Looking for upper body / core do-at-home suggestions

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BMcC9
BMcC9 Posts: 4,414 Member
My upper body / all-round core is pretty pathetic, :blushing: I am looking for routines / combinations to strengthen these areas. My leg and cardio endurance are very strong, so don't hesitate to include "whole body combination exercises" that fit the available equipment / location limitations that follow. :bigsmile:

Equipment available: I have
- hand weights up to 12 pounds,
- med, strong and extra-strong resistance tubing,
-1-pound strap-on wrist-or-ankle weights,
-1-pound weighted gloves,
- a 6-inch high platform (my step bench), and
- a pull up bar that can be put between two chair-seats (my lack of strength is such that it is totally useless up at the top of the door-frame, but there are brackets already in place for that height :ohwell: )
- my own body-weight (for push-ups / burpees and the like)

I would be working at home, so if the exercise requires some other form of equipment not listed above, I can't do it

I don't own and aren't planning to buy a variety of DVDs, so please don't just say "the stuff on [name of fave DVD] is amazing" ... .

A LIST of the exercises from that DVD would be welcome and probably very helpful. :bigsmile: So would any sites that list routines or video demonstrations of proper form.

Thanks in advance to all :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: for your help and suggestions.
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Replies

  • misschubbybutterfly
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    My arms are my biggest problem area. I found this workout on Youtube that I've been doing for about a week and it kills my arms. Mind you, my arms are very very weak, so you might be beyond it. Just throwing it out there.:heart:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vExTRBVaMt4&feature=related
  • DanetteNel
    DanetteNel Posts: 68 Member
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    I have a lot of bodyweight exercises in a PDF that I put together, and you can search on google for demonstrations of correct form.

    I will put a list together for you and post it here later today :flowerforyou:


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  • DanetteNel
    DanetteNel Posts: 68 Member
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    OK, here we go:

    Pushups, Incline Pushups, Elevated Pushups, Pullups.

    Burpees – great all-round exercise – upper body, core and aerobic.

    Plank and Side Plank – excellent for core muscles.

    Ab Curl, Bicycle Crunch, Mountain Climbers, Spiderman Climb, Bird Dog.

    Tricep Dips – hectic but they work!

    I would look at getting dumbbells – then you can add shoulder press moves, bicep curls, and many ‘flye’ exercises. I have a great list if you ever need them.

    Let me know if you want lower body bodyweight variations.

    Hope this helps :smile:
  • crazy8ts
    crazy8ts Posts: 360
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    Do a youtube search for "six pack shortcuts"... some great core/upper body/back exercises
  • Fitness4Paul
    Fitness4Paul Posts: 166 Member
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    100 pushup challenge

    http://hundredpushups.com/week1.html

    You'll be amazed at how much change such a simple exercise can bring you.
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,414 Member
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    WOW! Thanks so far for such quick responses! Keep 'em coming!

    mischubbybut - I've bookmarked the link to explore later. Once I see what's there, I can always add weight or reps to match my level. Keep at it yourself! :flowerforyou:

    DanetteNel - By all means, send aboth lists you mentioned! :flowerforyou:

    If by "dumbbells" you mean "10 lb lump in each hand" (and not a barbell as in single pipe with weights on each end) I already have 2.5, 5, and 10 pounders, plus the gloves and wrist weights. So between them I could work up to a max of 17 lbs per hand before adding resistance tubing to the mix.

    And I do know that legs need to be moved in a wider range of motion than just the "up, up, down, down" of step bench basics :blushing:

    Crazy8ts - I'll check out youtube at lunch. It always helps so much to be able to narrow the search! :flowerforyou:

    Fitness4Paul - I know of that site, even have it bookmarked, but almost feel like I have to work UP to Wk 1 :blushing: Can't even do 2 straight leg push ups (better at bent-knee push-ups) If i can manage to get up the nerve to actually face what a low level I am at, I am sure this WOULD help me! (more a mental block than anything else) :flowerforyou:
  • shesapear
    shesapear Posts: 77 Member
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    muscleandstrength.com have lots of workouts compiled. Search for whatever your goal is and viola...They also have demostrations of the workouts to help you with correct form.

    Hope this helps
  • BoatReadyBody
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    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_J8btnIEKQ&feature=related


    I love this and the bikini abs... I also do shred which is fun.
  • kd_mazur
    kd_mazur Posts: 569 Member
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    I used the following workout to train for tough mudder: Here is a copy/paste of the pdf file tough mudder posted on thier website.

    "The Tough Mudder Workout consists of 16 exercises that collectively work every part of your body. We know that you’re a busy person, so each exercise is a 60-second station designed to challenge your heart and lungs, as well as your muscles. The final product is a high-intensity circuit designed to torch everything from your chest and legs to your abs and arms, sending your fitness to an elite Tough Mudder level. You'll sculpt a rugged, gritty, and classically athletic body that’s built Mudder Tough.
    Do the Get Fit circuit 3 days a week and perform each exercise once, one right after the other, spending no more than a minute on each one. Do as many reps as you can in that time, then move on to the next station, limiting yourself to 15 seconds of rest in between. Build your endurance to the point where one week before Tough Mudder you can comfortably do the circuit twice. Make sure to use a weight that's challenging for the 20 or so reps you’ll be doing for each exercise. You can use dumbbells, kettle bells, or anything heavy with a handle for most, if not all, of the exercises below.
    Exercise 1 - Running Man
    To get yourself in peak cardio condition, you can either:
    1) Get on a treadmill. Start jogging at a slow comfortable pace for the first 5 minutes, then increase the speed to a full sprint for a full minute before reducing the speed back down to a jog for a minute or two. Alternate between jogging and sprinting for 35 minutes. Build up to 1 hr.
    2) Free run. As you head outside for a jog, choose a point or landmark in the distance that’s reasonably far and sprint to it. Do this 10 or so times throughout the course of your run, paying attention to mixing in jogging and sprinting equally. Again, build up to running 3-4 times a week and increasing your distance gradually until you can comfortably run 5+ miles.

    Exercise 2 - TM PUSH-UP
    Start out in a regular pushup position with two dumb bells in each hand. As you push your body upwards, rotate your torso at peak height and bring your right hand up behind you so that your hands are in a vertical line. Lower the weight so that you are once again in push up position. Do a push up, repeating with your left hand.

    Exercise 3 - THE FIST AND THE FURY
    Grab a dumbbell, kettle bell, or anything heavy with a handle, in one hand and let it hang in front of you. Lower the weight below your hips and let it swing between your knees and legs. Try to keep your core sturdy and straight, explode
    upwards and swing the weight up to about eye level in a fully upright position. With control, do this as many times as you can, spending about 45 seconds on each arm.

    Exercise 4 - SCISSOR KICK
    From a regular standing position, take one big step forward and lower yourself into a forward stepping lunge. This is the start position. From there, explode off the ground, getting enough air under you to scissor kick your legs and land with your opposite leg forward and ready to crouch down to the lunge position. Keep doing this, alternating your legs on each jump/repetition for 60 seconds.

    Exercise 5 - BACK ROW
    Grab a pair of dumbbells or kettle bells and bend over, holding them in each hand, making sure your back is parallel to the ground. Keep your core steady and pull the weights in a controlled manner up to your chest, hold at the top for the rep, pause, and repeat.

    Exercise 6 - DUMBBELL SIDE LUNGE
    Grab your dumbbells and let them hang by your sides. Take a lateral step with your right leg, completely straightening your left leg. From there, bend forward at your hips, and touch the dumbbells to the floor by your right foot. Push off your right leg and make the same lateral lunge on your left leg. That's one rep.

    Exercise 7 - PUSH UP plus ROW
    Grab two dumbbells and assume a pushup position, with your arms straight. Perform a regular pushup, but as you fully extend your arms at the height of the push up, take one dumbbell and bring it all the way to the side of your chest. Lower your arm and descend back ot the start position. Repeat with the other arm. That’s one rep.

    Exercise 8 - LUNGE & TWIST
    Grab a heavy object and clutch it tight to the middle of your chest as you stand with feet shoulder length apart. Take a step forward as you would with a normal lunge, but as you lower your body with the weight, twist your torso to the right, pause, and return to a full upright position. Do the same with the opposite leg. That’s one rep.

    Exercise 9 - SHOULDER PRESS
    Grab some dumbbells or small kettle bells in each hand and spread your feet shoulder length apart as you would for a squat. Bring the dumbbells up to your shoulders as if you were doing a shoulder press. Lower yourself as you keep the
    weights cocked at the shoulder, as you explode upward from the squat position, push the weights up and above your head.

    Exercise 10 - DECLINE PUSH UP
    Simple, quick, and easy. Get into a normal pushup position, but put your feet on top of an elevated park bench or box, arms extended out in front of you so that your body is perfectly parallel to the floor above the ground. Begin to do as many pushups as you can in the next 60 seconds.

    Exercise 11 - Quick Feet
    Staying in the pushup position, rapidly bring each knee towards your chest, as if you were sprinting in place or pedaling a ridiculously small bike.

    Exercise 12- Superman Plank
    Get back into the pushup position you’ve grown accustomed to, placing your forearms on the ground and keeping your core – abs and hips – tight as possible. Hold this position for a full 60 seconds.

    Exercise 13- Drunk Superman Side Planks
    Get on your side and hold yourself up by left forearm, creating a half triangle between your lats, forearm, and ground. Like a regular plank, keep your core tight – flex if you have to – and hold the

    Exercise 14- Angelina Jolie
    Get in between two chairs, bars, or if at a gym, a dip machine. Grab each bar or handle with each arm and lower yourself slowly and with control, as you push up with your arms try to explode up, lifting yourself completely off. Be sure to start out slowly until you get used to jumping off and regaining control of the bars.

    Exercise 15 - THE TOUGH SQUAT
    Take a dumbbell, kettle bell, or large stone, anything you can find, and hold it in front of your chest. Stick your hips out behind you, bend your knees, and lower yourself until you’re in a full squat position. Pause for a second for the burn to really set in and then push back to the start position."
  • bleumanchu
    bleumanchu Posts: 23 Member
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    Other resources I didn't see mentioned above:

    - Bodybuilding.com has a TON of different routines for all sorts of equipment specific circumstances.
    - If you happen to have an iPhone/iOS device, or an Android device, Fitness Buddy is a handy app. I used it while traveling for a few weeks to put together some body-weight and resistance band only routines I could do easily no matter where I was. It comes with images and pseudo-animations to show you how to do the exercises, along with written descriptions. Has a huge library of different exercises and a number of pre-made routines as well. There are guides for exercises with free-weights also.
  • jennifer52484
    jennifer52484 Posts: 888 Member
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    Do easy push-ups(knees), then once your good with those, do regular push-ups.
    Crunches, sit ups, bicycle crunches, all forms of crunches and ab workouts.
    One Minute of Throw Punches
    Burpees
  • Hmrjmr1
    Hmrjmr1 Posts: 1,106 Member
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    Rather than dvd, you might want to look into getting the FitDeck basic body weight deck, then you can shake up your routines, the cards are well marked for what part of the body you are working. Body weight resistance is how Armies are built and are the safest format as well. Good luck and have fun.
  • missamerika87
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    Bodyrock.tv! Best at home workouts ever! You can find the videos on youtube or their website. I used to do it back when Zuzana would lead it, they have a different girl now so I haven't seen their stuff recently. But those were the only at-home workout that would actually feel like I was doing a workout! Seriously, some super fantastic stuff there for free!! Brilliant!
    (Zuzana also now does a different workout thing, still free but she's no longer with Bodyrock.tv. I think she does a fantastic job, I think her new thing is like ZWOW or something light that. Check her out on fb Zuzana Light.
  • BMcC9
    BMcC9 Posts: 4,414 Member
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    To any At-Home-Gym scroungers out there (who had to come up with their own equipment) .... assuming that I work safe and stick to relatively low weight limits ...

    are there any barbell type exercises I could be doing by holding a broomstick (to keep hands in sync with each other) along with the hand-weights?

    or securely attaching (for example) milk jugs with measured amounts of sand or water to the ends?

    Are there barbell moves where having the weights closer or farther from centre makes a mechanical difference to the exercise?
  • sarahmaryfearnley
    sarahmaryfearnley Posts: 366 Member
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    Check out 100 push ups / 200 sit ups. Just google it. It's a 3x a week program to build up. You can also do dips with a chair.
  • Alysgrma
    Alysgrma Posts: 365 Member
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    bump
  • JenMull44
    JenMull44 Posts: 226 Member
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    I do boxing punches (25 per arm) and LOTS of push ups. I once read that men and women should do 25 push ups every day
    for definition in your arms.
    GOOD LUCK !!
  • BoatReadyBody
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    100 pushup challenge

    http://hundredpushups.com/week1.html

    You'll be amazed at how much change such a simple exercise can bring you.


    I just finished the 200 challange!! You are so right on how simple and wonderful it can be..

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  • thebigcb
    thebigcb Posts: 2,210 Member
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    Push ups
    Arm dips(off a chair bench)
    Core Planks(can do sides as well)
    seated press
  • krystle_swope
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    If you have wood floors I suggest plank jacks with washcloths. It sounds silly but if you keep two washcloths under each of your feet and slide them across the floor in a plank jack motion at least 25 reps x 3 sets, you will DEF feel the burn!