Milk Crates

Back when I started working out I was a student with little money for food, let alone fancy fitness equipment. My very fist cardio workout consisted of a used Tae Bo VHS tape, old sweats and 2 water jugs filled with sand, which I used as hand-held weights. When I began resistance training I used a milk crate filled with a few phone books to perform deadlifts and the staircase to my basement did double-duty as a stepper and my calf raise station.

See, in reality you can get in a full workout at home without store-bought fitness equipment. All it takes is a little ingenuity. So, the next time you see a plywood box or a plastic milk crate at the side of the road, don't pass it by.

This curbside find could easily transpire into:

1. A sturdy container to hold books for deadlifts.
2. A low step for aerobics, step exercises or calve raises.
3. A squat stool or weightlifting stool for seated bicep curls, triceps extensions, etc.

Over the years I've became more serious about working out, but I still use the same plastic storage crate in my workouts in the following ways:

Crate Jumping

1. Stand on the right side of a milk crate.
2. Jump up on it with your left leg.
3. Jump down and jump onto the left side of the crate with your right leg.

Once this became too easy, I strapped on ankle weights. My workout lasts precisely 30 minutes. If you like, crate jump in front of your favorite ½-hour sitcom for motivation and to keep track of the time.

Figure 01 Figure 02

1-Legged Lunges I guarantee this move will strengthen your entire lower body you'll feel it from your glutes all the way down to your ankles. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, I place my right toe up on my crate (Figure 01). I lower my torso in a lunge motion, bending my left knee at a right angle so that my torso is vertical to the floor (Figure 02). Remember to keep your abs tight, shoulders and hips squared and facing forward. I rise up by pushing hard through my left heel. You'll feel the burn in your glutes (Figure 01). I do 3-sets, 15-reps per leg.

Multi-purpose Benches