7 Best Workouts At Home

Can’t make it to the gym? Not a problem! As long as you possess focus, drive, and a willingness to get creative, you have everything you need to start a fantastic at-home workout program. All that fancy workout equipment at the gym is awesome to have, but it isn’t necessary to burn calories and stay fit. Here are seven best workouts at home to try.

These workouts will include exercises for your arms, core, and legs. Turn everyday items in your home into workout accessories. Props for creativity! 

Prepare Your Workout Space

Before you learn how to work out at home, take a moment to prepare your workout space. Find an open space in your home or push back the furniture, so you can stretch out your arms and legs without hitting anything. Put down a yoga mat or towel on hard floors or use a carpeted area to protect your knees, elbows, and hands.

Keep plenty of water and a sweat towel handy. It’s also a good idea to download a stopwatch app on your phone. Finally, don’t forget to add the final ingredient, your favorite playlist! (One silver lining of working out at home is that you get to be your workout DJ.)

Before you start one of the best workouts at home, get your body moving with some easy aerobic movements and dynamic stretches to let your body know it’s time to work.

Let’s get started!

Each of the suggested routines can be adapted to working out at home for beginners, intermediate exercisers, and even advanced exercisers. The listed workouts will be best for intermediate exercisers. Beginning exercisers should consider cutting the reps in half, while advanced exercisers should consider doubling the number of reps.  

Workout 1: At-Home Arms

Today is arm day, so give this short-and-sweet at-home arm workout a try. These exercises will help you define your pecs, biceps, triceps, and shoulders and increase your upper body strength.

Perform 4 sets of:

•         10 Push-ups
•         20 Alternating plank shoulder taps
•         10 Dips using the edge of a chair
•         20 Lateral plank walks

Beginner modifications

Beginners should consider performing knee push-ups and dips with feet closer to the body.

Advanced modifications

Advanced exercisers should consider using a table edge for inclined push-ups and holding each dip at the bottom for one second.

Workout 2: At-Home Core

Your core is the bridge that connects your upper body and lower body. A strong core supports your spine and helps you maintain good posture. As a result, working your core could help prevent nagging lower back pain. This short workout activates your primary abdominal muscles, the obliques on both sides of your abs, and your lower back muscles.

Perform 4 sets of:

•         20 Sit-ups
•         30-Second plank
•         20 Russian twists
•         20 Back extensions from the floor

Beginner modifications

To make this workout easier, hold the plank in a straight-armed position instead of on your elbows.

Advanced modifications

Grab a heavy book and hold it against your chest for the sit-ups, tap it from side-to-side during the Russian twists, and lay it on your back for the planks.

Workout 3: At-Home Legs

Yes, you can work out the big muscles of your legs at home. Actually, bodyweight leg movements give you an excellent opportunity to focus on your form. Move slowly and purposefully through each movement, and you’ll feel the burn in your glutes, quads, hamstrings, and calves.

Perform 4 sets of:

•         20 Air squats
•         20 Alternating lunges
•         20 Alternating side lunges
•         30 Calf raises against a wall

Beginner modifications

If balance and coordination is still a challenge, hold onto the edge of a chair while performing air squats and lunges, or place your hand on the wall.

Advanced modification

Hold your squats and lunges for one second at the bottom of the movement. Hold your calf raises for one second at the top of the movement.

Workout 4: At-Home Cardio Workout, Version One

Now it’s time to get your heart pumping and those extra calories melting off your body. With these two cardio workouts, keep the intensity high. Focus on pushing to your maximum capacity during the “on” portion of the workout and bringing your heart rate down on the “off” portion.

Perform 5 sets of 20 seconds “on” and 10 seconds off of:

•         Jumping jacks
•         High knees in place
•         Mountain climbers

Beginner modifications

Take 30 seconds off between each completed round. Feet should come up to your hips on the mountain climbers. Switch from jumping jacks to stepping jacks.

Advanced modifications

Perform 30 seconds on and 10 seconds off of each movement. Try to get your feet up to your hands on the mountain climbers.

Workout 5: At-Home Cardio Workout, Version Two

Make sure you switch up your workouts regularly. Your body is great at adapting to the amount of work you give it. If you do the same movements in every at-home workout, your body will quickly get used to it, and your results will start slipping. Here’s another awesome at-home cardio workout with some slightly more challenging movements.

Perform 5 sets of 20 seconds “on” and 10 seconds “off” of:

•         Toe taps to the edge of a chair
•         Jumping lunges
•         Burpees

Beginner Modifications

Take a 30-second break between completed rounds. No bouncing/jumping on the chair toe taps. Switch jumping lunges to stepping lunges. Perform step-back and step-up burpees.

Advanced Modifications

Perform 30 seconds on, 10 seconds off. Consider performing toe taps with the bottom of a table.

Workout 6: At-Home Power Workout

Athletes who want to improve their explosiveness need to perform exercises that will strengthen their fast-twitch muscles. This is an ideal type of workout for athletes who need to sprint, jump, and change direction quickly for their sport of choice.

Perform 4 sets with a one-minute break between rounds:

•         6 Down-and-back driveway/back yard sprints
•         10 Broad jumps up and down driveway or back yard
•         20 Squat jumps
•         10 Jumping push-ups

Beginner Modifications

Cut the number of reps in half, as suggested at the beginning of this article.

Advanced Modifications

Rest 30 seconds between rounds. Perform burpee broad jumps and clapping push-ups.

Workout 7: At-Home Weighted Workout

Now it’s time to put your creativity to the test. Bodyweight workouts are awesome, but if you can add a little extra weight to your movements, you’ll give your muscles a bigger challenge. Adding weights to your workout means you can get more results with fewer reps. If you already have a kettlebell, dumbbells, or weight plates at home, integrate these into your workouts. If not, then start thinking outside the box.

Requisition a heavy book or that brick you’ve been using as a doorstop. Fill a milk jug or two with water. Don’t have milk jugs? Fill a sealable freezer bag with water or dirt and then place it into a reusable grocery bag. Ta-da! You’ve got your very own set of weights. Now, let’s see what you can do with them:

Perform 4 sets of:

•         16 Goblet squats (holding weight to your chest)
•         20-Second farmer’s carry in your driveway or back yard (holding equal weights in each hand)
•         16 Alternating lunges (with single weight held to  your chest or equal weights on each shoulder)
•         16 Weighted sit-ups (with weight held to your chest)

Beginner modification

Beginners should focus on performing bodyweight movements without added weight. If you can perform the intermediate arm, core, and leg workouts, then consider trying this weighted workout.

Advanced modification

You already know what we’re going to say, right? Add more weight!

No Gym? No Excuses!

Now that you’ve learned about some of the best workouts at home, you have no excuses to skip exercising. Keep this article handy, and you’ll have seven excellent workout routines to do at home anytime you want.

Want even more great at-home workouts? Then check out EōS Fitness’ full slate of on-demand workout videos. You can check out strength-training videos, dance exercise videos, cardio workouts, and even exercise videos for kids. 

Also, since you’ll save the time you would have spent commuting to the gym, check out all of the other great articles in the EōS Fitness blog. If you’ll be home for a while, now is the time to dial in your nutrition and learn all the different ways to stay fit. Learn more about healthy recipes and get even more exercise advice. Keep fit, stay healthy!