Bodyweight Workouts to do in the home: Day 5

Oct

Bodyweight Workouts to do in the home: Day 5

homeworkout, day 5, bodyweight

Bodyweight Workouts to do in the home: Day 5

This is the fifth blog in my series, ‘Bodyweight Workouts to do in the home’, giving you advice on the various bodyweight exercises you can do that are useful for working different muscle groups on different days giving you an all-body workout at home over the course of six days. If you completed ‘Day 1 – Shoulders, Chest and Triceps’, ‘Day 2 – Legs’,‘Day 3 – Back and Biceps’ and ‘Day 4 – Plyometrics’ well done you are making excellent progress. Keep up the good work and do these workouts on a consistent level in your own time.

Day five is now focusing on building strength in the shoulders, chest and triceps. Find a spacious area free of obstacles and try the following exercises. Perform as many repetitions as possible for each exercise for 30 seconds, a minimum of 10 repetitions per exercise, however we are looking to aim for much more than that! After each exercise rest for 30 seconds and then move on to the next one. Once you have completed all of these, start with the first move again.

Test yourself by keeping a track of your personal best. See how many reps you can do in the 30 second time frame and then try and do even more the next time. This encourages healthy competition and motivation where you are pushing yourself even harder each time. Complete three circuits in total (that’s all the exercises below three times). To make it even more challenging aim to complete four circuits in total.

Day 5 – Shoulders, Chest and Triceps (15 – 20 reps each exercise, 2 – 3 sets in total)


1. Arm Circles (30 seconds)

This would be a good exercise to do at the start of your session to warm the shoulders up. Stand upright with chest proud, arms out to the sides and roll your arms forward, gradually form bigger circles making it more challenging. Do this for 15 seconds forwards and then repeat the exercise rotating the arms backwards for 15 seconds. Rest for 30 seconds.

2. External Rotations (optional use household items eg plastic water bottles, canned goods, bags of rice, towel) (30 seconds)

Hold your arms out to your sides with elbows bent at 90-degrees with forearms pointing upwards. Maintaining your elbows in a fixed position rotate your forearms forward and towards the floor as low as possible then slowly rotate them back up. This exercise is good for strengthening the rotator cuff (the 4 muscles over the head of the humerus) in particular. To make this exercise more challenging hold two items in each hand or a towel above your head, held at tension to increase resistance. Rest for 30 seconds.

3. Side Plank (30 seconds)

This exercise works the shoulders and the core. Start in a side plank position, legs and hips in line. Keep as straight as possible. Lean on your right forearm to start with and put your left hand on your hip. Drive upwards with your hip and exhale. Come back down to the starting position and repeat. When you have done the maximum amount that challenges you repeat on the other side. To make this move more challenging plant your hand under your shoulder keeping the elbow straight. This is working more of the shoulder. To modify drop to your knees if you need to. Rest for 30 seconds.

4. Wide grip Push-ups (30 seconds)

With a wider stance with the hands, slightly wider than shoulder-width, start in a plank position with feet together and toes on the floor. Lower your chest as low as possible to the floor then slowly push yourself back to starting position as you exhale. This is a great exercise for building strength in the shoulders (deltoids) but also the triceps brachii and the abdominal muscles. Rest for 30 seconds.

5. Decline Push-Ups (30 seconds)

This works more of the upper chest and anterior deltoids. Have your feet elevated on a stable surface with toes rested on the surface, this could be a raised step or bench. The higher you have your feet the more challenging this exercise will be! Place your hands on the ground, shoulder width apart. Lower the chest towards the ground maintaining a neutral spine. Exhale and push yourself back up, then repeat. Rest for 30 seconds.

6. Archer Push-ups (30 seconds)

This exercise is very challenging and not an exercise for beginners but is something to progress onto when you are feeling more confident. It is a more advanced variation on the push-up and is very effective for building strength. It is working multiple muscle groups targeting mainly the deltoids, pecs and triceps. Start in a push-up position with arms wider than shoulder-width. Bring the body down onto your right side first by bending the right elbow and straightening the left arm out to the side. Go as low as possible. Raise your body back up and into the middle. Then lower down on to the left side by bending the left elbow and straightening the right arm out to the side. Come back up to the middle and repeat, alternating sides. Rest for 30 seconds.

… and repeat (3-4 circuits)

Here we have focused on a range of exercises to work your upper body. They will help to improve strength and muscle mass in the shoulders, chest and triceps. If you have followed the advice and attempted them all well done! Keep checking out our website https://www.elemental-fitness.com/our-blog for further blogs titled ‘Bodyweight Workouts to do in the home’ giving you more advice. The best thing about them is that because you don’t need any equipment you can do these wherever and whenever whether this is at home, work (on your break of course!) or outdoors.

If you need further advice or are thinking of taking your fitness to the next level our personal trainers at Elemental Fitness have different specialisms and are on hand to give you guidance and create an effective programme to meet your needs. For further information on what we can offer you at Elemental Fitness click on this link: https://elemental-fitness.com/training/personal-training-leeds


See day 1 here: https://elemental-fitness.com/our-blog/bodyweight-workouts-to-do-in-the-home-day-1

Day 2 here: https://elemental-fitness.com/our-blog/bodyweight-workouts-to-do-in-the-home-day-2

Day 3 here: https://elemental-fitness.com/our-blog/bodyweight-workouts-to-do-in-the-home-day-3

Day 4 here: https://elemental-fitness.com/our-blog/bodyweight-workouts-to-do-in-the-home-day-4