"Charlotte Today" - Turn Household Objects Into a Home Gym

http://www.wcnc.com/charlotte-today/Work-out-at-home-125818318.html

Box Bonanza

I have an appointment this morning and won't be able to workout until later in the day; the workout below is what I plan to do with myself this afternoon.  I have to admit, though, that I HATE not being able to get my workout over with in the morning.  I may or may not end up motivating myself to do this one at home.  I figured, though, that typing my plan up and posting it online will hold me accountable...we'll see!

WARM-UP:

*100-80-60-40-20 ea. leg x Single-Leg Jump Rope

*50-40-30-20-10 ea. leg x Single-Leg Low Box Step-Up Repeaters (all R leg 1st, then all L leg; arms pump like a sprinter)

METABOLIC CONDITIONING: NO rest; go breathless from start to finish

10-9-8-6-7-5-4-3-2-1 x

*Man Maker

*Inverted Burpee (Tuck Roll to Handstand)(modification: Tuck Roll to Donkey Kick) (mod: Sit on Floor-Stand-Donkey Kick)

STRENGTH:

4 Rounds - Only rest comes b/w rounds (1 min.)

*10 x SDLHP (55 lb. barbell OR heavy dumbbells)

*10 x See-Saw Single-Leg Stiff Leg DLHP (55 lb. barbell OR heavy dumbbells)(alternating legs ea. rep)

*10 x Super High Box Jump (> 24 in.) (or just use a stair at home)

*10 ea. x Single-Leg Super High Step-Up (> 24 in.) (or just use a dining room chair at home)

ABS: Seated on floor w/ Bosu right up vs. your bum/ low back; Use Bosu to allow back to arch b/w ea. rep (greater-than-full-range-of-motion crunches!)

2 x thru

*1 min. x Bosu Crunch

*1 min. x Torso Twist Bosu Crunch

*1 min. x S-L Bosu Tuck-In

*1 min. x S-L Bosu Pike-Up

11:00 - "Charlotte Today"

For those of you interested and able to watch or record it, I am appearing on the local morning news show, "Charlotte Today" at 11am this morning on the local NBC affiliate, WCNC.  Today's topic is turning a few ordinary household objects into a decently-equipped home gym.  For those of you who won't be tuning in, see below for the outline of my presentation.  Everybody CAN have an in-home gym on a budget.

Just about every workout I post on my blog can be done using these household objects for your equipment.

INTRO:

Teaching people how to train themselves on their own at the gym and at home is my passion; it is why I work in the fitness industry.  

Getting results at home is totally doable and is easier than you think.  The key is working out a high level of intensity, as well as maintaining a high level of variety in the types of workouts you are performing.  

Variety in exercise requires variety in equipment.  

That being said, not everyone is able to afford a fully-equipped home gym.  Weights, mats, bands, bars, medicine balls, plyo boxes...those things are expensive.  

You don’t need to buy them, though!  Make them at home, instead.  Turn 6 ordinary household objects into a fully functional, well-equipped home gym.

1) Soup Cans

-Use them as dumbbells

-Use them to protect wrists in plank position

-Exercise Demonstration: Push-Up to Rear Row

2) Towel

-Use as a mat

-Use as a glider (in place of gliding discs)

-Use as a stretching aid

-Exercise Demonstrations: 1) Supine Hamstring Stretch 2) Shoulder Pass Through Stretch

3) Paper Plate

-Use as gliding discs

-Exercise Demonstrations: 1) Mountain Climb Glide 2) Hamstring Runners

4) Broomstick

-Use as a barbell or body bar in overhead exercises

-For practicing/ learning olympic lifts

-Use as a balancing aid during squats and single-leg squats

-Exercise Demonstrations: 1) OH Squat 2) OH Lunge 3) Single-Leg Squat (using stick for balance)

5) Gallon Jug of Water

-Use as a kettlebell or medicine ball

-Exercise Demonstrations: 1) Single-Arm Squat Swing 2) Med Ball Run

6) Staircase

-Use as a plyo box for Step-Ups, Plyos, etc.

-Use as a cardio machine: your very own Step Mill (discuss Stair Workout from blog)

-Exercise Demonstrations: 1) Repeater Step-Ups 2) Depth Jumps 3) Squat to Box

Superman Workout: Super Speed + Super Strength Sets

Below is the workout breakdown of what I did this morning.  Talk about a full body workout!!...every body part and every energy system worked.  This one will ask you to repeat bouts of extremely high intensity work for a long duration.  If you push yourself hard enough, this kind of high intensity endurance will guarantee results.  You'll be leaner, more toned, faster, stronger, and able to last longer.  You can't work out this hard every day, but ask it of yourself 2 to 3 days per week, and you WILL see a new, more athletic you emerge.

WARM-UP:

*2 x 60% 100m Sprint

*2 x 80% 100m Sprint

SPRINTS:

10 x 

*150m Sprint + 

alt. rounds of 15 x Air Squat OR 30 x Double-Under Jump Rope (tacked onto end of sprint)

*30 sec. REST

WOD:

10-8-6-4-2 x 

*Power Squat Clean to Thruster to Push Jerk (65 lb. barbell OR Heavy Dumbbells (i.e. 15 - 25 lbs.))

*Back Rack Bulgarian Split Squat R (65 lb. barbell OR w/ Heavy DBs in front rack position (on shoulders w/ high elbows)

*Back Rack Bulgarian Split Squat L (65 lb. barbell OR w/ Heavy DBs)

*Burpee-Pull-Up (if you don't have access to a pull-up bar, do regular burpees and double the reps assigned)

ABS: 

2 x thru

*20 x Floor Pike-Ups

*10 x Hanging Pike-Ups

*10 x Sahrmann Basic Breath 

2 x thru

*20 x Floor Tuck-Ups

*10 ea. x Hanging Oblique Tuck-Ups

*10 x Sahrmann Basic Breath 

-See reminder/ explanation of Sahrmann Basic Breath at: http://babyfit.sparkpeople.com/articles.asp?id=805

Erin's Upcoming Group Ex Schedule (7/18 - 7/24)

*Monday (7/18), 5:30pm: Boot Camp at BridgeHampton neighborhood (still iffy, let me know if interested)
*Tuesday (7/19), 11am (NBC-WCNC): "Charlotte Today" appearance
*Wednesday (7/20), 9:30am: Total Strength at Siskey Y
*Wednesday (7/20), 4:30pm: QuickFit (2nd to last one ever!) at Morrison Y
*Wednesday (7/20), 5:30pm: Total Strength Extreme at Morrison Y
*Friday (7/22), 6am: Boot Camp at BridgeHampton neighborhood
*Sunday (7/24), 2pm: Total Strength at Morrison Y

Ahhh, The Thrill of The Hill

Below is what I taught at the Harris Y's 9am Power Hour this morning.  One participant, Daniel, wearing his heart rate monitor, clocked us in at over 700 calories burned!!  We did the majority of our work on the Rosemary Lane hill back behind the YMCA in the Sharon Hills neighborhood.  Find a steep hill or driveway in your own neighborhood, and try this one on your own.

WARM-UP: cardio pairing (60 sec. of Ex. A, 6 reps of Ex. B, then 50 sec. of A, 5 reps of B, etc.)
*60-50-40-30-20-10 sec. x 4 Side-to-Side Tire Runs Fwd./ 6 High Knee Run Bkwd.
*6-5-4-3-2-1 x Push-Up + R Knee to Chest - Push-Up + L Knee to Chest - Full Burpee (= 3 push-ups/ rep)


ROSEMARY HILL:
1)
*10 x 180 Jump Squats - Sprint to Top of Hill - 9 x 180 Jump Squats - Run to Bottom of Hill
*8 x 180 Jump Squats - Sprint to Top of Hill - 7 x 180 Jump Squats - Run to Bottom of Hill
...all the way to:
*2 x 180 Jump Squats - Sprint to Top of Hill - 1 x 180 Jump Squat - Run to Bottom of Hill
(Note: 180 Jump Squat = Squat - Jump Up, Turn 180 Degrees Mid-Air, Land in Squat, Repeat, Turning Back Other Way)


2)
*20 x Walking Lunge Up Hill + 5 Push-Ups at top - Run back to bottom of hill
*19 x Walking Lunge up hill + 5 Push-Ups at top - Run back to bottom of hill
...all the way to:
*1 x Walking Lunge up hill + 5 Push-Ups at top - Run back to bottom of hill

FINISHER/ ABS back at gym:
6 Rounds of 20 sec. ON/ 10 sec. REST; alternating rounds of 2 exercises:
*Exercise 1: Superman Plank (In plank: raise straight R arm and straight L leg, switch, repeat)
*Exercise 2: Elbow Plank Side-to-Side Hops (In elbow plank: small agility hops side to side w/ legs glued together)

Goodbye to QuickFit

Due to my family's scheduling needs, I've decided to give up my Wednesday 4:30pm QuickFit group exercise class at the Morrison Family YMCA.  A fabulous replacement has already been found, and she will begin teaching in place of me as of August 1st.  That means that I have only two QFit classes left to teach...please join me in making it one great final hoorah.

Note: I will still be teaching my Wednesday 5:30pm Total Strength Extreme class at Morrison.