You Can Do This Total-Body Workout Using Only Your Bodyweight and a Chair

From Bicycling

We’ve all had to get creative while training at home under quarantine, and since not everyone has a handy set of adjustable dumbbells or a fully-stocked home gym, that means finding new ways to elevate your old standby exercises.

For some, that has meant scouring their homes for equipment substitutes like water jugs, or getting creative with resistance bands. But trainer Charlee Atkins, C.S.C.S. only went as far as the kitchen table before finding a go-tool tool. She came up with a total-body workout routine using only bodyweight and incorporating a solid, stable chair.

You should only try these movements if your chair is able to handle your bodyweight. If you have a yoga mat, you might want to also place that on the floor to keep the chair from slipping and give yourself a surface for the other moves in the workout.

[Looking to start cross training but don’t know where to start? The Beginner’s Guide to Strength Training will teach you all the fundamentals to get the most out of your weight session, priming you for stronger miles in the saddle.]

Perform each exercise for 30 seconds:

• Elevated Push-Up

• Feet-Elevated Hip Raise

• Toe-Tap Kick-Back

• Reverse Tabletop

• Plank Jack

Try finishing 3 total rounds of the routine, taking as little rest as possible between exercises and 1 minute of rest between rounds. Atkins also notes that the elevated push-up isn’t just a great move for the sake of using the chair—if you struggle with normal push-ups, it’s a better alteration than doing reps on your knees. If you’re a push-up pro, try elevating your feet on the chair instead for an additional challenge.

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