15 Sweat-Your-Butt-Off-at-Home-for-Free Workouts

You may wonder why anybody would want to try muscle building without weights. These days weight training equipment is a lot cheaper and easier to get hold of than it was a few years ago. There are well equipped gyms in most towns, while schools and colleges often have a good selection of free weights and machines.  However perhaps you can’t afford even the cheapest weights or don’t have access to a gym or maybe you just don’t like them!  Well don’t worry because you can still build muscle without any weights at all.  Body-weight exercise was really popular a few years ago and while it may not give you the type of muscle and strength gains you’ll get from using equipment, you’ll still get bigger, stronger and fitter.

I followed this routine over 40 years ago and many students used it to help develop a strong physical foundation. It was something they could do at home or on vacation and I found it useful when traveling. Beginners will be surprised at how much muscle growth they’ll get as it was designed to build a more muscled body as well as a improve physical fitness. It’s not only a great way to prepare your body for further training but is a valuable routine in itself.

The complete routine, including rests between exercises, should take about 20 minutes to perform and  you could carry out this schedule daily, or at least four times a week. Make sure your breathing correctly and performing each repetition with good technique.  A mirror can be help with this.

Shoulder Mobilizer

This will help set you up for the rest of the routine. Stand erect, feet apart, arms outstretched sideways and in line with the shoulders.  Now circle the arms smoothly in ever increasing arcs until your whole arm is circling on the twelfth count. Complete two groups of 12 repetitions, breathing deeply throughout.

Cat Stretch

This old variation of the cat stretch tones and strengthens the whole body and abdominals and back in particular. It’s part of the Dive Bomber Push-up movement and you may also come across it in Pilate’s and Yoga. From the lower position raise the glutes as high as possible and drop the head between the arms. Now return to the lower position, bowing the spine and bringing back the head.  Breathe normally and  perform two sets of 12 repetitions.

Push Up on supports

One of the best-known exercises for strengthening and developing the pectoral muscles on the front of the chest and increasing chest expansion. Take up the position shown, hands on equal height books just a little wider than shoulder width.  Keeping the body rigid, bend the arms and lower the chest down below the level of the books. Press back to straight arms. Exhale as the body is lowered and inhale as the arms are straightened. Perform two groups of 10 repetitions, increasing to three groups of 10 as you become stronger.

Squat (or deep knees bend)

This is good for balance and muscular co-ordination, improves the efficiency of the lungs and strengthens the chest and legs. Stand erect, rise on the toes, then sink down into the full knees-bend position, at the same time raising the arms up sideways to overhead. Return to the starting position. Perform this movement fairly quickly in order to stimulate respiration. Perform two groups of 20 repetitions.

Pull Over

This is a great exercise for deepening the chest and developing the shoulder girdle. Lie on your back holding a heavy book or something similar, with the arms straight up over the chest. Inhale deeply, simultaneously lowering the straight arms back behind the head. Exhale as you return the arms to the starting position. Perform two groups of 10 repetitions.

Posture Improver

This movement helps enormously to rectify poor posture. With the legs straight, bend over from the waist and rest the hands on a table as shown.  Now drop the head well down between the arms and flatten the back. Move the head gently up and down 12 times  in this position, trying to get the head a little further down each time. Perform two groups of 12 repetitions.

Tummy Toughener

This is one of the most effective exercises for reducing the waistline and building defined, muscular abs.  Lie on the back, feet together, legs straight. Now fully bend the knees and draw the knees well up to the chest If you cannot manage to get them as far as that, just do the best you can. The effort will produce the desired effects and your abdominals will soon get stronger.  Exhale as the knees are drawn up and inhale as the legs are straightened out to the starting position. Perform two groups of 10 repetitions.

Controlled Breathing

Stand with the heels about 12 inches away from a wall, with the back of the head, shoulders and spine pressed flat against the wall.  Place the hands on the lower edge of the ribs and perform 15 really deep breaths, endeavoring to concentrate the inhaled air under the hands. Now place the hands on top of the chest and carry out 15 full breaths, again trying to fill the lungs immediately under the hands. This is a wonderful tonic. Perform before an open window whenever possible, although not if you live too close to a busy highway!

Stick with this simple, free-standing exercise schedule and you’ll soon be feeling and looking a lot fitter. You should also notice a positive change in your muscular development.