“Sometimes, you just have to pee in the sink”
Before I get too far, I want to clarify that the above quote is a real one, from a German-born novelist, short story writer and poet, not just something I came up with because it’s true (and I know I’m not the only one who has done said act).
Okay, now the meaning of it. Aside from the fact it’s funny and true, it’s really about making do with what you have and finding a solution when the norm isn’t possible.
This past week, my job took me to California. In addition to packing two coolers of my own food, I packed enough gym attire to keep up my workouts for the week. Although it’s never quite as good as at home, I always do what I can to keep up my routine while traveling. Luckily for me, the gentleman at the front desk directed me to a beautiful (and safe!) running path so I wasn’t stuck on the treadmill all week. Unfortunately, there wasn’t anything I could do about the tiny weight room and its lack of a squat rack, equipment and sheer space to do my usual leg workout. Being that I was out of luck there, plus the fact it was my first week of tapering and I knew I should take it easy with my leg workout, I decided to try something new: a bodyweight workout in my room.
I’ve never been good at working out at home. I’m a gym rat, I love all the equipment, space, motivation from fellow athletes, all of it. But I know so many people who swear by at-home workouts, exercises that require no machines or weights. As a lover of all things fitness, I feel like it’s important for me to expand my horizons and “think outside of the gym” so to speak, and this would be the perfect time to challenge myself to come up with and try a weight-free workout.
Though I didn’t get as sweaty and my legs weren’t as sore the next day as with a normal #legday workout, I definitely got my heart rate up and felt it when I got out of bed the following morning. Also, this is a great #noexcuses workout, as it can literally be done in any space – my hotel room, while nice, was small.
Do each pair of exercises 3x through, then move onto the next pair. Take very short rests in between to keep your heart rate up. This main circuit will take you around 25 minutes so I added 5 minutes of abs (do the same, your choice!) at the end to arrive at a complete 30-minute workout.
Main Circuit
Squats, Standard – 10
Reverse Lunge w/Knee-Up – 10 (each leg)
Single-Leg Deadlifts – 10 (each leg)
Single-Leg Bridge – 10 (each leg)
Jumping Lunges – 20 (total, alternate legs)
Plank Leg Lifts – 10 (each leg)
Single-Leg Squat – 5 (each leg)
Donkey Kicks – 10 (each leg)
Abs
Add about 5 minutes (or 2-3 of your favorite abs exercises)
*Some of my favorites: leg raises, flutter kicks, bird-dogs, planks with toe taps, side plank crunches – and good old standard front and side planks
Stretch
Your quads, hammys, calves, glues and hip flexors just put in some hard work so don’t neglect them! Just 5 minutes of stretching and you’re done (this older blog includes a couple stretches you can incorporate). You can even do quick stretches as needed during the short rests in between exercises.
Try this no-weight leg and glutes workout and let me know what you think!
If you have other no-weight exercises you love, please share them in the comments!
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