Complete Home Workout with Do-It-Yourself Gym Equipments

Everybody knows exercise plays an important role in our health. But lack of time, motivation and costly membership fees often stand in our way, especially for professionals such as lawyers, engineers and real estate brokers. That’s understandable, but the reality is you dont need a lot of time to get a good workout at home in. Plus, there are objects at home you can use to get a full-body workout.

If you’re a fitness aficionado, you’re probably figuring out if a decent workout can be done with DIY (do-it-yourself) gym equipments. Absolutely! Weve rounded exercises you can do with objects around the house to help you achieve a more fit body and save money in the process.

Here are exercises you can do at home with Do-It-Yourself gym equipments:

• Water Bottle

Who needs free weights? Just grab a couple of 20-ounce water bottles to boost your strength with these push, pull, rotate, and balance moves.

Chest Push Exercise

Targets: Chest, shoulders, and triceps
Step 1: Lie on your back on an exercise mat or carpeting, with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent. Holding a water bottle in each hand, bend your elbows at a 90-degree angle to the floor and your shoulders and upper arms flat along the floor.
Step 2: Slowly extend your arms straight up. Do not lock your elbow joints. Slowly return your elbows and upper arms to the floor. Continue the exercise for two sets of 10 repetitions.

Tip: Your muscles need a full day to recover between workouts, so don’t work the same muscle group every day. Alternate muscle groups or try strength training one day and walking the next.

Lateral Raise Exercise
Targets: Shoulders, core, and improving balance
Step 1: Stand tall with your feet firmly planted on the floor. Tighten your abdominal muscles and keep your chest lifted. Look straight ahead. Bend your knees slightly. With your arms at your sides and your elbows bent at 90-degree angles, hold a water bottle in each hand. Maintain perfect posture, spinal alignment, and a comfortable range of motion for your shoulder joints.
Step 2: Raise your arms up as shown, to almost shoulder height. Maintain this angle at your elbow joints throughout the motions. Return to starting position and continue the exercise for two sets of 10 repetitions.

Tip: For an added challenge to improve your balance, you can perform this exercise while balancing on one foot.

Crunch Exercise
Targets: Entire abdominal region
Step 1: Lie on your back on an exercise mat or carpeting. Bend your knees and place your feet on the floor. Hold a water bottle with both hands in front of your abdomen, as shown. Look toward the ceiling to align your spine.
Step 2: Leading with your chest, raise your upper body toward your knees while keeping your hips stable. Extend the water bottle toward your knees. Lower and repeat for two sets of 10 repetitions. Do not rush this motion, especially on the downward phase.

Bicycle Exercise
Targets: The entire abdominal region and hip
Step 1: Lie on your back with your legs elevated and knees bent, as shown. Hold a water bottle in both hands over your abdomen.
Step 2: Bring your left knee toward your chest while simultaneously rotating the right side of your upper body and the water bottle toward your left knee. At the same time, fully extend your right leg. Continue this motion, alternating sides for two sets of 10 repetitions. (If this hurts your neck, do not use the water bottle. Instead, place your hands behind your head for support.)

Tip: Make sure you concentrate on keeping the motion fluid. Each time you extend your leg, it counts as a repetition.

Lift Rotation Exercise
Target: Lower body, core, shoulders, and arms
Step 1: Stand tall with your feet firmly planted on the floor, slightly farther than shoulder width apart. Hold a water bottle in front of you. Bend your knees and squat down, driving your heels into the floor. Rotate your torso to one side (as if picking up a box on the floor beside you).
Step 2: Extend your body back up while lifting the water bottle across your body and up overhead at a 45-degree angle to the opposite side. Fully extend both arms as if you were putting this box on a high shelf. Repeat this motion for two sets of 12 repetitions. (For each set, do six repetitions to one side and six repetitions to the other side.)

Tip: Keep your abdominal muscles tight throughout the exercise. Focus on using your legs rather than bending your back during this exercise.

• Milk Jugs

Gallon milk jugs can double for hand weights. Just fill the containers with water, sand or a similar material and you can perform a variety of exercises that you’d normally do with dumbbells or kettlebells. The milk jugs handle makes it an ideal option when you’re performing swings.

Chest flies
Start lying on a bench. Milk jugs should be in both hands spread out with arms slightly bent. Without bending your arms any more, slowly raise the milk jugs above your chest until they touch. Hold for a second, then bring them back.

Bicep curls
Start in relaxed arm position with milk jug in one/or two hands. Use elbow as rotation point. Slowly raise milk jug up toward should as far as you can go. Hold for a second, then release slowly.

Tricep extensions
Have one knee on a bench with one elbow bent, leaving hand hanging with milk jug. Elbow should be at side. Push arm with milk jug back and up. Extend fully, then slowly come back.

Shoulder raises
Have two milk jugs at sides while standing up. Keep back straight. Raise arms (with arms elbows locked) outwards. Go until milk jugs are at shoulder height (NO HIGHER!). Slowly bring them back down to sides.

• Towel

Everyone has a dishtowel or hand towel at home. Using this basic tool, along with a floor that allows for sliding, can be a creative, effective and inexpensive way to get a killer workout!

Static Lunge Row

Targets: Back, Legs, and Biceps

Begin standing with right foot in center of towel, left leg staggered behind, hands holding each end of the towel evenly. Bend both knees to lower into a lunge, then hinge forward from hips (keep back straight) and pull ends of towel (grasp lower on the towel for more resistance, higher for less) towards body, keeping elbows close to sides, squeezing shoulder blades back and together. Hold lunge and continue pulling towel as hard as you can for 30 seconds then switch legs and repeat. Repeat for 2 more sets on each leg. Be sure to keep spine naturally straight, abs tight and front knee over heel.

Triceps Pull

Targets: Triceps, Shoulders

Stand with feet hip width apart, knees soft, holding one end of the towel with left hand. Extend left arm up and bring towel behind back so that it lines up with your spine, bending left elbow. Bend right arm behind back and grasp the towel at your lower back. Hold right arm steady and slowly extend left arm up to ceiling (pull harder for more resistance, lighter for less), then bend back to start. Thats one rep. Repeat 12 times on each side for up to 3 sets in total.

Shoulder Squeeze (External Rotation)

Targets: Shoulders (Rotator Cuff)

Stand with feet hip width, knees soft, holding onto the towel near the center of it, with hands shoulder width apart, towel slightly slack. Squeeze elbows against sides of body and try to pull hands wider apart, tightening the towel. Hold for one count and then release. Imagine you are a “flasher” opening and then closing your coat. (It sounds bad but it helps you understand the movement!) Repeat up to 20 times for 3 sets in total.

Balancing Pulldown

Targets: Back, Arms, and Calves

Stand with feet hip width, knees soft, holding onto the towel with hands slightly wider than shoulders. Reach arms overhead (the towel should be slightly in front of body) and pull towel tight. Brace abs in and pull towel into chest, bending elbows and pressing shoulders down back while lifting heels off the floor, balancing on the balls of feet. Return to start. Thats one rep. Repeat 15 times for up to 3 sets in total.

Skate ‘n Slide

Targets: Thighs, Hips, and Glutes

Fold towel into a small square and place it on the floor under left foot. Balance most of your weight on your right leg. Bend right knee and push hips back while sliding left leg out to side, fully extending knee into a lateral lunge position. Straighten right leg while sliding left leg back in to return to starting position, squeezing through inner thighs to pull the towel. Bend your elbows and let swing your arms naturally to help you keep your balance as you slide in and out. Try up to 3 sets of 15 reps on each leg.

Coasting Cobra

Targets: Lower back, Glutes, Triceps

Lie facedown, with legs extended and hip-width apart, arms extended shoulder-width apart and hands on a towel folded a few times lengthwise. Extend spine as high as possible, lifting chest as arms bend, sliding the towel into body. Be sure to keep chin towards chest and eyes focused downward to avoid any neck strain. Try up to 3 sets of 15 reps each.

Shifting Push-Up

Targets: Chest, Arms

Start in a modified push up position, hands about shoulder width, with left hand on top of towel folded into a small square. Slowly slide right arm out to side, bending elbows to lower torso toward the floor. Slide towel back in as arms straighten to return to start position. Repeat all reps on one side before switching. Try up to 2 sets of 10 reps on each side.

Rocking Cradle

Targets: Abs

Lie on your back, with knees bent, feet lifted, ankles crossed and knees open to the sides. Hold onto towel folded lengthwise, with hands wide and use it to cradle your head. Lift head and shoulders up off the floor and gently rock to left shoulder and hip, until left elbow touches the floor (contract abs and use them to stop your momentum there). Quickly shift to the right side. Thats one rep. Repeat up to 3 sets of 10 reps.

Plank Pull-Ins

Targets: Abs, Legs, and Arms

Start in a plank position with arms straight, wrists directly under shoulders, legs straight and hip-width and toes on a folded towel. Brace abs in tight and keep arms stationary as you use the abs to drag the towel in toward your hips, bending the knees. Hold for one count then slowly straighten legs back out to start. Note: Try a modified version with knees bent and resting on the towel instead of legs straight. Try up to 3 sets of 10 reps.

Assisted Stretch

Wind down your workout with this final lower body stretch series.

Inner Thigh Stretch

Start lying on back with knees bent. Wrap towel around right foot and extend leg up to ceiling as straight as possible, holding onto both ends with right hand. Slowly open right leg out to the side, pressing left arm into the floor at the side of shoulder to counterbalance body. Open until you feel a stretch in the right inner thigh, without letting left hip lift off the ground. Hold for up to 30 seconds and then switch legs.

• Chair

Besides giving comfort to your tush and legs, a chair can give you a full-body, barre-inspired workout.

Do 10 to 15 reps of each move in the order listed below. Repeat the sequence two to three times for an excellent workout.

Incline Push-Ups

Place both palms on the seat of the chair and walk your feet back to a plank position. Keeping your body in a straight line between the top of your head and your heels, bend your elbows and lower your body toward the seat. Pause, then push up through your palms to return to starting position. That’s one rep.

Targets: Your core, chest, back, and arms

Plank Knee Cross

Place both forearms on the seat of the chair and step your feet back into a plank position. Keeping your hips low and core tight, bring your right knee to the inside of your left arm. Pause, then return to start and repeat on the opposite leg, this time touching your left knee to the inside of your right arm. That’s one rep.

Targets: Your abs, back, and butt

Standing Side Crunch

Stand behind the chair and turn to the side so the back of it is on your right side. Gently place your right hand on the back of the chair. Extend your left hand up and overhead, and your left leg out to the side. Point your toe, keep the muscles in your arm engaged, and brace your core as you simultaneously lift your left leg to the side and drop your left arm to tap your raised heel. Release your arm and leg, and complete 10 to 15 reps before switching sides.

Targets: Your obliques, arms, and butt

Standing Hydrant Kickbacks

Stand a few feet behind the chair and bend at the waist to place both palms on the back of a chair. Shift your weight to your left heel as you lift your right leg straight up and out behind you. Without dropping your foot or knee, bring your right knee out to the side and in to touch your right shoulder. Pause, then swing the leg back out to the side and behind you to starting position. That’s one rep.

Complete 10 to 15 reps before switching sides.

Targets: Your abs, obliques, and butt

Leg Raise

Stand a few feet behind the chair and bend at the waist to place both palms on the back of a chair. Shift your weight to your left heel as you lift your right foot off the ground, and point it out behind you with your toes turned out to the right. Brace your core and glutes as you lift the right leg up and overhead. Pause, then bring the toes back down to touch the floor behind you. Complete 10 to 15 reps before switching sides.

Targets: Your glutes, hamstrings, and lower back

Seat Taps

Stand facing the front of the chair. Simultaneously lift your right arm and tap the seat of the chair with your left toes. Immediately bring your left foot back down to the ground, and alternate sides so you lift your left arm and tap the seat with your right toes. Continue to alternate taps as quickly as possible for 45 to 60 seconds, using your arms for momentum and balance.

Targets: Your heart, legs, abs, and arms

Fan Kicks

Stand facing the front of the chair with your arms out to the sides. Shift your weight to your right side as you lift and point your left toes. Bring them across your body, then up over the chair in a counter-clockwise circle, and back down to the ground. Repeat on the right side, this time lifting your right leg, bringing it across your body to the left side, then up and over the chair in a clockwise direction. That’s one rep.

Targets: Your hip flexors, thighs, and abs

Tricep Dips

Sit on the chair with your arms at your sides and your palms resting on the edge of the seat. Next, walk your body out from the chair so you are only holding on by your palms. Slowly move your body down, using your triceps to lower yourself and rise up again.

Targets: Back of your arms (triceps)

Front Raises

Stand up and hold onto the two front legs of the chair with a sturdy grasp. Slowly raise the chair straight out in front of you, from below the waist to shoulder level and back down again.

Targets: Frontal deltoids

Alternative Bars for Pull Ups

Pullups are the best way to build wide, flaring lats!  Many of you though say that you dont have anywhere to do pull-ups but pull-up bars are everywhere. Just use your imagination. Make sure that whatever you are doing pullups from can hold your weight. For starters, do 8-10 reps for three sets and as you get stronger you can add up on the repetitions.

Clothes drying racks

Doorway mount

Basement pipes and rafters

Table

Back side of stairs

The next time you’re feeling pressed for time, don’t just give up on your workout. With some imagination, you can create your own workout at home using common household objects that will stimulate your body in new ways, thus preventing you from reaching a plateau. As always, ensure you are using proper form to avoid injuries, and take a day off in between each workout so you do not risk overtraining. Have a great workout!

Do you have your own DIY gym equipments when working out at home? Share it with us through the comment section.

Sources: www.totalflexzone.wordpress.com

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