The No Equipment/Own Bodyweight TV Exercise Routine!

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Lest you think all I do is eat brownies, I also spend much of my time exercising, studying exercise, and developing exercise routines.

On days that I'm not teaching, I often hop on the treadmill and watch my favorite recorded shows.  I save "Cupcake Wars," "Sweet Genius," and "Chopped" exclusively for treadmill time (yes, I think about food all the time.  Is that weird?)  It makes me excited to run/jog/walk!

During the week, I get my strength training/yoga/Pilates in group fitness classes that I teach, but on Saturdays, I have to come up with solo workout ideas, which is why I often defer to just cardio on the treadmill.  Have I mentioned how thankful I am to live in a home and have a room for a treadmill?  This was one of our first purchases when we moved into our home and I'm slowly adding more and more equipment to our "fitness room."

Anyway, one Saturday I had an epiphany on how to complete a total body workout: cardio/resistance/stretching routine while watching a favorite TV show.  The formula is simple: cardio during the program and resistance training during the commercial break.  Now I know, if you have recordable TV, you're probably like me and fast forward through those pesky commercials, but this workout is designed to use commercials to your advantage so that you can do this program while watching live TV! 

I've also designed a program for you that doesn't require any extra equipment (except a chair).  That's right!  You just need a TV, your own bodyweight, and a little bit of space to move around.  Now you have no excuses.

People like to say they don't have time for exercise, but most of us make time to watch--insert favorite TV show here--am I right?  So next time, plan to workout during one of your favorite shows.

Here's how it works:

During the program, you're going to do cardio.  If you have a treadmill, great!  Get on it.  But, if you don't, there are many things you can do to elevate the heart rate like: march in place or jog, step touch, two step (step-together-step) grapevines (step-cross behind-step), v-step (step wide out/out and then narrow in/in), jazz square, knee lifts or high knees jog, hamstring curls (step wide, bend knee, heel to glute, alternate each side continuously), small hops, jumping jacks, etc.  Just move your feet and alternate high and low intensity (always warm-up and cool down on low intensity).

Then, during commercial breaks, you will do some sort of resistance exercises.  (Hint: the resistance exercises are hyperlinked for more info on correct exercise execution.)

The No Equipment/Own Bodyweight TV Exercise Routine
designed by Emily Harper

TV Program: Cardio (March/Jog in place)

Commercial Break: Squats (Choose a tempo that you can maintain for the entire duration of the break.)

Bodyweight Squat

TV Program: Cardio (Step Touch, Two Step, Grapevines)

Commercial: Push-ups, Plank, Plank dips  (Do as many push-ups as you can either full, extended legs, or modified, on your knees.  When you can't do any more, do plank pose on your elbows and hold.  Then dip your hips from side-to-side, right/left (not pictured) until the program comes back on.


Bent Knee Push-Up

Push-Up

Forearm Front Plank

TV Program: Cardio (March forward/backward, Hamstring Curls)

Commercial Break: Forward Lunges (You can alternate one leg at a time, stepping back each time.  Or, do stationary lunges where you stay in lunge position one side and pulse 10 times and then alternate legs.  Keep going until the program comes back on and make sure to even out both sides.

Forward Lunge

Standing Lunge






TV Program: Cardio (Mix high and low intensity Jumping Jacks.  For low: step one leg out at a time instead of jumping out both)

Commercial Break: Triceps Dips, Calf Raises  (For the dips: bent knees are easier, extended legs are more difficult.  Use a chair, ottoman, step or step stool, etc. Max out reps then move on to calf raises.  Stand in one place and anchor at a wall, or use you a step on your staircase holding on to the banister).

Chair Dips

Standing Calf Raises

Program: Cardio (Dance!  Shake your hips.  Go crazy.  Just move.)

Commercial Break: Abs & Back = Bicycle, Superman (Do as many bicycle crunches as you can--lead with the shoulders not elbows.  Flip over for Superman, lifting arms and legs at the same time for as many reps as you can.  Then, try to hold a static contraction superman until the program comes back on.



Bicycle

Superman Lifts

Program: Cardio (Jog/March in place.  Bring the heart rate down as the commercials approach.)

Commercial Break: Stretch  (Hold each stretch for a minimum of 15 seconds.  BREATHE!)

Program: Stretching continued (The visual below is quite good if you don't have any ideas for stretching--I would just add a kneeling lunge to it.  Be mindful of any tight areas and hold those stretches longer.




There you have it.  Your total body fitness routine for TV watchers like myself.  Couch potato no more! 

There are limitless exercises you can do for resistance, especially when you begin to incorporate different equipment like: stability ball, dumbbells, barbells, BOSU, resistance tube, flex band, mini flex ball, medicine ball etc.  But at least now you have an idea for a no excuse, own bodyweight workout.

Now, if only you could figure out how to do this without your kids bothering you, right?