6 Simple Home Workouts - Body Mechanics

Whilst the gyms are closed, some people might not have access to the same equipment that they do at the gym. So, by following an easy home workout plan that targets a specific area of the body that they would like, it can be really beneficial for those who do not have training equipment.

Burpees

Quite possibly the hardest exercise on our list, the burpee is a full body workout which is used frequently when strength training. There are four main stages when you perform the burpee: jump, squat, plank and push up.

If this is the first time you’re doing this workout, then we strongly recommend that you only do 5-10 reps. This is because the pressure you will put on your body from the exercise will be immense, as it will not be used to such high impact movement – therefore the chances of you picking up an injury will be raised.

To begin, simply stand with your feet shoulder width apart, your arms by your side and follow these 4 simple steps:

1. Jump so that your feet are just above the ground

2. When you land, use the momentum from the jump so you end up in a squat.

3. Then, push your legs back so you’re in a plank position so you can do a push up.

4. Once you have completed the push up, bring your legs back forward so you’re in a squat position, then jump up back into your starting position.

The exercise sounds simple, right? It’s not. So don’t worry If it takes you multiple attempts to execute the workout correctly. By the end of the workout your whole body will feel very achy, especially your legs, however, if you’re consistent with this exercise and perform it regularly, then you will start to see results quicker than you thought.

A big tip from us here at Body Mechanics when performing this exercise is to always put 100% effort into the workout! By putting in maximum effort you will see the results you want to see and mentally you will feel so much clearer – you will have a huge feel-good factor afterwards. Even though your body might be exhausted by the end of the exercise, do not give up – keep pushing yourself till the very end.

Russian Twists

One area of the body everybody struggles to lose weight is the obliques, or ‘love handles’. The obliques are located on the side of your stomach and it is where the majority of your stubborn belly fat is stored. It’s stubborn because it is the last place you will lose weight, meaning it’s the hardest and it requires a lot of commitment if you want to lose weight around that area.

Unfortunately, you can’t target where you would like to lose fat, however, you can perform certain exercises which will help peel back the fat on your love handles. One exercise in particular which aims for obliques very well is the Russian twists. The Russian twist works the core muscles and tones them via a twisting motion, typically you perform this exercise in repetitive sets.

To start this exercise, simply sit with your knees bent and place your feet firmly on the floor. Then, sit back slightly so that your spine is straight and using your right arm, reach behind your left arm as far as you can, then slowly do the same on your right side. Make sure to always breathe when you’re doing this exercise and tense your core too, so you can get as much out of it as possible.

If this is the first time taking-part in this workout, then we encourage you to aim for 10 reps on each side. The more you do it and get used to the exercise, the more reps you will be able to do, however, if you’re at an intermediate level or higher then you should aim to complete the work via time and not reps.

For example, instead of performing 15-20 reps on each side, see how many you can do in 45 seconds to 1 minute. With any workout it’s important to vary what you do, otherwise you will not receive the full benefits of the exercise.

Finally, it’s important to note if you have ever sustained an injury to your obliques in the past, be sure to check with your doctor to see if it will feel comfortable for you – Your health is our priority!

Press Up

Potentially the simplest exercise on our list, the press up workout is a brilliant workout if you’re at the beginning of your weight loss/increase journey. It’s very straightforward, all you have to do is get into a plank position, but make sure your arms are straight and slightly wider than your shoulders.

Now you’re ready, slowly lower your body till your chest nearly touches the floor, then pull yourself back up and repeat as many times as you think you can handle.

A key tip when performing this exercise, is to make sure your whole body is straight and you tense your core. By tensing the core you will activate your abdominals, therefore pushing your abs to help you when you’re pulling yourself back up.

The main muscles that the push up workout targets is the chest, however, there are many variants of push ups you can do which activate the shoulders and triceps. If you’re comfortable with performing a regular press up, then we advise you to try different versions so that you will get the most out of the workout.

By gaining the most out of the workout you will feel the benefits physically, mentally and this will provide you with the determination to carry on and push yourself even further.

Star Jumps

If you’re looking to lose weight, then the best form of exercise to do is cardio. Obviously the main source of cardio is running, however, some people do not like the idea of running as it is a very hard exercise to be consistent with.

So, another form of cardio you can do is a simple exercise called the star jump. Star jumps are a great way to lose weight and it’s so easy to do, all you have to do is stand in a neutral stance and jump up making a star shape. This is a great substitute to running, as the workout encourages you to jump as much as you possibly can in a certain amount of time.

Although this workout is great for cardio and losing weight, it’s important that you do not over do it – especially if you’re struggling with an injury. With the exercise requiring heavy impact when you jump, be aware that if you’ve had a knee injury recently this might reignite the damage.

When you’re performing the star jump exercise, it is best if you do the workout in 3 sets in a certain amount of time e.g. 30 seconds star jump, 1 minute rest – repeat 3 times.

Tricep dips

As people gradually grow older, the desire to want to exercise can slowly deteriorate and from this, they naturally put weight on. One particular area where people put weight on is their triceps and this is because their testosterone levels have dropped. When this drops, the body is more inclined to store fat whilst resisting the need to build muscles, and this excess fat will show in your arms, plus other areas of the body.

A simple exercise that will help target this area of your arm is the tricep dips. What’s great about this workout is all you need for it is a strong, sturdy chair that will absorb your weight. To begin the workout, grip the front edges of your chair with your hand – make sure you have a tight grip so you will not slip mid-workout.

Next, push your legs forward and plant your heels firmly on the floor so that your bum is hovering. Now, lower your body till your arms are straight, then engage your triceps to press back to the start. Sounds easy right? You bet it is! This is a simple but very effective workout you can complete and it will not take much time out of your day to do it.

If you’re comfortable with the standard tricep dips, then we strongly advise you to push yourself and try different variants of the exercise. By attempting the complex versions of the workout, it increases your chances of seeing better results physically. Mentally, you will have a feel-good factor from seeing the progress you have made, therefore, you will want to go the extra mile to push your limits more often.

Ab Crunches

At the beginning of every year we all want to improve the way our body looks, whether that be to gain or lose weight, the outcome is always to have a better looking body than you did the previous year. One area which a large majority of people wish to improve in, is always the stomach area.

The ab crunches is a great exercise to do as it engages all of your abs constantly during the work out. To begin this workout, lie on your back with your knees bent and keep your arms behind your neck or forward, so that they’re parallel to the quadriceps.

Now, tense your abs tight, curl up and push forward, make sure you maintain the contraction for a few seconds. Finally, lower your back down with a controlled movement and repeat with as many reps as you can.

Gaining abs is a tricky muscle to show off as it takes pure hard work and determination to gain them. If you’re looking to gain abs then you are at the right place, but first, there are two factors you should bare in mind. Firstly, when you’re performing ab exercises, never repeat the same workout over and over again as your body will just get used to the same exercise, therefore, you will not gain anything.

This is why it’s crucial to always vary which ab exercise you do, the more you switch up the workout then you will be targeting all areas of the abs at once, including the obliques too! The second big factor to achieving abs is your diet. You can do all the ab workouts possible and they will not show unless your diet is healthy and clean.

We all hope you enjoyed reading our list of exercises you can do whilst you’re at home. Here at Body Mechanics we provide the best group fitness classes, so we can help people become the better versions of themselves.

Currently we offer online fitness classes on Zoom, so if you’re eager to workout more then get in touch with us today!