Congratulations! You’ve made it through one whole month of quarantine. Which category did you fall into during the last 4 weeks — the over-exerciser, the over-eater, the over-sleeper, the over-cleaner, the TV/movie binger? Now, I won’t judge you for what you did over the last month, but what are your intentions over the next 28+ days of self-isolation? I recommend starting to get in some exercise if you haven’t already!
Are you sick of social media influencers posting easy at-home workouts that “only” involve four different pairs of dumbbells? Or are you bored of sweat sessions that involve mastering the choreo to the latest TikTok videos? Or did you fail the Instagram pushup challenge and want to build up some muscles for the next quarantine? While there are some great and endless exercises you can do with just your own bodyweight, you may want to enhance your workouts with some dumbbell-esque equipment. Here are some creative tips on how to continue resistance training while you’re stuck weightless at home!
Cans/Jars/Bottles of *Insert Whatever You Have Here*
This is by far one of the easiest ways to do light resistance training at home. We all have those extra cans of beans or soup in the back of the pantry (you know, behind all the bags of chips and boxes of cereal) that we’re never going to use. They’re great alternatives to dumbbells because they’re equally weighted with similar grips to regular dumbbells. Remember that a regular 16 oz can is equivalent to 1 lb. To vary the intensity, you can also make use of different sized condiment or water bottles and jars of spreads and sauces.
Cartons/jugs of *insert whatever you have here*
If you’re looking for something a little bit heavier than just soup cans, cartons or jugs of milk, water, juice, or even laundry detergent are great as they have handles that make them easy to hold onto. A one gallon jug weighs about 8.4 lbs. Keep in mind that since these containers carry liquid, the centre of gravity of these items are less stable than a regular dumbbell, and some exercises might be harder to perform.
Bags of *Insert whatever you have here*
Feeling strong with those jugs? Then you may choose to upgrade to bags of rice, beans, flour, potatoes, etc. It’s not uncommon for households to have 10 lb bags of rice or flour sitting around as these items pretty much never go bad. Pro tip: stick the flour in a bag before you get down to business to avoid having to clean up flour dust. You can easily hold them by your sides or even over your shoulders if you are feeling ambitious. Speaking of bags, you can also fill a backpack or duffle bag with any of the above objects and exercise with it on your back.
cans/pails of *insert whatever you have here*
I notice that so far, there has been a food theme going on here, but realize that it doesn’t have to be anything in the kitchen! Do you have paint cans or empty pails lying around? Easily fill them up with water, sand, rocks, or whatever you find in nature.
TEXTBOOKS
Thick, heavy textbooks serve as a good substitute for dumbbells at home or in the office. Stack a few of them on top of each other, and you can also make yourself a good stepper.
SOCKS FILLED with *insert whatever you have here*
Think before you throw out your ugly pair of long socks as they make great arm or ankle weights. Fill them with sand, coins, or even dried beans/rice and tie them off. These malleable weights are perfect for adding a little bit of extra resistance on your walk or run.
Suitcase filled with *insert whatever you have here*
This is the tote bag idea on steroids. If any of the above are too easy for you, then consider filling a suitcase up with whatever you desire. Unlike at the airport, there is no limit here! This idea might be a bit more bulky or awkward compared to the others, but it could provide you with some heavy heavy options. Remember to weigh the suitcase beforehand so that you know how much it weighs on its own.
When you think of lifting free weights, don’t just think about upper body exercises like bicep curls, shoulder raises, tricep kickbacks, rows, and chest presses. Many lower body and full body exercises can be weighted as well. Consider carrying or wearing weights when you do regular bodyweight exercises such as squats, lunges, burpees, pushups, step ups, etc., and you’ll have a whole new repertoire. Get creative, and the possibilities are endless!
