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Things are getting crazy with the recent coronavirus pandemic. Gyms are now closed in many places, and you might be wondering what the heck to do. In this short guide, I’ll be providing several bodyweight exercises, nutrition tips, and equipment to improvise while you’re stuck at home.
Although it’s not required, I definitely recommend getting a set of resistance bands to use at home. You can get them shipped to your door the next day, and they will allow you to get more out of your home workouts. Who knows how long gyms will be closed for, so it’s best to prepare while you can.
INTEY Pull-Up Assist Resistance Bands
Push-Ups – Banded or non-banded – 3 sets of 30 or 100 each day. Push-ups are often neglected, but they are amongst the best bodyweight exercises for your chest, shoulders, and triceps. It’s also worth noting that you can do the push-ups on your knees if you cannot do them normally.
Pull-Ups – Go to your local park and look for a pull-up bar. If they don’t have one, improvise on door hinges, trees, or anything else that can support your weight. You might as well try and do as many pull-ups as possible in a given day because there are not many good bodyweight exercises for your back. Aim for 4-5 sets of 10 or 50 total in a day with or without resistance bands. You can break the reps and sets up if need be.
Bodyweight or goblet squats – One of the most effective ways to train your quads and glutes at home. You can improvise for goblet squats by using a heavy object instead of a dumbbell or kettlebell. Climbing stairs for a prolonged period or doing hindu squats are also great ways to work the quads and glutes.
Single leg deadlifts – Once again, you’re going to need to improvise with heavy objects of some sort if you have no weights. Holding a full milk jug in each hand is about 12 pounds, and it will make the deadlifts worth doing. If you need a way to target your hamstrings while stuck at home, this is a great one.
Bicep curls – If you have a set of dumbbells at home, that’s great. Even if they’re too light, you can always do concentration curls until failure for a great workout. Once again, milk jugs are a great way to hit your biceps as the handle makes them easy to curl. Keep in mind that chin-ups and resistance band curls are also good options.
Dips – Not everyone has a dip bar at home, but this is no problem. Find a chair or a bench that puts you at a comfortable distance from the ground and do some seated dips. You won’t be able to target your chest as much with these, but they are great for tricep and shoulder development.
Be Mindful Of Your Nutrition
You have to keep your nutrition clean. If you’re gonna be at home more often than usual, you’re going to have a tendency to eat more and put on weight. Be conscious of your activity level, eat clean foods, and make sure you’re getting enough protein. Consider adding some cardio if you know you have a tendency to eat more when you’re home.
If the coronavirus has you off of work or school, then you’re likely going to be less active throughout the day. Continuing to consume the same amount of calories when you’re less active can quickly make you gain weight. Just remember to take note of your activity level and the quality of the foods you’re eating. Lastly, keep your protein intake high to avoid muscle loss.
Beneficial Equipment
Most people will end up doing bodyweight exercises during this pandemic, but you could also resort to additional equipment. I already covered resistance bands at the very beginning of this article, but you could easily start building a home gym if you’re fed up.
Resistance bands are great, but you can get a lot more out of your home workouts with adjustable dumbells and a weight bench. These will at least allow you to do bench press variations and several other accessory exercises.
If you’re really want to take it to the next level, you can consider buying a power tower because they have both a pull-up and dip station. This piece of equipment is worth it if you can afford it, but bodyweight exercises are perfectly acceptable.
Conclusion
Part of working out at home is being creative to get the job done. Hopefully, this crisis won’t last too much longer, but if it does, do everything in your power to maintain your gains. If you enjoyed this guide and found it useful, please consider sharing it with your friends. I even made a video on this exact topic which you can view below.
Although it’s unfortunate that gyms are closed in many places due to the coronavirus, there should be no excuse for not exercising. There are several great bodyweight exercises, and you can even buy equipment to expand your horizons.
Regardless of the current quarantine situation in many of the United States, you should still continue to wash your hands. Do your best to practice good health habits, but I also urge you not to live in fear. I assure you that this coronavirus home workout guide will help you maintain your gains.
