How to work out with weights and a rock

Do you think you need lots of fancy equipment to get a solid weight lifting workout in? 

Think again!

The other day my client Andee wanted to throw some weights around. She’s got some metal in her back and wrist, and wasn’t sure how weight lifting would go.  I asked her what she had at home, and she said she has a Swiss ball and some weights. 

Perfect…..except I left my Swiss ball at home.

What shall we use instead? 

Weeellllll….. I looked around the park, and noticed this rock shaped thing. It created just enough height to replicate the lift the ball would provide, and we tossed a yoga mat on it for a little cushion.

Voila! The perfect platform for throwing some weights around.

What do you have at home to do the same? Perhaps a chair seat, or ottoman, or couch edge, or edge of the bed? There are endless possibilities! 

The awesome advantage to this workout is that for the most part your body is doing all the stabilizing, and thus it is an amazing upper and lower slamma-jamma combination.

Translation: Biggest bang for your workout buck, and very functional! 

What did we do? Check this out:

Know that the quantity of all exercises was in the realm of 2-3 sets of 10-12 repetitions and we used 10# weights. 

Exercise #1: Chest press in shoulder bridge

Start with elbows bent and weights about mid chest area, then press straight up while doing a shoulder bridge (drive through the heels and lift hips with glutes equally)

Exercise #2: Row in plank

Start in Plank position, and simply let the weight hang down in space, and pull elbow back (don’t pull into your neck!) through the middle of the back in a rowing motion. 

Exercise #3: Pullover in shoulder bridge

The shoulder bridge is the same as the chest press, however this time hold the weight with both hands and let it drop over your head (careful not to hurt shoulders or neck) and then puuuuuullllll it back over the stomach. This is actually for your back muscles, like a pull-up or a pulldown would target. 

Exercise #4: Russian Twist for 1:30

Gotta love that shoulder bridge! Those glutes should be starting to burst into flames!
Hold the weight with two hands over the stomach, and rotate all the way over to the shoulder, and then all the way over to the other shoulder 

Exercise #5: Bicep Curl on one foot 

Balancing on one foot is an easy way to give one glute at a time some attention, so shift your weigh onto your balancing foot heel and let that glute hold you up. In the meantime grab your weights and bring your fists towards your elbows contracting the bicep muscle in the arms. Other foot hovers over the ball, or rock, or occasionally touches down if you need a quick second of two foot stability. 

Exercise #6: Shoulder Press overhead on one foot 

Same idea as the bicep curl, except take the weights in a “stick ‘em up” start position, and then press overhead. Decelerate the move into the shoulder blades. 

Exercise #7: Walking lunges with twists for 1:30

Lunges are fantastic- with the leg out in front, put the weight on the heel and feel the glute; feel the stretch in the hip flexor area on the back leg. Now twist to one side and the other, and drive through that front heel and feel the glute power you up as you step forward. 

Exercise #8: Full squats for 1:30

Grab onto your kitchen sink, or something substantial to counterbalance you. Drop all the way down into a deep squat, and drive through those heels to get our friend the glutes to kick in to help you up!  

Exercise #9: Tricep xxtension in shoulder bridge 

Poor glutes. They’ve been very taxed this workout, and here is another shoulder bridge…aaah! Grab the weight, bring your palm to your ear, and extend the arm up feeling the back of the arm work. You can add a half twist at the top of the movement to get that third section of the Tricep. 

Exercise #10: Reverse Crunch for 1:30

Start on your back, and then tuck knees to the chest, and continue to bring knees up and back towards your head, feeling in your core. Exhale thru nose to make the movement even stronger and focused in the core! 

Yippee!!! You did it!

Let me know in the comments below how you liked working out with weights and a ROCK!