At home workout exercises to avoid coronavirus

As our country is under a national emergency and many counties and states have issued shelter in place warnings, the risks of going out and exposing yourself to coronavirus has certainly increased.  Many individuals are now avoiding the gym as it can be a cesspool for pathogens.  Despite the efforts that many gyms have taken to prevent the spread of the virus, including excessive cleaning and installing extra hand sanitizer dispensers.  If you're sheltering at home and no longer have access to the church of iron, chances are that your muscles aren't getting the work that they deserve.  Here are some at-home exercises that you can be performing to keep your gains in check and active.


Chest: push ups

Push ups are perhaps the best bodyweight exercise for your chest.  It replicates the same movement as the bench press.  For the most effective chest workout, do them until failure.  And if standard push ups are too easy for you, elevate your feet onto a stool or against the wall and apply more weight to your chest.  Also do dynamic and clapping push ups, which require power and are sure to burn through a ton of calories.  If push ups are too hard for you, you can also drop down to your knees.  Bonus: for a sick triceps workout, do close grip push ups.



Triceps: dips

Dips are a great workout for your triceps, which consist of 2/3 of your arm muscles, and can be done off of literally any elevated surface like a chair or bed.  They can be done safely to failure.  To make it harder, put a water jug or weights on your lap, which will add tension.  If dips are too difficult for you, can you move your feet closer to your body to lessen the weight of your body.



Back: pull ups

Pull ups are the king of lat exercises in the gym, and they can also be the king of lat exercises at home as well.  Chin ups will add your biceps into the equation, which makes them easier.  Go wide grip to really activate your lats, which will definitely be harder.



Shoulders: standing push ups

Standing push ups can require some finesse, but they're not hard to master.  Just stand your feet backwards against a wall and push down.  The more perpendicular your body is to the ground, the better of a shoulder workout you'll be getting.



Legs: squats and lunges

Bodyweight squats and lunges are good ways to keep your legs active.  But if they're too easy for you, then add a power movement to them like double-pump jump squats or jumping lunges, which are also sure to get your cardio going and burn through a ton of calories.  You can also wear a backpack loaded with weights or water bottles to add more resistance to prevent you from having those dreaded chicken legs.



Biceps: water jug curls

Yes, water jugs aren't just for drinking.  Pick them up by their handles and start curling them.  A 5-lb water jug weighs in at 40 lb, so this should make way for a nice bicep pump.  Bonus: stay hydrated.

Buy two on Amazon, fill them up with water, and then curl away

Core: planks, flutter kicks, Russian twists, bicycle crunches, etc.

The core is perhaps the most versatile when it comes to bodyweight exercises that you can do at home.  Stick with you favorites, and alternate in between to activate all your core muscles effectively.  For Russian twists and flutter kicks, you can also hoist a weight or water jug to add tension for a more effective workout.


Cardio: bodyweight HIIT or sprints

Sorry, you can't escape cardio even if you don't have access to the gym.  Go for a run, duh.  And if it's raining or if you're like everyone else who hates running, do bodyweight HIIT with exercises such as burpees, jumping lunges, and push ups.  Or go for a spin outside on your bike, which is low impact and safe to do for long distances.



Bottom line

With more and more gyms shutting their doors due to the coronavirus, your workout options may seem to be limited.  But it's important to keep yourself healthy, especially if you're working from home, sheltered in, and just not getting enough physical movement.  Don't sit yourself to death and try these exercises so that your muscles will remain toned and so that you won't lose those gains that you've spent years on accumulating.

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