Over the past few weeks I’ve been doing all of my workouts at home. I have been having so much fun, and have found my workouts tough and effective. Bodyweight training is NO joke, and it’s definitely NOT boring!!
This week I am sharing 5 innovative and challenging exercises that require nothing more than a towel. I think you’ll be surprised by how tough these “home workout” exercises are.
#1) Single Arm Push-Up Iso Hold + Band Resisted Towel Slides
This advanced exercise strengthens the chest, shoulders and triceps, improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility (and stability on the planted side), and lumbo-pelvic stability.
Coaching Tips:
- Place a resistance band around your wrists, and place one hand on a towel.
- Position your hands so they are shoulder width apart or slightly wider, and get into the bottom position of a push-up. Tuck your chin, and keep your neck in a neutral position.
- Your elbows should be positioned over your wrists, and forearms in a vertical position. Do not allow your elbows to flare out.
- While maintaining the same body positioning, gaze directly down to a spot on the floor. For the duration of the exercise, your eyes should remain fixed on this spot.
- Adopt your preferred foot width. You may place your feet so they are together, shoulder width apart, or somewhere in between. The farther apart your feet are, the more stable your base will be.
- On the planted side, your weight should be evenly distributed throughout your full hand and fingers, not just at the base of your hand/wrist. Pretend you are trying to spread your full hand and fingers to the floor.
- Lightly press your tongue against the roof of your mouth (behind your upper front teeth). This subtle trick can make keeping your head and neck from collapsing much easier.
- While holding in a single arm push-up position, perform a slide out with the other side. Go to a range where you are able to maintain proper form.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, hips to collapse or pike, or neck to collapse.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced (360 degree brace), and contract your glutes.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
- Perform the target number of reps and switch sides.
#2) Towel “Thighmaster”
This exercise, which strengthens the adductors and improves hip controlled mobility, is deceptively tough!
Coaching Tips:
- Kneel on two towels (you may place a pillow on each towel if this is more comfortable). Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Place your knees so they are approximately hip to shoulder width apart.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection).
- Now slowly slide your knees apart, and to a range where you are able to maintain proper form (and where it feels comfortable).
- Once you hit your end range, really squeeze your inner thighs (adductors), and return your body to the starting position.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, round, or flex laterally, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or weight to shift from knee to knee.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Get a package of The Ultimate Pull-Up Program and The Ultimate Push-Up Program for $157. Both programs regularly cost $97 each, so you save $37.
#3) Prone Bodyweight Serratus/Trap Towel Drags
This exercise strengthens the serratus, mid and lower trap muscles, and improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Lie on a towel on the floor, and in a prone position. Set your body so it is in a straight line from the top/back of your head to heels, tuck your chin, and keep your neck in a neutral position.
- Place your hands on the floor. Your weight should be evenly distributed throughout your full hand and fingers. Pretend you are trying to spread your full hands and fingers to the floor.
- In the starting position, your arms should be fully extended, and in an overhead position.
- Now draw your shoulder blades in towards your spine and down towards the opposite hip, and pull your body forward. When you reach the end position, your elbows should be at approximately a 45 degree angle with your torso, and you should really feel the muscles around your shoulder blades working.
- Gain a moment of control, then perform the reverse movements and press your body backwards so your arms return to an overhead and fully extended position. When you do so, your shoulder blades should spread apart from your spine, move away from the opposite hip, and move around your ribcage.
- Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move.
- Do not allow your shoulders to shrug towards your ears. Keep your shoulder blades depressed.
- For the duration of the exercise, your body should remain in a straight line from the top/back of your head to heels. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, or torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#4) Alternating Towel Hamstring Curls + Band Resistance
This exercise strengthens the posterior chain muscles, and improves lumbo-pelvic stability. Because of the band resistance, the hamstrings on the non-moving side will be challenged isometrically to a higher degree.
Coaching Tips:
- Place a resistance band around your forefeet.
- Lie on your back on the floor. Your head, torso and hips should be in a stacked position.
- Place your heels on two towels. Bend your knees, and place your shins in a relatively vertical position.
- Take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection).
- Extend your hips by pressing through the back portion of your feet (you can pick up your forefeet if this works best) and squeezing your glutes, NOT by arching your lower back and flaring your ribcage. In the top position, your body should form a straight line from your knees to shoulders. For the duration of the exercise, keep your body in this position.
- Before you perform the hamstring towel slides, repeat the same breathing and bracing you did above. Also, keep your glutes contracted.
- Now slowly slide one foot forward. Once you hit your end range (a range where you are able to maintain proper form), slide your foot back in towards your body and to the starting position. Reset, and repeat using the other side.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or hips to collapse (a small drop is okay).
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#5) Zombie Push-Ups With Towel
This exercise strengthens the chest, shoulders and triceps, improves shoulder and scapular controlled mobility, and lumbo-pelvic stability. This VERY advanced push-up variation is included in The Ultimate Push-Up Program.
Coaching Tips:
- Get into a plank position from your hands and feet, and place your feet on a towel. Tuck your chin, and keep your neck in a neutral position.
- Adopt your preferred foot width. You may place your feet so they are together, shoulder width apart, or somewhere in between.
- Position your hands so they are slightly closer together than during regular push-ups. In the bottom position, your elbows and upper arms should remain tight to your sides. Figure out what hand width and positioning works and feels best for you.
- At the top of the push-up, your shoulders, elbows and wrists should be in a relatively stacked position.
- During the push-up components, your weight should be evenly distributed throughout your full hands and fingers, not just at the base of your hands/wrists. Pretend you are trying to spread your full hands and fingers to the floor.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection), and squeeze your glutes.
- Lightly press your tongue against the roof of your mouth (behind your upper front teeth). This subtle trick can make keeping your head and neck from collapsing much easier.
- Descend into the push-up and retract your shoulder blades. Think about lightly drawing your shoulder blades together and towards your spine as you are performing the eccentric component, but do not overdo this movement. Imagine you are pulling or “rowing” your body down to the floor. Do not just drop down.
- In the bottom position, your elbows should be positioned over your wrists, and forearms in a vertical position. Do not allow your elbows to flare out.
- Once your upper arms are approximately parallel (or slightly closer) to the floor, unlike during Russian push-ups where you press your body backwards and touch your forearms to the floor, you will press your body backwards but will not touch your forearms to the floor. Your feet should glide along the floor during this component.
- In the end position, your elbows should be fully extended, and your hands should be well ahead of your shoulders.
- Once you hit your end range, pull your body forward and perform the reverse movements so your elbows are directly over your wrists, and forearms are in a vertical position. Then press back up to the starting position. As you are performing these movements, do not sink into your shoulders, and do not allow your body to collapse towards the floor. This is extremely important.
- When you are pressing your body away from the floor and are returning to the top position, protractyour shoulder blades. Think about spreading your shoulder blades apart and moving them away from your spine and around your ribcage. Do not keep them pinned.
- For the duration of the exercise, your body should remain in a straight line from the top/back of your head to heels. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, hips to collapse or pike, or neck to collapse.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
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