So what should one do to remedy this, it's not like we have access to a full gym set up in our studies or in our back garden. Now no doubt someone is already lining up an image of a Slavic gentlemen lifting a home made weight made of rebar and concrete blocks however we shan't be going quite so rustic in our approach. No, our goal for those without access to proper equipment is maintenance, not development. If you do have equipment then of course ignore this paragraph, for those who do not then follow along dear friend while we try and get you set. Now when I say maintenance I refer to simply ensuring the following;
- No weight gain unless in muscle mass - No muscle loss - No loss of stamina
Now do bear in mind, the loss of muscle mass is highly unlikely as it can take several months of no training for it to decrease so do not panic in that regard. What you should be concerned with however is stamina and weight gain. Luckily there are a few simple things you can do to keep them on a decent level and I do indeed mean simple.
- Lunges. Good for keeping your legs strong and working on the glutes. Arms down to the sides. Take a step forward, bend your knee as you do, stop when your thigh is square to the ground. Don't put your knee past your foot. Push up off your foot and return to starting position and switch legs. Ten to fifteen reps in three sets should suffice.
- Push ups. Ah, a classic. Bloody good exercise to as it works a good amount of your muscles if I do say so myself. Get yourself in a plank position, arms out and straight. Core should be tight, shoulders down and back, neck straight. Bend your elbows and lower your body to the floor, when your chest just barely touches it extend the elbows and go back to position. Focus on keeping your elbows close to your body as you go. Don't go too crazy on these if your unsure but push yourself as far as you can. Three sets again.
- Squats. Good for your core and lower body, also handy for back. It burns a fair few calories too which is helpful at this time. Stand straight, feet slightly wider than shoulders, arms at your sides. Brace your core and keeping your chin and chest up push your hips back and bend your knees as if you were going to sit in a chair. Make sure your knees don't bow inwards or outwards. Drop until your thighs are parallel to the ground or as close to without falling, bring your arms out in front of you in a comfortable position as you do so. Pause for a second then extend your legs back to starting position. For crunches it's the same but instead of rolling up your body you just lift your upper back and shoulders. Aim for between fifteen to twenty of these, set of three.
- Sit ups. Also known as babies first work out. People often neglect these but a strong abdomen never hurts. However if you have lower back problem's i'd say avoid these and just do crunches. Lay on the ground with your knees raised and your feet flat and hands behind the head. Keeping your feet flat lift yourself as if rolling from the head, should feel most of the work in the core. Don't strain the neck during the upward motion, if you are your likely to do a nasty injury. When your chest reaches your legs slowly lower yourself back to starting. Again, ten to fifteen repetitions in three sets if possible.
Now these are quite literally just to maintain your body, you won't gain much mass or strength but you will retain stamina and should help alleviate the lack of calorie burn from normal activity. Of course if you have dumbbells of some sort I would advise the usual at home exercises, overhead presses, deadlifts and so forth. I can go into more details if it's requested but you probably already know what you need to if you have a set at home. For all these exercises do remember, if unsure of technique feel free to do it in a mirror or check for videos of it being done to ensure your doing it correctly and not risking injury.