PANDEMIC STRENGTH EXERCISES

AUTHORS:
Text: Stoica Riccardo
Cercetare: Ardelean Olimpiu, Tomoni Livian
Fotografii: Stoica Riccardo

INTRODUCTION
Due to the coronavirus epidemic, we have to reduce travel, stay home and socialize
remotely. Unfortunately, these restrictions inevitably disrupt physical activity for tens of
millions of sports enthusiasts and can have undesirable negative consequences.
Sedentary lifestyle generates an increased risk of disease onset, as well as their
worsening, in the case of pre-existing chronic diseases. Therefore, we have strong reasons to
continue physical activity at home to stay healthy and maintain the optimal function of the
immune system.
A home exercise program helps prevent viral contamination and maintain a healthy
fitness. Among the best recommended workouts: strength exercises, balance and stability
workouts, stretching exercises or a combination of them, depending on your preferences.
Exercising at home is the best decision we can make for the safety of ourselves and
our loved ones and to help prevent the spread of coronavirus on a large scale.1
The benefits of a home exercise program can be: reduced high blood pressure, weight
management, reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and various cancers,
improves bone and muscle strength and increases balance, flexibility and well-being,
improved mental health, reduced risk of depression, cognitive impairment and delayed onset
of dementia.2
So, there are 6 basic exercises that should be included in the strength training program
to increase muscle mass with your own body weight (since not everyone has specific
equipment at home): genoflexions, spot bends, push-ups, lumbar hyperextension, standard
board and the bridge in his hands to the mattress.
The circuit must necessarily have adequate heating:
• 90 seconds of running on the spot

1
https://www ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7031771/
2
https://www.cdt-babes.ro/articole/activitate-fizica-pandemie-COVID-19.php, Articol medical: Activitatea fizica in timpul
pandemiei COVID-19

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• 60 seconds jumpin jacks - sit with your legs close together and your arms close to your
body, then jump away with your legs apart and raise your arms to the side until they reach
shoulder level, repeat the movement.
• 30 seconds burpees - start from an upright position, float down, get up after performing the
float and jump with your arms outstretched to the ceiling, repeat the movement.

EXERCISES:
1. Squats
Purpose: It is a poly-articular movement that is ideal for strengthening the lower part of the
body. The main muscles involved in the execution are the quadriceps, buttocks and adductor
muscles. The calf muscles are stressed both as well as the lumbar and abdominal parts due to
the global tension of the muscles.3
Instructions:  Keep your feet at shoulder level with your heels stable on the ground!
Arms raised forward at shoulder level!
Do not lift your heels off the ground!
Keep the pelvis down and avoid leaving the torso in front!

Fig. 1 Fig. 2

2. Castings on the spot

3
https://sfaturi.decathlon.ro/de-ce-sa-facem-genuflexiuni/

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Purpose: Foldings are the most effective exercises for the thighs and back. Foldings are
exercises that involve several joints at the same time. Large and medium gluteal muscles,
flexor muscles, adductor and abductor muscles, tailoring muscle, quadriceps muscles and
hamstring muscles are involved.4
Instructions: Keep your upper body perfectly straight, your abdomen tense and your pelvis
lowered! Keep your arms relaxed, your head slightly forward facing forward! Then put one
foot in front, so that during the bends both knees form an angle of 90 degrees.

Fig. 3 Fig. 4

3. Floats

Purpose: Flotation is one of the most effective and basic exercises for the upper body, with
which the following muscle groups are worked: chest, triceps, shoulders and abdomen.
Instrucţiuni:
1. Start from a high board position. Hands apart! Keep your palms just below your shoulder
line! Your body will need to form a straight line from the heel to the neck.
2. From this position, it involves moving the trunk muscles. Pull the shoulder blades down
and back!
3. You begin to descend to the floor by bending your elbows and pushing your shoulders
forward.
4. Lower until the chest is at a distance of about 2 inches from the floor. Pause, exhale and
push your body back to the starting position.

4
https://gymbeam.ro/blog/cum-se-fac-corect-genuflexiunile-si-fandarile/

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Fig. 5 Fig. 6

4. The bridge in his hands to the mattress

Purpose: The mattress bridge exercise, also known as hip bridge, is an exercise performed
during sports classes at school. This exercise works the buttocks very well.
Instructions: Click on the heel!
Keep your back straight and your abdomen tight throughout the movement!
Do not touch the floor with the bottom between repetitions and raise your hips as
high as possible in the top position.

Fig. 7 Fig. 8

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 5. Hyperextension

Purpose: Hyperextension is an exercise for training the muscles of the lower back - spinal
erectors. Also, depending on how the movement is performed, other muscle groups are
involved in the work, such as the buttocks and the muscles of the back of the femur.
Instructions: Lie on the bench face down!
Keep your body straight!
Arch your back as slowly as possible! Return to starting position!

Fig. 9 Fig. 10

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 6. Standard board

Purpose of the exercise: The exercise is called a standard board because the correct position
of the body in this exercise is similar to a wooden board or a plank. The main muscles
involved in the movement are the abdominal and spinal erector muscles, the back muscles that
run from the lumbar area to the head. But the plans also train your shoulders, chest, legs and
buttocks, in different measures.5

Instructions:
1. Start from the float position!
2. Bend your elbows, lowering your body weight on your forearms!
3. Hold for 30 seconds!

Fig. 11

Before sports training it is good to eat foods that contain both protein and
carbohydrates. Proteins are the ones that help your muscles develop well during training,
while carbohydrates are the ones that provide energy. A proper diet before any workout can
be made from whole grains, rice, pasta, green vegetables, chicken or turkey and even beef.
Very heavy, high-fat meals should be avoided, because they are difficult to digest and
do nothing but drain you of energy. Sweets should also be avoided. Simple carbohydrates in
sugar do the same thing: they deplete you of energy.

5
https://www.topfitness.ro/6-variante-de-plansa-pentru-un-abdomen-perfect/

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 It is good to avoid eating food immediately after training. The period you have to
leave between training and the next meal is one hour. However, hydration is very important,
so make sure you always have a bottle of water on hand.
After training, it is recommended to eat vegetables or lean chicken or fish. Fruit
consumption is also good, but it is good to make sure that there are fruits that have a higher
glucose content than fructose. Bananas and grapes are perfect fruits for a meal taken after
training.6

REFERENCES:
https://www ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7031771/
https://www.cdt-babes.ro/articole/activitate-fizica-pandemie-COVID-19.php, Articol medical: Activitatea fizica
in timpul pandemiei COVID-19
https://sfaturi.decathlon.ro/de-ce-sa-facem-genuflexiuni/
https://gymbeam.ro/blog/cum-se-fac-corect-genuflexiunile-si-fandarile/
https://www.topfitness.ro/6-variante-de-plansa-pentru-un-abdomen-perfect/
https://www.body-art.ro/programul-de-alimentatie-atunci-cand-mergi-la-sala/

6
https://www.body-art.ro/programul-de-alimentatie-atunci-cand-mergi-la-sala/