Tired of large grunting men in tank tops fogging up the mirrors in the gym? Then perhaps it’s time to kiss that gym membership goodbye, save some money, and take your living room workout to the next level. With a little creativity and determination, you can turn your living room into a full-blown home gym and say goodbye to gym membership fees and crowds.
Base bodyweight exercises
First up, let’s talk bodyweight exercises. Push-ups, squats, planks, and lunges are all classic exercises that require no equipment and work multiple muscle groups at once.
Push-up
The push-up is a classic bodyweight exercise that works your chest, triceps, and shoulders. Start in a plank position with your hands placed slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, then lower your body towards the ground while keeping your elbows close to your body. Push yourself back up to the starting position. Make sure to keep your core engaged and your body in a straight line throughout the movement.
squat
The squat is a great way to tone your legs and glutes. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, then lower your body as if you’re sitting back into a chair. Make sure to keep your chest up, back straight and knees behind your toes. Push through your heels to stand back up. To increase the difficulty level, you can hold a weight or perform jump squats.
plank
The plank is an excellent core exercise. Start in a push-up position with your forearms on the ground, keep your body straight and hold for 30 seconds. Engage your core and maintain a straight line from your head to your heels throughout the movement. To make it harder, you can lift one leg or one arm off the ground.
lunge
Lunges are a great way to tone and strengthen your legs, especially your quads and glutes. Start by standing tall, then step forward with one foot, lowering your body towards the ground. Push through your front heel to return to the starting position. Make sure to keep your chest up and your knee behind your toes. To make it harder, you can add in a kickback or hold a weight while performing the exercise.
chair exercises
Got a chair and a sense of balance? Then you’re ready to try chair dips, incline or decline chair push-ups, and chair step-ups. These exercises will work your pectorals, deltoids, lats, triceps, glutes, and quads… the whole body, really. They’re a great way to hit the upper body in particular, when at home.
chair dip
The chair dip is an effective exercise that targets your triceps, shoulders, and chest. Start by sitting on the edge of a sturdy chair or bench, with your hands gripping the edges beside you. Lower your body by bending your elbows until they form a 90-degree angle, then push yourself back up to the starting position. make sure to keep your core engaged throughout the movement.
Chair step-up
The chair step-up is a great exercise to work your glutes, quads, and hamstrings. Stand in front of a sturdy chair or bench and step up onto it with one foot, pressing through your heel to lift your body up. Step back down with the same foot and repeat the movement with the other foot. Keep your chest up and core engaged throughout the movement.
Incline chair push-up
The incline chair push-up is an exercise that targets your chest, triceps, and shoulders. Start by placing your hands on the seat of a sturdy chair or bench. Your feet should be on the floor, shoulder-width apart. Lower your body by bending your elbows until they form a 90-degree angle, then push yourself back up to the starting position. The incline angle of the chair will target the lower chest.
Decline chair push-ups
The decline chair push-up is an exercise that targets your chest, triceps, and shoulders. Start by placing your feet on a sturdy chair or bench, with your hands on the floor shoulder-width apart. Lower your body by bending your elbows until they form a 90-degree angle, then push yourself back up to the starting position. The decline angle of the chair will make the exercise more challenging, by placing more focus on your chest muscles.
Stair Steppers
Got a staircase in your house? Then you’ve got a stair stepper! Stair stepping is a great cardiovascular exercise that will get your heart pumping and your legs burning. Plus, it’s a great way to add some variety to your workout routine. Add weights (find something heavy in the house, and carry it!) for more gains.
Super sets
You can take any of the above exercises and do them back-to-back in a circuit with limited breaks to increase the exercise load and add a high intensity element to your workout.
With a little bit of creativity and determination, your living room can become a full-blown home gym, saving you time and money.
