10 Items Everyone Can Use For An At Home Workout If You Don't Own Weights
If you have tried to purchase equipment for a good at home workout in the last month or two, you either weren't able to find anything or what you did find was priced well above the average of a dollar per pound. Even elastic bands, pull up bars, and yoga mats are hard to come by. So here is a list of some house hold items that you can use to get that pump on as well as some different exercises to try with the different house hold items.
1 - Backpack
This is by far the most versatile for an at home workout. Some exercise companies have even designed their own backpacks specifically to be used as a workout tool. Here are a few exercises that you can do with a back pack -
- Throw it on your back and do squats
- Start getting in some elevation gain on a set of stairs while wearing it
- Benchpress
- Curls
- Waiter carry
- Shoulder press
2 - A Jug
This can be laundry detergent, a milk jug, water, anything with some liquid! I like to compare this tool to a kettlebell with the different exercises that you can do, if you have a 5 gallon water jug too, you can really get a good workout in. Here are some ideas for a jug workout -
- Kettlebell swings
- Turkish getups
- Bent over row
- Single arm shoulder press
- Goodmornings
- Single leg deadlift
- Curls
- Shoulder raises
3 - Your Couch
Now this one isn't necessarily conventional and not necessarily something everyone will be able to do depending on their couch and living room set up. I have seen a lot of people have success with it though. Think of the exercises you do with your couch as an awkward bar bell workout. Awkward in the sense that it is jammed in your face when you bend down to pick it up. Make sure you focus on form and proper back posture, master this one and you will be a pro next time it comes to helping someone move. Here are a few "couch" workouts -
- Deadlift
- Landmine shoulder press
- Goodmornings
- Leg press
4 - Ski Pole/Trekking Pole
This is more of an accessory to use with some of the other items mentioned. Think of it as an empty bar bell. Now you can't load it down with 100 pounds on each side, but you can attach some jugs on there or a couple backpacks depending on how much duct tape you have. Here are a few trekking pole exercises -
- Curls
- Shoulder press
- Bent over row
- Bench press
- Deadlift
- Squats
5 - Books
Now if you can take some books and throw a strap around them, that is the best set up. Super customizable when it comes to size and weight. Here are some good book workouts -
- Plank hold with book pull through
- Shoulder raises (also works the forearms if you have to pinch the books)
- Russian twists
Some other less common at home tools you can use for a good at home workout -
- Bag of mulch or sand
- Cinderblock
- Wheelbarrow
- Rope or chains
- Tires
If you need some more ideas, here is a short video we put together for our Instagram on an unconventional at home workout.
Ideally you are able to get by with getting a good at home workout in without having to invest in too much equipment. When we are able to get back in the gym, all that equipment people are spending so much money on will just start collecting dust in the garage, so we might as well dust off these household items and get a workout with them while we can. Good luck and enjoy!