Home Workout #1

A couple of days ago, I was having a lazy holiday Monday. Initially, I had big plans for a productive afternoon. However, as the hours began to slip away and the sun began to set, I came to the realization that all of those highly anticipated tasks were not going to happen.

I am one of those annoying people who loves going to the gym. I realize that’s irritating to many, but I’m cool with it. However, I too have my off days when motivation is lacking. And Monday was one of them. However, your irritation towards me may return when you hear that I have a beautiful, fully stocked gym just six floors below my condo unit. Yup, I don’t even have to go down to ground level. So my laziness was clearly at an all-time high.

But somewhere between my 4th and 5th consecutive episode of The Mindy Project, I decided I should probably get off my lazy ass and accomplish something active. So I turned to the ever-faithful home workout.

Personally, I don’t find these quite as intense as my gym sessions. Maybe it’s the environment; perhaps it’s the powerful pull of my comfortable couch, beckoning me to put my feet up. But, the home workout can get the job done when you’re in a pinch (or just being lazy like me).

These workouts can be a savior for busy parents, or if a gym membership just isn’t in the cards for you. With a very small investment in a few key pieces of equipment, you can access killer workouts that are easily completed in the comfort of your own home. You can even get your sweat on with little to no equipment at all. To prove this, I decided to design today’s workout using only a skipping rope and a yoga mat… and even those can be subbed out for alternative items if necessary.

When I complete home workouts, I like to do them in the form of HIIT training (high intensity interval training). This type of workout gets the job done in a short amount of time, and encourages calorie burning long after its completion. The easiest way to complete a HIIT workout is to download an interval timer on your phone, or other device.

My trusty iPhone interval timer

When I complete home workouts, I like to do them in the form of HIIT training (high intensity interval training). This type of workout gets the job done in a short amount of time, and encourages calorie burning long after its completion. The easiest way to complete a HIIT workout is to download an interval timer on your phone, or other device.

For the purposes of this workout, I used 2 intervals: a 10 second interval (the rest period), and a 45 second interval (the work period). In other words, I am doing 45 seconds of work, followed by 10 seconds of rest, for a total of 18 rounds.

*you can shorten your working interval to 30 seconds if needed

To keep the heart rate elevated, every second work interval will be a cardio-based activity. I like to skip, but you can also do high knees or jog on the spot.

Disclaimer: there’s a good chance that some of these exercises have more official names somewhere in the fitness world. I tend to make a few up as I go.

The exercises are as follows:

1. Skip

2. Rotating Squat Jumps

• Squat, come up and jump left 180 degrees, squat, come up and jump right 180 degrees

3. Skip

4. Rotating Push Ups (can be completed on knees if needed)

• Push up, rotate entire body left, balancing on right hand, stacking feet, and reaching right arm straight up (see opening photo)
• Push up, repeat on other side **keep core tight

5. Skip

6. Step Ups with Kick Back

• Step right foot up on coffee table or bench, kick left leg straight back, engaging glutes
• Step down
• Repeat other side

7. Skip

8. Tricep Dips

• Place palms on coffee table or stool, and face out
• Legs straight out front, or bend knees with feet flat on ground if needed
• Dip down, keeping weight in palms, and come up

9. Skip

10. Heal Tap Abs

• Lay on back, lift shoulder blades off floor, arms straight overhead, legs out straight
• Tap heels to floor, raise legs straight up and engage core to lift up and touch toes
• Come back down to starting position and tap heels on floor

11. Skip

12. Squat Jacks

• Wide squat (weight in heels, chest up, butt out)
• Come up, jump legs together like the top of a jumping jack
• Jump back down into a wide squat

13. Skip

14. Ski Abs

• High plank (keeping butt down, shoulders over hands)
• Jump both legs together and up towards left shoulder (bending knees and engaging obliques)
• Jump back to plank
• Repeat on the right side

15. Skip

16. Crab Walk Abs

• Face up, with feet and palms on floor, butt lifted
• Lift left foot, and touch with right hand
• Return to centre and repeat on other side

17. Skip

18. Spider Man Push ups

• Go down into push up, and bring right knee up to right elbow
• Return to centre and repeat on opposite side

And there you have it: a solid HIIT workout in approximately 20 minutes. If you want to take things to the next level, give yourself a 3-5 minute rest and complete the circuit a second time.

If you have questions about any of these exercises, please don't hesitate to shoot me an email. One day, I hope to get these workouts into video format!