Best Workout Routine at Home: 10 Exercises from a Trainer
By Marnie Kunz, NASM-certified trainer, USATF- RRCA-certified running coach
Try this workout routine at home or when traveling for a full-body strength and cardio session with no equipment. In the last few years, I’ve had plenty of time to experiment with home workouts, fine-tuning them to help clients get fit at home. This is the best full-body home workout that I’ve created to build your fitness level and full-body strength. All you need to get started is an even floor space with a yoga mat or bath towel. If you want to add even more intensity, I have also included some dumbbell exercises.
Benefits of Home Workouts
A workout routine at home offers the convenience of getting in your sweat session without having to go anywhere or paying expensive gym fees. You can do this workout without equipment, so it’s easy to do at home or while traveling.
There are many benefits of doing regular exercise, including home workouts. Here are just a few:
Reduce your risk of diseases and conditions such as heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis
Improves brain health and cognitive abilities
Helps with maintaining a healthy weight
Enhances mood and combats depression and anxiety
The official Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week and do at least two weekly strength training workouts. This home workout routine offers a strength training workout to improve your full-body strength. I recommend completing your weekly exercise requirements with daily walking to complement your home workout program.
Related: Recommended Steps Per Day By Age
How to Warm Up
A warm-up will help get your body primed for action and reduce muscle tightness. Try these exercises to get your heart rate up and your body moving before your workout:
Beginner’s Warm-Up
Walk in place for 2 minutes
Forward arm circles for 30 seconds
Backward arm circles for 30 seconds
Bodyweight squats for 30 seconds
Jumping jacks for 30 seconds
Side lunges for 30 seconds
Walk in place for 30 seconds
Total Warm-Up Time: 5 minutes
Advanced Warm-Up
Jog in place for 1 minute
Forward arm circles for 30 seconds
Backward arm circles for 30 seconds
Bodyweight squats for 30 seconds
Jumping jacks for 30 seconds
Side lunges for 30 seconds
Back lunges for 30 seconds
Front and back leg swings 30 seconds
Side-to-side leg swings 30 seconds
Total Warm-Up Time: 5 minutes
Best Workout Routine at Home: 10 Exercises to Try
These bodyweight exercises will help you get stronger and improve your fitness level. All of these movements are compound exercises, which means they strengthen multiple muscles. This gives you the most bang for your workout routine at home so you can be efficient without spending a long time doing a full-body workout.
1. Squats
Bodyweight squats are one of the most versatile and effective lower-body workouts. They’re also a great way to warm up before a workout.
Muscles Worked: Glutes, quads, hamstrings, adductors (inside your thighs), calves.
How To Do It:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes slightly pointed outwards. Keep your back straight, shoulders relaxed, and core engaged.
Lower your body as if sitting back into a chair. Bend your knees, keeping your weight in your heels.
Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the ground or as far as possible while keeping your core engaged and chest up. Make sure your knees don’t track inward, keep your back neutral, and avoid excessive rounding forward or leaning backward.
Engage your core and glutes to push yourself back up to the starting position, pressing through your heels. Avoid jerking or bouncing at the bottom of the squat. Keep the movement controlled and smooth throughout.
2. Push-Ups
Push-ups are one of the best upper-body exercises that can be modified or adapted to different fitness levels. If you're a beginner, you can do a modified knee push-up by balancing on your knees instead of your toes. For an advanced version, elevate your toes on a step or bench.
Muscles Worked: Chest, deltoids, triceps, core muscles.
How To Do It:
Begin from a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your body in a straight line from head to heels. Tighten your core muscles to keep your body stable.
Inhale as you slowly lower your body towards the floor, bending your elbows. Bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle, keeping them close to your body. Aim to lower your chest until it almost touches the floor.
Exhale as you push yourself back up to the starting plank position. Use your chest, shoulders, and tricep muscles to straighten your arms. Avoid locking your elbows at the top.
Maintain a straight line from your head to your heels throughout your push-ups, keeping your hips aligned with your shoulders. Avoid arching your back or dropping your hips.
Related: Arm Workouts At Home: 12 Exercises to Try
3. Lunges
Lunges are a compound lower body exercise that offers a versatile workout routine at home. This is how to do basic lunges. Many variations exist, including the side lunges listed below.
Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings, quads, calves.
How To Do It:
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your core engaged.
Step forward with one leg, bending both knees, lowering your body until your front thigh is parallel to the ground and your back knee almost touches the floor.
Keep your back straight, your shoulders relaxed, and your core engaged throughout the movement. Avoid leaning forward or arching your back.
Push yourself back up to the starting position, using your glutes for help.
Repeat on the other side.
4. Side Lunges
Muscles Worked: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, and hip abductors.
How To Do It:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed slightly outward. Keep your back straight, shoulders relaxed, and core engaged. Your arms hang at your sides or be placed on your hips for balance.
Take a wide step to the side with one leg, keeping your toes pointed forward.
Bend your knees, lowering your body until your front thigh is parallel to the ground and your back knee almost touches the floor.
Ensure your back knee doesn’t touch the ground, and your front knee is aligned over your ankle.
Push back up to the starting position, engaging your glutes and quadriceps.
Repeat on the other side.
5. Glute Bridges
Glute bridges offer an excellent butt-strengthening workout that also targets your core muscles. This beginner-friendly movement is perfect for your workout routine at home.
Muscles Worked: Glutes, hamstrings, quads, core muscles.
How To Do It:
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Place your arms by your sides. Engage your core muscles by drawing your belly button towards your spine.
Press your heels into the floor and lift your hips off the ground until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. Keep your back straight and avoid arching it. Squeeze your glutes throughout the movement.
Slowly lower your hips back to the starting position, maintaining control throughout the movement. Avoid letting your hips drop entirely to the ground.
Related: 3 Best Glute Exercises to Get Results
6. Planks
Planks are one of the best core exercises, with many variations to suit different fitness levels.
Muscles Worked: Abdominal muscles (rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis), obliques
How To Do It:
Begin from a high push-up position with your hands shoulder-width apart and elbows directly under your shoulders. Engage your core muscles by drawing your belly button towards your spine. Keep your back straight and avoid arching it.
Hold your body in a straight line for as long as you can while maintaining proper form. Squeeze your glutes and quads to keep your body stable. Continue to breathe, keeping your breath controlled.
Maintain a straight line from your head to your heels. Avoid arching your back or letting your hips drop. Keep your elbows directly under your shoulders, and avoid locking them out. Engage your core muscles throughout the exercise.
Related: How to Do Planks and Plank Benefits
7. Dead Bugs
The dead bug exercise offers a great core workout routine at home that doesn’t put any pressure on the back or neck. It’s an excellent core exercise for all fitness levels.
Muscles Worked: Abdominal muscles (rectus abdominis and transverse abdominis), obliques, pelvic floor, and hip flexors.
How To Do It:
Lie on your back with your arms extended straight up towards the ceiling and your legs extended up, with your knees bent so your lower legs are parallel to the floor.
Keep your lower back pressed against the floor, engaging your core muscles to maintain a neutral spine position. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart. Your legs should be hip-width apart.
Keeping your lower back pressed against the floor, slowly lower your right arm towards the ground and your left leg towards the floor at the same time. Lower your arm and leg just a few inches off the floor, maintaining a controlled movement throughout.
Pause momentarily at the bottom of the movement, maintaining core engagement and proper alignment.
Slowly return your arm and leg to the starting position, controlling the movement.
Repeat the movement with the opposite arm and leg.
8. Flutter Kicks
Flutter kicks are a core-strengthening exercise that targets the muscles in your lower abs.
Muscles Worked: Lower abs, hip flexors, quads.
How To Do It:
Lie on your back with your legs straight and resting on the floor. Place your hands under your lower back for support, or keep your arms straight at your sides.
Engage your core muscles by pulling your belly button towards your spine. Keep your head and neck in a neutral position.
Keep your core engaged, flutter your legs up and down, and keep them slightly off the floor. Aim for a small, controlled movement, focusing on engaging your lower ab muscles. Avoid arching your back or raising your hips off the ground.
Focus on maintaining a steady rhythm, keeping the movement controlled and consistent.
9. Seated Dips
Dips are one of the best arm exercises you can do at home with no equipment. All you need for this exercise is a sturdy chair or bench.
Muscles Worked: Triceps, chest (pectoralis major), trapezius (which runs from your neck and shoulders to the middle back, and serratus anterior (on the surface of your upper eight or nine ribs).
How To Do It:
Sit on the edge of a bench or chair with your hands on the edge and fingers gripping the edge.
Extend your legs straight out in front of you, with your heels flat on the floor. Keep your back straight, shoulders relaxed, and core engaged.
Lower your body by bending your elbows and keeping your back straight and close to the chair.
Aim to lower your body until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. Keep your elbows close to your body throughout the exercise.
Pause at the bottom of the movement for a moment, maintaining control and core engagement.
Push yourself back up to the starting position by engaging your triceps. Avoid leaning forward or rounding your shoulders.
Plank taps strengthen your core and shoulder muscles.
10. Plank Taps
Plank taps are an advanced plank variation that strengthens your shoulders and core muscles.
Muscles Worked: Abdominal muscles, obliques, shoulders, and glutes.
How To Do It:
Start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart and your body in a straight line from your head to your heels.
Engage your core muscles and maintain a neutral spine.
Keeping your body stable, lift one hand off the floor and tap your opposite shoulder.
Return to the starting position and repeat with the other hand.
Aim for controlled movements and maintain proper form throughout the exercise.
Bonus: Dumbbell Exercises
If you have access to dumbbells, you can add these dumbbell exercises for more muscle strengthening:
Chest Press. Lie flat on your back on a weight bench or on the floor. Hold dumbbells by your shoulders with your arms bent at the elbows. Push up to straighten your arms and bring the dumbbells directly above your shoulders. Slowly lower the dumbbells to the start position. Repeat.
Squats. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and keep your arms hanging by your sides throughout your squats. If it feels more comfortable, you can hold the dumbbells up by your chest, bending your arms throughout the exercise.
Lunges. Hold a pair of dumbbells by your sides throughout your regular lunge exercises.
Bicep Curl. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding dumbbells by your sides with your palms facing up. Exhale as you curl the dumbbells upward toward your shoulders. Continue curling until your forearms are nearly vertical, and you feel your bicep muscles contract. Slowly lower the dumbbells, extending your arms fully and allowing your elbows to straighten.
Related: 10 Best Leg Exercises with Dumbbells
Putting It All Together: Best Home Workout Program
Here is everything put together into a workout plan. You can do this workout routine at home or when traveling since you don’t need any equipment.
Workout 1: Upper Body and Core Workout
Warm-Up
10 Push-ups
10 Seated Dips
Planks 30 seconds
10 Plank Taps on each side
Dead Bug exercise 30 seconds
Do 2 to 3 sets of 10 reps for each exercise.
Workout 2: Lower Body and Core Workout
Warm-Up
10 Squats
10 Lunges
10 Side Lunges
10 Glute Bridges
Planks 30 seconds
Dead Bug exercise 30 seconds
Flutter Kicks 30 seconds
Do 2 to 3 sets of each exercise.
Workout 3: Full-Body Workout
Warm-Up
10 Squats
10 Lunges
10 Side Lunges
10 Glute Bridges
10 Push-ups
10 Seated Dips
10 Plank Taps on each side
Dead Bug exercise 30 seconds
Flutter Kicks 30 seconds
Do 2 sets of each exercise.
If you’re a beginner, some modifications you can make are to do 20 seconds for the core exercises and do modified planks and modified push-ups. For an advanced workout, hold dumbbells when you do squats and lunges.
Need a personalized fitness program for more workouts tailored to your fitness level and goals? Head to the Runstreet Training Center, and I’ll be happy to help you.
If you try this workout routine at home, tag me at @Runstreet on Instagram to share your workout and get cheered on. Happy moving to you! 😊
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Marnie Kunz is a NASM-certified trainer and USATF- and RRCA-certified running coach based in Brooklyn, NY. Marnie likes helping people get and stay active to enjoy a better quality of life. When she’s not doing fitness things, Marnie enjoys exploring with her dog, a mischievous rescue Akita.
