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The hardest part of working out at home is avoiding the distractions. The phone’s buzzing, the kids want a snack, another episode is waiting on Netflix. “You need an outside motivator when working out at home,” says Keith Laug, of ZONED Fitness in Beacon. “Find a friend to be your accountability buddy, schedule an appointment for yourself, but most importantly — keep it fun.”
Even though Laug’s ZONED Fitness business has been hit hard by social distancing restrictions, he still offers in-home personal training and a remote training program called ZONED@Home. If you have some equipment at home, Laug suggests a modest setup is all you need — something inexpensive that doesn’t take up much space. You can even forego equipment altogether.
“I tell my personal training clients to get a set of dumbbells, something that will provide constant resistance. If those are not available now, find a few nylon tote bags — something with a handle — and find a weight that’s appropriate for you. If you can do a set of 20 easily, then add some more weight; if you can’t get to 10, lighten the load.”
“Resistance bands are another versatile at-home exercise tool. With them you can mimic most exercises you could do at the gym: presses, pulls, and other resistance efforts.”
If you plan on using just your body, you can do a lot of exercises without equipment, like push-ups, air squats, planks, lunges, step-ups, and wall sits — but it’s easy to become complacent.
“Make sure there is some variety with how you’re approaching your workout routine,” Laug stresses. “You may focus on a strength workout that focuses on a lot of failure sets. The next one could a higher-intensity aerobic ladder workout, or a Tabata workout where you work at maximum intensity for 20 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest for eight rounds.”
When the weather’s nice, go outside. “I have my home clients open the door and sometimes take a lap around the house while circuit training. We’ve made use of their yard — things like farmer carries from one side to the other and back, or picking up a heavy rock and doing slams into the grass – an exercise that mimics the battle ropes.”
Whether you’re running up the stairs and walking back down, using your ottoman for box jumps, or maxing out on burpees in the basement, the important part is to stay active and have some fun creating your home workout routine.
Home workout routines
Format: Ladder
Ladder Execution: 1, 2-1, 3-2-1, 4-3-2-1, 5-4-3-2-1, 6-5-4-3-2-1
Aerobic or High Intensity Workout
Advanced
1) 20 Jumping Jacks
2) 20 Mt. Climbers (each leg)
3) 5 Burpees or Squats Thrusts
4) 20 Jump Squats
5) 30 Plank Jacks
6) 10 Jump Lunges (each side)
Lower Intensity Options
1) 20 Standing Knees Ups (each leg)
2) 10 High Plank Knee-to-Elbow (each side)
3) 20 crunches
4) 20 Air Squats or Floor Hip Bridges
5) Hold Low Plank up to one minute
6) Maximum Wall Sit
Format: Circuit
Circuit Execution: 1-2-3-4-5-6
Strength Workout
*Note, number ranges are used to determine the need for more or less resistance. If you can easily perform 20 squats, add more resistance (hold a weighed object). If you are unable to perform the lower end of the range, use a lighter resistance or easier variation of that exercise.
1) 10-20 Squats (any variation, heavy or body weight)
2) 10-20 Pushups OR hold Low Plank up to 1 minute
3) 10-20 Lunges (any variation) OR Step Ups (any height)
4) 10-20 Rows (1 or 2 arm) with weights or a filled bag
5) 20-30 Floor Hip Bridges OR Hamstring Kickbacks
6) 10-20 Triceps Dips OR Triceps Kickbacks
7) 10-20 Biceps Curls with weights or filled bag
8) 20-30 Core Exercise Combo (any mix of core exercises)
Format: Timed Intervals
Circuit Execution: 30 seconds on, 15 seconds rest, 6 rounds of each set
Strength and Aerobic Workout
Set #1
:30/:15 x 6 rounds
Squats (any: Air Squats, Jump Squats, Hold Squat, Wall Sits)
Set #2
:30/:15 x 6 rounds
Burpees or Squats Thrusts or Pushups (any variation) or Plank (any variation)
Set #3
:30/:15 x 6 rounds
Jumping Jacks or High Knees or Standing Knee Ups or Jump Rope
Set #4
:30/:15 x 6 rounds
Core Exercises (any: Sit Up, Crunches, Flutter Kicks, Leg Raises, Russian Twists, etc)
Keith Laug is a certified personal trainer NASM, and has been training professionally since 2002.
Working Out With Wi-Fi
Gyms
Gold’s Gym
Middletown, Newburgh
Livestream workouts, classes, and discussions.
www.goldsgym.com
*All locations will offer members 95 free workouts through the platform Les Mills On Demand.
Planet Fitness
Poughkeepsie
Free classes via Facebook Live
www.planetfitness.com/gyms/poughkeepsie-ny
Pilates
Rhinebeck Pilates
Rhinebeck
Classes starting at $20
www.rhinebeckpilates.com
Breathe
Rhinebeck
Free classes
www.breatherhinebeck.com
Yoga
Alma Yoga
Newburgh
Classes starting at $10
www.almayogany.com
RedTail Power Yoga
Hopewell Junction
Classes starting at $10
www.redtailpoweryoga.com
NP Rock Yoga
New Paltz
Classes on a sliding scale payment $10-20
www.nprockyoga.com
Stone Wave Yoga
Gardiner, Poughkeepsie
Free
www.stonewaveyoga.com
Personal Training
Posh Fitness
New Rochelle
Online personal training, starting at $35 per month
www.poshfitness.com
