Midwest

     Basketball

The No Weights? No Problem Workout

Sometimes, life doesn't allow you to have access to a gym or even a good set of weights -- when you're on vacation, perhaps, or serving 20 in solitary. But you can use nature's best barbell -- your own body. In fact, many athletes use their own body weight for hard-core workouts because it provides more than enough resistance when you're doing body-weight exercises. This circuit works all of your muscles, and you never have to lift a weight -- except your own.

1. Skiing Wall Squat - Lean against a wall, with your feet 18 to 24 inches away from it and shoulder-width apart. Bend your knees slightly and hold that position for 5 to 10 seconds. Bend deeper and hold. Repeat until you've hit five different positions; go as low as you can.
2. Donkey Kick - Get down on your hands and knees and kick your right leg back and up as high as you can. Finish by arching your back and pulling your knee to your chest. Repeat on the other side.
3. Boot Slappers - Stand with your legs slightly wider than shoulder-width, squat down, slap the sides of your ankles, then stand back up. Repeat 10 to 20 times. As a variation, after you slap your ankles, explode and jump straight up instead of standing up.
4. Shadow Boxing - Throw punches while bobbing on your feet like a boxer: 10 right jabs, 10 left hooks, 10 right hooks, 10 left uppercuts, 10 right uppercuts.
5. Diamond Pushup - Get into traditional pushup position, but place your hands directly under your chest with your index fingers and thumbs spread and touching; that's the diamond. Keep your back flat throughout the movement. Lower your body until your chest nearly touches your hands. Pause, then push your body back up to the starting position.
   
   Variation 1: If the move is too difficult, put your knees on the ground.
   
   Variation 2: Elevate your feet on a bench, chair, or bed.
6. Reaching Lunge - Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. In one motion, take a lunging step forward as far as you can with your left foot and reach forward with both hands to touch the floor in front of you. Quickly reverse the motion to return to the starting position, then switch legs.
7. Bench/Chair Dip - Place your hands behind you on the edge of a bench or chair and your feet on another bench or chair (or the floor) a few feet in front of you. Lower your body until your upper arms are nearly parallel to the floor. Pause, then press back to the starting position.
   
   Variation: Ask someone to add a weight plate, phone book, or your carry-on for extra resistance.
8. Broad Jump - Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Dip your knees and jump forward as far as you can. Land on both feet with flexed knees. Pause, turn around, then jump back. Complete a set of 10.
   
   Variation 1: As soon as your toes touch the floor after the jump, jump again immediately.
   
   Variation 2: After each broad jump, squat slightly and quickly explode straight up, reaching both arms overhead. Land with flexed knees, then jump forward again.