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A Guide to Dorm Room Workouts

Dorm Room Workouts

Being a college student, I have often been faced with the dilemma of needing to workout but not having the time or the ability to make it to my local CrossFit gym! For some people they simply might not have a gym to workout in, or it may be too cold and/or snowy outside to train. Either way, sometimes your only other alternative is to train in your own apartment, home, room, dorm, etc.

Bodyweight exercises should already be a vital part of your training regimen, but obviously, when your are unable to use any equipment, they are going to be the focus of your ‘dorm-room’ workouts. Creativity is the key! Your floor, wall and desk chair will be all you need to get a nice, quick, and effective workout in.

Floor Exercises:

  • Sit-ups
  • Hollow Rocks
  • Push-ups
  • Burpees
  • Air squats
  • Pistol Squats
  • Squat Jumps
  • Lunges (depending on space)

Wall Exercises:

Pistols using a doorway. Image courtesy of Power Athlete Magazine

Any elevated surface, such as a bed frame, desk, or chair can be used as a platform for elevated push-ups, dips, etc. And, if your chair has wheels, use it as an ab-roller! As far as workout structure goes, I usually like chipper or tabata workouts. These allow you to be efficient with time by minimizing rest, but still allowing you to get a great sweat and effective workout in. Here are some of my favourites:

‘Tabata Something Else’ Variation

32 intervals of 20 seconds of exercise followed by 10 seconds of rest.
8 intervals of burpees or HSPU (instead of pullups)
8 intervals of pushups
8 intervals of situps
8 intervals of squats

Dorm Room Chipper

30 burpees
30 situps
30 air squats
30 pushups
30 hollow rocks
30 pistols
30 HSPU
30 crunches
30 squat jumps
30 burpees

Death by Burpees

Perform 1 burpee in 1st minute
Perform 2 burpees in 2nd minute
Perform 3 burpees in 3rd minute
Perform 4 burpees in 4th minute
Continue until you are not able to perform prescribed numbers of burpees in the one minute time limit.

21-15-9 Variations

Any 21-15-9 couplet for time  consisting of two movements. For example:
21-15-9 HSPU’s and Pistol Squats
21-15-9 push-ups and sit-ups
21-15-9 burpees and lunges

Do you often workout inside your home or dorm? If so tell us what your favourite dorm room workouts are in the comment section below:

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