You Can Create Countless Workouts At Home With Just These Exercises (2024)

You Can Create Countless Workouts At Home With Just These Exercises (1)

Here's some good news for you: It's totally possible to do exercises at home and get as awesome of a workout as you would at the gym. Better still? You can make this happen without owning any home gym equipment.

Not only are equipment-free moves convenient, but doing exercises at home without weights is a great way to check in with yourself and focus on form. Because of this, bodyweight exercises are great for beginners, but they're also effective for more intermediate or advanced exercisers, too. (You can even level up by adding ankle or hand weights if you're looking for more of a challenge.)

Below, I've compiled 50 of the best at-home exercises for all fitness levels. As a personal trainer with years of experience, I use these moves all the time with my clients to help them get stronger and train their total body. You can use them to create countless combinations of total-body workouts, ensuring you never get bored while you break a sweat.

Time: 20 minutes

Equipment: None

Good for: total body

Instructions: For a full workout, choose five to six moves below. Complete the indicated number of reps, then continue immediately to the next move. Rest for one minute, then repeat the entire circuit one to three times to keep your heart rate up and burn calories while you build muscle.

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1

Hollow Hold

You Can Create Countless Workouts At Home With Just These Exercises (2)

How to: Start lying on back with arms and legs extended and on the floor. Raise arms and legs leaving just bra line and lower back on mat so body looks like a banana. Hold the position for 30 to 60 seconds then lower back down and continue to you next move.

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2

Plank

You Can Create Countless Workouts At Home With Just These Exercises (3)

How to: Start on all fours with shins and palms flat on mat. Step feet back to balance on balls of feet creating a straight line from heels through the top of head. Gaze should be slightly in front of hands. Spread shoulder blades wide on back, tighten abs, quads, glutes, and hold for 30 to 60 seconds before continuing to your next move.

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3

Side Plank

You Can Create Countless Workouts At Home With Just These Exercises (4)

How to: Start by lying on right side with left foot on top of right, toes and heels lined up, right forearm on mat, elbow under shoulder and palm flat, fingers spread, left hand on hip. Engage obliques and lift hips up until body forms a straight line from head to heels. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat on the other side then continue to your next move.

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4

V-Up

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How to: Start lying on back with legs extended and arms by sides, both on mat. In one movement, lift upper body, arms, and legs, coming to balance on tailbone, forming a "V" shape with body. Lower body back down. That's one rep. Perform as many reps as possible in 45 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds and continue to your next move.

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5

Bicycle Crunch

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How to: Start lying down on back with hands behind head, shoulder blades off mat, legs lifted and bent at 90 degrees, and gaze at thighs. Engage abs and rotate right elbow toward left knee while extending right leg to straight in air. Return to start and repeat on the other side. That's one rep. Complete 30 reps, alternating sides then continue to your next move.

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6

Dead Bug

You Can Create Countless Workouts At Home With Just These Exercises (7)

How to: Start lying on back with arms extended over chest and legs in air, bent at 90-degree angles (knees above hips). Keep low back pressed to the floor, engage abs, then slowly and simultaneously extend and lower left leg until heel nearly touches floor and right arm until hand nearly touches floor overhead. Pause, then return to start and repeat on the opposite side. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps and then continue to your next move.

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7

Bird Dog

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How to: Start on all fours with wrists directly under shoulders and knees under hips. Keep back flat, abs engaged, and a slight bend in elbows. Extend right arm out in front at shoulder height and left leg straight behind at hip height. Lower leg and arm down, then repeat on the opposite side. That's one rep. Complete 10 reps then continue to your next move.

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8

Bear Plank

You Can Create Countless Workouts At Home With Just These Exercises (9)

How to: Start on all fours, wrists under shoulders, knees under hips, toes tucked, gaze slightly in front of hands. Push down into palms and lift knees to hover off floor keeping hips level. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds then lower back down and continue to your next move.

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9

Bear Crawl

You Can Create Countless Workouts At Home With Just These Exercises (10)

How to: Start on all fours at the back of mat with wrists under shoulders, knees under hips, and gaze slightly in front of hands. Keep a slight bend in elbows, push down into palms and lift knees to hover off the floor while keeping hips level. Slowly walk hands and feet forward to the top of mat without lowering knees, then reverse the movement. That's one rep. Complete 12 reps then continue to your next move.

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10

Toe Touch

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How to: Start lying on back with arms extended over chest and legs raised at a 90-degree angle from the floor, toes pointed. Engage core and lift upper body off mat to tap ankles or feet with fingers without moving lower body. Return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 30 reps then continue to your next move.

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11

Reverse Crunch

You Can Create Countless Workouts At Home With Just These Exercises (12)

How to: Start lying on back with hands by sides and feet lifted off the ground at 45-degree angle, toes pointed. Push down into arms and pull knees into chest until hips lift off mat. Slowly return to start. That's one rep. Complete 10 reps. Continue to your next move.

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12

Mountain Climber

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How to: Start in a plank position. Drive right knee toward chest, return to a plank and quickly repeat with left knee. That's one rep. Do as many as possible in 30 seconds then continue to your next move.

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13

Flutter Kick

You Can Create Countless Workouts At Home With Just These Exercises (14)

How to: Start lying on back with hands at sides and legs raised in the air at a 45-degree angle, feet flexed. Swiftly scissor legs up and down a few inches in opposite directions without lifting lower back off mat. Continue for 30 seconds then move on to your next exercise.

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14

Seated Rotation

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How to: Start seated, upper body leaned back until abs are engaged, legs lifted and bent at 90 degrees, arms bent, hands clasped, and elbows wide, torso rotated to right side so that right elbow is hovering off mat. Keep lower body still while rotating upper body to left side. Return to start. Gaze follows hands. That's one rep. Complete 10 reps. Continue to your next move.

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15

Leg Lower

You Can Create Countless Workouts At Home With Just These Exercises (16)

How to: Start lying on back with arms on mat and hands under butt, palms down, legs raised at a 90-degree angle from the floor, feet flexed. Slowly lower legs as far down as possible without back lifting off the ground. Return to start. That’s one rep. Do 15 reps and then continue to your next move.

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16

Squat

You Can Create Countless Workouts At Home With Just These Exercises (17)

How to: Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart. Bend knees, sit hips back, and lower body down until thighs are parallel with the floor. Bring arms forward as lower down to keep torso upright. Rise back up to start, squeezing glutes at the top, and bringing arms to sides. That's one rep. Complete 10 reps and then continue to your next move.

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17

Plie Squat

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How to: Start standing with legs wider than shoulders and turned out so inner thighs are pointed forward, knees and toes pointing in the same direction, hands by sides. Bring hands together in front of chest while bending knees and sinking tailbone toward the floor (keeping pelvis tucked and trying not to stick butt out). Continue lowering until thighs are parallel to mat. Return back to start. That's one rep. Do 15 reps and then continue to your next move.

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18

Forward Lunge

You Can Create Countless Workouts At Home With Just These Exercises (19)

How to: Start standing at back of mat with feet under hips. Take a large step forward with right leg, and lower down until thigh is parallel with the floor, while bringing hands together in front of body for counter balance. Return to start. That's one rep. Complete 10 reps on each side and then continue to your next move.

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19

Lateral Lunge

You Can Create Countless Workouts At Home With Just These Exercises (20)

How to: Start standing sideways at the bottom of mat with feet under hips and arms by sides. Take a large step out with right leg and sit hips back and bend right knee until right thigh is parallel to floor while left leg remains straight, toes of both feet facing forward. Push through right heel to return to start. That's one rep. Complete 10 reps on each side and then continue to your next move.

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20

Single-Leg Deadlift

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How to: Start standing on right leg, with left leg bent, heel off the ground. Hinge at hips to drop torso forward until back leg lifts off floor and chest is parallel to mat. Keep hips square to the ground; return to stand. That's one rep. Complete 10 reps on each side and then continue to your next move.

You Can Create Countless Workouts At Home With Just These Exercises (2024)

FAQs

Is 4 sets of 4 exercises enough? ›

Yes. Four exercises per workout is an effective and efficient amount for most people.

What is the 7x4 challenge? ›

The challenge consists of performing a full-body workout every day for 28 days (a month effectively). The exercises took 30-40 minutes a day, and it was all calisthenics, so I was able to do them with the help of my yoga mat and a coffee table. I just finished the challenge and here are my takeaways.

How do you make home workouts work? ›

Set days and times to exercise, and hold yourself accountable with an alarm or reminder on your smartphone. If you struggle with motivation, team up with a family member or friend. Fitness tracking apps or workout apps and videos also can help keep you motivated to exercise. Remember to warm up and cool down.

Can you transform your body with home workouts? ›

You can build muscle at home if you do it the right way,” says Naor-Maxwell. To get the best results from your home workouts, she recommends to: Start slowly. If you are new to exercise, slowly work your way up to higher reps or weight.

Is 5 exercises per workout enough? ›

Ideally, you would train 4-8 different exercises per muscle group in a workout program, with each exercise delivery 2-5 total sets. This would deliver approximately 10-25 total work sets on a weekly basis to a given muscle group and offer significant volume and overload to promote muscle growth.

Is 3 sets of 10 good? ›

This holds that regardless of whether you're trying to build muscle, strength, power, or endurance, performing three sets of 10 reps per exercise is a good place to start. The scheme mostly works, especially if you're just starting out with strength training—because everything works in the beginning.

Does 7 Minute Workout actually work? ›

That means it's a safe, effective and efficient way to become active, get stronger and lose excess weight. Seven is founded on scientific research that high intensity workouts with as little as 7 minutes gives you the majority of the benefits of working out regularly.

How in shape can I get in 30 days? ›

Couch-to-fit in 30 days

Run or jog 20 to 30 minutes every other day. You can also do other moderate-intensity activities like walking briskly, swimming, or bicycling. After your cardio workout, do three to four sets of bodyweight exercises like squats, pushups, lunges, burpees, or Russian twists.

Can I just do home workouts? ›

The bottom line: At-home workouts can be effective. You can build muscle, burn fat, and improve your fitness. You need to build habits to work out consistently, and the convenience of being able to do so without commuting or having to block out large swaths of time may make that process easier.

Can I do home workout everyday? ›

Working out every day is fine if you're working toward weight loss goals or completing a challenge that involves a daily workout. Get creative with the ways you can get up and get moving. Pay attention to or record how much time you spend sitting on a daily or weekly basis.

Are home workouts enough? ›

Exercising at home can be just as effective. While gyms provide dedicated space, home workouts offer more flexibility. Using your time and equipment to maximize efficiency is the key to a great workout. Choose what works best for your lifestyle and fitness goals, says Dr.

What foods help build muscle? ›

To maximize muscle growth, a clean bulk is better than simply eating high calorie foods. This may include a well-balanced diet of healthy fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Some foods include chicken, shrimp, eggs, salmon, brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, and fruits.

Are 10 minute home workouts effective? ›

Three 10-minute workouts throughout the day can provide the same health benefits as one 30-minute moderate-intensity workout. Ongoing research shows that even just 10 minutes of moderate to vigorous daily exercise can improve your health. You don't need fitness equipment or access to a gym for an effective workout.

How to build a body in 1 month? ›

Here are some ideas to kick off your month of muscle growth.
  1. Squats. Squats with barbells make for massive legs, but they also work a lot of upper-body muscles. ...
  2. Deadlifts. A round of deadlifts with a barbell might make your hammies, glutes, and back feel dead tired afterward. ...
  3. Dips. ...
  4. Pull-ups. ...
  5. Bench presses.
May 19, 2021

Is it OK to do 4 sets instead of 3? ›

So let's talk about the “correct” number of sets per exercise. The simple answer: “Do 3-5 work sets of a given exercise.” Just make sure you're not compromising your form.

Is 4 sets enough to maintain muscle? ›

Maintaining muscle mass at the gym. A recent study looked at 34 regular training male lifters and amazingly discovered that just 1 set per muscle group (with more for back and legs) was enough to maintain muscle mass.

Is 4 sets to failure enough? ›

Increasing the number of sets taken to failure from one set to two, three or four provides no more benefit than doing just one set to failure. In fact, taking more than one set to failure may actually blunt strength gains. Take-home message: for strength, do no more than one set to failure per exercise.

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