Finding ways to exercise with limited or no equipment is difficult. But at least we can go out to a playground to use all the equipment there. You know, the pull up bars and dip stations.

But not when it’s cold. When it’s cold, you don’t even want to leave the house!

That’s why I tend to get fat. But not this year. This year I promised myself that I was going to do my workouts, no matter what. This new determination has motivated me to use alternative ways to add resistance to my training routines.

equipment

bag full of books

The easiest way to add resistance to your workouts is to get a sports or school bag and fill it with books. The one I have in training weighs 33 pounds. Throw in a few more books, and you could probably gain as much as 37 pounds.

With a school bag, you wear it on your back while doing push-ups and pull-ups. My friends and I used to put weights in our school bag. I urge you to experiment. Go through your house and find objects to put in the bag.

2 chairs and a broomstick

You can do a lot of things with a chair, including push-ups and raised dips. However, most of these movements are for the chest or abs. To work your back effectively without a pull up bar, just get a broom handle.

Make sure the broomstick is nice and sturdy. Start the reverse rows with your feet flat on the ground. Keep your body low to the ground, so in case the broomstick breaks, you won’t take too much damage.

The exercises

front squats

Take your bag and support it with your hands under the bag as shown above. Keep your back straight and bring your shoulder blades together. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Push your hips back as if you were sitting in a chair.

Push your hips back as far as possible before bending your knees. So your hips are pushed back first, then bend at the knees. This will help keep your knees behind your toes. Squat down as deep as you can while keeping your back straight.

Keep practicing until you can do this move without rounding your back. Keeping your back straight is usually easier when you’re holding an object in front of you. Push your glutes, hamstrings, and quads back to the starting position.

Crossed Mountain Climbers

It’s hard to see in the picture, but cross-body climbers are pretty simple. Get into a push-up position with your feet on a chair or other elevated object. Raise one leg and bring that knee to the opposite elbow.

Bring her back to the chair and repeat with the other leg. To make this move easier, simply do it with your feet on the ground. To make it more difficult, you can place your hands on a raised object.

The last variation is to place your feet on a stability ball. But you may want to do regular mountain climbers first before doing the crossbody version. Either way, you’ll get a better abdominal workout than sit-ups or sit-ups.

chest press

Lie down on the floor with the bag on your chest. Take the bag from either side and press up. It may take a few practice reps before you can balance the weight and get the hang of it.

But the best thing about having a bag full of books instead of a heavy barbell is that you don’t have to be afraid of cold steel hitting your chest. However, be sure to place those books so that the sharp edges do not point down.

inverted rows

The key to executing this move is a solid broomstick. Be sure to try out the broomstick before starting the training. Once you’ve found the right broom and sturdy chairs, you’re ready to make the move.

Lie down on the ground and grab the broom handle with a wide grip. Keep your feet flat on the ground and your back straight. Brace your abs and pull your chest toward the broomstick. This is a surprisingly hard move.

After a few reps, focus on getting the flow of the movement going. Reverse rows are a great variation for people who haven’t mastered pull-ups yet.

Progressing with your training

Do this workout 3 times a day, for 4-6 weeks. Write down how many reps you do per exercise per workout, and try to do at least one more rep per workout. This will keep you more engaged and your workouts intense, rather than just adding more exercises, rounds, or increasing the time spent on each move.