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Are you looking for some inspiration to switch up your workout routine? Why not try exercises that start with a letter? By simply doing exercises that start with a letter, such as H, you can introduce creativity into your routine and challenge yourself to try new exercises.
Nine exercises that start with H include high knees, Hindu push-ups, hanging leg raises, hamstring curls, hip thrusts, heel raises, hollow body hold, horizontal rows, and hack squats.
Keep reading to learn the benefits of each of these exercises and how to conduct them.
High Knees
An efficient and dynamic exercise that strengthens the legs, works the core, and improves cardiovascular fitness is the high knee. It is a quick and effective way to increase your heart rate and get your body ready for more strenuous exercise.
High knees is a simple exercise, but it promotes calorie burning and engages the entire body. Since they raise heart rate and work a variety of muscle groups, high knees are an excellent cardio warm-up.
Instructions:
1. Beginning Position: Place your arms by your sides with your shoulders relaxed and feet hip-width apart.
2. Engage Core: To maintain stability during the exercise, tense your core muscles.
3. Start Lifting Knees: Raise one knee to your chest while supporting the movement with your other arm.
4. Alternate Legs: To create the motion of running in place, quickly switch and raise the other knee while lowering the first one.
5. Keep a Fast Pace: Lift your knees as high as comfortable while performing high knees at a quick pace.
6. Use Arms: To increase the overall intensity, swing your arms in unison with your legs.
Include one to two minutes of high knees as a warm-up or as part of a cardio circuit in your exercise regimen.
Hindu Push-Ups
Hindu push-ups are a vigorous bodyweight exercise with roots in Indian traditional physical culture that are great for increasing mobility, flexibility, and strength. This exercise works the back, triceps, shoulders, and chest. Overall, Hindu push-ups are a great way to add strength and flexibility to your upper body.
Instructions:
1. Starting Position: With your hands and feet flat on the floor in an inverted V shape, start in the downward dog yoga pose.
2. Dive Forward: Keep your hips raised while lowering your upper body by bending your elbows and bringing your chest towards the floor.
3. Arch Upward: Lift your chest toward the ceiling, straighten your arms, and arch your back to assume an upward-facing dog position.
4. Return to Downward Dog: To finish one repetition, gently shift your hips back into the inverted V position.
5. Flowing Movement: Use both strength and flexibility to perform Hindu push-ups in a continuous, flowing motion.
Hanging Leg Raises
An efficient abdominal exercise that strengthens the entire core and targets the lower abdominal muscles is the hanging leg raise. Hanging from a pull-up bar, this exercise adds a challenging yet rewarding element to your fitness regimen.
To improve overall abdominal definition and strengthen your core, incorporate hanging leg raises into your workout regimen.
Instructions:
1. Hang from the Bar: Make sure your arms are fully extended as you grab an overhand grip on a pull-up bar.
2. Engage Core Muscles: To stabilize the upper body, pull your shoulder blades back and down to engage your core and start the movement.
3. Lift Legs: Raise your legs straight in front of you in deliberate motions, aiming for a 90-degree angle or above.
4. Hold at the Top: Take a quick break at the peak of the exercise and concentrate on tenseing your lower abdominal muscles.
5. Lower with Control: Return to the starting position by lowering your legs gradually while keeping your composure.
Hamstring Curls
Exercises that specifically target and strengthen the muscles at the back of the thigh include hamstring curls. This isolation exercise increases lower body strength and enhances knee flexion. To strengthen your hamstrings and increase the stability of your lower body as a whole, incorporate hamstring curls into your routine.
Instructions:
1. Starting Position: Place a stability ball under your heels while lying on your back. For stability, keep your arms out by your sides.
2. Lift Hips: To create a straight line from your shoulders to your feet, press your heels into the stability ball and raise your hips off the floor.
3. Curl the Ball: Keep your hips raised and bend your knees to roll the stability ball toward your glutes through hamstring contractions.
4. Hold and Squeeze: Squeeze your hamstrings for a brief period of time at the peak of the exercise when your feet are flat on the ground.
5. Stretch Legs: To get back to the starting position, slowly extend your legs and roll the ball away from your glutes.
Hip Thrusts
Hip thrusts are a very powerful exercise that works the hamstrings and glutes, helping to strengthen and stabilize the lower body. Those who want to improve their posterior chain will find this compound movement especially helpful.
Instructions:
1. Setup: Place your feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart, and lean your back against a sturdy bench. A barbell ( affiliate link) placed across your hips will provide more resistance.
2. Foot Placement: At the beginning, make sure your feet are exactly beneath your knees, creating a 90-degree angle.
3. Brace Core: Lift your hips toward the ceiling by using your core and pressing through your heels.
4. Full Extension: Raise your hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor and your shoulders and knees form a straight line.
5. Squeeze Glutes: To enhance activation, squeeze your glutes at the peak of the exercise.
6. Lower with Control: To finish one repetition, lower your hips back down with control.
Heel Raises
Heel raises — also known as calf raises — are a quick and easy way to strengthen your calves, which are important for running, jumping, and walking. Heel raises are a great way to increase ankle stability and calf endurance in your routine.
Include heel raises in your exercise to strengthen and stabilize your lower legs, which will improve your overall lower body fitness.
Instructions:
1. Starting Position: To ensure a stable foundation, start by standing on a level surface with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Rise onto Toes: Use your calf muscles to push through the balls of your feet and raise your heels off the ground. This will raise your body upward.
3. Hold at the Top: Take a moment to pause at the peak of the exercise and feel your calf muscles contract.
4. Lower Slowly: Lower yourself carefully, letting your heels fall below your toes.
5. Complete Range of Motion: Try to achieve a complete range of motion by lowering your heels to a level that feels comfortable, and your calf muscles should stretch.
Hollow Body Hold
A core-strengthening exercise that challenges multiple muscle groups and enhances stability is the hollow body hold. This is a popular gymnastics exercise that works well for building a strong midsection. It is considered an essential workout for increasing stability and strength in the core and also improves sports performance and general functional fitness.
Instructions:
1. Starting Position: Lay on your back with your legs straight and your arms extended overhead. Lift your arms and legs so they are hovering a few inches off the floor.
2. Engage Core: Draw your navel toward your spine and press your lower back into the floor to activate your core muscles.
3. Lift Arms and Legs: Lift your arms and legs further at the same time to form a "U" with your body.
4. Create Tension: Feel the engagement in your abs, lower back, and hip flexors while maintaining your lower back glued to the floor.
5. Hold and Breathe: Hold the posture for the desired amount of time while taking steady breaths. Try to maintain a straight line connecting your fingertips and toes.
Horizontal Rows
Horizontal rows — also referred to as inverted rows — are a great way to work the muscles in your arms, shoulders, and upper back. This compound exercise enhances strength and posture. As a great substitute for traditional pulling exercises, horizontal rows help develop a strong, well-balanced upper body.
Instructions:
1. Set Up Equipment: Place a Smith machine, bar, or suspension trainer at waist height. Underneath the bar or handles, lie on your back.
2. Grasp the Bar: Spread your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and grasp the bar or handles with an overhand grip.
3. Body Position: Maintain a straight body while extending your legs in front of you. You should have your arms outstretched and your heels flat on the floor.
4. Start the Row: Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull your chest towards the bar. Don't let your hips droop; instead, maintain a straight posture.
5. Lower with Control: Return to the starting position by lowering your body while keeping your composure.
Hack Squats
Hack squats are an effective lower-body exercise that works the glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps. A Smith machine or a hack squat machine is used for this compound movement.
If you need a hack squat alternative, we have a list for you here.
Instructions:
1. Machine Setup: Take a seat on the Smith or hack squat machine with your feet on the platform and your shoulders resting comfortably against the back pad.
2. Foot Positioning: Have your feet pointing outward slightly, and place your feet shoulder-width apart. Make sure your knees and feet are parallel.
3. Head and Back Position: Keep your head neutral and your back straight. Refrain from hunching your back to spare your spine needless strain.
4. Depth of Squat: Bring your thighs parallel to the floor, or lower if comfortable, by bending at the knees. Maintain control over the movement.
5. Drive Through Heels: To get back to the beginning posture, push through your heels to fully extend your knees.
Also, if you are choosing to only exercise at home, be sure to consider our list of recommended at-home workout equipment (affiliate link) to add variety and resistance to your routine!
