Working up a sweat in the living room seems like a daunting task – especially if you lack the bands and bars that might be needed to perform some exercises – but there are plenty of exercises to do without equipment or a gym membership. While at-home workout routines might be new to some, the men and women attending basic training for the U.S. military have been utilizing an equipment-free exercise regimen for decades.
Check out this 8-exercise workout plan from Army Sgt. Michael Volkin in the video below and see what exercises you may find in basic training:
A strong core is critically important to maintaining good posture and promoting a healthy physique. So naturally, the first couple exercises Sgt. Volkin demonstrates focus heavily on the abdominal muscles.
The first exercise is flutter kicks. Lying on your back, raise your legs slightly off the ground and kick in an alternating motion. After a minute or two, the next movement is leg splitters. Rather than kicking your legs up and down, these exercises have you moving them side to side.
If these movements are too easy, you can also add in a plank to the routine which should really light those abs on fire.
Sgt. Michael Volkin demonstrates 8 different workouts straight from US Army basic training. (Howcast/YouTube)
To hit your shoulders and arms, Sgt. Volkin recommends a seemingly simple movement: overhead claps. In order to perform these, spread your arms out to your sides so your body forms a T shape. Then, bring your hands over your head and clap them together. Bring them back down to the starting position again, and repeat.
While this might look easy at first, after a few dozen reps your arms will be sure to feel the burn.
Sgt. Michael Volkin demonstrates 8 different workouts straight from US Army basic training. (Howcast/YouTube)
Sgt. Volkin also throws in some leg exercises into the routine as well. To get a good stretch, he recommends starting with some toe touches. After you’ve loosened up your lower limbs, try out some “ski jumpers.” This is a fast-paced, side to side movement that has you jumping back and forth as if you were slaloming.
Sgt. Michael Volkin demonstrates 8 different workouts straight from US Army basic training. (Howcast/YouTube)
The last exercise brings everything together. Sgt. Volkin suggests mountain climbers that will hit your arms, legs and abs.
