Exercises You Can Do With A Chair

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yeahright

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Exercises You Can Do With A Chair


With work, family obligations and the odd night out with the guys, it's probably hard for you to find time to get to the gym on a regular basis. That's why it's always a great idea to have a back-up workout option that you can do with minimal equipment in the privacy of your own home. By using a bit of creativity, you can find various ways of challenging your body with the added benefit of stimulating your mind due to a break from the usual routine. In the following workout, the only piece of equipment you need is a chair and a half-hour of free time.

For each exercise, perform 2 sets of 12 to 15 reps.

Step-Ups

Stand a comfortable distance away from a sturdy chair, facing the seat. Slowly raise your right leg and place your entire foot on the seat. Push yourself up until your second foot is on the chair as well. Then, lower your left foot back down to the floor. Once you are in the starting position again, repeat the process. Once all reps are completed, switch sides.

Benefits: This exercise is great for targeting your quad and gluteus maximus muscles, giving you strong, powerful legs.

The Plank

Place both feet on the seat of the chair and form a "table" with your body by placing your elbows on the floor in front of the chair (you may wish to put down a towel if you are on a hard floor). Make sure your back isn't arched and that your whole body forms a straight line. Keep your core muscles tight and hold this position for up to one minute.

Benefits: This total-body exercise will work your core muscles as well as your upper body, which is required to support your weight. For an added challenge, try slowly raising one leg into the air behind you. This will increase the demand on your balance and thus further stimulate your abdominal muscles.

Pushups

Get into the same position as for the plank, but instead of balancing on your elbows, place your hands on the floor shoulder-width apart. Then, begin to perform a pushup, keeping your feet on the chair. Be sure not to let your back arch while performing this exercise.

Benefits: Your chest muscles will be primarily targeted, with the triceps being called into play as a synergistic muscle group.

One-Legged Squats

Stand a few feet in front of the chair, facing away from it. Place one leg behind you on the seat of the chair and find your balance. Slowly lower your hips as far as you can go, using the muscles in your standing leg. Once at the bottom, carefully rise up again to complete one rep.

Benefits: This is another great action for targeting your gluteus maximus muscle, as well as your hamstrings and quadriceps. Due to the nature of this exercise, you will also work on your balance.

Work your triceps, calves, back, and more...

Tricep Dips

Sit on the chair with your arms at your sides and your palms resting on the edge of the seat. Next, walk your body out from the chair so you are only holding on by your palms. Slowly move your body down, using your triceps to lower yourself and rise up again.

Benefits: You will feel a good burn in the back of your arms (triceps). For an added challenge, you can also put your feet on the seat of another chair or on an exercise ball.

Calf Raises

On a very stable chair, stand with both feet on the seat, heels hanging off the edge. Slowly, while hanging onto another object if you have balance difficulties, lower and rise up again, mimicking the action of a calf raise you would do at the gym.

Benefits: This exercise will primarily target your calf muscles and will help you work on your balance.

Superman

Lie with your stomach across the seat of the chair; the majority of your weight should be off the chair and on your feet. Then, with your arms stretched out on either side of your head, lower and rise up using the muscles in your upper back. Try to focus on only using your trapezius and latissimus dorsi muscles, and not your hamstrings.

Benefits: The primary target is your upper back, namely your traps and lats.

Front Raises

Stand up and hold onto the two front legs of the chair with a sturdy grasp. Slowly raise the chair straight out in front of you, from below the waist to shoulder level and back down again.

Benefits: You will target your frontal deltoids.

Military Press


Holding the chair legs, slowly bring the chair above your head and press up as you would in the military press machine at the gym. Just be careful not to hit yourself on the head with the chair.

Benefits: This exercise will target your frontal deltoids again, but it will also call into play the medial deltoids.

Hip Raises

Lie on your back facing the seat of the chair. Rest your heels on the chair with your knees slightly bent. Then, using your hamstring muscles, squeeze your glute muscles and bring your hips up to form a line with your body. Hold for a second and lower again to complete one rep.

Benefits: This movement primarily hits your hamstring muscles, with the gluteus muscles acting as synergistic helpers.

no excuses

Next time you are feeling pressed for time, don't just give up on your workout. With some imagination, you can create your own workout at home using common household objects that will stimulate your body in new ways, thus preventing you from reaching a plateau.

Even if time isn't a factor and you could have made it to the gym, it's never a bad idea to take a few sessions away, both to give you a psychological break, as well as to give your body some time away from the customary movements you have been performing. As always, ensure you are using proper form to avoid injuries, and take a day off in between each workout so you do not risk overtraining.
 

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