The Indian cricket team opening batsman has set himself some personal fitness goals while at home. This is his simple routine for exercises without equipment.
KL Rahul has been in the form of his life through the 2019-20 international cricket calendars.
Alongside Rohit Sharma, he has formed a formidable opening partnership for India, especially dominating in Indian stadiums which Rahul has made his own happy hunting grounds.
While cricket takes a short break, Rahul has been focussing on himself and achieving his personal goals.
For the last four-five years, he has been playing cricket non-stop, leaving little time to work on strength and conditioning of the body. While he continues to put in all the work required to stay the best at cricket, he has also set himself a personal fitness goal while at home – work on getting his beach body back.
Rahul loves that he doesn’t have to wake up at a specific time to work out. When he would go to the gym in Bangalore, his trainer would regularly demand that he report to the gym at 6:59am. This is to make sure he gets a good night of sleep and stays disciplined. While working out at home, Rahul finds that it isn’t necessary to wake up at a specific time because he can work out any time – which he loves but also says is a bad thing because he wants to maintain his discipline as well.
Without the equipment around, Rahul has been focussing on bodyweight exercises mainly. Here are his favourite exercises that anyone can add to their home workout routine.
Planks
Rahul loves this exercise because it is perfect for when you don’t have any training equipment. It is performed by keeping your body in a stationary elevated position and only palms and toes in contact with the floor. Keep your core braced to feel the effect of the exercise. For an easier variation, this can be performed on forearms instead of palms and knees instead of toes.
Push-ups
Another great exercise that can be performed with no equipment, start with your palms and toes being the only contact point with the ground, and arms at full extension. Keep your palms directly under your shoulders. Slowly lower your body until your chest is a few inches off the ground – try to keep your elbows tucked into your body. Using your arm muscles, push yourself back up to the starting position to complete one repetition.
Wall squats
With your back against a wall, keep your feet planted into the ground, hip-width apart. Slowly lower your body till your knees are at a 90-degree angle. Your knees should not go out further than your feet so adjust your standing position if needed. This exercise is great for your upper leg muscles like the quadriceps. Rahul has been practicing this exercise a lot alongside bodyweight squats.
Crunches
Rahul loves ab exercises because you don’t need any equipment for most of them. And since he is working on getting his abs back, he is doing crunches more than anything else. It is performed by having your back flat on the floor, feet planted into the ground and knees bent. With hands in an X across your chest, use your ab muscles to lift your upper body slowly towards your knees and then lower it back down. Repeat in sets to keep working on your abs.
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Tricep dips
This exercise requires a bench or other form of slightly elevated surface. While seated on the bench, keep your legs extended out in front of you, grip the edge of the bench with your fingers facing forward and a slight bend in your elbow. Slide off the bench and allow your triceps to take the weight of your body. Slowly lower your body till your elbows are at a 90-degree angle and then lift yourself back up. Rahul likes these because they give you well-defined tricep muscles.
Credit: Red Bull
