This Textbook Workout Proves You Can Really Get Creative with At-Home Equipment

At this stage in your quarantine life of social-distancing, your at-home workouts might start to feel a little repetitive. Luckily, there's one trainer who knows a lot about thinking outside the box when it comes to utilizing what you have on hand for equipment: Kaisa Keranen, aka KaisaFit, is the creator of the viral toilet paper workout and queen of adding flair to every exercise. And she's at it again with this clever routine that utilizes nothing more than a heavy book—think: that heavy chemistry textbook from college or Crissy Teigen's new cookbook.

Grab your book of choice and follow these moves from Keranen for an at-home workout that revs your heart rate while strengthening your arms, legs, and core, while focusing on stability too. Keranen also offers tips to turn up the burn (or down, if you need it), so you can chooser your own journey based on your level. Don't be afraid to try a more advanced exercise variation—just dial it back if it's not feeling good.

"You never know what your body is capable of doing, unless you actually try it," says Keranen. "Most of the time, I find that our bodies will impress us. As you go through the workout, remember to listen to your body—it knows what's best." (

How it works: Do each exercise below for one minute each, then repeat from the top for three rounds total for a 15-minute workout. Maintain strong form as you work as fast as you can, completing as many reps as you can within the one-minute ser. Rest for 60 seconds between rounds.

What you'll need: A heavy book and a mat—but you can do all these full-body exercises with just your bodyweight too.

Textbook At-Home AMRAP Workout

Sumo Squat with Halo

A. Start standing with feet wider than hip-width apart, toes pointed slightly out, holding a book with both hands in front of you.

B. Lower down into a sumo squat, knees tracking over toes and chest tall.

C. At the bottom of the sumo squat, bring the book up to the right and overhead, in a circular motion, coming back down on the left side for a halo.

D. Continue holding the sumo squat as you repeat the halo, going up to the left and overhead, and bringing the book back down on the right. Straighten legs to stand back up, and repeat.

Exercise tip: Feeling good in that squat through the halo? Drop lower, so you feel a deeper burn in the thighs and glutes. And don't forget to breathe!

Sit-Up Rotation

A. Start lying on your back on the floor or a mat, knees bent and feet planted, holding a book or weight with both hands at your chest.

B. Sit up until you reach about a 45-degree angle and rotate upper body to the right, tapping the book to the right side.

C. Then, rotate upper body to the left, tapping the book to the left side.

D. Return to center and lower back down to the floor, then repeat.

Exercise tip: If you're crushing this move with ease, lift your heels off the floor and perform the sit-up and twist from a boat pose.

Airplane to Reverse Lunge Jump Switch

A. Start standing on right foot, holding a book with both hands at your chest.

B. Keeping body in one straight line, lower chest toward floor as left leg extends and lifts behind you and arms extend out in front of your for an airplane; right knee bending slightly.

C. Drive through right foot to return to standing, left knee driving in and up toward chest and bringing book back to chest.

D. Then, step left foot back into a lunge, both knees bending 90 degrees.

E. Next, drive through your feet to jump up, switching feet in the air and landing with right foot back in a lunge, both knees bending 90 degrees

F. Step right foot up, bringing knee toward chest.

G. Perform the airplane standing on left foot, right leg extending and lifting behind you and arms extending out in front.

H. Repeat the reverse lunge with right foot stepping back, and jumping to land with left foot back and continue alternating sides.

Exercise tip: Jumping not your jam? Eliminate the hop and instead, step forward and backward in the reverse lunge to switch your feet.

Hollow Hold Book Pass

A. Start lying on your back, holding a book with both hands, arms extend overhead, and legs extended down, lift your arms, shoulders, and legs off the floor.

B. Sit up, bringing arms toward knees and knees toward chest and place the book on shins.

C. Extend arms and legs again and slowly lower toward floor.

D. Sit up, bringing arms toward knees and knees toward chest, this time grabbing the book with hands.

E. Slowly lower back down, book coming overhead, and repeat, moving the book from hands to legs and vice versa.

Exercise tip: Your goal is to go slow and keep this exercise super controlled—that will up the challenge more than pushing the pace.

Bouncing High Knees

A. Start standing with feet about hip-width apart, holding a book with both hands overhead.

B. Bounce on both feet about three times.

C. Then drive right knee in toward chest, arms moving downward for book to meet the knee.

D. Step back down and bring arms back overhead.

E. Repeat knee drive with left knee moving in toward chest, arms moving downward for book to meet knee.

F. Step back down and bring arms back overhead, then repeat the bounces and high knees.

Exercise tip: Here's your chance to move as fast as you can go! Keep your feet quick and body tall to gain the biggest benefit.