Bodyweight exercises are all the rage right now. When it comes to working out men and women are shunning the cumbersome gym equipment and turning to a simpler workouts that strengthen muscles and tone up your bod. Think push-ups, sit-ups and squats. Now is the time to embrace the power of the burpee.
In fact, one 26-year-old man from Essex in England did just that and not only got into shape up but also used bodyweight exercises to turn his life around.
This man, who likes to go by L. J. Flanders, found himself facing a lengthy sentence in one of the UK’s toughest prisons five years ago.
Instead of festering in his cell – where he spent 23 hours of every day- he got busy and made it his new workout space. Taking up the opportunity to qualify as a personal trainer he then got a job in the prison gym and that’s where he had the life-changing idea, to write a book called 'The Cell Workout'
This ingenious training manual is based on body weight exercises performed in a limited space (like a cell) with no need for kettlebells, medicine balls or free weights.
On release, after serving 14 months including remand for GBH, he honed his book, adding well-researched detail on training principles as well as stretching and meditation techniques and now hopes it will give other people the hope and motivation they need to change their lives for the better.
Here are our favorite ten exercises straight from The Cell Workout.
*Note, none of these exercises are illegal.
The Lowdown
• For a full work out start with a five minute jog on the spot and five minutes of active stretching.
• As for reps – go for 3 sets of reps for beginners, 4 sets for intermediate and 5 for advanced gym goers.
• Give a two minute rest between sets.
• Finish with a five minute jog and five minutes of static stretching.
1. Plyo star jump
Target Muscle Groups
Primary: Quadriceps, gluteals, hamstrings, adductors
Secondary: Gastrocnemius, soleus, deltoids
Step 1: Bend at the knees to lower yourself into a narrow squat, until your thighs are parallel to the floor and hands by your feet.
Step 2: Explosively jump up, raising your arms and legs outwards diagonally to form a star shape.
Step 3: Continue the movement, slowing down with soft knees as you lower into a squat while returning your hands to your feet.
Do 20 reps of these
2. Pike shoulder press
Target Muscle Groups
Primary: Deltoids, trapezius
Secondary: Triceps, abdominals
Step 1: Assume a standard press up position, with arms straight and slightly wider than shoulder width apart and with your feet hip-width apart and toes tucked under. Raise your hips up high and lift on to your toes to form a pike position.
Step 2: Maintaining the pike position with your body, bend your elbows outwards to lower your head to the floor.
Step 3: Continue the movement, pressing back up to return to start position.
Do 20 reps of these
3. Plyo staggered hand press up
Target Muscle Groups
Primary: Pectorals
Secondary: Triceps, deltoids, and abdominals
Step 1: Assume a standard press up position. Place your hands facing forwards, one slightly in front and one slightly behind your shoulders and both feet together directly behind you.
Step 2: With eyes looking down, slowly bend your elbows, pointing them outwards, as you lower your body towards the floor. Keep your body in a straight line throughout the movement.
Step 3: Continue the movement, explosively pressing up with enough force so that your hands come up off the floor. Switch your hand positions mid-air, landing with the opposite hand in front.
Step 4: As your hands touch back down onto the floor, decelerate to lower your body down in a controlled movement. Repeat, alternating the hand positions as they land.
Do 20 reps of these
4. Down dog up dog
Target Muscle Groups
Primary: Erector spinae, abdominals, rhomboids, gluteals
Secondary: Triceps, deltoids, hamstrings, gastrocnemius
Step 1: Assume a standard press up position, with your hands shoulder-width apart. Push your hips up and backwards, bringing your chest towards thighs. Straighten your legs and flatten your heels to the floor. Relax your head between your shoulders.
Step 2: Lower your body, bending your arms, keeping elbows close to your sides.
Step 3: Push through your arms, lifting your body up and forwards, coming onto your toes. Raise your head and chest to look upwards, stretching your neck and arching your lower back.
Step 4: Continue the movement, bending your elbows, lowering your upper body and pushing your hips up and backwards to the start position.
Do 20 reps of these
5. Vertical toe reach
Target Muscle Groups
Primary: Abdominals
Secondary: Quadriceps, hamstrings
Step 1: Lie on your back with your legs extended straight up towards the ceiling and feet flexed. Extend your arms straight, in line with your
shoulders.
Step 2: Engage your abdominals. Maintain a neutral position with your head and back, and a space between your chin and chest. Look up at the ceiling as you slowly raise your shoulders off the floor and reach your hands towards your feet.
Step 3: Continue the movement, slowly lowering back down to the start position.
Do 20 reps of these
6. Side plank with opposite oblique crunch
Target Muscle Groups
Primary: Obliques
Secondary: Abdominals, deltoids, quadriceps
Step 1: Lie on your side with your legs straight and feet together. Rest on the forearm of your lower arm on the floor, with your elbow directly under your shoulder and place the hand of your upper arm by your temple.
Step 2: Engage your abdominals. Maintain a straight line with your head, neck and body as you push down through your forearm and feet, to raise your body up until your legs are straight.
Step 3: Bend the knee of your lower leg and bring it up towards your chest. At the same time bend your upper elbow down to touch the knee.
Step 4: Continue the movement, returning back to the start position. Repeat, then alternate sides.
Do 20 reps of these then alternate sides
7. Full side plank with leg lift
Target Muscle Groups
Primary: Obliques
Secondary: Abdominals, deltoids, triceps, quadriceps
Step 1: Assume a full side plank with straight arm position.
Step 2: Maintain a straight line with your head, neck and body, as you push down through your arm and feet, to lift your body up until your arms and legs are straight.
Step 3: Lift the upper leg up in line with your hips, keeping the rest of your body still.
Step 4: Continue the movement, holding the position for the desired length of time. Release the tension slowly. Repeat, then alternate sides.
Hold for 60 seconds
8. Prisoner squat
Target Muscle Groups
Primary: Quadriceps, gluteals, hamstrings
Secondary: Adductors
Step 1: Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, point your toes slightly outward and keep them aligned with your knees. Place your hands behind your head. Pull your elbows and shoulders back.
Step 2: Maintain a straight back and engage your abdominals. Hinge your hips back and lower your upper body down, until your thighs are level with your knees, parallel to the floor.
Step 3: Continue the movement, slowly raising back up to the start position, keeping your weight evenly distributed between both feet as you do so and abdominals engaged throughout.
Tip: Taking the squat further down will place more emphasis on your hamstrings and glutes.
Do 20 reps of these
9. Wall sit with bent knee lift
Target Muscle Groups
Primary: Quadriceps, gluteals
Secondary: Hamstrings, adductors, abdominals
Step 1: Assume the wall sit position.
Step 2: Keep your body still and raise
one knee up level with your waist.
Step 3: Continue the movement, slowly lowering your foot back down to the floor. Repeat, alternating legs. Slowly raise back up the wall to a standing position.
Do 20 reps of these while alternating
10. Glute bridge with calf raise toe tap
Target Muscle Groups
Primary: Gluteals, gastrocnemius, soleus
Secondary: Hamstrings, erector spinae, abdominals
Step 1: Lie on your back with your arms straight by your sides and palms down. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart.
Step 2: Engage your glutes as you push through your heels to raise your pelvis upwards to form a straight line with your knees, hips and shoulders.
Step 3: Lift both heels up off the floor. With heels raised, lift one foot off the floor and then the other, in a marching action.
Step 4: Continue the movement, lowering your heels back to the floor.
Do 20 reps of these while alternating
