Are you looking for that perfect workout to tone muscles and blast fat? You’ve probably spent several hours in the gym, lifting weights, doing circuit training, and what not. But what if you don’t have any budget for a gym membership or that you don’t have much time to spare to work out for more than an hour? Should you be resigned to your fate of seeing the number on the weighing scale go up? Of course not!
The good news is that you can still train your muscles even when you are at home with the aid of bodyweight workouts. As the name suggests, you won’t be using any machines but your body only. Dumbbells can be used to add resistance but these exercises rely on the muscles of your body. Here are some examples of the best bodyweight exercises for women that you can try.
Squat with side leg lift. Stand with feet positioned at shoulder-width apart and parallel to one another. Maintain a squat position then go back to your first position while raising your right leg out to the side, squeezing your outer gluteal muscles. Lower your right leg back to its first position to complete one rep. Do 20 reps while alternating each leg.
Single-leg deadlift. Hold a dumbbell on each hand and stand on your left leg. Bend forward while raising your right leg behind you with arms reaching toward the floor. Go as low as you can manage without toppling over. Go back to your first position by engaging your glutes to push your hips forward rather than raising your back to go into an upright position.
Down dog abs. Go into a downward dog pose with your tailbone reaching upwards as you press your weight down on your heels. Lift your left leg up. As you exhale, shift your weight to your hands as you rock forward while drawing your left knee towards your nose with your abs being pushed toward your spine to make your back more rounded. On inhale, lift your leg back up as you press down on your right heel. This is one rep. Do 10 reps before switching to your other leg.
Pushup. This classic bodyweight workout is guaranteed to challenge your entire body. To star, go down on all fours with your hands positioned wider than your shoulders and your feet close to one another. Engage your core as you lower your chest towards the floor. Push down on your hands to bring yourself back up in your first position then repeat. Do 10 to 12 reps for this exercise to tone your arms, core, glutes, hips, and thighs.
These bodyweight workouts are guaranteed to challenge your muscles from your arms to your legs. The best part is that you can do them anytime you want to and they’re absolutely free of charge.
