Home Exercises - Exercises You Can Do With A Chair

With work, family obligations and the odd night out with the guys, it's probably hard for you to find time to get to the gym on a regular basis. That's why it's always a great idea to have a back-up workout option that you can do with minimal equipment in the privacy of your own home. By using a bit of creativity, you can find various ways of challenging your body with the added benefit of stimulating your mind due to a break from the usual routine. In the following workout, the only piece of equipment you need is a chair and a half-hour of free time.

For each exercise, perform 2 sets of 12 to 15 reps.

Step-Ups

Stand a comfortable distance away from a sturdy chair, facing the seat. Slowly raise your right leg and place your entire foot on the seat. Push yourself up until your second foot is on the chair as well. Then, lower your left foot back down to the floor. Once you are in the starting position again, repeat the process. Once all reps are completed, switch sides.

Benefits: This exercise is great for targeting your quad and gluteus maximus muscles, giving you strong, powerful legs.

The Plank

Place both feet on the seat of the chair and form a "table" with your body by placing your elbows on the floor in front of the chair (you may wish to put down a towel if you are on a hard floor). Make sure your back isn't arched and that your whole body forms a straight line. Keep your core muscles tight and hold this position for up to one minute.

Benefits: This total-body exercise will work your core muscles as well as your upper body, which is required to support your weight. For an added challenge, try slowly raising one leg into the air behind you. This will increase the demand on your balance and thus further stimulate your abdominal muscles.

Pushups

Get into the same position as for the plank, but instead of balancing on your elbows, place your hands on the floor shoulder-width apart. Then, begin to perform a pushup, keeping your feet on the chair. Be sure not to let your back arch while performing this exercise.

Benefits: Your chest muscles will be primarily targeted, with the triceps being called into play as a synergistic muscle group.

One-Legged Squats

Stand a few feet in front of the chair, facing away from it. Place one leg behind you on the seat of the chair and find your balance. Slowly lower your hips as far as you can go, using the muscles in your standing leg. Once at the bottom, carefully rise up again to complete one rep.

Benefits: This is another great action for targeting your gluteus maximus muscle, as well as your hamstrings and quadriceps. Due to the nature of this exercise, you will also work on your balance.

Work your triceps, calves, back, and more...

Tricep Dips

Sit on the chair with your arms at your sides and your palms resting on the edge of the seat. Next, walk your body out from the chair so you are only holding on by your palms. Slowly move your body down, using your triceps to lower yourself and rise up again.

Benefits: You will feel a good burn in the back of your arms (triceps). For an added challenge, you can also put your feet on the seat of another chair or on an exercise ball.

Calf Raises

On a very stable chair, stand with both feet on the seat, heels hanging off the edge. Slowly, while hanging onto another object if you have balance difficulties, lower and rise up again, mimicking the action of a calf raise you would do at the gym.

Benefits: This exercise will primarily target your calf muscles and will help you work on your balance.

Superman

Lie with your stomach across the seat of the chair; the majority of your weight should be off the chair and on your feet. Then, with your arms stretched out on either side of your head, lower and rise up using the muscles in your upper back. Try to focus on only using your trapezius and latissimus dorsi muscles, and not your hamstrings.

Benefits: The primary target is your upper back, namely your traps and lats.

Front Raises

Stand up and hold onto the two front legs of the chair with a sturdy grasp. Slowly raise the chair straight out in front of you, from below the waist to shoulder level and back down again.

Benefits: You will target your frontal deltoids.

Military Press

Holding the chair legs, slowly bring the chair above your head and press up as you would in the military press machine at the gym. Just be careful not to hit yourself on the head with the chair.

Benefits: This exercise will target your frontal deltoids again, but it will also call into play the medial deltoids.

Hip Raises

Lie on your back facing the seat of the chair. Rest your heels on the chair with your knees slightly bent. Then, using your hamstring muscles, squeeze your glute muscles and bring your hips up to form a line with your body. Hold for a second and lower again to complete one rep.

Benefits: This movement primarily hits your hamstring muscles, with the gluteus muscles acting as synergistic helpers.

no excuses

Next time you are feeling pressed for time, don't just give up on your workout. With some imagination, you can create your own workout at home using common household objects that will stimulate your body in new ways, thus preventing you from reaching a plateau.

Even if time isn't a factor and you could have made it to the gym, it's never a bad idea to take a few sessions away, both to give you a psychological break, as well as to give your body some time away from the customary movements you have been performing. As always, ensure you are using proper form to avoid injuries, and take a day off in between each workout so you do not risk overtraining.

Parkour Exercises

Parkour is one of the fastest growing forms of exercise right now, and it was originally introduced by the French. With the aim to get from one place to another with precise movements that have the utmost efficiency with regards to both time and energy expended, it requires large physical demands by the body to perform these exercises correctly. Parkour has gradually been introduced into pop culture through appearances in movies, music videos, TV shows, video games, and finally in literature. A few examples where it can be seen are in the James Bond movie, Casino Royal, in one of Tony Hawk's skateboard video games and in Splinter Cell.
As well, parkour websites are popping up all over the internet where people are exchanging messages and connecting with others interested in this form of exercise. One forum in particular, based out of New York and London, has more than 11,500 members conversing on the subject. Parkour is rapidly catching on all over the world and large groups are now meeting up to practice together in various locations.
The health benefits of parkour are numerous, with one of the most important factors being that it encompasses both your mental abilities as well as your physical skills. In order to be proficient at parkour you must be constantly "thinking on your feet," always anticipating what will come next so that you know the best way to move your body to accomplish your goal. Those who are successful at practicing parkour, have really learned how to master their own bodies and are always fully in control. Individuals who overestimate their abilities of strength, flexibility and balance often wind up injured. In this way, parkour is much more than just exercise; it's about knowing yourself and your own personal limits. By practicing parkour, you not only gain a great deal of physical benefits, but you also learn how to trust your body and your judgments. This will translate over into the rest of your life with a definite increase in self-esteem.
Below you will find the exercises that you should include in your fitness routine so you can strengthen the muscle groups that will be used when executing parkour.

1- Jump squats

Benefits: As many of the movements in parkour include rebounding off walls, the ground or other objects, you are going to want to have explosive quad strength. Jump squats are just the thing to get those results.  How to do them: Begin by crouching down in a low, squat position so your knees are fully bent at 90-degree angles and your arms are crossed in front of you -- keep your back as straight as possible. Next, use your quad muscles to jump as high as you can off the floor; as you jump, extend your legs and raise your arms as well. Immediately move back into the squat position once you land and repeat. Do a series of 10 jumps before resting after the completion of a set. Perform 2 to 3 more sets.

2- Pull-ups

Benefits: Among parkour participants, handstands are quite common, which require a great deal of upper-body strength. This is not only to hold the handstand position, but also to rebound out of it as many of participants choose to do. Pull-ups will help to develop that strength as well as work on your proprioception abilities (awareness of body position in space).
From pull-ups to the plank, strengthen your core... 
How to do them: Grasp a pull-up bar using an overhand or underhand grip. Note that an underhand grip will work your latissimi dorsi more while an overhand grip will target your biceps as well. Slowly bring your body up to the top of the bar, pausing at the top momentarily if you can. Next, begin to lower yourself down in a controlled manner, but don't go so far as to hyperextend your elbows. Rise up once again to complete a second rep. Aim for 10 to 15 reps and once that becomes too easy, add some weight to your legs -- you can use ankle weights or have someone hold onto you for resistance.

3- Plyometric push-ups

Benefits: Plyometric push-ups are great because they will help to increase the explosiveness of your upper body in the same way jump squats did with your legs. You are going to need to call upon your fast twitch muscle fibers considerably while performing parkour as you need to react quickly in your movements because you are constantly changing directions. How to do them: Move into a normal push-up position. Perform a standard push-up as you lower yourself to the floor then use your maximal strength to propel your body off the ground and into the air. If you can, try to clap your hands together mid-air and then move them back into the standard position before your land. Perform a series of 10.

4- The plank

Benefits: Having the strength to maintain a stable core will help you a great deal while practicing parkour. A strong core will ensure that first, you don't suffer from back injuries due to all the twisting motion and high impact moves, and second, that you can move as efficiently from one movement to the next. Since the plank exercise demands you to hold the muscle contraction for a period of time, you will derive a great deal of endurance strength from this exercise. How to do it: Begin by laying face down on the floor. Next, lay your forearms on the floor just underneath your body with your hands clasped together, your arms will form a 90-degree angle when you body is raised. Lift your body  up so that you are balancing on your toes. Your body should form what resembles a flat table top or plank. Ensure that your back does not sway downward or move up so you look like an inverted V. This is key for this movement. Hold yourself up for about two minutes and then come down and rest before repeating.

5- One-legged reach jumps

Benefits: Rebounding is an essential skill needed for parkour, so developing it should be a priority. One-legged reach jumps do precisely this while also helping to improve your balance and agility. How to do them: Stand about three feet away from a wall. In a swift movement, take one or two steps toward the wall and then rebound off one leg, reaching as far up the wall as possible. Each time you include this exercise in your workout, try and get further and further up the wall. After performing this exercise 5 to 10 times on one leg, switch legs and repeat. Be prepared to work at this one. It's rather intimidating to take on a wall -- make sure you have shoes with grip.
Final tips for your parkour preparation...

6- Tuck jumps

Benefits: Rolls are a key movement in parkour and having strong hip flexors and abdominal muscles will aid in performing these smoothly. To accomplish this, practice doing tuck jumps as often as you can.   How to do them: Stand on a padded surface and jump; tuck your knees as close to your chest as you can. Straighten out before you land and repeat. Note that this is a very intense exercise, so start by only doing a few repetitions at a time and building up from there. Always perform them while wearing proper footwear; this will prevent lower back pain due to impact.

7- V-sit snaps

Benefits: You will want to have quick-responding abdominal muscles so you don't waste precious time maneuvering your body around. V-sit snaps -- because gravity will be acting against you -- challenge your ab muscles more than a standard crunch and they also call the hip flexors into play. Some of the moves in parkour will have you quickly snapping up from the ground, so having the ability to do this movement will be of great use to you. How to do them: On the floor, lay flat on your back. Immediately snap upward, keeping your knees and upper body as straight as possible. The end position of this exercise should have your body in the shape of a V. Hold this position for a second and then lower your body back down in a controlled manner. Try not to let your feet completely touch the ground again but rather hover mid-air before you complete your second rep. Don't leave a lot of time between reps and aim to touch your toes with your fingers.

ain't no building high enough

So, before you give parkour a try, integrate these exercises into your workout routine first. As you grow stronger you will gain the confidence you need to be able to keep up with the physical demands of parkour, without being injured. Remember to take things slowly and learn from the experience you gain. As much as parkour is a vigorous form of exercise, it is also an exercise in mental dexterity.

Warm up exercises - How to warm up before exercising

Warm up and stretch properly before exercising to prevent injury and make your workouts more effective.
This warm-up and stretching routine should take at least six minutes. Warm up for longer if you feel the need.