Sometimes the best exercise innovations are the simplest - and cheapest. That’s certainly the case with the slider. This small plastic disc can turn any bodyweight exercise into a super challenging, muscle pumping workout. That makes it the ideal training tool to get you through the winter months. Let’s discover how you can use sliders (or, in a pinch, paper plates) to take your home workouts to the next level.

How Sliders Work

Sliders are small discs that you place under your legs or hands when doing bodyweight exercises. This forces you to balance your weight against an unstable surface, which greatly increases the intensity of your training session. The extra challenge of maintaining your balance will enable you to burn more calories as well as place extra emphasis on your core.

Sliders also greatly enhance your stability and sense of body awareness. They require you to perform multiple actions at once, such as squatting while doing in and out jacks.

Home Slider Workout

In his slider challenge on Instagram, Gloveworx Coach Josue Louis demonstrates some of his favorite slider workouts. Grab a slider or paper plate, invite a friend, and give these a try:

Single Leg Slider Reverse Lunge Pulses

1. Stand with your feet at shoulder width and a slider under each foot.
2. Push slightly down on the slider under your right foot and slide the leg back into a reverse lunge position. Be sure to maintain an upright torso.
3. Slide back until you are in a 45-degree lunge position. Then push the leg back to a 90 degree-lunge position.
4. Push down on the slider as you bring your leg back to the starting position.

Perform this exercise for three sets of eight repetitions on each leg. Check out Josue's video demonstration here:

Straight Leg Slide Outs

In addition to promoting core strength, this move targets the lower back, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps:

1. Stand with your feet at shoulder width and place a slider under each foot.

2. Push slightly down on the slider and then slide your right leg laterally to the side, keeping the leg straight. Maintain an upright torso throughout.

3. Push down on the slider as you bring your leg back to the start position.

Perform this exercise for three sets of eight repetitions on each leg. Check out Josue's video demonstration here:

Single Arm Windmills

In addition to promoting core strength, this move targets the lower back, deltoids, and lats:

1. Regression: put a towel under your knees, and place sliders directly underneath your hands with shoulders and arms locked.

2. Roll your hips forward to protect your lower back.

3. Slowly slide forward with your right arm. Keep your core engaged as you continue into a full, single-arm Superman position. Then, slide your arm around until parallel to shoulders.

4. Applying pressure to your sliders and squeezing your core, retreat to starting position.

Perform this exercise for three sets of eight repetitions on each arm. Check out Josue's video demonstration here:

Lateral Arm Slide Outs

In addition to promoting core strength, this move targets the lower back, deltoids, and lats:

1. Regression: put a towel under your knees, and place sliders directly underneath your hands with shoulders and arms locked.

2. Roll your hips forward to protect your lower back.

3. Slowly slide forward with core engaged into a full Superman position.

4. Applying pressure to your sliders, squeeze your core and retreat to starting position.

Perform this exercise for three sets of eight repetitions on each arm. Check out Josue's video demonstration here:

Bonus Round

If you discover that you love slider workouts and want to add some more to your repertoire, here are some others you can try when you’ve completed Coach Josue’s challenge:

Single Leg Mountain Climber

In addition to promoting core strength, this move targets the lower back, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps:

1. Begin in a high plank position with palms on the floor directly under your shoulders. Place a slider under your right toes.
2. Raise your left toes from the floor and draw your left knee forward to your left elbow.
3. Hover the left in place as you slide the right foot toward your chest and then push back to the start position.

Perform this exercise for three sets of eight repetitions on each leg.

Sliding Burpees

Burpees are a full-body workout, and you’ll feel it after completing this move:

1. Stand with both of your feet on sliders. Squat down and touch your hands to the floor.
2. Slide your feet back into a high plank position.
3. Perform a push-up.
4. Slide your feet back in and stand up to complete the rep.

Perform this exercise for three sets of eight repetitions. This is also a great standalone exercise to complete for time.

Sliding Jacks Into Wide Squat

In addition to promoting core strength, this move targets the glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps:

1. Stand with both of your feet on sliders. Push your legs apart to come down into a wide stance squat with toes pointed out in a sumo squat position.
2. At the bottom of the squat, bring your hands overhead to clap.
3. Immediately draw your legs back together as you bring your hands down to your sides.

Perform this exercise for three sets of eight repetitions. This is also a great standalone exercise to complete for time.

Sliding Push-Ups

In addition to promoting core strength, this move targets the triceps, deltoids, chest, and lats:

1. Begin in a high plank position with sliders under both hands and hands about six inches apart.
2. Begin to descend into a push-up as you slide your arms to a slightly wider than shoulder-width distance apart.
3. Bring the arms back together as you lift your body back up.

Perform this exercise for three sets of eight repetitions. This is also a great standalone exercise to complete for time.

Now It’s Your Turn

A slider workout is an ideal way to maintain your training intensity level when you can’t get to the gym. It will make your stronger, increase your balance, and allow you to keep burning calories even when your usual training schedule is disrupted. Keep it up, and you’ll be able to power through the new year with your best body yet.

Our Glovework coaches have a whole arsenal of slider-based workouts and other interesting exercises to help you to get the most out of your Gloveworx training sessions. Give these slider workouts a try and be sure to thank Josue the next time you visit!