I'm a certified personal trainer and often find that my clients want to incorporate every single piece of gym equipment into their workouts. While dumbbells, resistance bands and stability balls can add intensity, using just your bodyweight can also be challenging—especially if you’re new to exercise.
My usual strength training circuit has felt a little stale lately, so I went back to basics with some bodyweight exercises. Fitness trainer Olivia Lawson’s recent full-body no-equipment calisthenics workout was a thorough, easy-to-follow and fun way to shake up my routine.
How to do the no-equipment workout
While titled "no equipment", Lawson uses a chair and yoga block at times. But don’t worry if you don’t have these—you can substitute a block for a thick book and a set of stairs for the chair.
The workout starts with a five-minute mobility warm-up, followed by exercises like squats and lunges, performed for 45 seconds each with 15 seconds of rest between them. Lawson wraps up with a five-minute cool-down.
What I thought of the workout
It was longer than 30 minutes
Technically it’s a 35-minute workout, but the extra five minutes include a warm-up and cool-down. Many trainers skip these essential steps so I appreciated that Lawson included mobility work and stretching.
The warm-up released tension in my joints and muscles, helping me get through the workout without aches and pains. The cool-down was an opportunity to explore my full range of motion and I finished the workout feeling refreshed and revitalized.
I had to modify some exercises
As I’m currently pregnant, I modified a few mat-based moves. The superman lift and superman hold are performed lying on your front so I swapped these for bird-dog. I also avoided exercises lying on my back as the weight of the baby can cause compression of major blood vessels, opting for plank variations instead.
As Lawson’s workout isn’t designed to be prenatal-friendly, I can forgive the lack of pregnancy-safe modifications. Still, showing some alternative movements could benefit those with lower back pain and other concerns.
I appreciated the slower pace
"There is no need to rush today," Lawson says in the workout’s introduction. "Focus on quality reps over quantity."
That was a valuable cue, as matching her slower tempo allowed me to focus on proper form and engage the right muscle groups. While you never need an instructor’s permission to go at your own pace, it’s always helpful to have that reminder.
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