Stuck at Home (no equipment needed) Circut Workout
It’s January in Minnesota and I kid you not, today’s high is -16. Yes, you read correctly, the highest temperature today will be negative 16. Which means it will get much much colder than that at some point and this is even before wind chill. School was canceled state-wide today (3 days in advance), and it has been canceled again tomorrow just because it’s so cold. I don’t think that has ever happened in the 8 years I have lived here.
So guess who has two thumbs and won’t be going to the gym today… yep, this girl. But instead of moping around all day stuck in the house with two kiddos suffering from a sever case of cabin fever, I planned ahead with some fun crafts and cooking. The kids and I made home made play dough. I actually had to go out and purchase white flour ahead of time for the play dough since I don’t own any. I once tried to make play dough with whole wheat flour and it turned out all grainy and gross. I don’t recommend doing that.
We also made multiple batches of kale chips in the oven all morning, which has kept the house nice and toasty. The kiddos also enjoyed a cup of dairy free hot cocoa. Yum!
Now it’s quiet time for the kids, and I am antsy. So what’s a girl to do when she can’t get to the gym and feels the need to workout? While I do have free weights in my basement, my favorite workout to do at home is a circuit. A circuit is when you pick a bunch of exercise and you go from one to the next without a break, then after finishing each exercise take a break for 2-5 minutes (depending on your fitness level) and then repeat the circuit 2-4 more times.
Here is one example of a circuit:
20 burpees (including push up)
20 mountain climbers
20 triceps dips
20 jump squats
20 scissor crunches
20 pushups (do knee push ups if you can’t do all regular ones)
20 (each side) “Spiderman” planks
1 min wall sits
I love circuits because you can put any exercise in the mix you like and you can adjust it according to your fitness level or what you want to accomplish that day. They don’t require any equipment either.
So you can skip the free weights!
But if you do have a jump rope, that’s a great exercise to throw in. You might be surprised how winded you can get doing just 1 min of jumping rope (especially in the middle of a circuit).
Have you ever done circuit training before? If so, what are some of your favorite exercise? Please feel free to comment below. I love to hear your feedback!
I guess I better stop blogging and go workout now.
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Burpees kill me every time. I love them and hate them at the same time. 🙂 I haven’t been to a gym for years, and I don’t think I’ll ever step my foot in one. Reading “You Are Your Own Gym” by Mark Lauren seriously changed my attitude to those things. It’s literally a bible of bodyweight exercises, and it’s the most effective workout plan I’ve ever done. And it takes only 2-3 hours a week. You should totally check it out, I think you’d love it!
I know what you mean about burpees. I have a love hate relationship with burpees and lunges. ha! I will have to check out that book. I bet I would love it. There is another guy I follow on facebook that talks a lot about using your own body for your workouts. He calls himself “The Ancestral Body” on facebook but his name is Charby Ibrahim. He has a great e-book on the subject. Thanks for stopping by!
Thanks for linking to my playdough recipe! Looks like a great workout and fun blog!
Thanks for stopping by! I just happened upon your blog the other day. I have often made play dough at home and your recipe is pretty much what we have made in the past and I love it. I love that your recipe is for a bigger batch. You have some great posts!
I really like your post on “The Lie of Minimalism”. I am trying to have less and you just reminded me that while having less will be helpful, I need to remember my true happiness comes from the Lord.
Great minds… I also was stuck in the cold here in Illinois -40 here in central but I think “Chiberia” (Chicago) got it worse 🙂
I also put together that mornings workout, except I left out the TRX. Mine was similar and even though I am in a Burpee Challenge (my own) I added them to the list. The jump rope of all thing kills my calves the next day, apparently I need to work on my calf endurance. Thanks for link up your FB page on my page, I look forward to checking out more of your blog.
-40? And I thought it was cold here. It actually feels super warm today with a high of 28. Almost don’t need a jacket… almost. 😉
I just stopped by your blog and love your “fitness tips for anyone”. Great post! And you know you are serious about fitness when you have your own burpee challenge. 🙂