If you have been recommended to do strength training, or you have decided for yourself to start this type of training, you may think that the first thing you should do is buy all kinds of equipment. However, one of the advantages of this type of physical activity is that you can start with body weight or, if you prefer, use some water bottles as dumbbells.

And simple water bottles are ideal for improving strength, endurance and building muscle. Therefore, if you are going to start strength training and you don’t have time to go to the gym or have material, you just have to get a few full water bottles to start.

10 strength exercises with water bottles

To start, you can use two small bottles of water to work the arms. You can also have on hand a liter bottle and one 3 l bottle for certain exercises.

Squats with shoulder press

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Hold a dumbbell in each hand and perform the squat. As you go up, bring your arms towards the ceiling doing the shoulder press. Remember stay in the deep flexion for a second legs and raise and lower your arms slowly to work better.

Stride with bottles

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You can add intensity to the lunge by holding a small bottle of water in each hand. You can also hold a 1-size bottle or a 3-size bottle between your two hands to perform the strides. You can do it forward, backward or staticwith the legs open and raising and lowering the body.

Deadlift with bottle

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Here we recommend that you use two small bottles of water. Spread your feet shoulder-width apart and lean your trunk straight forward, so that the weights are close to your legs. Go as far as you can without hunching your back and squeeze your glutes before rising in one agile movement.

Lateral lunges

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Subject a liter bottle or a 3 l jug of water between both hands and open your legs beyond hip width. Move your weight towards one of your legs and bend your knee so that it does not open or close, but rather rests on top of the ball of your foot. Repeat on the other side and change the weight from one side to the other.

Back leg extension

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If you can, hold on a 1 l bottle of water with one hand and raise the leg on the same side backwards to 90°. At the same time, you should lower your trunk towards the ground, so that your back is as aligned as possible with your leg and foot. It is a hinge-type movement with a single leg. Don’t forget to work with the opposite, changing the weight.

Russian twists

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Hold a liter bottle between both hands – or a small one, if you can’t – and sit on the floor. Slightly lean your trunk straight back to carry the bottle from one side to the other as if you wanted it to touch each pocket. If you control the movement, you can try lifting your feet a little off the groundmaintaining balance in the sit bones.

Bent Over Triceps Row

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Hold a small bottle of water in each hand and stand upright. Lean your trunk forward with your back straight and let your arms fall straight in front of your chest. From there, do the rowing, raising the elbows above the back and continue with the back triceps extensiontrying to keep the elbows at the same height. Then you must undo the movement.

Heel press + biceps

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Exercise we suggest combining the heel raise with the biceps curl. You can try first perform the heel press, holding a water bottle in each handwhich adds intensity to the exercise. Once you control it and have good abdominal activation, try to contract the biceps with each heel rise.

Hip thrust with bottle

Practice this very complete glute exercise with the weight of a large water bottle or carafe placed at the level of the iliac crests. Remember that to perform the hip thrust you must have support in your upper back.

Bottle squat

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We also suggest doing this other, deeper type of squat, which would be the equivalent of doing it with a kettlebell in your hands. It is about Hold a jug of water with both hands to perform the ups and downs, with greater depth and effort.