Top 5 Home Workouts
There is always a time to fit in these simple and effective home workouts into your day. They involve both aerobic and anaerobic exercises, meaning that our both endurance and intensity will be tested. By the end of our session, we should feel our muscles burning, heart rate increased and a “feel good” effect due to endorphin release.
The workouts suggested below target either the upper body, lower body or overall body and have different progressions which include additional piece of equipment.
Warm-up
Prior to starting a workout, it is absolutely essential to warm-up. The reason behind a warm-up is the necessity to increase blood flow, body temperature, heart rate, and recruit muscles for intensity. For a good warm-up, set the timer for a 4-minute Tabata (20 seconds on, 10 seconds off) do as follow and repeat:
- Air squats
- Jumping jacks
- Push-ups (scaled option: on knees)
- Alternate lunges
1. Upper body home workout
This workout can be timed as an EMOM, which is the easier way to work without counting reps and taking too much time to rest.
Set the timer for 10 minutes, with intervals of 30 seconds. During 30 seconds, work and rest up the following 30 seconds. Knowing in advance that rest is coming allows to push more.
- Renegade rows
Weight option: use a weight that allows to be lifted for an entire 30 seconds unbroken (with no rest continuously). - Hollow hold
Weight option: Hold a light weight between the feet and hold another one above the head. - Push-ups
Weight option: put a plate or a heavy item on the upper back. - Dips: Using the edge of a couch or a chair.
Weight option: Skull crushers with a dumbbell the behind head. - Bicep Curls: Using a cushion, a ball, two bottles of water, or dumbbells: squeeze the element chosen with focus on pec and lats and from there, curl.
Advice: go hard on the entire 30 seconds. If it feels too hard then schedule a short working time of 20 seconds and the same amount as rest. The idea is to prioritise intensity.
Other options: Instead of the hollow rock, a handstand hold against a wall.
2. Lower body home workout
Same as the upper body for timing, use the EMOM. Set the timer for 10 minutes, with intervals of 30 seconds. Work 30 seconds and rest 30 seconds.
- Air squats
Tip: Hold a bottle of water vertically with both hands to make sure the back won’t arch at any time. - Jumping lunges
- Glute Bridges
Options: hold one foot in the air or place both feet on the edge of a couch or a chair. - Starfish hold
- Nordic hamstring curls: Feet under the edge of a couch or a bed frame, lower the body and then come back up using the hamstrings.
3. Total body home workout
Same as the upper body for timing, use the EMOM. Set the timer for 10 minutes, with intervals of 30 seconds. Work 30 seconds and rest 30 seconds.
- Burpees
- Overhead squats: Arms up shoulder width, get into a squat position. The form, meaning straight back and knees out, should be intact. If this cannot be achieved reduce the range of motion and perform the squat above parallel.
- Jumping squats
- Push-ups
Option: Incline push-ups. - Side Lunges
4. Endurance home workout
Set the timer for 10 minutes, with intervals of 30 seconds. Work 30 seconds and rest 30 seconds.
- Tuck jumps: jump upwards by driving knees to the chest, bounce back on the floor immediately.
- Mountain climbers
- Sit-ups
- Jumping rope
Option: double-unders - Shuttle run: Set a distance and run back forth from one end to the other. Touch the floor when reaching each end.
5. Core only home workout
- 30 hollow rocks: Laying on the back, core engaged, arms straight elevated from the floor following the axe of the shoulders, feet lifted the same way. Rock the body using the core and keep the body tight, ideally keep that ‘banana’ shape intact.
- 30 supermans: laying facing down on the floor, eyes looking down, arms straight, raise your arms and legs 5 cm from the ground using the core and lower back
- 3 rounds of:
- 20 V-ups: Snap up the feet and the upper body at the same time by using core and hip flexors.
- 30 seconds Plank
- 20 Russian twists: Sitting on the floor, legs bent at knees, move the upper body (and not just the shoulders) from side to side
Need a custom home workout interval timer? Make it with this workout creator: https://www.exercisetimer.net/createworkout
