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8 Easy Ways to Transform Your Home Into a Personal Gym

Stuck inside this winter? These household items are all you need to become a lean, mean fat-burning machine without leaving the house
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A Pumpkin or a Melon
Use it to replace: A medicine ball

How: Evenly distributes extra weight during exercises you're already familiar with to get even more burn from head to toe.

Try: Lunges With Overhead Press
Start in a standing position with your feet together. Hold your pumpkin or melon in front of your chest with both hands. Engage your core by pulling in your abs as you take a large step forward with your right foot. Lower your hips straight down into a lunge while you simultaneously lift the pumpkin straight over your head. Pull the pumpkin back toward your chest while stepping your left leg forward so you end in the starting position. Do five reps then repeat with your left foot. Complete two sets.

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A Box of Detergent
Use it to replace: A kettlebell

How: With a core-centric move that challenges you to focus on your form and agility for a full-body workout

Try: Off Set Farmer's Carry
This workout works best with a box of detergent with a handle. Pick up the box of detergent with one hand and stand with your arms straight. They key here is use your core strength to keep your shoulders level as if you were carrying weight in both hands. Walk 20 steps forward, turn around, and walk 20 more steps. Set the box down and switch hands. If you sway or have to change your gait, start with fewer steps and work your way up as you feel comfortable.

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Bottles of Water
Use it to replace: Light hand weights

How: Take advantage of the lighter weight by performing your usual curls and presses with higher repetitions. For even more burn, hold a plank for 30 seconds followed by 10 pushups before picking up your water bottles.

Try: Bicep Curls
Stand up straight with feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Hold a water bottle in each hand with your palms facing upward. Keeping your upper arms completely still, exhale and curl the water bottles upward while contracting your biceps. Then, inhale and slowly begin to lower the water bottles back to the starting position. Complete 3 sets of 15 reps.

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Paper Plates
Use it to replace: Fitness Gliders

How: Challenge your hard-to-target areas like your obliques by creating slip on hardwood floors or carpet

Try: Mountain Sliders
Start in a plank position with a paper plate underneath each foot. Brace your core and bend your left knee, sliding your foot up towards your left hand, bringing your knee as close to your arm as you can. Quickly slide your left leg back to start as you slide the right knee up towards your right arm. Continue alternating sides 20 times.

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A Towel
Use it to replace: A resistance band

How: Combine a resistance exercise that works the arms with a lower body move to kill two birds with one stone

Try: V Squats
Start by standing with feet a little wider than hip width apart. Grip the ends of the towel with each hand and hold it taut overhead, pulling for resistance. Lower down into a squat, bringing the towel down in front of your chest until it is parallel to the floor, then squeeze your glutes and return to standing, raising the towel overhead again. Complete three sets of 10.

MAY 22, 2015 | SHARES
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