While going to the gym is a great option for many people, it’s not always convenient or possible for everyone. But thankfully, you don’t need expensive equipment or a gym membership to get in a fantastic workout. With just your bodyweight and a little creativity, you can design effective full-body routines right at home. Here are the top 10 best at-home workout routines and circuits to help you stay active without leaving the house. But first, a note on warmups and cool downs.
A note on warming up and cooling down
For any workout routine, it’s important to properly warm up and cool down the body. This helps prevent injury and improve performance. A 5-10 minute warmup should include light cardio like walking, jogging, or jumping jacks. You can also incorporate dynamic stretches that move the joints through their full range of motion. After your routine, take 5-10 minutes to cool down with stretches and slower movements. Don’t just stop and sit down after finishing intense exercise – this could lead to problems. Proper warmups and cool downs help you get the most benefit from your routine safely.
Home Workout #1: Beginner Bodyweight (Start Here)
This full-body routine requires no equipment and is great for beginners. Complete one set of 10-15 reps for each exercise, resting 30-60 seconds between sets. Do 2-3 sets of each move:
- Bodyweight squats
- Pushups (on knees if regular pushups are too tough)
- Plank
- Shoulder taps in plank
- Reverse lunges
- Crunches
- Tricep dips (on chair or floor)
- Bicep curls (with water bottles or soup cans)
Home Workout #2: Beginner Bodyweight Level 2
This progression adds more challenging moves for those comfortable with the beginner routine. Complete 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps each with 30-60 seconds rest between:
- Squats
- Pushups
- Plank with leg lifts
- Mountain climbers in plank
- Walking lunges
- Situps or crunches
- Tricep dips
- Bicep curls
- Jumping jacks
Home Workout #3: Advanced Bodyweight
For folks who’ve mastered the first two routines, add more intensity with advanced bodyweight moves. 2-3 sets of each, resting 30-60 seconds:
- Bulgarian split squats
- Wide pushups
- Side planks with hip dips
- Roller plank
- Step ups
- Hanging leg/knee raises
- Pistol squats
- One-arm pushups
- Pullups or inverted rows
Home Workout #4: The Star Wars Workout!
Spice up your routine with this Star Wars themed circuit. Each exercise completes a “planet” – complete all 9 planets for 1 set. Repeat for 2-3 sets with 60-90 seconds rest. Using the Imperial March on your phone adds fun energy:
- Tatooine squats
- Death Star mountain climbers
- Endor crunches
- Hoth burpees
- Bespin pushups
- Yavin 4 jumping jacks
- Dagobah tricep dips
- Naboo jumping lunges
- Coruscant plank jacks
Home Workout #5: Parkour! (For Beginners)
Channel your inner traceur and try basic parkour moves safely at home. 2-3 circuits of 30-60 seconds per move:
- Squat jumps
- Jumping jacks
- Tuck jumps
- Wall sit
- Pushups
- Tricep dips
- Plank shoulder taps
- Step ups
- High knees
- Walking lunges
Home Workout #6: The 20-Min Hotel Routine
When traveling without gear, you can still get fit fast with moves using just your body and hotel room. Complete 3 rounds of these moves as fast as possible in a 20-minute AMRAP (as many reps as possible):
- Pushups
- Squats
- Situps
- Jumping jacks
- Tricep dips off bed
- Bicep curls with water bottles
- Plank
- Jumping lunges
- Shoulder taps in plank
- Squat jumps
Home Workout #7: Attack of the Angry Birds
Make cardio fun and challenging with this circuit inspired by the classic game. 30 seconds per “bird” with 10-15 seconds rest between. Complete 2-3 circuits:
- Jumping jack “chickens”
- High knees “red bird”
- Walking lunges “yellow bird”
- Burpees “black bird”
- Jumping squats “blue bird”
- Prisoner squats “green bird”
- Plank jacks “bomb bird”
- Mountain climbers “crown bird”
- Jumping lunges “stella bird”
- Side planks “pig birds”
Home Workout #8: High-Intensity Interval Training
HIIT workouts are highly effective for boosting calorie burn and endurance. Try this set up:
- Warm up for 5 minutes
- Do 30 seconds of an exercise, followed by 30 seconds rest/recovery
- Complete 5 rounds of:
- Bodyweight squats
- Pushups
- Mountain climbers
- Jumping jacks
- Cool down for 5 minutes
Home Workout #9: Train like Batman
Channel your inner Dark Knight with this bodyweight circuit. 2 sets of 10-15 reps for each move:
- Shadow boxing
- Burpees
- Pushups
- Plank
- Pullups or inverted rows
- Mountain climbers
- Bulgarian split squats
- Crunches
- Tricep dips
- Bent over rows with bottles
Home Workout #10: The PLP Progression
Get a full-body pump with this circuit focusing on Push, Legs, and Pull muscle groups. Complete 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps each, resting 30-60 seconds between sets:
- Push: Pushups, shoulder presses with bottles
- Legs: Squats, split lunges, calf raises
- Pull: Pullups or rows, bicep curls, shrugs
Bonus No-Equipment Workout: The Playground Circuit
Looking for a family-friendly outdoor routine? Head to a playground on a nice day. Complete 3 laps of these bodyweight moves using playground equipment:
- Pullup bar: Inverted rows, pullups
- Monkey bars: Under/overs, plate spins
- Slides: Step ups, squats
- Swings: Tricep dips, pushups
- Bars: Jumping lunges, crunches
- Rings: Bicep curls, shoulder presses
Can Build Muscle & Aid Weight Loss?
Absolutely! While weight training provides the best results, bodyweight exercises are highly effective too. With the right routine, variations in reps/sets, and progressive overload over time, home workouts can definitely help build muscle – especially in the back, shoulders, arms, and legs. They can also boost your metabolism and burn significant calories, which aids weight loss when combined with a healthy diet. The key is consistency, challenging yourself, and tracking progress.
How to build your own at-home workout
Designing your own routine is easy once you understand basic principles of training. Choose a mix of bodyweight exercises that work all major muscle groups – legs, back, chest, shoulders and arms. Include both upper and lower body moves, along with core work too. Vary rep ranges from 8-12 for strength to 15-30 for more calorie burn. Incorporate both pushing and pulling motions to balance your routine. Build in rest days for recovery. For equipment, use just your body, water bottles, chairs or furniture items safely. Adjust your program over time as your fitness levels change. Most importantly – have fun and stay motivated!
Conclusion
In summary, home workouts absolutely provide a challenging and effective full-body routine without any expensive equipment. Following one of these 10 top routines, varying the circuits, and progressively overloading over time can yield amazing results for muscle gains, weight loss, or general fitness goals. Make working out from home fun and convenient!