During isolation mode, it is easy to transfer sports training from the fitness center to home. The most difficult thing at this time is not to be lazy. But what if you didn’t have time to stock up on any additional equipment that helps make your classes more effective? It's simple - you need to use the simplest household items. We turn on our imagination and carefully examine the house. We have compiled a list of what you will definitely need.
Household items that can be used for weight
To play sports, it is not at all necessary to buy specialized sports equipment. To do this, it is quite acceptable to use improvised objects.
Books
Every person has books at home. They can be used as a replacement for dumbbells. It is best to give preference to books with greater weight. This option is suitable for performing lunges, flyes, and bench presses.
Water bottles
You can make dumbbells from ordinary water bottles. To do this, you need to pour sand into them or pour water. To make the weights even heavier, you can pour water into sand-filled dumbbells.
If a lot of weight is required, it is recommended to take 1.5-2 liter bottles. It is important to consider that holding them in your hands is not very comfortable. However, do not be upset - just hold the container over the flow of hot air from the stove. As a result, the plastic is deformed and the bottles can be given the required shape. Before pouring sand into the container, it must be completely cooled.
Cans
Such products can also be used as sports equipment. However, they are suitable for lighter loads on the hands.
Chair
This piece of furniture can be used as a step platform. However, for this purpose it is considered quite high, so it is suitable only for people with a sufficient level of training. In addition, it is important to securely fix the chair. It is more convenient to use it as a weighting agent.
Things to consider
Naturally, you should understand that this measure is forced, and simply helps you stay in shape in situations where your usual equipment is not at hand.
However, experts suggest finding a way out. For example, you can buy a spare set of dumbbells and put them in the trunk of your car. So, it will always be at your fingertips. If this is not possible, try to find out where you can rent equipment. As a last resort, you can purchase used equipment - it costs much less than new ones.
Items for resistance
To get a good workout for their arms and legs, many people use all sorts of resistance products. However, not everyone has special fitness bands at home. This is not at all a reason to refuse such loads. To achieve the desired effect, it is permissible to use different products.
Towel
Not everyone knows that using a towel is permissible not only after training, but also during it. To do this, it is recommended to simply stretch it in different directions. It is also permissible to secure a towel in the door and do push-ups.
T-shirt
This product is used in the same way as a towel. It should be pulled forward or placed on the neck. This will create resistance for arm training.
Belt
This accessory is also useful when doing stretching. To do this, you can do a simple exercise. To begin, it is recommended to lie on your back, then place the ball in the middle of the belt with one foot and hold both ends. Then you should gently pull your heel towards the ceiling. This will help stretch the hamstring.
Unstable center of gravity
You should not compare the weight of a sandbag with the weight of its iron counterparts. The bag is filled with sand, which constantly moves during training, making the apparatus uncomfortable and unstable, which in turn forces you to expend additional resources to stabilize your body. The working weight of the sandbag will often be lower than the working weight of the barbell. The presence of such a floating center of gravity requires control of body position in almost every movement. Hence, the effect is of higher quality and adapted to everyday life. Therefore, a sandbag is not just an alternative to a barbell at home, but something more!
Other useful items
For playing sports at home, it is permissible to use many other useful items.
Pan
This product can be used instead of a dumbbell. With its help you can train your upper body. It's worth noting that a frying pan has a completely different weight distribution than dumbbells. Therefore, at first, lifting and rotating will not be very easy. However, such an exercise will make the muscles work much more efficiently.
Wall
With its help, it is permissible to perform push-ups, jumps, and bends. The wall will also help to train your posture perfectly.
Sofa
You can do exercises near the sofa even while watching TV. This piece of furniture is ideal for push-ups. You can also do squats with it.
Pillow
It is recommended to use hard products that can be placed on the floor as sports equipment. The pillow is perfect for doing balance exercises. It can also be used to work the abs and legs.
Backpack
To make the backpack heavier, it is recommended to fill it with different things and use it during squats, push-ups and jumps. In this case, it is not at all necessary to put the backpack on your back. You can pick it up and do squats.
Mop
This product should be placed on 2 chairs. This design will make a push-up bar. It is important to check that the mop is securely fastened.
It is also permissible to lie on your stomach on the floor, place a mop on your shoulders and perform curls with your arms behind your head. This exercise will perfectly work your shoulders and back. The edges of the mop can be supplemented with weights - their functions can be performed by sneakers.
In addition, the mop can be used to perform push-ups or crunches. With its help you can make a very interesting plank.
How to make dumbbells from eggplants
The manufacturing technology is very simple. Just to do this you need to stock up on adhesive tape or insulating tape. Let's start production. To do this, you will need two plastic two-liter bottles, a stationery knife, wire, tape and filler (sand, cement or something similar).
First, use a utility knife to cut off the top and bottom of the bottle. It is important to cut carefully so that the edges are even. This removes the middle part. The bottom and top are glued back together using a large number of turns of tape. It should be noted that the smaller the middle part is cut, the heavier the dumbbell will be. The same must be done with the second bottle.
After this, pre-prepared filler is poured into each half of the dumbbell through the neck hole. Then the lid is screwed on. Once the two halves are ready, they can be joined. Having placed the neck against the neck, you need to wrap these parts with tape so that they are connected. After several fixing turns, we begin to make a handle. To make the handle strong, it needs to be well wrapped with wire, which will also add weight. You need to make something like a wire winding. Thus, these two parts will be firmly connected. After adding a couple more layers of tape and insulating tape, you can start training.
How to replace exercise equipment
Today, there are many devices that can be used as an alternative to exercise machines to work out different muscle groups.
Pectoral muscles
To work your pectoral muscles, you don't have to use only a barbell or dumbbells. Using two towels will help you perform an exercise called a fly-out. It should be done on a smooth surface - laminate or linoleum. To do this, you need to place towels on the floor, kneel and place your hands on the towel. Then you should move on to push-ups. During the exercise, it is recommended to spread your arms to the sides.
Abdominal muscles
To get a flat stomach, you should do the “lumberjack” exercise in a block. Instead of a block, it is permissible to use a ball or pillow. To do this, it is recommended to stand up and take a ball or pillow in your hands. Feet should be placed shoulder width apart.
Expert opinion
Karnaukh Ekaterina Vladimirovna
Graduated from the National University of Shipbuilding, majoring in Enterprise Economics
After this, it is recommended to tilt the ball towards your foot, while turning your body. Then you should raise the projectile to eye level. In this case, the body is turned in the other direction. At the end you need to return to the starting position.
Arm muscles
Many girls use special benches to train their arms. At home, they can be replaced with a regular sofa. With its help you can do reverse triceps push-ups.
To do this, you should turn your back to the sofa, place your hands on the edge, and stretch your legs forward. In this position, you need to lower your pelvis. In this case, it is recommended to bend and straighten your arms. The exercise should be done 10 times.
DIY expander
Expander
- A great tool for forearm training. Such equipment is cheap, but if you like to do everything yourself, you can easily make it yourself.
To do this you need to have steel wire with a diameter of 3 mm. After heating the wire with a gas burner, it must be twisted in the form of a spring into two turns. This can be done using a vice, pliers, a pipe around which the turns are formed, and brute force.
The finished spring must be both soft enough to yield to the efforts of one hand, but also hard enough to return to its original position.
The handles of the expander are made of wood, thick rubber and plastic, with holes drilled for the spring.
Attention, TODAY only!
This article will talk about what exercises can replace classic squats with a barbell on your shoulders. In addition, we will look at some tips for preventing injuries (if any). The article will be very interesting and informative if you are looking for simple alternatives to diversify your leg workouts or if your knees or back bother you when performing this basic exercise.
How can I replace an ab roller?
Instead of an ab roller, it is recommended to use a rolling pin with rotating handles. In this case, the maximum load will be placed on the press. The muscles of the arms, back, chest and legs will also receive it. Since the homemade product lacks shock absorption, it is worth placing a mat under it.
The lack of dumbbells or other sports accessories is not a reason to give up physical activity. Instead of such products, it is permissible to use a large number of improvised items that will help to obtain excellent results.
Making dumbbells and barbells using concrete
To make heavier and more durable equipment, concrete should be used. But it can only be used with an all-metal neck, which should be prepared in advance. Pieces of metal pins need to be welded to the ends of the neck. The result is reinforced concrete, which is much stronger than regular concrete. Another way to make the projectile more reliable is to add PVA glue to the solution.
The form for concrete weights can be plastic buckets. By selecting a bucket of the required volume, you can obtain the desired weight of the finished rod. Containers for mayonnaise and other food products are suitable for dumbbells. The disadvantage of such equipment is that such a dumbbell is non-separable, that is, you will not be able to adjust the weight.
In order to make a barbell, you need to mix the solution and pour it into the mold
Set the bar strictly in the center; this is very important for balancing the projectile. Four days later, when the solution dries, the procedure should be repeated, on the other side
If the concrete cannot be removed from the mold, it can be easily broken. If the bucket remains intact, it can be reused.
When calculating the weight of the finished rod, it is worth considering that 1 liter of poured concrete weighs about 2.5 kg. You can make a concrete weight in the same way.
How to prevent knee and back injuries?
The most correct and correct decision is to initially build your training correctly. Many people do not want to turn to competent specialists, to understand the technique of performing exercises, they work according to the principle “the more, the better” and all this ultimately leads to very disastrous results.
Let's look at the main points that will help you avoid unpleasant situations and maintain the functionality of your joints:
Correct technique for performing the exercise
Often in the gym you can observe how some people work with heavy weights, but at the same time their technique, to put it mildly, is “lame”:
- In a deadlift, the lower back bends, in squats, the knees go inward or outward - all this creates a colossal load on the joints and spine.
- And if you work with more weight, the load increases not on the muscles, but on the ligaments and joints. This can cause injury.
- Therefore, it is very important to hone your technique by working with weights up to 50% of your maximum. Even if you feel like you can lift more, you still shouldn't do it until you have good technique.
Correctly and competently draw up a training plan
Many people try to lift more and more weight every workout. Every time trying to set a record. But have you thought that ligaments and joints do not have time to recover? They need rest too!
And for this it is necessary to either completely eliminate training, or introduce periodization, i.e. create fasting weeks. This means that sometimes you need to work with lighter weights for more repetitions, reducing the training volume.
Why does the question of replacing squats with alternative exercises arise?
After analyzing this issue, you can come to certain statistics. The main reason for changing the exercise is health problems. Moreover, in most cases, they arise due to heavy training, and especially when the execution technique is impaired.
The most common injuries are to the lower back, shoulder and elbow joints, and knees. Most injuries sustained are the fault of the trainee.
- Why is this happening? The point is the cumulative nature of injuries.
Alas, many people train according to the “progressive load” principle. This means that every workout they try to lift more weight. At the same time, there can be no talk of any “fasting” days for working with light and medium weights.
Our joints and ligaments do not have the strength of titanium and, under constant stress, begin to become inflamed. As a result, the joints and muscles cannot withstand the load and begin to “break.”
Also, many do not think about proper nutrition, warm-up, cool-down, technical training and other related things. Our muscles and joints are not designed to withstand heavy loads and if they are constantly used to the maximum possible extent, they begin to fail.
