On-the-go strength
These exercises are designed to increase your muscular strength, targeting all of your major muscle groups. Make sure you gradually increase the repetitions or resistance so that you can continue to achieve strength gains, improved posture and muscle definition as a result!
If you have been inactive for a while, have heart disease, or any other major health problems, injuries or are pregnant, please check with your GP, an Accredited Exercise Physiologist or other health professional before following this workout.
1. Shoulder push-up
Recommended Repetitions: 5 repetitions
- Kneel with feet hip width
- Tip forward at hips, until you can place both hands on floor in front of knees
- Keep your back straight
- Bending both elbows, bring your head toward the ground (keeping chin into your chest)
- Press away from the floor and straighten your arms
2. Press and plank
Recommended Repetitions: 10-15 repetitions each side
- Start in a modified side plank, knees bent
- Hold a filled water bottle in your right hand, right elbow bent and weight resting against your bicep
- Lift your hips so your body is straight from knees to shoulders, pressing water bottle up to the ceiling
- Lower hips back down to ground. Repeat on the opposite side
3. Dips on floor/bench
Recommended Repetitions: 10-15 repetitions
- Start by sitting on the edge of a bench/chair. Position your hands and feet shoulder-width apart and bend your knees at 90 degrees
- Straighten your arms, lifting your hips off the bench/chair
- Bend elbows until 90 degrees, lowering body toward floor
- Push straight back up to the starting position
4. Plank push-ups
Recommended Repetitions: 10-15 repetitions
- Start in a plank position with elbows and knees on the ground
- Place down one hand at a time to lift up into a push-up position
- Keep back straight and core engaged
- Return one elbow at a time back down into the plank position
- Repeat, alternating arms
5. Rows
Recommended Repetitions: 10-15 repetitions
- Hold a water bottle or weight in each hand
- Tip forward at hips, keeping back straight and core muscles activated
- Bend at elbows to squeeze shoulder blades backwards, tensing your mid-back muscles as you do so. Raise the water bottles/weights up towards your chest, then slowly return them down to the starting point
- To progress this exercise, aim to complete standing on one leg
6. Lunge with twist
Recommended Repetitions: 10-15 repetitions each leg
- Hold a weight/water bottle in your hands
- Step forward to complete a lunge - bend your knees to approximately 90 degrees as your reach the full range
- Keep your torso upright and your core engaged
- Twist to the left and then the right - try for your full range of motion here
- Push off from your front leg to return to the starting position
- Repeat, alternating legs
7. Lunge with bicep curl
Recommended Repetitions: 20-30 repetitions each leg
- Hold a weight/water bottle in each hand
- Step forward to complete a lunge - bend your knees to approximately 90 degrees as you reach the full range
- Keep your torso upright and your core engaged
- Complete a bicep curl with both arms (bending at your elbows to lift weight toward shoulders)
- Lower weights back down again. Push off from your front leg to return to the starting position
- Repeat alternating legs
8. Three way crunches
Recommended Repetitions: 8-10 repetitions of entire sequence
- Lie on back, knees bent and one foot crossed over the other
- Perform a sequence of 3 crunches: firstly crunch to bring right elbow toward left knee, secondly crunch straight upwards, finally crunch to bring left elbow toward right knee
- Repeat this sequence
- In this exercise, you can place your hand behind your head. but be careful not to pull on your neck. Tip - use your abdominal muscles to lift your head
