Best Home Workout Routines: How To Stay In-Shape At Home During Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major affect on gyms and workout routines for months.

Gyms and other fitness facilities nationwide were forced to close at the beginning of the pandemic and, while many have since reopened with limitations, many still dread the risk of contracting coronavirus by visiting a public gym.

Home workouts have been a healthy alternative for fitness fanatics and may still be the best option as the pandemic continues. Here are some of the best workout routines you can do in the comfort of your own home amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chest: Pushups

Athlete worming up in sunlit studio

Doing pushups seems like a simple concept, but provide the best option for a home chest workout if you're lacking equipment. According to Men's Health, maximizing the push up by working through a full range of motion and not cheating any rep will get the most of pushup training.

To do a pushup, get down on all fours by placing your hands slightly wider than your shoulders, straightening your arms and legs and lowering your body until your chest nearly touches the floor, then pushing yourself back up.

A standard pushup not only helps improve muscular endurance in the pectoral area, but also front shoulders and triceps. Wide-arm pushups hit both your chest and back muscles.

Close grip pushups focus on inner pectoral and tricep areas.

Back: Pullup/Reverse Snow Angels

A home pullup bar is an obvious choice if you're looking to use equipment. A basic, portable door frame bar begins at around $30, according to Amazon.com.

A pullup works multiple back muscles including upper back (latissimus dorsi), trapezius, thoracic erector spinae (muscles along your thoracic spine) and infraspinatus, which assists with shoulder extensions and is located on the shoulder blade.

Pullups can also strengthen arm and shoulder muscles, as well as improve grip strength.

If you don't feel like using equipment, reverse snow angels are a good, dumbbell free, Crossfit-inspired upper back workout. Crossfit Invictus suggests first-timers do three sets of 20 reps; three sets of 30 reps for novice workouts; and three sets of (5/2.5)x40 reps, with a two-minute rest period in between each set.

Shoulders: Overhead Press/Feet-Evelated Pike Pushups

If you choose to invest in dumbbells or a barbell, overhead press is the way to go. Begin by standing with the bar or dumbbells on your front shoulders and hands next to your shoulders, balancing the equipment over your shoulders and locking your elbows at the top before shrugging your shoulders to the ceiling.

This can also be done in a seated position on a workout bench or chair.

An equipment-less alternative is feet-elevated pike pushups. To do these, get into pushup position by elevating your feet on a bench or box.

Bend your hips and raise your buttocks toward the ceiling, putting your torso in a vertical position before lowering your body to the floor until your head is between your hands and repeat for a complete set.

Arms: Curls/Dips

If you have dumbbells, curls are the best option to build bigger biceps. Start by gripping two dumbbells with your elbows resting at your sides and forearms extending out in front of the body.

Pull the weight up to your shoulders by bending your elbows and then reversing the curl slowly before repeating reps.

Dips, which can be done with or without equipment. This workout primarily trains the triceps, while also hitting anterior deltoids, the pectoral area and rhomboid back muscles.

Dips can be done by sitting in a chair and placing your arms at your side and feet flat on the floor at hip distance apart before positioning your hands so that your palms are down beside your hips with your fingers gripping the front of the chair.

Move your torso forward off the hair while extending your arms with your buttocks hovering over the floor, your knees slightly bent and your heels touching the floor a few inches in front of your knees.

Slowly lower your body with your elbows hanging out at a 90-degree angle before pushing your body back up to the starting position.

Legs: Bodyweight squats

Bodyweight squats are simple, just move your body in the same way you would with a barbell in its absence. Bend your knees and bring your body down to a squatting position with your buttocks pushed out before driving it back to the original position.

This workout targets several different leg muscles including quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and glutes, as well as core abdominals.

Photo: Getty Images


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