Whether you're short on time, dealing with a busy schedule, or just prefer the convenience of working out at home, maintaining your fitness goals is possible. Home workouts are an excellent way to stay fit without the need for gym equipment.
Consistent exercise is crucial for your overall health and well-being, even when life gets hectic.
We've put together a comprehensive full-body exercise plan that you can perform right at home using only your body weight. These workouts are designed to help you build strength, improve flexibility, and boost your cardiovascular health.
Key Exercises:
- Warm-Up
- Bicycles
- Planks
- Push-Ups
- Dips
- Bodyweight Row
- Deadlifts
- Split Squats
- Lying Leg Curls
- Calf Raises
The Warm Up
Just like going to the gym, doing a warm-up routine is an essential step to getting a good workout. In fact, it’s the most important thing you can do before a workout. Among the benefits of stretching, you warm up essential muscles, activate your central-nervous-system, and facilitate good blood flow.
Your warmup doesn’t have to be extensive. A simple five to ten-minute stretch to get blood flow and heart rate pumping is all you need. Be sure you get a good stretch and perform things like jumping jacks, jump rope, or pushups.
Related: Best Shoulder Warmup with Bands (According to Trainer)
How to do Bicycle Crunch
To target your abs and get a good ab workout, begin by lying on your back. Place your feet in the air, with your knees bent. Then, move your hands and place them behind your head.
Lastly, start pumping your legs in the traditional bicycle motion, for one minute. Rest for 30 to 60 seconds. Repeat this movement as up to 4 times.
How to do Planks
Planks are one of the best overall body weight toning exercises you can do. If you haven’t attempted planks before, they’re quite simple. First, you’ll lay on the floor facing down. Next, lift your body up while resting on your elbows and toes.
Your biggest goal is to keep your back and legs straight and rigid. Engage your core/stomach and hold for one minute. Repeat this process a total of three times to get a firm abdominal workout.
How to do Push-Ups
You may have done a few of these during your warmup, so you can choose to keep it traditional or do bent-knee push-ups. Laying face-down on the floor, bring your legs and feet together. Angle your arms and lift the torso and upper body with your hands (for bent knee), while palms are flat on the ground.
Your arms should be at 90 degrees and about shoulder-width apart. To perform regular pushups, lift your entire body up with the same arm and hand placement.
Keep in mind, your head and torso should be rigid and aligned with your spine. You should be careful to not arch your back or hike up your hips. Perform this movement for up to 20 repetitions, with a total of 4 times (total of 80 pushups).
For an advanced workout, and if you have children, place your favorite child on your back for extra resistance. If you don’t have children, a backpack of books or magazines works as well.
How to do Dips
You don’t need a fancy machine for this fantastic upper-body workout. First, find a sturdy chair that’s anchored down. With your hands holding the front edge of the seat, push your butt forward off the chair until it’s suspended in front of the seat.
Your weight is now being supported by your arms. Next, bend your elbows and drop your hips toward the floor. Then, revert to the starting position and repeat, doing four sets of 10 reps (for a total of 40). For advanced movements and those times when you’re able to get to a gym, try doing weighted dips.
How to do Bodyweight Rows
Another great upper body workout is the traditional pull up that targets the back and lats. However, if you don’t have a bar or traditional equipment, an awesome alternative can be done with a sturdy desk or table.
To do bodyweight rows, and after finding a sturdy desk or table, you’ll lay halfway underneath the table with your body flat on the floor.
Keeping your body tight, use your arms to grab the sides of the table with your hands and pull your upper body up, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Think of it as a reverse pushup, with a focus on your back.
How to do Deadlifts
To do this at home while you may not have access to a barbell or free weights, try an alternate method. You can use a backpack full of books, a giant jug of water, or any other heavy (but sturdy item) you find.
You’ll begin in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart, back straight, knees slightly bent. Ensuring that you keep your back straight, reach down, and grab the weighted object of choice. Return to a standing vertical position. Repeat the processes 15 to 20 times, for a total of four sets.
Related: Banded Deadlifts Guide
How to do Split Squats
Switching to the lower body now with a twist on the classic squat. Split squats are a variation of the regular squat, with the biggest difference being that one leg is resting on a chair seat or table behind you. The other leg is directly in front of you with your knee bent at 90 degrees.
The front leg is the main focus during this workout, and you should work on keeping your weight over your forward leg. Be sure you don’t let your knee bend further than your toes. You’ll perform four sets of 10 on each leg.
How to do Lying Leg Curls
Giving some attention to your hamstrings, this alternative to lying leg curls might be our favorite. You might need a helper for this, or if you’ve got good footwork you’ll do just fine. Grab a giant gallon of water or a two-liter drink and place it to the spot where your feet will rest as you’re lying face down flat on the floor.
Next, you’ll bring your legs and knees together, with the bottle between your feet. Again you might need some help getting it into position. Imagine it’s a dumbbell as you flex up and close to your butt or a reverse 90-degree angle. Repeat up to 15 times for four sets.
How to do Calf Raises
Finishing off the at-home workout, we end with calf raises. A simple, yet effective way to do these is to face a wall or pillar, placing your palms against it for balance and support. Next, with your feet flat on the ground, you’ll stand up on your toes, pause for three seconds, and back down. Repeat the movement 20 times.
To perform an advanced version, give your second favorite kid a “piggyback” ride as a way to give extra resistance. Again, if you don’t have kids, use a backpack full of books, water, or anything heavy (but safe) that you can find.
Advanced Training
If you're seeking more advanced workouts to elevate your fitness routine, consider incorporating new exercises and techniques at your home gym or local gym. Advanced training can help you push past plateaus and achieve your fitness goals more effectively. For additional workout ideas and tips, check out these related articles on our blog:
1 comment
Lili
Thank you so much for this. Simple yet effective exercises. Sometimes we get lost with all the fancy gym equipment/exercises or excuses. This is great.
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