“What exercises should I work on when I’m away from the gym and don’t have equipment?”
This is a common question that I get from kids and their parents who are eager to continue their athletic development and don’t want to slip back during a week away from the gym.
Firstly, I’m pretty impressed when I have a kid ask me this question. Being aware of the need to exercise shows us coaches that you understand that your decisions make differences and matter. That is a huge lesson to learn as a child!
Secondly, since I have started working at Fitness Quest 10, I have noticed that most kids need to work on the same things, and most of these things include mastering the basics. Kids ask me if they absolutely need equipment and the answer is no! They can use their bodyweight to work on a lot of movements.
What I have found from helping kids master these fundamental movements is that they are extremely effective when learned. The cool part is that there are numerous ways to help kids work on these movement patterns that teach them how to move their body through space and in different situations. Once kids learn this they start becoming stronger, more coordinated, more athletic, and just flat out more fit.
Whether you are a young kid, high school to professional athlete, or you’re a run-of-the-mill weekend warrior, the more you understand movement, the less equipment you will need, and the more efficient you will move.
Improving your fitness level comes from doing the following very well, and most of the example exercises don’t require equipment:
Squatting – Bodyweight squats, split squats, goblet squats, etc.
Hinging – Wall hip hinge, deadlifts, hip extensions, single leg balance reaches, single leg RDLs
Pushing – Pushups, single arm presses, etc.
Pulling – Pull ups, TRX rows, single arm dumbbell rows, etc.
Chopping – Med ball chops, cable chops: kneeling, standing, balancing variations
Carrying – (One that you need equipment for!) Farmer walks, suitcase carries, front rack walks, overhead walks, etc.
Modes of locomotion – Crawling, walking, skipping, running, etc.
These movements can be worked on in all planes of motion whether it is sagittal (forwards and backward), frontal (left and right), or transverse (rotational), and can be done either double or single arm or leg. It is actually a lot of fun to change up workouts and just use your bodyweight to work on the basics (and I bet you will sweat a lot too!).
Some people might look at this list and think, “isn’t this list way too short?” And the answer is no!
The BIG point is that mastering the above makes doing all of the other more advanced exercises and movements a lot easier. It’s like learning the ABC’s as a child before you can read. You need to learn the ABC’s of fitness to make the BIG things happen.
Jesse Dietrick
Fitness Quest 10 Personal Trainer
There is a well-organized medical service with all necessary equipment. SCOTT & WHITE HOSPITAL- COLLEGE STATION.
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