Here’s some good news for you: It’s totally possible to do exercises at home and get as awesome of a workout as you would at the gym. Better still? You can make this happen without owning any home gym equipment. Not only are equipment-free moves convenient, but doing exercises at home without weights is a great way to check in with yourself and focus on form. Because of this, body-weight exercises are great for beginners, but they’re also effective for more intermediate or advanced exercisers, too. If you’re new to fitness, body-weight exercises help you learn how to work with your own body. And if you’re more advanced, they’re great for an active recovery day from lifting heavier weights. Not to mention, if you need a convenient workout to do anywhere, anytime, these moves have you covered. You’ll reap all of these benefits and more in this special publication: Women’s Health No-Gym Required.
WELCOME TO AN EQUIPMENT-FREE WORKOUT ZONE • Yup, you can get seriously stronger without a gym membership, heavy equipment, or complicated moves. We’ll show you how.
THE BENEFITS OF USING YOUR BODY WEIGHT • NO GYM? NO PROBLEM. BODY-WEIGHT WORKOUTS ARE ALL ABOUT GOING BACK TO THE SIMPLEST FORM OF EXERCISE—NO EQUIPMENT NEEDED. USING ONLY YOUR WEIGHT TO GET FIT CAN SHAPE YOUR BEST BODY AND BOOST YOUR CONFIDENCE—MAKING YOU LOOK AND FEEL BETTER THAN EVER.
WARM UP THE RIGHT WAY • This ROUTINE, CREATED BY TRAINER THIS BETINA GOZO, WAS DEVELOPED TO HELP YOU PREP FOR A STRENGTH SESSION. CONSIDER IT THE FIVE-MINUTE SECRET TO TACKLING YOUR BEST WORKOUT YET.
Find the Joy in Sweating • There are tons of smart ways to turn your workouts into activities you love. Follow this advice from pros who know how to have a good time.
READY, SET, STRETCH • This routine, created by trainer Betina Gozo, was developed to help you prep for a strength session. But you can totally rock it ahead of any workout. By the end of the sequence, your hips, upper back, chest, and ankles will be activated and primed to work. Perform 10 reps of each move (or 10 per side for unilateral movements), and go from one exercise to the next without pausing.
START WITH A SOLID FOUNDATION • Whether you’re an advanced exerciser or just getting into the game, taking the time to master a few basic moves will set you up for greater gains.
PUSHUP CHALLENGE, Accepted! • A lot of people think the reason many women struggle with a standard pushup is because they lack chest and triceps strength. But often, women lack the core control to get into—and then sustain—a strict plank position through the entire range of movement of a pushup. This specialized program will help you build the strength and confidence to bang out perfect reps of the real deal.
NAIL THE PERFECT PUSHUP • Think of your body as one long board from head to heels and lower as a single unit.
PUMP UP YOUR PUSHUP • Prepare to unleash your inner badass. The following exercises will help you train the muscles you need to execute this essential move like a pro. “They’ll help you get stronger gradually and minimize your risk for injury,” says Gray. Follow the day-by-day challenge on page 28 and aim for three to five sets of 8 to 12 reps of each. Get after it!
THE PULLUP, CONQUERED AT LAST • In order to master a real pullup, you need to adjust to the challenging movement pattern. The exercises detailed on these pages will help you dial in proper technique as well as build upper-body vertical pulling strength that can’t be replicated by many other exercises.
The Difference Between a Pullup and a Chinup • Here’s what you need to know.
Drill Down to Pull Up • These key moves will help you work your way to a full pullup. (Put ’em together with the doable, all-levels training plan in the box below.)
Make It Happen • Warm up your shoulders, then do one...
