My first introduction to strength training was in my sophomore year. Every day after my last class, I made my way to the gym and got ready to let off steam. Going to the gym was part of my daily routine – a routine I still follow provided there is less bicep curls.
Now things are different and most, if not all, gyms are closed for the time being. So what are you doing? The possibilities are endless thanks to social media for #athomeworkouts by talented trainers.
Here are some of my favorites:
You don't need fancy setup or equipment to build incredible strength. Since you may not have access to a chin-up bar or free weights, I wanted to share some of my favorite body weight exercises for developing a strong rear chain.
Rocking cues
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Initiate the movement through the shoulder blades.
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Keep your arms locked and push through your arms the entire time.
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Put something soft under your knees to help with discomfort.
Increased rocking cues
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Raise your knees.
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Initiate the movement through the shoulder blades.
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Keep your arms locked and push them through.
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Move with control all the time.
Baby crawl cues
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Move with contralateral motion. (The right arm moves with the left leg.)
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Look straight ahead and keep your back long.
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Initiate movement through the shoulder blades
Leopard crawl cues
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Raise your knees
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Move with contralateral motion. (The right arm moves with the left leg.)
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Look straight ahead and avoid rounding your lower back.
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Initiate movement through the shoulder blades
Hollow crawl cues
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Push yourself off the floor and tuck your tailbone in while focusing on squeezing your shoulders.
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Move with contralateral motion (the right arm moves with the left leg).
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Initiate movement through the shoulder blades
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For added challenge, try balancing with two limbs off the floor
Forearm planks notices
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Place your forearms on the floor with your shoulders stacked above your elbows.
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Activate your glutes by squeezing your legs together.
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Push away from the floor as you pull your shoulder blades into your back pocket.
Keywords
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Put a pusher or towel under your feet.
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Place your forearms on the floor with your shoulders stacked above your elbows.
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Activate your glutes by squeezing your legs together.
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Push away from the floor as you pull your shoulder blades into your back pocket.
Notes on windshield wipers
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Keep your shoulder blades in contact with the ground at all times.
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Squeeze your ankles and knees together throughout your range of motion.
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As your lower body moves to the right, fold your right palm up. Repeat the process to the left.
Tabletop rock cues
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Slide through your arms and lift your chest.
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Drive your hips towards the ceiling.
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Push through your arms to shift your weight forward.
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Pull your shoulder blades down to return to your starting position.
3-point bridge information
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Slide through your arms and lift your chest.
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Drive your hips towards the ceiling.
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Bend one arm and glue it to your ribs.
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Shift your weight back over the support arm.
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When you feel stable, you can stretch your curved arm over your head.
Bridge pushup cues
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Keep your feet hip-width apart.
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As you slide onto the bridge, focus on relaxing the glutes and activating the quadriceps.
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Slide through your arms and raise your chest.
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As you push through the quadriceps, you are shifting your weight back into your arms.
Sets and repetitions
You can customize any of these exercises to suit your training needs. I'm a big fan of following timed sets rather than aiming for a specific number of reps. Timed work allows me to focus on the quality of every move while keeping every session short and sweet.
Sample session
Preparation: 5 minutes
Exercise: 5 minutes
Leopard crawl
- Practice moving with control and take as many breaks as necessary during the 5 minutes.
- Focus on the quality of the movement over the quantity.
to press: 30 seconds per exercise with a 30 second break after the exercise
goal:: 5 rounds
Think: How did your session go? Were there any moves that challenged you? What is a positive aspect of your training session today?
Try one of these movements on your next workout and reap the benefits of a strong back.