Home Workouts: Exercises You Can Do Using House Items As Equipment!

Let’s face it, the more lockdown and quarantine measures are extended, the more days we’re separated from the gym. And by the looks of it, we’re not going to be reunited with the gym any time soon just yet. So, we better find ways where we can do similar workouts at home. I mean, bonding time with friends can wait, right? Plus, there are video calling apps to assuage our #sepanx in the meantime. 

But our workout routines? Oh no sir, we have to think of ways to cope so that all our hard work at the gym won’t go to waste! Luckily, we’ve got the perfect hacks for weighted training you can do at home. You don’t need gym equipment for these. There are plenty of items you can find in your house as a substitute for real equipment. So without further ado, here are our recommendations for effective five-day home workouts featuring house items as weights and support!

Also read: How to Work From Home Productively, Without Losing Your Sanity

Day 1 of home workouts: Cardio, strength, and abs exercises

Bodyweight exercises for cardio and strength:

Let’s start with the basics, shall we? Get your heart pumping as you put some strength to your sleeping muscles. Heaven knows that during quarantine, we all need this!

One set is equivalent to finishing all exercises consecutively. Do 3 sets of 10 repetitions for each exercise. Rest only in between sets. 

• Jumping squats 
• Regular pushups 
• Front squats 
• Wide-grip pushups 
• Reverse lunges 
• Diamond pushups

House items to use as weights:

When doing your front squats, get a gym bag or backpack and fill it with books, or other items, which you can still lift when bundled together. Grab the bag at the sides and pull it up until it’s at chest level and right below your chin. Keep it there as you do your front squats and make sure to maintain proper form. 

Abs blaster:

Who doesn’t want toned abs nowadays, right? A strong and flat abdominal area will help keep the bloating at bay whenever you binge on your favourite food. But of course, it needs maintenance. I recommend a slow routine like the yoga exercise in the video above. You only need a mat for this!

• Hip raises: 2 sets, 10 reps
• Single-leg hip raises: 1 set, 10 reps each side
• Hollow body hold: 3 sets, 30 seconds each 
• Full body sit-ups: Do as much as you can in 1 minute as long as you keep proper form
• Elbow planks: 2 sets, 40 seconds each
• Mountain climbers: Do as much as you can in 1 minute as long as you keep proper form

Day 2 of home workouts: Arm and core exercises

Biceps:

Do you want to get rid of that flabby part of your arm that waves back at your friends? It all starts with bicep exercises. If you’re lucky and hardworking, you won’t have to wait that long to see the results!

One set is equivalent to finishing all exercises consecutively. Do 4 sets of 20 repetitions for each exercise.

• Standing bicep curls
• Hammer curls

House items to use as weights:

For your bicep curls, grab a six-litre water bottle; you can opt to use a lighter or heavier bottle, depending on your preference. Underhand-grips are best for your bicep curls. To do this, hold the weighted object with your palms facing up. 

For your hammer curls, use a water container filled up to five gallons. In a neutral-grip, meaning your palms should be facing one another, hold the bottle at its middle or handle and proceed to do your hammer curls in proper form. Adjust the weight according to your capabilities. 

Triceps:

Don’t just stop at your biceps, let your triceps look good whenever you stretch your arms backwards too!

One set is equivalent to finishing all exercises consecutively. Do 4 sets of 25 repetitions for each exercise.

• Dips
• Diamond push-ups

House items to use for support:

For your tricep dips, use a chair or any sturdy bench in your house. This will support your arms when you dip and lift yourself back up. If you’re a beginner in this exercise, take your time in completing your reps because there’s a tendency to lose your posture when you lower yourself to the ground.

When it comes to diamond push-ups (or push-ups in general for that matter), remember that you can always place books or a filled-up bag on your back for added weights if needed. Although, push-ups alone are hard enough, don’t you think?!

Core:

If you’re still up for it, continue with ab exercises after your arm workouts. This won’t take long!

• Elbow plank: 3 sets, 30 seconds each

Middle abs:

• Crunches: 3 sets, 25 reps
• Leg raises: 3 sets, 15 reps
• Mountain climbers: 3 sets, 25 seconds each 

House items to use as weights:

Use a five-litre water bottle while doing your crunches. As you’re lying down, hold the bottle at the opposite ends and keep it close to your chest. Crunch up (raise your shoulder off the ground using your abs), and keep the water bottle in position while doing this. Keep your feet planted on the ground. Be sure to maintain proper form while keeping your abs engaged. 

Day 3 of home workouts: Chest, shoulder, and oblique exercises

Chest:

The chest area is probably the most neglected part of the body when it comes to workouts. But once you see it toned and perked up thanks to all the painful pushups, you’re going to give yourself a huge pat on the back!

One set is equivalent to finishing all exercises consecutively. Do 4 sets of 20 repetitions for each exercise.

• Normal push-ups 
• Wide-grip push-ups
• Inclined push-ups 
• Declined push-ups

House items to use for support:

For your inclined pushups, use a sturdy bench or the edge of your bed for support. Place both your hands, shoulder-width apart, on the edge of the bench and resume the slanting position of the inclined push-up. Be sure not to break form and take your time as you do your sets!

The same thing goes for your declined pushups. Use a bench or any sturdy platform that’s a couple of inches elevated from the ground. Place your feet on the elevated platform and your hands on the ground as you do your push-ups. 

Shoulders:

In my opinion, your bare shoulders can make or break your gym OOTD because they’re among the first things people notice about you at the gym, whether you’re wearing a sports bra or a jersey. So while we’re quarantined at home, it’s the perfect time to enhance our shoulder aesthetic for when we finally get to show off the results back in the gym!

One set is equivalent to finishing all exercises consecutively. Do 4 sets of 15 repetitions for each exercise except for the dumbbell fly. Do 4 sets of 20 reps for the dumbbell fly. 

• Shoulder press
• Front raises
• Dumbbell fly 

House items to use as weights:

When performing your shoulder press, front raises, and dumbbell fly, use two water bottles of six litres each. Remember that you can always lessen or add water according to your desired weight. 

Obliques:

We get so focused on our front abs that we forget that our side abs are just as important. In fact, some people prefer to tone their obliques first. It helps shape your silhouette, after all. *wink*

One set is equivalent to finishing all exercises consecutively. Do 4 sets of 20 repetitions for each exercise except for side planks. Do 3 sets of side planks with 20 seconds on each side per set. Rest one minute and 30 seconds in between sets.

• Side planks
• Bicycle kicks 
• Heel touches
• Russian twists

Day 4 of home workouts: Legs and booty exercises

Legs:

You never truly realise just how much you need to exercise your legs until you feel them get stronger as they gain shape. Shapely legs greatly help in achieving an hourglass figure too!

• Jumping squats: 4 sets, 15 reps
• Front squats: 4 sets, 10 reps
• Deadlifts: 4 sets, 15 reps
• Lunges: 4 sets, 15 reps per side

House items to use as weights:

For front squats, get a gym bag or backpack and fill it with books, or other items, which you can still lift when bundled together. While doing front squats, grab the bag at the sides and pull it up until it’s at chest level and right below your chin. Keep it there as you do your front squats and make sure to maintain proper form. 

When doing your lunges, you may opt to use a bench to support your leg. Get into a lunge position and place the top of one foot on the bench. If you want added weights, hold water bottles in your hands but keep your arms to the side. When everything’s set and you’re in position, dip your knee to the floor but don’t let it hit the ground. Lift yourself back up to the starting position and repeat. 

While performing deadlifts, use two water bottles of six litres each. Adjust the amount of water according to your preference. 

Booty:

Everybody loves a high and perky booty. And though it really takes a lot of work before the results of our workout show, getting these booty exercises done every week will make you feel a whole lot better and less insecure about your curves!

For each exercise below, do as much as you can for 30 seconds. Be sure to do 30 seconds per leg when it comes to the pulse lunges, lunges with leg raises, donkey kicks, and fire hydrants – straight back. Follow the video above as a guide!

• Pulse lunges
• Lunges with leg raise
• Jump squats
• Side squat steps
• Sumo squats
• Abductor squats
• Donkey kicks
• Fire hydrants – Straight kickback
• Alternating frog kicks
• Frog kicks
• Hip raises/glute bridge

Day 5 of home workouts: Back and abs exercises

Back:

What makes a sexy back? Aside from toning, it’s all about getting that v-shape that starts from your shoulders all the way to your waist. And if you didn’t know by now, working on your back is very important if you want your ab region to stay strong and toned too. 

Why? Because something sturdy needs to support all that muscle in your ab region — and the first candidate is none other than your sexy back! 

• Deadlifts: 2 sets, 20 reps
• Pull-ups: 2 sets, 15 reps
• Back rows: 3 sets, 30 seconds each
• Superman pulls: 3 sets, 30 seconds each 
• Reverse snow angel: 3 sets, 30 seconds each
• Good mornings: 3 sets, 30 seconds each

House items to use as weights:

Use a five-gallon water container for your deadlifts. Adjust the amount of water according to your desired weight. 

When doing your back rows, use a heavy bag for lifting. The video above demonstrates what your form should look like, but you can change your grip between overhand, underhand, or neutral-grip depending on which part of your back you want to target. 

If you think it’s safe for you, you may also use the top of a door to do your pull-ups and support your weight. Just make sure to place a door jam beneath the door so it doesn’t swing while you exercise! Watch the video above as a guide. 

Abs:

Finally, finish off your five-day home workouts with these ab exercises. Remember, you only need a mat for these and you may opt to use a bag as the added weight for your crunches. One set is equivalent to finishing all exercises consecutively. Do 3 sets of 30 seconds each!

• Crunches
• Flutter kicks 
• Scissors
• Mountain climbers

Also read: The Perfect Home Workout Playlist: 18 K-Pop Songs That Will Get You Pumped!

When you’ve finished your five-day home workouts, do it all over again the following week. Soon enough, you’re going to see and feel the results of your training. And the best part is, you didn’t have to spend on real gym equipment while keeping fit during your quarantine. Who knows, after the coronavirus pandemic has subsided, home workouts might end up becoming a new passion of yours. Now, break a leg (don’t take that literally, of course)!