by Cody Ryder

Created on: June 20, 2009

Prison Workout

No, this doesn't only apply to prisoners. This exercise program is focused on building lean muscle without using any fancy, and often expensive, equipment. People in prison cells don't have access to elliptical or rowing machines. Some of them who aren't allowed in the prison yard don't even have access to free weights. Yet, prisoners are some of the fittest, toughest people in the world. If criminals can figure out how to stay fit then so can any regular citizen.

First is the push-up. Most people know how to do a push-up but many don't know how to do one properly. First, lay flat on the floor. Then place your hands on the floor an equal distance apart. Raise yourself up on your hands and your toes. You are now in a push-up position. Now, while keeping your back straight, lower yourself to the floor. Go down until your elbows form ninety-degree angles. Then rise back up. Do this as many times as you can and when you become worn out, push yourself to do a few more. To increase the difficulty you can put your feet up on a higher object (such as a bed or chair). This will put more of your body weight on your arms and make the push-up harder to complete.

The crunch is another classic that everyone was probably taught in his or her school physical education class. The crunch targets the abdominal muscles and helps to build your core. Start out by lying with your back flat on the floor and your knees bent. Then curl your shoulders toward your pelvis. In a proper crunch, the lower back should never leave the floor.

Another great abdominal exercise is the plank. Start by laying flat on the floor. Then place your elbows and forearms under your chest. Lift yourself up using your forearms and toes. Tighten your abs while holding yourself up. This sounds easy but anyone who tries to do it for an extended period will find it is anything but. Hold it for as long as you can. Over time, this will get easier to hold.

Next is the burpee. Boxers and other athletes often perform this exercise because it works the entire body. The burpee is executed in six steps. 1) Stand with your arms down at your sides. 2) Bend at the waist and put your hands flat on the floor. 3) Kick your feet back and straighten your back. You should now be in a push-up position. 4) Do a push-up. 5) Bring your feet back up until you are in the position from step two. 6) Return to a standing position. The goal at first should be to complete ten to twenty burpees a minute. As you do them more often, you should be able to complete more.

Any football player will recognize this exercise. It is the up-down (sometimes known as a Thompson Drill). You start by running in place with your knees high. Then you drop into a push-up position, complete a push-up, and jump back up to continue running. It is basically a burpee but instead of standing still, you are running in place.

Now you have five exercises that you can do in any room of the house without the need for gym equipment. All you need is some time and dedication. Simply do a few of the above exercises every day and you will start to see results.

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