Effective Home Workouts for Beginners

The Basics of Home Workouts for Beginners:

  So you want to lose weight and get in shape, but don’t want to leave your house?
Well, as your fitness Friends, I will teach you a great bodyweight workout routine that you can do ANYWHERE: In your living room, at a park, or in a galaxy far, far away…

Let’s dig into the different parts of this workout and get to the action:

Can You Build Muscle Mass With Bodyweight Exercises? OF COURSE!!

You want to know:

Can you build muscle mass with bodyweight exercises?

Yep, bodyweight exercises can build muscle mass, as long as continuously challenge your muscles by:

• Increasing reps.
• Decreasing your rest periods.
• Performing more difficult variations.
• Increasing your time under tension (by going slower).

Just ask our friend Jimmy here, who got in great shape using bodyweight exercises in his apartment:

You just need to make sure you have the right program to follow.

Enter the Beginner Bodyweight Workout.

I’m going to take you through a basic home workout today that can be completed anywhere – in your house, apartment, out at a park, in your basement, on the moon, wherever.

Beginner Body Weight Workout Video & exercises

THIS IS THE BEGINNER BODYWEIGHT WORKOUT (3 CIRCUITS): 

• 20 Bodyweight squats.
• 10 Push-ups.
• 10 Walking lunges (each leg).
• 10 Dumbbell rows (use a milk jug or other weight).
• 15 Second Plank.
• 30 Jumping jacks

We turned this bodyweight workout into a fun infographic, because that’s how we roll around here:

Jump to the “Best Bodyweight Exercises” section for a full breakdown of each movement.

In a circuit routine, you’ll do each exercise in succession without a break in between (if you’re able).

• Once you’ve finished all exercises in the circuit, do it again.
• If you’re still able after the 2nd run-through, go for a third.

Because all of these exercises come one after another, you’re bound to get tired – and that’s okay!

It’s better to stop and take a break than to do an exercise incorrectly.

Before you start, don’t forget to do a Dynamic Warm-Up – Make sure to get your heart rate pumping and get your muscles warmed or you’re just asking for injury.

You can run in place, jump rope, do a few push-ups, pedal on a stationary bike, do some punches and kicks, jog up and down your stairs, and/or twist and swing your arms and legs to get them moving!

HERE’S A BEGINNER WARM-UP YOU CAN TRY:

After you’ve completed your workout at home, feel free to cool down and stretch. 

“HOW OFTEN SHOULD I DO THE BEGINNER BODYWEIGHT WORKOUT?”

Do this routine 2-3 times a week, but never on consecutive days.

You don’t build muscle when you’re exercising, you build muscle when you’re resting, so try not to do a strength training routine (of the same muscle groups) two days in a row.

I like to follow a training pattern of:

• Strength training on one day (like this workout).
• 20 minutes of interval training the next.
• Back to strength training.
• Back to interval training or rest!

Alternatively, pick one of these fun exercises to do on your off days instead!

In addition to checking out our Online Coaching Program, make sure you download the worksheet for this workout by joining the Rebellion (our free online community)!

I’ll send it to you right away when you sign up in the box below: atservineor.com

The 12 Best Bodyweight Exercises For Beginners

As laid out above in our Beginner Bodyweight Workout video, there are some key movements you can work on to help you get started strength training! 

Here’s how to do every bodyweight exercise covered today:

#1) KNEE PUSH-UP

#2) ELEVATED PUSH-UP

#3) REGULAR PUSH-UP

We have a whole article on how to do a proper push-up, but we also cover it extensively in this 5-minute video:

#4) ASSISTED BODYWEIGHT SQUAT

Use this variation if you can’t do regular bodyweight squats yet.

#5) BODYWEIGHT SQUAT:

If you want even more instruction, here’s how to do a proper bodyweight squat:

#6) SUPPORTED LUNGES:

#7) REGULAR LUNGES:

Here’s how to properly perform lunges. 

#8) ONE ARM ROW

Use a milk jug, suitcase, or actual dumbbell.

#9) PLANK

#10) SIDE PLANK

#11) WALKING JACKS 

Use this variation if you can’t do jumping jacks yet.

#12) JUMPING JACKS

If you are looking for even MORE bodyweight exercises you can use in your workouts, make sure to check out our mega-resource:

 “The 42 Best Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do Anywhere.“

Note: We have helped hundreds of 1-on-1 Coaching clients get started with strength training and other awesomeness – but EVERYBODY starts with bodyweight training like these movements and this workout!