Working out with no equipment is not ideal, but sometimes necessary if you are travelling or unable to get to the gym. Some muscle groups are hard to target without equipment, such as the back, but there are a handful of exercises which do exercise large muscle groups without the need for training equipment. These exercises would be ideal choices for when you are travelling due to work and unable to attend a gym.
Push ups
Push ups are a popular bodyweight exercise for targeting the upper body. The chest, triceps and shoulders are stressed from the push up and the exercise can be made harder by placing your feet on an elevated platform (chair, or edge of bed). The arms can also be positioned to either induce greater stimulus to the triceps or the chest, with the triceps worked greater when the hands are close together and the arms tucked into the sides, and the chest more advantaged when the hands are further apart and arms flared outward.
Lunges
Lunges exercise the quadriceps, hamstrings and buttocks, as well as being taxing on the cardiovascular system if a high number of repetitions are performed. It is important to perform the lunge correct to avoid injury, especially to the knee joint. The forward leg should bend no greater than ninety degrees and the knee should not travel further forward than the lower leg. The torso should remain erect throughout the exercise.
Crunches
Crunches are preferred to sit ups due to the stress placed on the lower back during the sit up, and the reduced effectiveness. Crunches can be performed anywhere and require little space. The crunch can be made harder by elevating the legs into the air, or resting them on a raised platform (such as a chair or bed, with the lower leg resting on the chair/bed and knees bent at ninety degrees). Perform the crunches in a slow and controlled manner.
Hip raise
The hip raise also works the abdominals. Whereas the crunch works the midsection by bringing the ribcage towards the hips, the hip raise works by bringing the hips towards the ribcage. To perform the hip raise you lay on the floor, arms resting to the side of the torso. The legs are brought up, with the knees slightly bent, until the thighs are perpendicular (at ninety degrees) to the floor. This is the starting position of the exercise. From here the hips are tilted to lift your bum off the floor, bringing the hips towards your shoulders. The movement is acute, but you should feel it in the abdominals. Slowly reverse the movement and repeat for repetitions.
Dips
Dips can be performed using a (stable and strong) chair or bed. Position yourself so you are facing away from the raised platform, feet planted to the floor, and hands resting on the edge of the raised platform. Your feet should be some distance away from the bed or chair so you can lower yourself to the floor by bending at the elbow. Take a shoulder width grip, and slowly lower yourself down towards the floor until your arms are bent at ninety degrees. Reverse the movement by pressing up through the platform and extending your arms. Repeat for repetitions.
The dip works the chest and triceps greatly, as well as the shoulders.
