For this exercise do 4 sets of 10-12 reps.
Related Blog: Fitness Activities You Can Do at Home
