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Best At-Home Workouts

Best At-Home Workouts

Author: Carol Housaman, FRC Coach and Certified Personal Trainer

Even though gyms, parks, and tracks are closed due to COVID-19, there are still ways to be active, even at your own home! The healthiest/best thing you can do during this time and always is take care of your body. What comes to mind here? MOVE! Exercise is extremely beneficial to our mental health, immune systems and physical health. All you need is your own body and the positivity to tackle a great workout. 

FRC Coach Carol Housaman provides some great tips and sample exercises to do at home. “Bodyweight HIIT interval training can be a great & challenging way to get in a quality high intensity cardio workout. Great results can happen at home in the living room with limited space & equipment. Timed Interval sets are a great way to increase the heart rate and burn calories. When done correctly the body will continue to burn calories even after the workout. This is known as the after-burn. The only equipment needed for this workout is a timer.”

Coach Housaman provides a great HIIT workout which incorporates:

  1. Plyometrics
  2. Upper body
  3. Lower body
  4. Compound movements, including core

After a good warm-up, go through each block for 30 seconds per exercise, with rest for 30 seconds immediately after each exercise. Repeat the block for 1-2 more times before moving to the next block. 

Block One – Plyometrics

  1. Air Squats – bend knees 90 degrees, drive glutes back towards a chair if available
  2. Add vertical jump to air squat or vertical reach
  3. Wide to narrow squat jumps
  4. ½ Burpee – keep hands on floor

Block Two – Upper Body

  1. Push-ups / option knees
  2. Plank shoulder taps
  3. Triceps dips on floor or chair
  4. Cross-body mountain climbers

Block Three – Lower Body

  1. Split squat or elevated split squat (one foot behind on chair) – drive knee towards floor
  2. Switch sides
  3. Reverse lunge to a high kick hop or high knee drive ( right )
  4. Switch sides

Block Four- Compound Movements (Core)

  1. Side plank hip drops / switch halfway
  2. One leg glute bridge press / switch halfway
  3. Superman lift to high plank
  4. Seated Russian twist

Common household items to substitute as weights:

  • Canned goods, 16oz water bottles, books, pillows, plastic plates can be used for gliders on carpet
  • Towels or socks on hardwood floors, chairs, coffee table and sofas can be used for incline, decline and leverage
  • Backpacks or rucksacks filled with books
  • Suitcases, steps or staircase
  • Wall space for body weight wall sits, shoulder slide and glides, etc.

Most importantly, don’t put pressure on yourself to become a high-level runner/fitness enthusiast, just because you may have extra time on your hands. Maybe during a pandemic isn’t appropriate. Set realistic goals and be gentle with yourself. One step at a time!

Coach Spotlight – May – Alex Amankwah

Coach Spotlight – May – Alex Amankwah

We take your training and recovery at FRC seriously. That’s why we have the best team to help support you. From Olympians, professional runners, Ironman athletes and other highly experienced running and training coaches, our coaches have the experience to empower all levels of runners to train to be their best! Our coaches all share a PASSION for running and are here to get to know you and make sure that you find your formula and achieve your goals.
Alex Amankwah is not just an FRC Coach, but is also a member of the District Track Club. He is 28 years old and was born in Ghana Accra and raised in Los Angeles, California. Would you believe that Alex originially had no interest to run, however, his high school basketball coach insisted that he try out for the track & field team… and the rest is history! His personal best is 1:44.80 (800 meters), he is an 8 x All-American, 2015 World Championships qualifier, 2016 Olympian, 2017 World Championships qualifier and 2018 Commowealth qualifier.
To learn a little more about Alex READ MORE HERE.
Member Spotlight – May – Liz O’Reilly

Member Spotlight – May – Liz O’Reilly

Our members come from all walks of life and are of all strides. Our Member Spotlight is one way to get to know your fellow runners.

This month’s Member Spotlight is on Liz O’Reilly:

Background (Age, Gender, Birthplace, and Running Experience): Elizabeth O’Reilly but I go by Liz.  I am 48 and was born and raised on Long Island, NY.  I started running in college, inspired by a roommate who was an avid runner, and became a more dedicated, avid runner during graduate school.  With most of my classes being in the evening, I had more time on my hands during the day and filled that time with running.  At first I would be amped about going 3 miles but the more I ran, the more I wanted to run and the further I wanted to challenge myself to go! I have been running fairly consistently for many, many years, but only got really  hooked on racing within the last 10 years or so.  On a whim I signed up for the Army Ten Miler years ago–never thinking I could run 10 miles, but again, the more I ran the more I wanted to run and with that one race under my belt, I was HOOKED!! Years later a work colleague encouraged me to sign up for races of longer distances, and on my 40th birthday, to mark the occasion, I signed up for my first half. Runners get it, but my non-running family and friends think I am crazy to actually pay to run 10 or 13.1 miles- which are my favorite distances! 

What is your formula? What are the common classes or recovery elements this member does/uses? I generally try to do 3-4 classes a week, I’m hoping to incorporate more recovery into my routine- which is something that I was never very good at before and something that really attracted me to FRC.  I like formula run, tread and train, and formula train.  I think doing those classes with some good outdoor runs has really helped me sharpen my technique and has helped me work on my speed (thank you Jim and Carol!).

Why did you start running? For me, there’s nothing better than those post-running endorphins! I love getting lost in a run, to the point where I forget how far I have gone–those are the best kind of runs, and what keeps me coming back for more.  Also, as a cancer survivor, running makes me feel strong, empowered, and healthy, and you can’t put a price on that feeling!!

Favorite quote? I have several favorite quotes but the one I think I like the best and one I often repeat to myself when I start feeling fatigued, is “mind over matter, if you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter”–it’s a great reminder of how far you can go and how much you can do if you put your mind to it.

What is your PR in your favorite distance? As noted above, my favorite distances are 10 milers and half marathons. My best time for a 10 miler is 1:31 and for a half is 2:02. I am a bit haunted by those 2 minutes on my PR half time, I admit!! and am working hard to get in a 2 or under time.  I was hoping to do that this year–I was scheduled to run the NYC half and the Brooklyn half this year, as well as the Cherry Blossom Ten Miler and the GW Parkway Classic, but given the current situation, I will keep working at it so that I can crush it in 2021. 

Favorite workout music? I am stuck in the 80s as far as my running playlist goes–thank you, Carol, for your 80s tunes at FRC.  Those tunes get me going and keep me going–and sometimes even get me singing during my runs!

Why did you join FRC? I joined FRC to help me get back into a more consistent running regimen after taking a bit of time off due to family commitments and crazy jobs.  FRC has really helped me refocus on my goals and get back into a routine.  For months I waited for the studio to open, so intrigued about the idea behind FRC, and being a member has been better than I could have imagined.  It really is like a family.  In class I feel like we are training as a team and everyone is very supportive of each others’ goals,  the recovery options are awesome, and it’s just a top notch place to be–a training facility with coaches like no other. I’m so glad to be a part of FRC-I feel spoiled and fortunate to be a part of such an awesome place.  Run strong everyone and here’s to seeing everyone again soon on the treads! 

 
If you or someone you know would like to be featured in our Member Spotlight, please email i[email protected]