Bodyweight Exercises for on-the-go Steel Dads

Ok, it is Saturday morning, and the kids are still asleep.  So I tip-toed to the computer room to deliver a couple of bodyweight routines that can be used at home or on the go.

Of course everyone knows about the basic push-ups, bodyweight squats, and crunches- so I will only mention a couple of tweaks to those that you may want to consider.

Push-ups: vary your hand placement.  Change up the angle your elbows point to and how far away from your body they are.  I generally find that if my elbows go wider, I can place more emphasis on my chest.  If my elbows are closer to my body, more emphasis is placed on my triceps and shoulders.  Now, if you are looking for a unique tweak for extra triceps work try a reverse grip push-up.  Keep your elbows in tight to your body, and turn your hands around so that your fingers point to your feet instead of to your head.  Focus on hinging with your elbow as you push.  This will radically alter the feel of the movement.

Squats- Of course, bodyweight squats are simple in nature, yet effective.  However, if you are looking for something a bit more challenging try one or a combination of the following tweaks:

Horse-stance squats: Put your feet in a wide stance and squat down- at the bottom of the movement, hold the "horse-stance" posture for 10-30 seconds before pressing up.  Then repeat for as many reps as desired.

   Pistols- Essentially this is a single-leg squat.  Put your "working leg" directly below you to support your weight.  Your "lazy leg" should be extended in front of you and kept off of the ground throughout the squat.  Perform as many pistols as you can.  No really- I dare you to do 3 sets to failure :)  (you may need to have a chair nearby to hold onto for balance at first- but with some practice you will get it).

  Now, you can't have a well rounded program without working your back muscles.  If you happen to have a pull up bar that is sturdy, great!  If not, or if you can't do more than a couple pull ups, no worries.  I have an exercise that will work for you.  It's called the inverted row.  So- you will need two chairs, and a sturdy broom handle or other long bar that can support your weight.  Put the bar across the chairs so that it will stay in place while you work.  You will lay face up under the bar with the bar at your chest/nipple level.  Grip the bar with a shoulder width grip or wider, and pull yourself up.  Your body should remain rigid, as though you were doing push-ups.  The only part of your body that should be touching the floor throughout the movement are your heels.  Go to failure.  If this is too easy, then put your feet on a third chair, so that your body is not on the floor at any time throughout the sets.  This will increase the workload in a similar way that elevating your feet would make push-ups harder.  If you don't have chairs tall enough to make this work, use a large, sturdy table- just test it once or twice before going all out- I accept no responsibility for flipped tables and spilled protein shakes :)

  The inverted row setup is also perfect for working your biceps.  Simply revers your grip and bring your hands in closer together so that they are comfortable and curl yourself toward the bar using your biceps.  Do this movement after your inverted rows! (You may need to decrease the load by keeping your butt in contact with the floor instead of your heels.)

  As for other groups, depending on your strength level you may be able to do many exercises either with old milk jugs filled with water, dyna-bands, TRX straps, or other household items.  However, if you find yourself completely equipment-less, no worries.  Just look for a door (or a tree if you are out camping...)  If you get creative, you can do almost anything.  You won't build mass this way, but you will be able to at least maintain the progress you have worked so hard for in the gym during 1-2 week layoffs or long travel plans that inevitably come up.  Here are a couple examples- but you can build on it:

Isometric Shoulder lateral raise:  Stand in a door frame with your body a few inches away from one side of the door jam.  Put the back of your arm against the door jam and slowly build pressure as though you were going to raise your arm through the frame.  Hold the pressure for 20-60 seconds and slowly release.  Switch arms and repeat.  Do as many sets as you desire.

Triceps/chest press: Stand with your back against one side of the door frame.  Lean toward the other side, with your palms against the door jam.  Slowly build pressure by pushing against the door jam.  If you have properly braced yourself, your body will not move but you will be able to apply "maximum pressure" with your muscles.  This is a great isometric exercise- though you may have to play with exact positions depending on your arm length, strength, and the door size.

Are calf raises too easy?  Stand inside the door, put your hands on the cross beam above you.  As you push up with your calves, push against them with your arms.  Turn your body into your workout machine!

There are a lot more ideas out there- not to mention equipment like exercise balls, TRX straps, dyna-bands, etc. that can help you maximize those days on the go or (Heaven forbid) when the gym is closed for repairs due to your last beastly workout and the havoc you wreaked!

Happy lifting!