You can still get a great workout at home even if you don’t have a gym or any equipment.

The coronavirus has everything upside down now. We will get through this. Many of us who rely on commercial or garage gyms. It’s going to take a little ingenuity to come up with effective workouts.

The following workouts don’t cost anything except your one hour of the day to complete the work.

As for diet, don’t think because you’re home, it justifies eating the same amount. You may eat because you're bored, or are anxious. If you’re not burning as many calories, skip the in-between meal if you aren’t as mobile. Should you eat that extra snack in the afternoon? Eat half of it, or don't eat it all. If you’re used to walking 10,000 steps a day and only go down a flight of stairs a few times a day. Set the same goal for the same amount of steps.

Active cardio can mean lawn or garden work, or low impact cardio for a period of 30 minutes or more.You need to move around. Because we are all home, break the boredom up by separating the day up with (2 to 4) ten minute walks, indoors or outside. Climb stairs, walk around your house, move around. 

You’ll see that I’ve assigned timed reps. For example, 2/2/6 squats. 2 second lower, pause for 2 seconds, then rise for 6 seconds. 2/1/4 push ups, 2 second lower, pause for 1 second, rise 4 seconds. 4/0/4 step ups, 4 up the stairs,  no pause, 4 down. Focus on form and time for greatest benefit. 

 Day A-Monday

Day B-Wednesday

Day C Friday

Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays are active cardio days.

Day A WORKOUT

All sets are 4 rounds of as many reps as possible (AMRAP). Perform each exercise, then rest, then repeat the same exercise.

Do this for all sets of the prescribed exercise.The numbers you see to the left are rep tempos. For example, in the first exercise, you see 2/2/6. This means you are to perform the exercise with 2 second descent. You'll hold the contraction for 2 seconds, then rise up out of the squat in 6 seconds.  

• 2/2/6 Squat, 4 rounds AMRAP, 75 seconds rest

• 2/1/4 Push Up, 4 rounds AMRAP, 75 seconds rest

• 4/0/6 One Leg stiff leg deadlift. Use a chair for support and resistance. Perform 4 rounds AMRAP, 75 seconds rest

• 2/0/2 Fat Man Pull Up. Version 1: Wooden dowel between two chairs(pull yourself up). Version 2: 2 knotted towels or pillow cases for pull ups. 4 rounds AMRAP, 60 seconds rest Knotted towel setup: knot a towel or pillow case at one end. Do the same with a second towel or pillow case.

  Take the knotted end and place between a solid door jamb. They should be shoulder length apart. Close the door shut. Ensure safety by testing it first. Pull yourself to the door and release with the count listed.

• 4/0/4 Step Ups 4 rounds AMRAP, 90 seconds rest

• 2/1/2 Pike Pushup for shoulders Setup: Assume a modified push up (knees on floor). Keep your hands in front of your body, setting up a 45 degree angle from hands to head. Come down with your upper body. Keep elbows shoulder width as you go down.4/4/4 Hand

• Walkout pause for 3 seconds when in plank position

• 30 minute walk

Day B WORKOUT

For this day, you'll perform 301/30 reps. For example, you'll squat by lowering yourself and holding the position for 30 seconds. After 30 seconds are up, perform 10 reps. After the set of ten ends,  hold the bottom part of the squat for another 30 seconds.

3 x 10 (3 sets of ten reps for each set) 

30/10/30 Squat

30/10/30 Push Up

30/10/30 Reverse Lunge

30/10/30 Knotted towel or pillow case pull up

30/10/30 Glute Hip Bridge, challenge yourself with one leg only

30/10/30 Leg Raises on the floor. Rest 1:30, repeat.Walk for 30 minutes. 

Day C Workout

 Pair a and b exercises together, then take the prescribed rest.

a) 2/2/6 Single Leg Squat 4 rounds AMRAP
b) Wall Sits for maximum time, 90 seconds rest

a) 2/1/4 Close Grip Push Up, 4 rounds AMRAP
b) Static hold at top part of push up for maximum time, 90 seconds rest 

a) 4/0/6 Donkey Kicks, 4 rounds AMRAP
b) Good mornings holding a weighted box or something that weighs 20-40 lbs. Weight loaded should be in front of you. 90 seconds rest 

a) 2/0/2 Straight Arm Banded Pulldown OR knotted towel pull up, 4 rounds AMRAP
b) Perform a static hold at the contraction point. When you are closest to the most challenging part of the movement, hold for maximum time. 90 seconds rest

Setup: knot a towel at one end. Do the same with a second towel. Take the knotted end of the towels and place between a solid door jamb. They should be shoulder length apart. Close the door shut. Ensure safety.
Pull yourself to the door and release with the count listed. 

a) 2/0/2 Side Lunge 4 rounds AMRAP
b) Static hold when front knee is at 90 degrees for a maximum time, 90 seconds rest 

a) 2/1/2 Plank to Push Up
b) Static hold on midpoint of push maximum time, 90 seconds rest 

a) 2/4/2 Swimmers, otherwise known as a Supermans but with single limbs only. Right arm/leg left, then left arm/right leg. Your focus is on the raise and pause the leg and arm up for 4 seconds.
b) YWTs for 1 minute each set

a) 2/1/2 Lying leg raise (place a thin cushion under your buttb) Plank for greatest time, 90 second rest

30 minute walk

For under $200.00, the one piece of equipment I would recommend is a TRX system. Also known as a suspension training system. It doesn't need to be the TRX brand name system You can get one on Facebook Marketplace used, or Dicks Sporting Goods, or Amazon. The TRX system will never go to waste and is small enough to fit in a suitcase for travel. In fact, many of the clones come with a bag.

For those of you who feel like you’re losing “gains”, relax. You don’t shrink in two weeks. You may lose some size if you’re a new trainee, but the “newbie gains” will come back much faster. The body doesn’t forget, just don't test your one rep max the first week back at the gym.

Those of us who have been training for three years or more, will be less prone to lose your gains even after a month. Because of muscle maturity, the body will hold on to your muscle mass longer.

The most important thing for us as a nation right now, is to put away our petty differences and pull together. Forget the Republican/Democrat argument. Forget that the President is either doing a great job or he sucks. Right now, it doesn’t matter. We need to band together. Smile more when you see neighbors with their children. Help your older family members as much as you can with what you can. Practice social distancing. Call your older relatives to make sure they’re okay. Enjoy this special opportunity to reconnect with your loved ones who live in your house!

Don’t jump at the sign of a sneeze or if you clear your throat. It’s allergy season, and our healthcare professionals are working at full capacity and redlining. Don’t waste their time.

Take this time to learn something new. Build yourself with new ideas. Lose the anger against others. Scientists are saying that we may lose half a million people within six months. Anyone of us can be a statistic. Be nicer to human beings, no matter if they agree with your opinions or not. Life is way too short and precious.