Stuck in self isolation is actually a great time for tackling corrective drills and physio style prehab movements but if it’s maintaining gains all that you care about then you can avoid the core exercises or the shoulder/hip correctives/mobilizations and get straight to finding new ways of loading your body to keep your hard earned muscle.
First off all the body knows is resistance, that’s to say machines, cables, resistance bands, kettlebells, dumbbells and barbells are all ways of loading the body. They all have their uses just as there’s multiple tools and ways to get a job done. It takes personal experience and mindful usage to understand what works for an individual and what uses it can have in different situation. However in this case we’re going to focus on what’s easily accessible for an individual stuck at home and although it’s easy for many to just buy everything normally found in a gym or whatever they generally use (as some may only train with dumbbells or barbells or whatever) we will focus on resistance bands.
Muscle Maintaining Ingredients:
Small, Medium & Large 40” or so Long Resistance Bands (usually a thin red one a purple or black and a green will do the trick feel free to buy doubles to make the squat and hinge easier on your neck) I recommend 3 because it allows variety for different muscles and movements
Banded Movements:
Squat
Hinge
Single Arm Press
Pushups
Standing Row
Single Arm Fly
Standing Tricep Extensions
Curls
Most movements and muscle can be hit effectively with resistance bands it’s just not as fun and takes some getting used to the awkwardness of it for some things like the neck friction of doing banded squats (definitely wear a hoodie for it to rub against). However more or less with some ingenuity you can recreate your usual program at home with bands.
How to do:
Squat/Hinge- wrap band around back just above shoulders at the bottom of neck where your traps should be and stand on inside of band. For Squat, Squat down to lowest position mobility allows and back up where as Hinge is basically a deadlift or Romanian deadlift making sure to bend at the hips and feel the hamstring stretch
Press- Stand on band with same foot as the arm pressing and press up
Pushups- Wrap band around back over shoulder blades and grab band then get into pushup position with bands under opened hands
Standing row/Single Arm Fly/Tricep Extensions- Wrap band around doorknob or strong structure then row or fly
Curls- Stand or sit with band under one or both feet then curl up
Videos and pictures will be uploaded on my two Instagram accounts in the coming weeks @thecryingboy @partwolf_
THE ROUTINE
This Routine is essentially a watered down Push, Pull & Legs split and this isn’t necessarily special or definitively going to add pounds to your lifts or frame but it’s a start if you’re lost, bored or need ideas.
Day 1: “LEG DAY”
Squat
Hinge
Press
Day 2: “PUSH DAY”
Pushups
Standing 1-Arm Fly
Standing 1-Arm Tricep extensions
Day 3: “PULL DAY”
Standing Row
Kneeling Row Lat Pull (elbows out more)
Curls
3 sets with a break of 1-3min depending on when you feel properly recovered. Aim for 10 reps (repetitions) per set but in reality it’s far more effective, controllable and recoverable to think of each set having a intensity goal, meaning aim to have 4 reps left in the tank and no matter your goals or experience you’ll likely progress if you’re eating and sleeping right despite the goal being maintaining.
TLDR 3x10 (somewhere around 3x5-20 is good tho) @RPE/RIR 6/4
Add reps over time to progress then take a week off and start with an extra set but less reps per set and now you have basic programming!
That’s all for now. I hope that was helpful and gives some directions for how to workout at home for cheap.
Happy Lifting y’all
-Mr Wolf
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