I’ve been a personal trainer for over 15 years and have trained many people of varying ages and ability levels. Most trainers have a preferred population group they’d rather train - like college athletes, postpartum moms, or senior adults. I have two that I especially love working with.
First, I love training young women and helping them feel more confident in the gym - shout out to all my Bootcamp ladies at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary :) Most women are intimidated by the gym atmosphere and need encouragement to go. Once they are equipped with a basic knowledge of weight lifting, they feel more empowered to stay in shape. I love seeing this.
My second favorite group to train are average people just looking to get in better shape. While not wanting to train for a marathon or add 15lbs of muscle (there’s nothing wrong with either of those), they’re simply wanting to move and feel better on a daily basis.
This post is devoted to all the average every-day-worker-outers out there.
The following is a simple workout that anyone can do at home. Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps of each movement. You can move through it by doing 3 sets of one exercise before going to the next, or do each exercise one time through as your first set. Then, repeat two more times.
Squat with toe-tap
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down, keeping your heels on the floor. Remain in the squat position, and tap one toe out to each side. Then, stand back up. That’s one rep - squat down, hold it, and tap your right toe out and back, then your left toe out and back.
Pushup hold with arm raise
Get in pushup position, keeping your hands under your shoulders. Make sure your back is flat and that your hips aren’t higher than your shoulders. Alternate raising an arm up and out in front of you. If this is too hard, just hold the pushup position for 15 seconds. One rep is holding that pushup, raising the right arm, and then raising the left. Or count one rep as holding the pushup for 15 seconds. You can make it easier by dropping down to your knees.
Frankenstein
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hands at your side. Kick out your right leg, and at the same time, swing your left arm like you’re going to touch the right toe. Alternate back and forth. One rep is the left leg and right arm out, then switching to the right leg and left arm out.
Bridge marches
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Push your hips off the floor, and squeeze your backside. While holding your hips up, alternate raising one foot off the floor then raise the other. One rep is picking both feet off the ground. Try to keep your hips elevated the whole time.
Calf raises with arm hold
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and hold your arms out to the side like you’re making a T with your body. Keeping your arms held out, raise up and down on your toes making sure to elevate slowly through each rep. One rep is raising up and down once while keeping your arms held out for all the reps.
Bird dog
Get down on your hands and knees. Keeping your hips still, extend your left leg and right arm out. Pause for a second then return to the starting position. Now switch sides, extending your right leg and left arm. This is one rep.
Back lunge
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Step back with one foot while bending both knees. Your back knee should be below your hip while your front knee is over your ankle. Step up together and then step back with the other leg. Lunging backward with both legs is one rep.
Plank knee tap
Get down on the floor with only your forearms and toes keeping your body elevated off the ground. Your elbows should be just below your shoulders and hands pointing out straight in front of you. Slowly lower one knee, tapping it on the ground. Then, tap the other knee to the ground, while continuing to hold your body off the floor. This is one rep.
If you're in need of more exercise suggestions, be sure to check out my other posts!
Workouts with little or no equipment
10 reasons to lift weights
Cardio tips
Common mistakes in the gym
Guide to weight lifting