Staying Active During Quarantine: Creative Workout Routines by Oscar Smith
For weeks now, gyms all over the country have been closed due to quarantine, but that’s no excuse to skip your workouts. There are plenty of exercises you can do from home or at the Park.
I am grateful to Oscar Smith for curating the six routines below that will help to keep you moving!
Mr. Smith owns a personal training gym in Tribeca, where he trains celebrities such as Katherine McPhee, Tom Brady, Rosario Dawson, Val Kilmer, and many others.
OSCAR SMITH’S SIX CURATED ROUTINES
Remember always to stretch and warm-up before you start working out. It is essential to stay hydrated during your workout and keep your limitations in mind. Don’t force yourself to do anything; if you can’t run, walk and work your way up. Like I always say, athletes are made, not born; this is your chance to work on that and reach any fitness goals you may have.
Lower Body and Cardio: repeat circuit for six rounds
No equipment needed.
- Jumping jacks.
- One minute.
- Plank.
- One minute.
- Mountain climbers.
- One minute.
- Squat pops.
- One minute.
- Alternating lunges.
- One minute.
Upper Body: start with one round and add up to five rounds
Use a chair or coffee table for support; make sure it’s stable, and it has no sharp edges.
- Pushups.
- 25 reps.
- Dips with a coffee table or chair—make sure your glutes touch the floor.
- 25 reps.
- Incline pushups with your hands on the edge of a coffee table or chair.
- 25 reps.
- Decline pushups, with your feet on the coffee table or chair.
- 25 reps.
- Modified pull-up, on all fours. Put a towel in front of you, and pull your body towards it.
- 25 reps.
- Hold the towel as if you were trying to pull it apart—hard.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
- Stand in squat stance and pull the towel into your chest.
- 25 reps.
- Put the towel underneath your foot, hold the ends, and pull up to your chest.
- Hold for 30 seconds.
Cardio and Core: you can repeat this circuit for five rounds
- Jump rope.
- Three minutes.
- Sit-ups with hands across your chest and feet anchored.
- 25 reps.
- Jump rope.
- Three minutes.
- Leg lifts.
- 25 reps.
- Jump rope.
- Three minutes.
- Boxer sit-ups.
- 25 reps.
- Jump rope.
- Three minutes.
- Toe reaches.
- 25 reps.
- Jump rope.
- Three minutes.
- Plank.
- One minute.
Workout with Dumbbells: 15-pounds for men, 5-pounds for women
- Front lateral raises.
- 15 reps.
- Side lateral raises.
- 15 reps.
- Military press.
- 15 reps.
- Pec deck/Arnolds.
- 15 reps.
- Bent over row (45-degree angle with bent knees and neutral neck).
- 15 reps.
- One arm row (between the legs).
- 15 reps each side.
- Dumbbell curls.
- 15 reps.
- Hammer curls.
- 15 reps.
- Reverse curls.
- 15 reps.
- Triceps extension behind the neck (remember to tuck in your chin).
- 15 reps.
- Flys (keep the knees bent).
- 15 reps.
- Bench press, lying flat on your back and hips down. Hold dumbbells straight up, weights touching each other over their chest, let them down until your elbows touch the floor, and then back up.
- 15 reps.
- Pullovers.
- 15 reps.
- Elbows at your side touching the floor, push straight up, and then right back down.
- 15 reps.
At the Park: repeat the circuit five times
You will use the pull-up bar from the Park. For cardio, you can jump the rope or run a lap around a basketball court or run in place. You can increment the reps if your abilities allow you to.
- Pull-ups.
- 5 reps.
- Holding on to the pull-up bar, bring knees to chest (no swinging).
- 15 reps.
- Cardio exercise.
- One minute.
- Chin-ups with a reverse grip.
- 5 reps.
- Pull your legs up all the way to an L (no swinging).
- 15 reps.
- Cardio exercise.
- One minute.
- Chin up with both hands together.
- 5 reps.
- Plank.
- One minute.
- Wide grip pull-ups.
- 5 reps.
- Shoulder-width grip knees up with a twist alternating sides.
- 10 reps each side.
- Cardio exercise.
- One minute.
- Pull-up behind the neck.
- 5 reps.
- Bring one leg up as high as you can to touch the bar.
- 30 reps.
Cardio at the Park: you should start with one round and build-up
You will need to go around a track field or a basketball court.
- Run.
- One lap.
- Walking lunges.
- One lap.
- Run.
- One lap.
- Squat jump.
- One lap.
- Run.
- One lap.
- Backpedal.
- One lap.
- Sprints, 15 yards.
- 10 reps, jogging back to the starting place before doing the next sprint.
- Run.
- One lap.
- Bear crawl.
- One lap.
- Stretch.
When doing these workouts, you need to remember your limitations and not push yourself beyond your limits. I guarantee doing these routines will get you moving, without the need to visit a gym, and you will start seeing the results you want.
