Going into the gym without a plan is like deciding to bake a cake without a recipe: kind of a waste of time and probably not going to end well. Sure, you might have a memorized cardio workout that you know and can tolerate, but when it comes to the other stuff — like strength-training and lifting weights — your “routine” might consist of strolling around the weight room and fiddling with your water bottle.
Luckily, there’s an easy and digestible place to start, according to Shelley Traa, ACE-certified personal trainer and fitness manager at 24 Hour Fitness in Carlsbad, CA. “Whatever your daily life entails, none of it is possible without adequate core, back, and arm strength,” Traa says. Ahead, Traa shared eight exercises using minimal equipment and mostly body weight that are meant to strengthen these areas.
If you can remember these moves, then you can accomplish a well-rounded workout each time you go to the gym. But this is just a starting “recipe” for a workout, so to speak, and you might not have all the ingredients just yet. So, we’ve included a few substitutes to make the moves easier, and helpful video tutorials to show you exactly how they’re done.
