4 Best Strength Training Moves You Can Do With Household Items

Ready for a statistic that’s bound to shock you? More than one in four women and one in three men are overweight. What’s even worse is that about two out of every five adults is considered obese. What’s going on?

If you think about it, a lot of the most common jobs today involve sitting at a computer checking emails all day. I’m a firm believer that increased movement can help us combat our propensity to put on weight (in addition to eating a healthy diet).

Not everyone can afford a gym membership, but you can still take your health into your hands and build up your strength without leaving your house. Here are four effective strength training moves you can do with regular household items.

Water Jug Bicep Curls

If you want nice arms, you need to work your biceps. This muscle group is one of the most powerful muscle groups in your upper body, so you’ll need something heavy to give them a challenge. A gallon water jug is a great option for bicep curls because it’s heavy and has a handle built into it. Do three sets of 12 bicep curls on each arm.

Wine Bottle Lateral Shoulder Raises

Wine bottles make great at-home weights for smaller muscle groups that can't handle heavy weights. Who knew wine bottles could actually help you get in shape instead of making you gain weight?

Lateral shoulder raises are an excellent type of exercise to do with wine bottles because most people need lighter weights to complete them. To begin, hold a wine bottle in each hand while standing straight with your arms down to your sides. Slowly raise your arms out to the sides as if you’re a bird flapping its wings. Bring your arms slowly back down to your sides. Do three sets of 12 lateral shoulder raises.

Pancake Syrup Shoulder Press

If you love homemade pancakes, you probably have at least one large jug of pancake syrup. As long as the jugs have handles, you can use them to do shoulder presses. Start by holding a jug of pancake syrup in each hand. Bring your hands up with your arms bent at a 90-degree angle so your elbows are level with your shoulders.

Next, slowly push your arms upward as if you’re trying to touch the ceiling with the milk jugs. Bring your arms back down to a 90-degree angle so your elbows are level with your shoulders again. Repeat this movement and do three sets of 12 reps.

Paint Can Rows

Most people have a paint can lying around the house. You can use it to do bent-over rows and work those small muscles of the back that are so important for good posture. Depending on your muscle strength, you may want to use a paint can that is only half full. If you're a little stronger, you may do just fine using a full paint can.

For single-arm paint can rows, bend over slightly without arching or rounding your back. Pull your stomach in and tighten it so you maintain good form throughout the workout. While holding a paint can in one hand, press your shoulder blades down and back toward your buttocks. Next, lift the paint can toward your back while focusing on using the muscles between your shoulder blades to pull the can upward and back. Do three sets of 10 reps on each side.

These exercises don’t require a gym membership or fancy equipment. If you don’t have some of the common household items mentioned here, improvise and use similarly-shaped items to achieve a great workout without leaving your house.