Great travel workout in under 30 minutes!

Hey everyone,

Tannys was recently travelling for work.  As she did not have a lot of time to complete a workout, she put together a density workout, comprised of just four sets (eight exercises in total), that she completed in her hotel room.

Each set of two exercises is performed for 5 minutes, alternating between the two exercises as needed. Take 2 minutes of rest between each set.  The entire workout can be completed in less than 30 minutes!

The only equipment needed is a chair or surface that you can rest your shoulders on for hip thrusts and a sturdy desk or table that you can suspend from underneath for reverse pushups. 

Here is what she did:

1. Jumping lunges + Pushups

2. Shoulder-elevated hip thrusts + Sleeping crabs

Completed with shoulders elevated on a couch or bed

3. Speed squats + Reverse pushups

4. Bulgarian split squats + Mountain climbers

Although the exercises are all body weight, you can really break a sweat by pushing the pace with the jumping exercises.  Give it a try next time you are travelling, or just need a quick workout at home!

-Tannys & Alex

Another Terrific Travel Workout!

Hey everyone,

This past weekend, Tannys travelled to Toronto for work, so she modified her usual workout routine.  As she did not have much time, she put together a fairly short (but very demanding) workout that she completed in her hotel room.

Outdoor Workout in Sunny Fort Lauderdale!

Hey everyone,

We just returned from a terrific family vacation to Fort Lauderdale, Florida! During our week-long stay, we managed to fit in three outdoor workouts, along with several swims.  We brought our JungleGym XT with us for suspension trainer exercises at the villa we had rented.  We also had a great run/outdoor gym workout by the ocean. 

One early morning (before it got too hot), we ran down to South Beach Park...

Lower Body Tabata Workout

Hey everyone,

To change things up a bit for this workout, we decided to return to an old-favourite workout style: Tabata!  For those who are unfamiliar with this workout style, it was originally developed for training Japanese Olympic athletes.  Each exercise is completed for 8 blocks of 20 seconds all-out activity, followed by 10 seconds of rest.  For a full description, check out our "Workout Styles" tab at: http://couplefit.blogspot.ca/p/workout-styles.html

Upper Body Superset Workout

Hey everyone,

For this upper body workout, we decided to use supersets.  This is a great way to fit in a chalenging workout, while cutting back on the amount of time it takes to complete it.  Performing exercises back-to-back also increases the intensity, which helps you focus on conditioning and fat-loss as well.

Lower Body Superset Workout

Hey everyone,

When we arrived home from work, neither of us were overly inspired to exercise.  We had both had long days at work and were exhausted (not to mention very sore from our upper body workout the day before!).  Despite this, we had no good reason to not workout, thus we decided to suck it up and exercise...

Upper Body Bodyweight Circuit Workout

Hey everyone,

Years ago, Alex injured his lower back.  Lower back pain is very common, with some studies showing that 8 out of 10 people will experience it in their lifetime.  Unfortunately, Alex re-injured the area recently, which has posed some challenges to our training.  Rather than viewing this as a huge set-back, however, we are looking at it as an opportunity to try out some new styles of training.  For the time being, our training will focus on 'back-safe' exercises, primarily bodyweight movements, until his injury has healed.

Lower Body Circuit Workout in Winnipeg

Hey everyone,

When we were in Winnipeg recently, we tried out a new lower body circuit workout.  When we are travelling, we make a conscious effort to keep active, through walking and regular workouts.  It helps make the trip more enjoyable, keeps us on track for our fitness, and helps offset any extra calories that we might consume!

Another Great Bodyweight Workout!

Hey everyone,

For an upper body workout, we decided to stay with the bodyweight exercise theme and complete an AR7 workout.  We really enjoyed revisiting this workout style, which focuses on three exercises. 

The results of bodyweight training...

Are You Up For A Challenge?

Hey everyone,

We were looking for a challenging workout.  We wanted something that would be short duration, high intensity and require some real dedication to complete.  When we selected our workout, we designed it to include only bodyweight exercises and no special equipment.

Another 5-Minute Workout!

Hey everyone,

Some days it is tough to find the time to workout.  On other days, even when you have the time, you may not have the motivation or energy for a full-length workout.  For these occasions, we encourage you to try to fit in a 5-minute workout.  This isn't a path to ultimate fitness (there's only so much you can realistically accomplish in 5 minutes!), but it is certainly a step in the direction towards fitness and a healthy lifestyle.

5-Minute Bodyweight (Beginner) Workout

Hey everyone,

How is your day going?  Many of us will say it's a busy day.  There's lots on the go, between work, family and other commitments.  Do you feel that you are too busy to fit in a workout today?  What if we could show you how to do a 5-minute workout - one that anyone could do, without any equipment.  Could you find 5 minutes in your day to improve your health and fitness?  Most of us probably could...

A Five Minute Workout!

Hey everyone,

We recently received a request from one of our readers to suggest a workout that can be completed every day, in a very short amount of time.  Even if you only have 5 minutes to spare, you have no excuse to not exercise today!

A Beginner, Bodyweight Workout

Hey everyone,

The last time we posted a beginner, bodyweight workout it seemed to resonate with a number of readers (http://couplefit.blogspot.ca/2012/06/how-can-i-become-fit-and-lean-without.html).  We heard that it was a helpful starting point for exercising and even useful for more experienced fitness advocates when doing a workout at home without equipment or when travelling.  Thus, we have created a new beginner, bodyweight workout for you to try!

Tutorial - Burpees

Hey everyone,

Burpees are another bodyweight exercise which don't require any equipment.  They're a challenging full body movement, which will also improve your conditioning (as long as you maintain a good pace and do multiple reps).

Tutorial - Bodyweight Core Exercises

Hey everyone,

Today we are featuring a tutorial on bodyweight core exercises.  There are many different exercises which work your core - this Couplefit video tutorial will feature 2 which you can easily incorporate into your fitness routine. 

Tutorial - Pullups and Chinups

Hey everyone,

Pullups and chinups are another classic bodyweight exercise.  They do require equipment - at a minimum a horizontal bar (at sufficient height) which can support your bodyweight.  There are many different 'doorway' chinup bars available for home use.  Alternatively, you can find this equipment at a gym or even in a playground (e.g. monkey bars).  Regardless of where you do pullups or chinpus, this exercise will provide an excellent challenge for your back muscles (particularly your lats).

Tutorial - Bodyweight Squats and Bulgarian Split Squats

Hey everyone,

Today we are featuring a Couplefit video tutorial of bodyweight squats (3 variations of increasing difficulty), as well as bulgarian split squats.  Both of these exercises can be performed without any fitness equipment, although you can also hold weight to increase the exercise difficulty.

Tutorial - Bodyweight Hamstring Exercises

Hey everyone,

Continuing our exploration of bodyweight exercises that you can you do without equipment, let's take a look at 2 ways to target our hamstrings.

Tutorial - Bodyweight Lunges and Step-Ups

Hey everyone,

As we've discussed in recent posts, there are many different bodyweight exercises that you can perform without any equipment.  To continue exploring that idea, we have created a brief tutorial focusing on how to perform bodyweight lunges and step-ups.