Your Go-To Home Workout Guide with Antwun Baker

Fitness coach and Honey Stinger Hive athlete Antwun Baker inspires us to keep moving this winter when getting outside or going to the gym may be challenging.

He shares great home workout exercises for cardio, strength and stabilization you can easily fit into your training routine. To help kickstart your home workout routine, Antwun guides you through an equipment free HIIT workout you can do from home.

How do you recommend athletes find the motivation to work out alone at home?

During the pandemic, especially as winter approaches, we are all spending a lot of time on Zoom/video calls, spending time on the couch, and spending many of our waking hours indoors. This current environment can bring a lethargic feeling and make it difficult to get up and move the body, but movement for the body is medicine. Any type of exercise that gets the blood pumping and the heart rate up is a win.

For those that are struggling to get active in our current climate, set small goals for yourself: keep track of your steps, get outside and take a small walk, write-up a quick 20-minute workout and complete it. Be consistent - and get out and move. Don't feel like you need to compete with others or that you have to complete a workout of a certain length or complexity. It's not about being better than someone else - it's about being better than you were yesterday. And once you move your body, you are going to feel much better for the rest of the day.

If someone working out at home needed to purchase ONE item to use, what would it be and why?

If you only have one piece of equipment for home workouts, I would recommend a full-body resistance band. This type of band can be used for so many different movements. There are a variety of brands that offer bands like this, both online and in stores. It is a low-risk and a small investment that can really help you build muscle and gain strength. You can use this type of band for push-ups, squats, rows, deadlifts, overhead press's, etc.

As many athletes find themselves indoors more often due to inclement weather, what would be your prescription for a…

❤️️ Cardio in-home workout

I'm a big fan of equipment-free cardio exercises like...

• Jumping jacks
• Mountain-climbers
• High-knees
• Jogging in place
• Jab punches
• Side-to-side shuffles
• Speed skaters

I recommend doing a variety of these exercises in 30-second bursts. Find a pace that challenges you but a pace that you can maintain for the full 30 seconds.

Mountain climbers

🏋 Building Strength from Home

For a home strength workout, I recommend...

• Push-ups/incline push-ups
• Planks
• Single-dumbbell* squat/single-kettlebell squat
• Dips on a chair
• Lunges
• Kettle-bell swings
• Dumbbell curl press
• Dumbbell shoulder press
• Plank row w/dumbbell
• Dumbbell or Kettlebell thrusters

Choose 4-5 exercises from the list, perform 10-12 reps for each set, and go 4-5 rounds. * The weight does not have to be heavy Don't have weights? Grab a can of soup from the pantry, fill a handled empty jug with water, or pack a backpack/duffel with items for desired weight.

Plank row with dumbbells. These can also be done with a weighted substitute

⚖ Stabilization Exercises

For stabilization, I recommend...

• Planks
• Trunk twists
• Butterflies
• Plank to toe-touches
• Side-planks
• Push-up planks

Aim for 30 seconds of work for these types of exercises, instead of a particular number of reps.

Antwun's go-to fueling strategy for workouts...

• Prepare: Waffles for a light snack and a half a pack of performance chews
• Perform: Fruit Smoothie and Pink Lemonade Energy Chews and Mango Melon Performance Chews between sets or halfway through the workout.
• Recover: Coconut Almond and Cherry Almond protein bars or Cracker Bars with Protein for recovery and rebuilding muscle.