How to Do a Workout with Wine Bottles (Yes, Really)

It may sound counterintuitive, but you can get a complete, full-body workout using only a couple of bottles of wine. The average bottle of wine weighs 2.65 pounds. While that won't set any records in a weightlifting competition, with the right exercises it is enough to definitely make an impact. (And you can enjoy a glass of vino post-workout, so it's really a win-win!)

To get the greatest benefit from using wine bottles as weights, use timed intervals for your workout. This ensures that you can self-modify the amount of reps based on your fitness level. This workout includes multi-joint exercises that work both upper body and lower body and movements that recruit smaller muscle group—like your shoulders, triceps and obliques—that will fatigue more quickly with less weight.

How to Work Out with Wine Bottles

I recommend one-minute intervals for each exercise. Complete one minute of each exercise at least once, then repeat the entire circuit of exercises an additional two to three times for a complete workout. Take a look at our demonstration video to view all of the exercises.

Squat to Shoulder Press

You'll combine two exercises to get the benefits of both with a squat to shoulder press.

• Stand with your feet hip- to shoulder-width apart
• Hold the wine bottles at the neck with the bottoms facing out and away from your body
• Softly bend your knees, pull your belly button in, lift your chest up and pull your shoulders back
• Hold one wine bottle in each hand and begin with the bottles held at shoulder level
• Press straight up with one bottle and bring it back down to your shoulder
• Press up with the other bottle, bring it back down to your shoulder
• Squat and come up to standing position, pressing both bottles up and bringing them back down to your shoulders

Repeat this exercise for one full minute.

Trainer's Tip: When you come back up from your squat position to a standing posture, think about pushing through your heels; it ensures that your glutes are engaged.

Back Lunge to Reverse Fly

This exercise also combines two movements—using upper and lower body muscles—into one exercise.

• Stand with your feet together
• Hold the wine bottles at the neck
• Place the bottoms of the bottles on your thighs
• Softly bend your knees, pull your belly button in, lift your chest up and pull your shoulders back
• Step back into a lunge posture
• Keep your arms slightly bent, pull your elbows back behind you and squeeze your shoulder blades together on your back (think about making the same motion a bird makes with its wings when it flies)
• Bring your arms back in front of you
• Step your feet back together
• Repeat on the opposite leg, alternating legs each time

Repeat this exercise for one full minute.

Trainer's Tip: Pretend that you are squeezing someone's hand between your shoulder blades each time you do the reverse fly.

Lateral Lunge to Side Shoulder Raise

This exercise is another multi-joint movement, using both upper and lower body muscles.

• Stand with your feet together
• Hold the wine bottles at the neck with your arms resting down by your sides
• Lunge out to your left side, bending your left knee, pushing your butt back, keeping your right leg straight and bringing the wine bottles down toward your feet
• Push through your left foot to step back together
• Raise the bottle in your right hand up to shoulder level, then bring it back down by your side

Repeat on the same side for 30 seconds before swapping to the other side.

Trainer's Tip: Even in the lunge posture, keep your chest up and shoulders back.

Shoulder Punch Series

This exercise is perfect for use with lighter weights since you'll want to do the repetitions quickly. It's great for working your shoulders and getting your heart rate up. Plus the punching motion is helpful when you are feeling frustrated!

• Stand with your feet hip-width apart and a soft bend in your knees
• Hold both wine bottles at the neck, bringing them up toward your chest
• Punch out with one arm at a time to the front, left side, right side and up overhead, returning each time to your chest
• You can increase the difficulty by punching out with both hands each time to the front, left side, right side and up overhead.

Repeat the punching motion alternating arms for 30 seconds, then swap to punching out with both hands front, left side, right side and up for 30 seconds—going for one minute total.

Trainer's Tip: Going as quickly as you can and punching out as hard as you can (channel your frustration!) increases the difficulty in this exercise.

Triceps Kickback

This exercise is perfect for working and toning your triceps (the muscles on the backs of your arms).

• Stand with your feet together with a soft bend in your knees
• Keeping your posture, stick your butt back and let your chest come forward slightly (think of the posture of a downhill skier)
• Hold both wine bottles at the neck, pulling your elbows up next to your sides and holding them in tight
• Push your arms back behind your body, extending as far back as you possibly can, returning each time to your posture with your elbows tight by your sides

Repeat this exercise for one full minute.

Trainer's Tip: Think short, pulsing motions, extending (straightening) your arm all the way back behind you. The faster you go, the more you will feel this in the backs of your arms.

Biceps Curls

Bicep curls are essential for having toned arms! Here's how to do them.

• Stand up tall with your feet together and a soft bend in your knees
• Hold both wine bottles at the neck, with your arms resting down by your sides
• Keeping your elbows tight by your sides, bring the wine bottles up to your shoulders then back down by your legs
• Add a degree of difficulty and build core strength and stability by standing on one foot for the first half, then swapping to the other foot for the second half

Repeat this exercise for one full minute.

Trainer's Tip: Bring the wine bottles all the way up until they touch your shoulders—no half reps here! We want the full curl!

Sky Divers

This exercise is deceptive—it looks easy, but it's not! It's a great exercise for anyone needing to strengthen their back. And it's good for core strength and stability, working the glutes and the muscles in the upper back and neck.

• Lie on your belly on your mat
• Hold the wine bottles by the neck with the bottom of the bottles facing out away from each other
• Inhale and lift your head, chest, arms and legs up off the mat
• Hold for a few seconds, then release your body back down to the mat

Repeat this exercise for one full minute.

Trainer's Tip: When you inhale to pull your body up off the mat, look up with your eyes—it helps elevate your chest. Think about pulling your shoulders together on your back and your arms out to the sides. And really, really engage your glutes (squeeze your buns) to get your legs higher up off of the mat.

V-Ups

My clients love to hate this exercise. It works the entire abdominal wall—upper and lower abs—and you'll get some shoulder work too!

• Lie on your back on your mat
• Hold your wine bottles by the neck
• Begin with your arms extended up above your head, hovering just above the mat, and your legs extended, feet hovering just above the mat
• Sit up and bring the bottles under your left leg
• Extend all the way back (hovering arms up and over, legs extended out)
• Sit up and bring the bottles under your right leg
• Extend all the way back (hovering arms up and over, legs extended out)
• Sit up and bring the bottles under both legs

Repeat this exercise in this sequence for one minute: single leg, single leg, both legs.

Trainer's Tip: Pull your belly button in tight toward your spine to protect your low back. If the full extension is too difficult on this exercise, rest your feet on the floor and do a "crunch" bringing the wine bottle under your leg(s) instead of attempting a full v-up.

Stacked-Leg Crunches

This abdominal exercise takes your legs out of the equation, meaning you are forced to use only your abs!

• Lie on your back on your mat
• Place your left foot on top of your right, heel to toe
• Hold one wine bottle in your left hand, extending your arm straight up
• Sit up, reaching the wine bottle up toward the ceiling
• Return back to the mat and repeat
• At the halfway point, place your right foot on top of your left, heel to toe
• Swap hands and hold the wine bottle in your right hand, extending your arm straight up
• Sit up, reaching with the wine bottle up toward the ceiling
• Return your body back to the mat and repeat

Complete one full minute of this exercise, swapping sides at the 30-second mark.

Trainer's Tip: Think about reaching your arm up to try to touch the ceiling. It may be a smaller movement, but it is more effective and keeps the abs engaged for the entire movement, not allowing for rest.

Twists

Don't forget about the obliques! They're important muscles for rotation and spinal stability.

• Start out seated on your mat
• Place your feet out in front of you, flat on the mat
• Lean your upper body back, to sit back on the back of your hips
• Keep your chest up, shoulders back
• Hold one wine bottle horizontally—one end in each hand
• Float your feet up toward eye level (if you can—if not, keep your feet on the mat)
• Reach your hands toward your left hip, then toward your right hip, moving the wine bottle from side to side, rotating your torso

Complete one full minute of this exercise.

Trainer's. Tip: Think about puffing out your chest to keep your back in a neutral posture. Let your eyes follow the wine bottle! It helps with both motivation and with your range of motion.

Time for Wine!

This workout shows that you don't need much weight or any equipment to get in a great workout. Plus the idea of pouring yourself a glass of wine afterward may just be the extra boost of motivation you need to get started again!