13 Chair Workouts For Muscle Gain
Even though chair workouts are effective, many people avoid them because they seem boring and tedious. However, if you’re looking to build muscle, chair workouts offer many advantages over traditional weight-lifting exercises. Chair workouts are good alternatives to weight training, especially if you don’t have the equipment or can’t make it to the gym on a particular day. You can even do chair workouts when you’re traveling! In addition to being efficient and fun, chair workouts may be just what you need to get your muscles in shape for summer. the following are the 13 chair workouts for muscle gain
Leg raises
To do these, sit in a sturdy chair and grab onto its armrests. Lean back so your spine is straight and lift one leg off of the floor until it’s parallel to it. Then slowly lower your leg back down to about 90 degrees and repeat with your other leg. Do 10 reps on each side. Leg raises work your abdominals, obliques, quadriceps, and hip flexors, all muscles that are essential to core strength. You can also perform crunches while seated if you want an extra challenge. Just be sure to keep your back straight when doing them; you don’t want to put unnecessary strain on your neck or shoulders.
Back raises
Sitting in a straight-backed chair, bend your knees 90 degrees and place your feet flat on another chair. Then, keeping your back straight and head up, raise your chest off of your thighs by straightening your arms. Hold for three seconds before lowering yourself down again. Do two sets of 15 repetitions. This exercise works your lower back muscles.
Chin tucks
Sit up straight in a sturdy, tall-backed chair and cross your arms over your chest. Then, slowly tuck your chin toward your chest until you feel a stretch in your upper back. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat 5 times. You can also do a variation of these that targets your neck muscles: Put one hand on either side of your head with fingers interlaced. Gently push down as if trying to force your head through the top of your head (but don’t go crazy). Hold for 5 to 10 seconds, then release. Repeat 3 times on each side.
Double leg raises
Make sure you’re seated comfortably in a sturdy, supportive chair that won’t tip over. Lift your legs and hold them at an angle of 90 degrees, keeping your knees straight but not locked. Slowly lower your legs until they are perpendicular to the floor, pause and then raise them back up again by contracting your glutes and hamstring muscles. Complete 3 sets of 15 reps with 1-minute rest in between each set. This exercise is great for strengthening your glutes, hamstrings, and abs. Do it as often as possible.
Chair dips
Dip bars are expensive and take up valuable space, so why not perform dips with a chair? Just place two chairs facing each other in front of a sturdy coffee table or desk. Put your hands behind you on one of the chairs, then slowly lower yourself as far as possible. Pause, then push yourself back up. You can vary how far you dip by moving closer or farther away from your seated chair. Repeat 10 to 15 times. If you want to increase resistance, try holding dumbbells at your sides while doing these. This exercise also works great if you’re working out at home and don’t have access to a gym.
Arm lifts
Stand with your back to a sturdy chair and grab it with your hands shoulder-width apart. Lift both arms to shoulder height, then bend them at 90 degrees so that they form right angles. Return to start position and repeat 10 times. Rest for 30 seconds and then repeat twice more before switching arms. Do three sets on each arm. To make it harder, hold weights in each hand. This will also tone your shoulders and upper back.
Crunches
It’s hard to argue with crunches as a method of core strengthening, which is why they make our list. Lie faceup on a mat, knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Keeping your upper back pressed to the floor, abs tight, bring your shoulders off the mat and lift your torso toward your head. Contract abs to curl torso up; lower back down to start. Do 15 reps per set. Repeat 2–3 times. These are like reverse sit-ups—lie faceup on the mat, legs extended and arms at sides, palms facing in. Bend your knees so that you’re balancing on your tailbone, then raise your arms overhead so that your hands touch the ground behind you (like you’re hugging yourself). Return to starting position by lowering arms and extending legs straight out again.
Twists
A more advanced version of crunches and twists work your midsection from multiple angles. If you want to make it even more challenging, hold a weight in front of your stomach while you twist. You’ll be shocked at how much harder it becomes as soon as you add that little bit of extra resistance. You can also do them using an exercise ball or bench with your feet on one end and your upper body on top.
Bicep Towel Hold
This is an easy exercise that’s perfect if you need a break from more strenuous weightlifting. Stand in front of a chair, grabbing onto either side with your palms facing forward. From here, raise your elbows to a 90-degree angle and hold them there as long as possible while focusing on your biceps and grip strength. The longer you can hold it without shaking or feeling like you’re about to fall over, the stronger you are.
Overhead tricep extension
Sit down in a comfortable office chair. Using your right arm, lift a dumbbell over your head until it reaches shoulder height; your left arm hangs at your side. Bend your elbow 90 degrees and lower until your upper arm is parallel to the floor. Pause and return to starting position; repeat 12 times on each side for one set. Complete three sets daily, resting 30 seconds between sets.
Seated Hamstring Massage
A seated hamstring massage is a great way to help break up fascia, the tissue that connects muscles to bones. It’s very common for anyone who sits for extended periods to develop tightness in their hamstrings, which can lead to other injuries if left untreated. To begin, sit on a foam roller and place your hands behind you on a bench. Contract your butt muscles so that you are sitting at a slight angle, then roll back and forth over your hamstrings.
Calf raises
The simplest way to build your calves is by standing up and dropping back down into a seated position in a chair. If you’re out of chairs, you can do standing calf raises instead. Just stand on an elevated surface, like a stair or anything else that gets your legs higher than your heart. Then, simply raise and lower yourself using just your calves, no momentum is required. Start with three sets of 10 reps and work up from there.
Leg extensions
This exercise strengthens and firms your quadriceps. Sit on a chair, grasping both sides of its back with your hands. Extend your legs so that they’re perpendicular to you, knees straight but not locked. Slowly lower them until they’re at a 90-degree angle. Repeat 8–12 times, adding 2–3 repetitions as you become stronger.
Conclusion
The best type of cardio you can do is a type that allows you to keep your heart rate elevated and burns tons of calories. This means if you’re going to be doing cardio, try some of these 13 chair workouts for muscle gain. If you start hitting your muscles from all different angles, watch them grow. Then maybe I’ll see you at the gym doing full-body weight training someday, it’s what works best. So go ahead: Pick one and go crush it! You’ll thank me later.