7 At-Home Exercises So You Don’t Have To Miss Your Weekly Workouts

At TFD, we appreciate a good workout. Our resident expert (and Sales & Partnerships Manager), Monica Killblane, is a pro on all things exercise. We asked her to share some of her favorite exercises for working out at home, so if you’re looking to keep up with your weekly workout, Monica has you covered. 

As most of us have been stuck in our homes alone for the past several weeks, it’s easy to lose motivation and put exercise on the back burner. Even though I consider myself very active, I have definitely seen a decrease in my urge to get a workout in. That’s why I have teamed up with certified trainer Rob Abruzzese to come up with some weekly workouts you can do at home with just a few dumbbells and a bench (feel free to use your coffee table) — bonus if you have an exercise ball.

Now more than ever, it’s important to stay healthy and a big factor in doing that is resistance training. I highly recommend doing this 2-3 days a week, while adding in a mix of cardio and stretching for the other days. 

During these resistance training workouts, there are a few things that can help maximize your time and feel your best. There is a lot of science involved, but in short, you want to move in every direction. The below workout has all this covered for you.

Knee Dominant Exercise: Goblet Squat

How to do it: Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart with the dumbbell in your hand at your chest, then slowly squat down until you feel like you could sit on a chair while keeping your back straight. Push straight back up to a standing position to complete the movement. Repeat this movement 8 times then take a quick 30-second to a minute-long break and do it all over again three times. (3 sets of 8 reps)

Hip Dominant Exercise: Hip Bridge

How to do it: Lay on your back with your feet at a comfortable distance as seen in the photo. Raise your hips off the ground so only your shoulders and feet are touching the ground. Squeeze your abs and glutes at the top. Pause for a moment then return to the starting position. Repeat this movement eight times for one set. Do three sets total. Rest 30 seconds to a minute between each. (3 sets of 8 reps)

Horizontal Push: Chest Press

How to do it: Grab a bench or a table if you have nothing else and lay on your back. Raise both dumbbells to the starting position as shown in the photo then press up to the ending position. When you are lowering this weight, lower it until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle, then press back up. Do this eight times. That’s one set. Do three sets total with 30 seconds to a minute rest between each.  (3 sets 8 reps)

Horizontal Pull: Dumbbell Row

How to do it: Start off with your left hand and left knee on the bench with your back straight. Reach your Right arm down holding the dumbbell as shown in the starting position here. Again, while maintaining a straight back row the dumbbell up to the end position. Keep your elbow in. That is one rep. Do eight reps to complete the set then repeat with the left arm. Do three sets total with 30 seconds to a minute rest between each. (3 sets of 8 reps)

Vertical Push: Shoulder Press

How to do it: Start off sitting upright on the exercise ball or chair or bench. Raise the dumbbells to the starting position as shown then press up to the end position for one rep. Similar to the chest press when you lower the weight back down keep your elbows at 90 degrees. You don’t need to go lower than that. Then press back up. Do this eight times to complete the set. Do three sets total with 30 seconds to a minute rest between each. (3 sets 8 reps).

Vertical Pull: Chin Up

How to do it: Find an area of your home that is sturdy enough to hang from. (I had to go outside and find a tree). See the starting position in the photo and hang. Next, do your best to pull yourself up so your chin is at or above the bar. That is one rep. Repeat this as many times as you can. You may need a friend to assist you because they are tough.

Core: Plank

How to do it: You can do this on an exercise ball if you have one or on the ground if you don’t. Rest yourself on your forearms and toes. Keep your body as straight as possible while bracing your core and hold this position for 30 seconds. That is one set. Do this three times for three sets total with 30seconds to a minute rest between each.

Image via Pexels

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