Workouts You Can Do Anywhere From Al Kavadlo
Raise your hand if you’ve ever gotten the urge to get in a really good workout, but were nowhere near a gym and had trouble coming up with a workout you could do, you know, wherever you happened to be. Yep, I thought so — it happens to everyone now and again, sometimes because we’re on the road and away from our gym or sometimes because we just don’t happen to have a gym membership. That can make it easy to bail on what could’ve been an amazing sweat session.
But it doesn’t have to be an excuse! Not anymore, now that we’ve chatted with Al Kavadlo, a New York-based fitness guru known for his street workouts, yogi lifestyle and major strength training. Plus, you know, he’s got some pretty rad ink. Kavadlo is a big believer in the idea of being able to work out literally anywhere, from a tiny apartment to the middle of a park, and he’s got some great moves for you to try wherever you happen to be this summer! (And if you’re looking for more from Al, you might want to check out his latest book.)
5 Moves You Can Do Anywhere
1. Backward Lunge. From a standing position, lift one foot from the ground and take a big step back. Lower yourself down so your back knee is hovering an inch above the ground with both legs bent to a 90-degree angle. You should be on the toes of your back foot with your entire front foot flat on the floor. Keep your back straight and your chest tall as you step back up to where you started. Repeat on the opposite leg, alternating sides. Aim for 20 total reps.
2. Drinking Bird. Stand on one leg with a slight bend in the knee and your free leg hovering just above the ground behind you. Begin bending forward at your hips while reaching your extended leg behind your body, forming a line from your heel to the back of your head. Aim to get your trunk and extended leg parallel to the ground. You should feel a stretch in the hamstrings of your standing leg. Brace your trunk as you return to the start position, being careful not to twist your body to the side on the way up. The movement of this exercise should resemble a drinking bird toy. Perform 10 consecutive reps on each side.
3. Reverse Plank. Sit on the floor with your legs extended straight in front of you and your palms on the ground just outside your hips. Press your hands into the floor and lift yourself up by contracting your hamstrings, glutes and other posterior musculature. Drop your head back, press your chest up and try to look behind you. You’ll wind up looking like an upside-down plank. Aim to hold this position 30 to 60 seconds.
4. Push-up. Get into a horizontal position facing the ground with your palms on the floor below your shoulders and your feet together. Keep your body in a straight line from your toes to the back of your head as you lower your chest to the ground and press yourself back to the top position. Be careful to avoid bending at the hips. Beginners should start from their knees instead of their toes to reduce the difficulty. Shoot for 10 repetitions.
5. Australian Pull-up. Get “down under” a bar that’s about waist height with your legs extended so your body forms a straight line from head to heels. Grip the bar tightly with an overhand grip and brace your trunk as you pull your chest toward the bar. Lower yourself with control and repeat. Think of this almost like an upside-down push-up. Again, aim for 10 reps.
A couple of these probably sound pretty familiar, but I bet you learned something new, too! What are your favorite workouts to do at home or in the great outdoors? —Kristen