Three at-home workouts by professionals to keep fit

Gyms and fitness studios are closed for the time being, but there are creative ways to stay in shape at home, even if you’re lacking basic equipment. Don’t take our word for it: With the help of certified fitness instructors, we’ve come up with some suggested programmes that’ll challenge all your major muscle groups. Just be sure to warm up adequately beforehand, stretch well afterwards and stop if you experience any pain.

This may look deceptively easy, but despite its brevity, you’ll most likely be out of breath afterwards. To get the most out of it, try this in quick bursts and with speed. Simon says, “Once you complete one exercise, immediately flow into the next and then the next. Continue in this manner until all exercises have been completed. But this constitutes only one round; you have to complete 10. I guarantee you will sweat after this!”  

One round (10 sets) 

1. Prisoner squat, 2 
2. Lunge, 2 left and 2 right 
3. Lateral lunge to balance, 2 left and 2 right 
4. Centipede, 1 
5. Push-up, 2 
6. Crawl patterns – out of sync forward, 2 left and 2 right 
7. Centipede, 1

For videos on how to do the exercises, visit here.

Those who are familiar with High-Intensity Interval Training, or HIIT, will know just how effective it can be when it comes to burning calories. For this workout from Ritual Gym, you’ll need an aid that can be easily found at home – either two one-litre bottles of water or a bag loaded to your desired heaviness. These will be perfect substitutes for dumbbells if you don’t have any. You’ll also need a stopwatch or timer – the one on your phone will do. 

Shaik stresses the importance of form in this workout. “It’s not about how many repetitions you can do. Focus on form and quality,” he says. “It’s also up to participants to decide how fast or slow they want to go. Listen to your body. If you need to slow down or use a lighter weight, you should have the option to do so.” 

30s per exercise, followed by 20s rest (4 sets) 

1. Overhead press (with bottles or bag) 
2. Squats  
3. Mountain climbers 
4. Bent-over row (with bottles or bag) 
5. Glute bridge 
6. Burpees 

If you’ve tried and finished this workout and want to switch things up, you can also look up Ritual Gym’s YouTube channel here.

If you happen to have a few dumbbells of varying weights at home, we’ve cooked up something a little more challenging with F45 Singapore, a gym that focuses on functional training through a mix of circuit and HIIT-style workouts that are 45 minutes long. Here’s one of their daily plans. 

35s work and 10s rest, three consecutive sets per exercise  

(2 sets of the full 9-exercise circuit) 

1. Overhead reverse lunge  
2. Romanian deadlift 
3. Archer push-up (use towel) 
4. Bicep curl overhead press 
5. Bent-over row, alternating arms 
6. Slider double foot mountain climber (use towel) 
7. Weighted crunch 
8. Snatch overhead  
9. Shoulder press 

Currently, F45 offers a tailored at-home programme that changes every day, ensuring that you won’t hit the dreaded wall of boredom. The weekly S$35 membership fee covers daily suggested workouts –like the list above – as well as three live sessions via Zoom a day where you get to interact with a trainer and get corrections or guidance if needed. You also receive a selection of tailored online videos to carry out at your own leisure.

Aside from these, there are also popular online platforms and YouTube channels to check out. There’s the enduring favourite Fitness Blender, as well as the gentler option of Yoga with Adriene for those with previous injuries or any kind of compromised range of motion. Fitness First Singapore is also offering a slew of at-home workouts which you can stream from their Facebook page or IGTV. 

At the end of the day, you don’t have to simply pick one and stick with it – the best thing about at-home workouts is the ability to mix them up whenever you want. 

SEE ALSO: 5 resorts offering digital workouts to beat the WFH blues