One of the most appealing aspects of the MYZONE system to many of our users is it’s versatility. With the help of the free MYZONE app and the effort-tracking capabilities of the accurate and affordable MZ-3, your workout tracking can effortlessly extend beyond the four walls of the gym. Many of our faithful MYZONE users don’t have a gym membership at all but are committed to maintaining an active lifestyle either through outdoor sports and activities or by staying intentionally active in the home.
With the help of bodyweight training, there’s no excuse to not find time to get a solid workout in. Whether you find yourself at home, in a hotel, in a college dorm room, or on the go—there’s almost always a way to earn MEPS right where you are. If you’re a fan of the at-home workout, or if you’re finding it difficult to earn MEPS when you don’t have the accountability of the gym atmosphere, read on to see some of our favorite bodyweight moves that fit perfectly into any workout routine.
Burpees
Most of us have a palpable love-hate relationship with burpees. Though we know that they’re effective and are helpful in engaging multiple muscle groups and driving up our heart rate, they just don’t feel like a whole lot of fun while we’re doing them over and over again. The beauty of burpees is that they require no equipment but they’re still able to get our hearts pumping and they help us earn loads of MEPS in a relatively short amount of time. (See more on burpees from our Master Trainers.)
Step-by-step:
1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands to your sides
2. Bend your knees and squat down, placing your hands firmly to the floor
3. Jump your feet back to transition into a high-plank with your arms and legs fully extended
4. Jump both feet forward, as close to your hands as you can
5. From this frog-like position, jump straight up extending your arms into the air
Mountain Climbers
Grab a timer and try to do as many mountain climbers in 45 seconds and you can squeeze in. Did you do it? If you did, you’ll know why these are a great bodyweight exercise to give your lower abdomen, arms, and heart a good workout.
Step-by-step:
1. Get in the push up position, try to maintain a straight line from your head to your toes
2. Raise your knee toward your chest
3. Kick your leg that is up by your chest back as you bring the other one forward, try not to touch your feet to the floor when they are extended to the back
4. Alternate legs forward and back for 45 seconds
High Knees
If you’re looking for bodyweight moves that focus on your core and lower half (while still engaging your heart) try adding in a few high knees!
Step-by-step:
1. Stand up straight with your core engaged and your arms to your sides
2. Lift your arms, from the elbow up to waist height with your palms facing toward the floor
3. Maintain this posture throughout your circuit
4. Raise one knee up to hip height (attempting to make contact with your down-facing palms)
5. Keep the other leg bent and ready to follow
6. Quickly alternate knees, leaning back with an engaged core to help drive your knees toward your chest
Plank-to-Pushup
Want a bodyweight variation of the time-tested pushup? Try the plank-to-pushup on for size! This is a great option even for those who aren’t able to churn out 100 pushups at a time. Adding this move into a series of bodyweight exercises to make sure you haven’t forgotten to give your arms some attention is always a good idea. The added bonus of this move? You’ll engage your core and raise your heart rate which earns you a bucket full of all-important MEPS.
Step-by-step:
1. Start the move in a basic plank position
2. Place one hand down on the floor at a time to lift up into a pushup position
3. Keeping your back straight and core engaged, move one arm at a time back to the plank position
4. Repeat the move alternating the starting hand each time
Strap on your MZ-3, try out these moves, and then let us know what you think! We’d love to hear from those of you who have had success with MYZONE and working out outside of the gym. What are your go-to features in the app that motivate you to keep moving? What bodyweight methods have you found help you get great results while earning MEPS? Others in the MYZONE community could greatly benefit from your knowledge and experience, so we encourage you to share on Facebook, Twitter, or even tag us in a pic that you post to Instagram.