So you want to start working out, but you don’t want to leave the house?
No problem!
Our online coaches specialize in helping people get fit from home.
If you’re in a hurry, sign up for our free weekly newsletter and we’ll send you PDFs of our “Work Out at Home” guides!
Let’s go over the 10 Best At-Home Workouts so you can start training today: no gym or equipment required!
- A note on warming up and cooling down
- Home Workout #1: Beginner Bodyweight (Start Here)
- Home Workout #2: Beginner Bodyweight Level 2
- Home Workout #3: Advanced Bodyweight
- Home Workout #4: The Star Wars Workout!
- Home Workout #5: Parkour! (For Beginners)
- Home Workout #6: The 20-Min Hotel Routine
- Home Workout #7: Attack of the Angry Birds
- Home Workout #8: High-Intensity Interval Training
- Home Workout #9: Train like Batman
- Home Workout #10: The PLP Progression
- Bonus No-Equipment Workout: The Playground Circuit
- Can home workouts build muscle or help with weight loss?
- How to build your own at-home workout
Let’s jump right in!
At Home Warm-ups and stretching routines
No matter which at-home workout you pick, I want you to start with one important thing:
Warm-up!
I cover why you should always warm up in an article found right here. It doesn’t have to be much, though. Give it about five minutes to get your muscles active and your heart rate up, and practice some easier variations of the movements you are about to do in your workout routine.
For example, if your workout includes squats and push-ups, you could do a couple of minutes of generalized movement to get the blood pumping, like marching in place, arm and leg swings, etc., and then follow that up with some assisted squats and countertop push-ups.
This will help you do exercises properly and help prevent injury.
Here is NF Senior Coach Staci (you might know her incredible story) showing you many beginner options you can use to warm up as well:
If you’re curious, here’s my personal (advanced) warm-up:
Advanced Warm-up Routine:
- Jump rope: 2-3 minutes
- Jumping jacks: 25 reps
- Bodyweight squats: 20 reps
- Lunges: 5 reps each leg.
- Hip extensions: 10 reps each side
- Hip rotations: 5 each leg
- Forward leg swings: 10 each leg
- Side leg swings: 10 each leg
- Push-ups: 10-20 reps
- Spider-man steps: 10 reps
Our goal isn’t to tire you out, instead we want to warm you up.
That’s step one.
Completing your chosen at-home workout would be step two.
Below, you’ll find 10 sequences you can follow along with!
Home Workout #1: Beginner Bodyweight
This at-home routine, as we lay out in our Beginner Bodyweight Workout article, is as follows:
2 circuits of:
- 10 Assisted Bodyweight Squats.
- 10 Elevated or Knee Push-ups.
- 10 Dumbbell rows (use a milk jug or other weight).
- 15-30 Second Knee Planks
- 10 Bodyweight Good Mornings
- 20 Walking Jacks
We also turned it into a fun infographic with superheroes, because that’s how we roll:
The above is what we call “circuit training,” with the objective being to run through the workout sequence once, and then again.
Note: Not a milk drinker?
If you don’t have milk in the house for the rows, find something of roughly the same weight with a good handle.
Also, if you want to download this Beginner Bodyweight Workout as a worksheet, you can do so when you sign up in the box below:
It’ll help you track your progress as you begin your training.
Home Workout #2: Beginner Bodyweight Level 2
Our original bodyweight workout from 2009 is a great step up from the beginner bodyweight workout when you’re ready for more of a challenge. It has roughly the same structure but with some more challenging variations of the exercises.
3 circuits of:
- Bodyweight squats: 20 reps
- Push-ups: 10 reps
- Walking lunges: 10 each leg
- Dumbbell rows (using a gallon milk jug or another weight): 10 each arm.
- Plank: 15 seconds
- Jumping Jacks: 30 reps
You can progress the workout by adding a 4th round, increasing the reps of any individual exercise, or making an exercise harder by doing a more challenging variation (for example, decline push-ups instead of regular push-ups).
Home Workout #3: Advanced Bodyweight
If the two at-home workouts above are too easy for you, move on to our Advanced Bodyweight Workout.
The Advanced Bodyweight Workout:
3 circuits of:
- One-legged squats – 10 each side [warning: super-difficult, only attempt if you’re in good enough shape]
- Bodyweight squats: 20 reps
- Walking lunges: 20 reps (10 each leg)
- Jump step-ups: 20 reps (10 each leg)
- Pull-ups: 10 reps [or inverted bodyweight rows]
- Dips (between bar stools): 10 reps
- Chin-ups: 10 reps [or inverted bodyweight rows with underhand grip]
- Push-ups: 10 reps
- Plank: 30 seconds
Not familiar with these moves? Check out the 21 Best Advanced Bodyweight Exercises for a full breakdown.
I warn you, the above sequence will hurt… in a good way. You should be proud if you can get through this three times.
Do you want to get as strong as possible so this workout ain’t no thang?
Sign up in the box below to grab our guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. It’ll teach you all of these advanced bodyweight exercises!
Home Workout #4: The Star Wars Workout!
Do you have access to a hallway that you can commandeer for a bit?
Then you can do our Star Wars Workout!
It’s designed to be done in a very small space, like your home’s hallway…or an escape pod.
The “Padawan” Level of this workout is:
- 30-second knee or feet front plank (3 Sets)
- 10 assisted squats or squats (3 Sets)
- 10 doorway rows (3 Sets)
- A 60-second Farmer-carry (Farmer’s Walk) dumbbells (or milk jugs) (2 sets)
- March in place for 3 minutes of intervals (6 sets of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off)
- 8 elevated or knee push-ups (4 sets)
- 60-second Doorway Leans (2 sets)
If you want to advance to the Jedi Knight or Master Levels, check out The Star Wars Workout, which will also offer you a full description of each move.
Home Workout #5: Parkour! (For Beginners)
Have you ever wanted to try parkour but always felt intimidated or worried you would hurt yourself? Well, have no fear—we have just the workout for you.
Like any other type of training, parkour can and SHOULD be progressed slowly over time.
Starting off with advanced jumps and tricks if you don’t yet know how to land safely, or how to absorb impact into a roll is just setting yourself up for disaster.
Check out our Definitive Guide to Parkour for Beginners to learn more about the origins of parkour and various exercise progressions.
Ready to give it a try for yourself? Our very own Coach Matt (pictured above) has put together training templates and free videos explaining how to progress each of the movements when you sign up for our free guides here.
Home Workout #6: The 20-Min Hotel Routine
Sometimes, you just plain find yourself stuck in a hotel room. Maybe you can find the hotel gym, but I bet it’s terrible! It probably has 2 machines, a broken treadmill, and no free weights.
Ugh.
Instead, how about a 20-minute workout you can do in the room itself?! Utilize the furniture to its full potential.
Hotel Workout Level 1:
- Bodyweight squats: 20 reps
- Incline push-ups: 15 reps (feet on floor, hands on edge of bed or desk)
- One-arm luggage rows: 10 reps (each arm, use your suitcase as your weight)
- Reverse crunches: 10 reps
Hotel Workout Level 2:
- Overhead Squats: 25 reps
- Push-Ups: 20 reps
- Inverted Rows using the desk in your hotel room: 10 reps
- Reverse Crunches: 15 reps
Set the alarm clock to 15 minutes from now and see how many circuits you can do!
Check out our full post on hotel circuits if you want Level 3!
Home Workout #7: Attack of the Angry Birds
The Angry Birds Workout is designed to be done when you have 5 or 10 minutes to kill.
Sort of like playing Angry Birds…
Here’s how The Angry Birds Workout Plan works: it’s deceptively simple – only four major movements.
If you don’t have time to run through the whole sequence, no problem!
Depending on how much time you have during the day, you can do your whole workout at once, or break up your training into four different sessions throughout the day (with each session being ONE of the exercises).
Here’s a sample day for your No-Equipment Workout:
- Wake up, do 40 jumping jacks to warm up, and then do bodyweight squats.
- At lunch, you grab your suitcase (if you’re at work, milk jug if you’re at home) and do inverted rows.
- After work, you do 20 arm circles in each direction and then do your push-ups.
- After dinner, you do your planks while watching TV.
You could even split it up over two days if needed, but the goal would be to do the whole sequence at once.
The main Angry Birds Workout article describes in detail Levels 1-6, but here’s Level 3 for you:
- Bodyweight squats: 50 reps
- Push-ups: 50 reps
- Pull-ups: 10 reps
- Planks: 3-minute hold
Once you’ve done the complete routine, you have my permission to whip out your phone and play the actual game!
Home Workout #8: High-Intensity Interval Training
You don’t have to head to the gym to do High-Intensity Interval Training. You can do a complete routine right in your own home!
HIIT is just following a specific regimen where you vary your speeds and intensity throughout a shorter run, swim, bike, or row.
Unless you have a giant backyard, running at home might be tough.
But you know what doesn’t require a lot of room?
Burpees!
To complete a burpee:
- Start standing up, then squat down and kick your legs out.
- Do a push-up, bring your legs back in, and explode up into a jump.
- For a HIIT workout, try to do 20 repetitions, then rest for two minutes.
- Repeat until you hate yourself.
Tip: Having trouble reaching all the way to the floor? Elevate your hands on a steady surface, like the edge of a sturdy bench. You won’t have to reach as low in your squat, and you may be able to control your push-ups better!
Check out our full guide on How to Start Interval Training for some more ideas on HIIT workouts.
You can also check out our post “The 20-Min HIIT Workout for Home” for another living-room-friendly interval routine!
Home Workout #9: Train like Batman
We love the Caped Crusader here at Nerd Fitness, so naturally we have The Batman Bodyweight Workout for you to try!
Bonus points if you somehow do this no-equipment workout in a cave, as that’s how Bruce Wayne would roll.[1]
This workout is separated into two days for you.
Here’s a video for the first day:
Batman No-Equipment Workout Day 1:
- Rolling squat tuck-up jumps: 5 reps
- Side-to-side push-ups: 5 reps
- Modified headstand push-ups: 5 reps
- Jump pull-up with tuck / Pull-up with Tuck-up: 5 reps
- Handstands against wall: 8 seconds
Here’s a video for the second day:
Batman No-Equipment Workout Day 2:
- ‘180 Degree’ jump turns: 5 reps
- Tuck front lever hold: 8 seconds
- Tuck back lever hold: 8 seconds
- Low frog hold: 8 seconds
This is a relatively advanced workout already, but if you want to progress to the next level, check out the main Batman Bodyweight Workout for tips on how to do just that.
Home Workout #10: The PLP Progression
The PLP is a progressive program in which you complete one additional rep of three exercises – Pull-Ups, Lunges, and Push-Ups – every day, for two months.
NOTE: This is NOT a beginner program, and should not be attempted unless you have been training consistently and can do multiple repetitions of pull-ups and push-ups with great form.
Like this perfect push-up:
And this perfect pull-up:
Here’s how the PLP Progression works:
Day 1:
- Pull-ups: 10 reps
- Push-ups: 10 reps
- Lunges: 10 reps (each leg)
Day 2:
- Pull-ups: 11 reps
- Push-ups: 11 reps
- Lunges: 11 reps (each leg)
Day 3:
- Pull-ups: 12 reps
- Push-ups: 12 reps
- Lunges: 12 reps (each leg)
How long do you keep doing this?
As originally envisioned by Chad Waterbury, the PLP Workout lasts 60 days.[3]
Yeah…by the end of it, you’ll be doing more than 50 pull-ups.
There are two versions:
- If you can do 10 straight pull-ups: Start day 1 with 10 reps of each.
- If you cannot do 10 straight pull-ups: Start day 1 with 1 rep of each.
Complete your required reps each day in as many sets as you need, whenever you need to. The goal is to do it in as few sets as possible, but enough to complete each rep with proper form.
We’d like to throw our hat in the ring and introduce a third (dare we say, better?) version of this workout.
The Nerd Fitness PLP Workout
Here’s the thing, for most people pull-ups will be much harder than push-ups, which will be much harder than lunges.
Also, you may need more rest time in between workouts than continually adding reps and working out every day.
Here’s our updated version of this program:
- 20 lunges (each leg)
- 15 push-ups
- 10 pull-ups
Perform the workout 3 times per week, with a rest day in between.
Each successive week, add 5 reps to the lunges, 3 reps to the push-ups, and 1 rep to the pull-ups. So your week 2 would be 25 lunges, 18 push-ups, and 11 pull-ups. Week 3 would be 30 lunges, 21 push-ups, and 12 pull-ups, etc.
Rinse and repeat until you complete 8 weeks of the program!
If at any time, a movement feels way too easy, add an additional 5 reps to it and continue counting up from there.
Want to learn more? Check out my results on the PLP Workout.
Bonus No-Equipment Workout: The Playground Circuit
Do you have a nearby playground? Why not work out there?! If you have kids, you can do it together. Or let them ignore you.
I’ll give you a Level One workout, and a Level Two. Check out The 20-Minute Playground Workout for some Level Three exercises.
Playground Workout Level One:
- Alternating step-ups: 20 reps (10 each leg)
- Elevated push-ups: 10 reps
- Swing rows: 10 reps
- Assisted lunges: 8 reps each leg
- Bent leg reverse crunches: 10 reps
Playground Workout Level Two:
- Bench jumps: 10 reps
- Lower incline push-ups: 10 reps
- Body rows: 10 reps
- Lunges: 8 reps each leg
- Straight leg reverse crunches: 10 reps
After you’ve gone through a complete set three times, go down the slide!
Can Home Workouts Build Muscle or Help With Weight Loss?
Throughout our Online Coaching Program, we get two common questions for those wanting to train at home:
- Can working out at home help me build muscle?
- Can working out at home help me lose weight?
The answer to both of these: yep!
Let’s tackle them one by one.
#1) Can working out at home help me build muscle?
You can 100% build muscle mass at home.
Just ask our friend Jimmy here:
Read more on how Jimmy turned into Spider-Man from home!
The trick is to follow a progressive overload strategy, as Coach Jim outlines in this video:
With progressive overload, we want to make our workouts more and more challenging, thus putting additional strain on our muscles.
So to build muscle with home workouts, focus on:
- Increasing your repetitions.
- Going close to failure (i.e. exercise is challenging enough you could only do 1-3 more reps)
- Performing more difficult variations (knee push-ups to push-ups).
- Increasing your time under tension (by going slower).
That will help you build strength and muscle from your casa.
Next up:
#2) Can working out at home help me lose weight?
You can totally train at home for a successful weight loss strategy.
Again, we have a great example with one of our Online Coaching Clients, Sarah the Supermom:
The trick here is to couple your home workouts with adjustments to your nutrition.
We’re big believers that you can’t outrun your fork, so any successful weight loss plan will include a focus on building a healthy plate.
That will look something like this:
If you want some help adjusting your nutrition, I’ve got two great resources for you:
- The Nerd Fitness Guide to Healthy Eating. This massive resource will help you slowly adjust your nutrition, without forcing you to give up the food you love (yes, you can still eat pizza here and there). No more diets, instead we’ll work on building habits together.
- The Nerd Fitness TDEE Calculator. This article will help you understand your total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and how to use that information to kick-start your fat loss progress.
How to Build Your Own At-Home Workout
We just reviewed 10 workouts you can do at home (plus one you can do in a park).
You don’t have to stick to these though!
I have two resources to help you design your own no-equipment workout:
- The 42 Best Bodyweight Exercises: This guide will teach you how to perform the best bodyweight exercises – no equipment required! Check it out if you are unfamiliar with any of the movements referenced in today’s guide.
- How To Build Your Own Workout Routine: Once you’re comfortable with a handful of bodyweight exercises, use this guide to pull them all together into a full-body workout!
That should get you going on building a workout you can do in the comfort of your own home.
Want more? Alright, eager beaver, I got you.
We built TWO options for people just like you:
1) If you want step-by-step guidance, a custom workout program that levels up as you get stronger, and a coach to keep you accountable, check out our killer 1-on-1 coaching program:
2) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion.
Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our guide, Strength Training 101: Everything You Need to Know. It’ll help you start incorporating these bodyweight moves into your training.
For the Rebellion!
-Steve
PS: If you were going to buy one piece of equipment to utilize in your home, a kettlebell would offer you a lot of versatility:
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Photo Sources: Home Sweet Home 2, good dog, The minifigures of this series are really beautiful, it’s a rap, my friend:), Ekaterina Minaeva © 123RF.com, Hotel Room, af8images © 123RF.com, Tithi Luadthong © 123RF.com, Vintage House Bicycle,
