With much of the world in quarantine, home workouts have never been more popular. As a result, my inbox has been flooded with questions from people who are confused about what to do at home. With that in mind, let me use this time to remind you that the work itself does not need to be complicated. Almost anything will work if you are willing to work. It really is that simple.
The Basics
Staying fit should not be confused with rocket science. Instead, focus the bulk of your time and energy towards tried-and-true exercises such as pushups, pull-ups, squats, lunges, rollouts, etc. Sprinkle in some creativity on occasion to avoid staleness, and you’ll be set for life. Exercise does not need to be more complicated than that.
Furthermore, don’t be fooled to believe that you will outgrow the basics. The fundamentals have no expiration date. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve seen world class athletes challenged with so-called basic exercises. As I’ve said before, how you do what you do matters more than what you do. There are always ways to make simple exercises more difficult.
Remain Creative
I’ve performed pushups for over 30 years. Some might say it’s time for me to move on. I don’t see it that way though. I have always enjoyed pushups and I continue to benefit from the exercise. Therefore, I see no reason to abandon the movement. Instead, I simply modify them on occasion to suit my needs. A few examples can be seen below.
Another example can be seen with rollouts. As you’ll see, there are countless ways to modify the exercise, so I’m never bored and always challenged.
Beyond Pushups and Rollouts
To no surprise, pushups and rollouts are two of my favorite exercises. With that said, they aren’t the only movements that can be easily modified to make more (or less) challenging. If you wish to increase the difficulty of a bodyweight movement, here are a few (of many) options.
- Work with higher reps and/or additional sets
- Limit rest between sets
- Add a weighted vest
- Vary the angle of the exercise (ex. feet elevated pushups)
- Vary the speed/tempo of the exercise
- Add an isometric component to the exercise (ex. here)
- Group multiple exercises into continuous circuits (ex. here)
- Work with one side at a time (ex. one leg squats, one arm pushups, etc.)
Final Thoughts
If your gym has been closed by COVID-19 and you’re forced to train at home with minimal equipment, there’s no need to worry. There’s still plenty of ways to challenge yourself with little or nothing. Hard work can be applied to almost anything. And with a little creativity, you’ll never run out of ideas or challenges.
Thus, I urge you to maintain control of what can be controlled. No one knows what the future will bring, but we can all work hard to remain healthy and strong. Don’t let the chaos around you distract you from prioritizing your own well-being. It must remain a priority. Your body and mind will thank you.
Stay safe and stay strong.
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“Knowledge is a process of piling up facts; wisdom lies in their simplification.” – Martin Henry Fischer
You always state the obvious, which I is most important. At 59 I still do nothing but the basics. Pushups and Squat thrusts are the focus of my training. Yes I use variations there of like adding one or two pushups to my Sqth, and countless things to my pushups, but overall it’s just basics. I’ve recently purchased gymnastics rings. Thank you Ross for your input, always at the right times.
Sounds good Anthony, stay safe!
I have a problem with rollouts, I feel intense pain in my shoulders and above the shoulder blades after workout. I work from a knees 12-18 ?reps in the series, don’t know what might be the problem? I would be very grateful for any advice.
As always, thanks for sharing your experience with us.
Tough to say for sure, as rollouts are likely just showing you that a problem exists (as opposed to creating the problem). As far as shoulder blade pain is concerned, there are several possible causes.
Here’s a few links that might help you to pinpoint it.
https://www.spine-health.com/blog/7-possible-causes-pain-under-your-shoulder-blade
https://www.verywellhealth.com/pain-between-shoulder-blades-2248950
With The closing of my gym, has forced me to go beast mode which I’m really starting to enjoy Push ups, Up downs, crunches, Sumo Squats, and so on.. I will now have more of a challenging workout when we recover from this ????????
Hey Ross! I love the fact that your exercises are pretty simple without all that fancy equipments and still effective!