Strength Training without Equipment
Lower body
Squats: for buttocks (gluteals), and thighs, front (quadriceps) and back (hamstrings)
A. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart with your weight towards your heels. Keep your back straight, your abdominal muscles tight, and let your hands hang at your sides. Always look straight ahead.
B. Never letting your knees go further forward than your toes, lower your body as if you were sitting into a chair. Go only as low as you feel comfortable, but not lower than when your thighs are parallel to the floor. To help with balance, try lifting your arms in front of you as you lower your body.
C. Go down and up slowly. Always be in control of the motion. Work up to 15 to 20 repetitions (one repetition is going down and back up one time).
Lunges: for buttocks (gluteals), front thighs (quadriceps), back thighs (hamstrings), and calves.
A. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and place your hands on your hips.
B. With your right foot, take one large step forward.
C. Lower your body so that your right thigh is parallel to the floor, and your left thigh is perpendicular to it. Your right foot will be firmly planted on the floor, while your left heel comes off the floor.
D. Raise your body again, and bring either your right foot back to meet the left, or your left foot up to meet the right. If you do not have much room, step back. If you have several yards in front of you, step forward.
E. Work up to 15 repetitions.
F. Repeat this process using your left foot to take one large step forward.
Kneeling leg raises: mostly for buttocks (gluteals) with some emphasis on back of thighs (hamstrings)
A. Kneel on a mat (or place a towel on a carpeted floor). Lean forward placing your elbows and forearms on the mat in front of you. You may want to clasp your hands together for comfort. Hold your abdominal muscles in, and keep your back straight.
B. Placing your weight on your left knee, and keeping your right knee at approximately 90°, lift your foot up into the air as if a string attached to your heel was pulling straight up. Stop when your thigh is parallel to the floor. Tighten your buttock muscles when you reach the top of the movement.
C. Lower your right leg almost to beginning position and repeat 12 to 15 times before switching to the left leg.
Leg extension: for front of thigh (quadriceps)
A. Sit somewhere that your feet do not comfortably touch the floor. Sit up tall, keeping your back straight.
B. Concentrating on the motion, slowly straighten your right leg. Tighten your quadriceps when you reach the top. Then lower you leg slowly.
C. Repeat 15 to 20 times on right leg, and then switch to your left leg.
D. This exercise works best with a weight wrapped around your ankle. In this case, strive for 12 to 15 repetitions.
Leg curl: for back of thigh (hamstrings)
A. Kneeling
1). Kneel on a mat (or place a towel on a carpeted floor). Lean forward placing your elbows and forearms on the mat in front of you. You may want to clasp your hands together for comfort. Hold your abdominal muscles in, and keep your back straight.
2). Placing your weight on your left knee, and keeping your right knee at approximately 90°, lift your foot up into the air as if a string attached to your heel was pulling straight up. Stop when your thigh is parallel to the floor.
3). Holding your thigh in this elevated position, slowly straighten and bend your knee. Repeat this controlled motion 12 to 15 times. Then switch to the left leg.
B. Standing
1). Standing with your feet together, hold onto the back of a high chair (or similar object) to help you maintain your balance throughout the exercise.
2). Slowly bend your right knee. Try to bring your heel up to touch your buttocks. Then slowly lower your leg until your foot almost touches the floor. This exercise works best with a weight wrapped around your ankle.
3). Repeat 12 to 15 times. Then switch to your left leg.
Upper Body
Pushups: mostly for chest (pectorals); also uses shoulder (deltoids) and the back of upper arm (triceps)
A. Use the stairs
1). With sneakers on to avoid slipping, stand facing your stairs with your feet close to the step.
2). Lean forward, placing your hands farther than shoulder width apart on the edge of the fourth or fifth step (depending on where you can reach).
3). Keeping you stomach muscles tight and your back straight at all times, slowly bend your elbows to 90° (or as far as you can), and then slowly straighten your arms. Make sure that your body is lowering because your elbows are bending the whole way down, and not because your back is swaying toward the stairs.
4). Repeat the push-up (down and up) as many times as you can. If you can do more than 20 without stopping, take a small step away from the stairs, and place your hands one stair lower. You may not be able to do too many right away because your muscles are tired, but if you take a break or come back next time, try this lower step.
5). Do these stair push-ups on a step which you can only do about 12 – 15 with the proper form (see step 3)
B. Modified push-up
1). Kneel on a mat or carpeted floor. Place you hands wider than shoulder width apart on the mat or floor in front of you far enough so that your body is straight.
2). Keeping your stomach muscles tight and your back straight at all times, slowly bend your elbows to 90° (or as far as you can), and then slowly straighten your arms. Make sure that your body is lowering because your elbows are bending the whole way down, and not because your back is swaying toward the floor
3). Work up to at least 12 repetitions at a time.
Dips: for the back of upper arm (triceps)
A. Sit on the edge of a bench or other similar sturdy object. With your feet together, either straighten your legs out front (harder), or bend your knees at 90° with your feet flat on the floor (easier). Place your hands on the bench right next to your body.
B. Lower your body in front of the bench by slowly bending your elbows to 90° (or as far as you can go). Straighten your arms and repeat the motion without sitting back on the bench. Work up to at least 8 repetitions. If you can do 15 bent-leg dips, try straightening your legs.
C. Form is very important. If your elbows are not bending, you are not exercising your muscles. On the contrary, leaning your body forward to lower it could cause injury.
Middle Body
Abdominals: the proper exercises to work the abdominal muscles is no longer the full sit-up which required you to lift your upper body completely off the floor to meet your knees. Today, experts recommend the crunch, and any of the various accepted alternatives.
A. Basic crunch
1). Lie on a mat or carpeted floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Place your fingertips on the back of your head behind your ears.
2). Keeping your elbows back and your chin a few inches away from your chest at all times, lift your shoulders off the floor. The goal is to lift far enough for your shoulder blades to lift off the floor slightly.
3). Lower your head and shoulders, but do not let your head touch the floor.
4). Repeat this up and down motion continuously. When you get tired take a break and try again.
B. Side to side basic crunch variation
1) Setup just like the basic crunch, but instead of lifting both shoulders off the floor, turn your body.
2) Lift your right shoulder toward your left knee. Focus on lifting your shoulder rather than turning your elbow; be kind to your neck. Your elbow need not touch your knee.
3) You can either alternate right and left up to twenty, or do ten consecutive repetitions on each side.
C. Reverse crunch
1). Lie flat on a mat or carpeted floor with your feet pointing up toward the ceiling. Cross your feet at the ankle, and place your hands comfortably behind your head.
2). Without rocking your body, lift your buttocks an inch or two off the ground. Your feet should pull up straight toward the ceiling. Repeat this up and down motion 10 times.
3). If this proves to be too difficult, or if you have a bad back, place your feet flat on the floor in front of you as you would with a basic crunch. Concentrate on curling your pelvis up and toward your body by tightening your abdominal muscles, and releasing slowly back down toward the floor. This very small movement focuses on the lower portion of the abdominal wall and the lower back. Repeat this 10 times, take a break, and try again.
Lower Back: Back extension
A. Lie down on your stomach on a mat or carpeted floor. Straighten your legs and point your toes comfortably. Straighten your arms above your head.
B. Lift your right arm and left leg slightly off the floor. Try to hold it for ten seconds. Slowly lower. Repeat with your left arm and right leg.
C. If this is too challenging, try to lift and lower each limb independently.
