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  4. These Trainers Are Showing How to Use Household Items for a Serious Workout

These Trainers Are Showing How to Use Household Items for a Serious Workout

Photo of Faith Brar
By Faith Brar March 24, 2020
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Credit: Jessica DiPiazza

Quarantined with no gym equipment? No problem. These A-list trainers from around the world are proving that simple household items are all you need to piece together a calorie-torching and body-strengthening workout that won't disappoint.   

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Angela Gargano

There's no denying that American Ninja Warrior Angela Gargano has some experience getting creative with her workouts. (Find out how she recovered from two ACL tears and came back stronger than ever.)

To help make working out from home a bit easier, the fitness coach shared a full-body workout video using a gallon jug, which weighs a little over 8 pounds.

Complete with goblet squats, water jug swings, and kneeling single-arm overhead presses, the pyramid workout is "simple and effective" Gargano wrote, adding that it's a great way to "utilize what you have." 

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Alexia Clark

Of all the obscure objects you could use to work out, a frying pan might top the list for most creative.

Alexia Clark, the creator of the Fit for a Reason program, is showing how this basic kitchen utensil can sub as a dumbbell for a muscle-shaking upper-body workout including some halos, shoulder presses with rotations, and lateral raises.

"You'll be surprised as to how challenging this is," she wrote alongside a workout video of her demonstrating some moves. "The weight distribution makes your muscles work in a completely different way than dumbbells."

(For more: Check Out Her Creative Total-Body Sculpting Dumbbell Workout Video)

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Ben Bruno

Ben Bruno knows how to bring on the burn. The trainer behind Kate Upton's impressive 225lb hip lifts and Jessica Biel's ploy box pistol squats has created a challenging workout move that targets the upper back and rear delts. All you need is a broom and some tennis shoes for an added challenge.

"It's harder than it looks, so start with just a broom or [towel], and then I show a way to add more resistance using shoes and cans," he added.

Bruno also suggested watching his video with the audio on as he points out some important techniques that'll help you get the most out of the move. 

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Kaisa Keranen

Kaisa Keranen is one of many trainers who've been offering free online workout classes amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

One such workout involves using a book as a prop to add some weight and an extra challenge to simple bodyweight movements.

In the workout video, Keranen demonstrates a bodyweight squat with a halo, a sit-up with rotation, followed by airplane with reverse lunges, hollow hold book passes and bouncing high knees. 

To make the workout more challenging, simply add more rounds, Keranen shared.

Want more workouts like this? Check out her online programs and use the code SHAPE50 to get 50 percent off. 

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QiQi H

To try this core blasting workout by trainer QiQi H.—all you need is a mat and a broom. 

Watch the trainer elevate five classic ab moves, including planks, sit-ups, and toe touches by adding this basic household item to the mix. 

(Working on your core strength? Try These 16 Abs Exercises Guaranteed to Make You Feel the Burn)

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Massy Arias

Work to improve your lower and upper body strength with this chair-assisted workout by star trainer Massy Arias. 

"I've created two master circuits to be done back to back with very little rest between movements," Arias shared alongside the post. "I want everyone to try this and tell me if you need equipment to get an amazing workout."

While some of the movements are pretty straight-forward others look quite challenging. Case in point: the forward and reverse lunges with an overhead hold and decline push-ups with knee drives. 

(Related: This Circuit Will Completely Change Your Mind About Chair Workouts)

 

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Kira Stokes

Grab a chair and follow trainer Kira Stokes as she walks you through three (relatively) simple moves that can be done literally anywhere. 

Start with a chair burpee, which Stokes says is a great way to modify the challenging movement, since you're doing the push-up on an incline instead of lowering all the way to the ground. (Related: 4 Burpee Alternatives for an Amazing Home Workout)

Follow that with chair crunches suspended over the chair, which are a bit more challenging than they appear, Stokes writes. Finally, end with a chair L-sit hold, a movement that works both your upper body and core. 

"Keep moving," Stokes wrote concluding her post. "It's good for the mind, body, and soul." 

 

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Mark Anthony

Who doesn't love a hassle-free living room workout?

For this circuit workout by Mark Anthony, you don't need weights, much floor room, or anything else except for your couch.

Use this basic piece of furniture to complete four rounds of Bulgarian split squats, squats with alternative knee raises, mountain climbers, box jumps and lateral step-ups to get your heart pumping and blood flowing.

There's nothing like a good sweat to help make riding out this quarantine a tick easier. 

(Want more? Check out this total-body, fat-blasting circuit in your living room–no equipment required)

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Emily Schromm

Crossfitter and trainer Emily Schromm has long been using backpacks to maximize her workouts. So much so that she created the EmPack, a backpack that doubles as a sandbag to make any workout much more challenging. 

To help those currently quarantined at home, Schromm has been sharing workout videos using her EmPack to prove how versatile an everyday item like a backpack can be. 

In one video, she fills her pack with 45 pounds of water weight, which as she says "is no joke." 

She then demonstrated a circuit that included single-leg deadlifts⁣, bicep curls, squats with an overhead press, and squats with alternative shoulder extensions for a challenging full-body workout.

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Cassey Ho

There's no denying that stretching can do wonders to melt away stress and anxiety. 

That's why Blogilates creator Cassey Ho is sharing seven basic stretches that you can do right when you wake up or before you fall asleep to help you feel more relaxed. The best part? They can all be done while you're still in pajamas and in your bed. Who said you can't have it all? 

 

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    1 of 10 Angela Gargano
    2 of 10 Alexia Clark
    3 of 10 Ben Bruno
    4 of 10 Kaisa Keranen
    5 of 10 QiQi H
    6 of 10 Massy Arias
    7 of 10 Kira Stokes
    8 of 10 Mark Anthony
    9 of 10 Emily Schromm
    10 of 10 Cassey Ho

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