Here’s some good news for you: It’s totally possible to do exercises at home and get as awesome of a workout as you would at the gym. Better still? You can make this happen without owning any home gym equipment.
Not only are equipment-free moves convenient, but doing exercises at home without weights is a great way to check in with yourself and focus on form. Because of this, bodyweight exercises are great for beginners, but they’re also effective for more intermediate or advanced exercisers, too. (You can even level up by adding ankle or hand weights if you’re looking for more of a challenge.)
Below, I’ve compiled 50 of the best at-home exercises for all fitness levels. As a personal trainer with years of experience, I use these moves all the time with my clients to help them get stronger and train their total body. You can use them to create countless combinations of total-body workouts, ensuring you never get bored while you break a sweat.
Time: 20 minutes
Equipment: None
Good for: total body
Instructions: For a full workout, choose five to six moves below. Complete the indicated number of reps, then continue immediately to the next move. Rest for one minute, then repeat the entire circuit one to three times to keep your heart rate up and burn calories while you build muscle.
How to: Start lying on back with arms and legs extended and on the floor. Raise arms and legs leaving just bra line and lower back on mat so body looks like a banana. Hold the position for 30 to 60 seconds then lower back down and continue to you next move.
How to: Start on all fours with shins and palms flat on mat. Step feet back to balance on balls of feet creating a straight line from heels through the top of head. Gaze should be slightly in front of hands. Spread shoulder blades wide on back, tighten abs, quads, glutes, and hold for 30 to 60 seconds before continuing to your next move.
How to: Start by lying on right side with left foot on top of right, toes and heels lined up, right forearm on mat, elbow under shoulder and palm flat, fingers spread, left hand on hip. Engage obliques and lift hips up until body forms a straight line from head to heels. Hold for 20 seconds. Repeat on the other side then continue to your next move.
How to: Start lying on back with legs extended and arms by sides, both on mat. In one movement, lift upper body, arms, and legs, coming to balance on tailbone, forming a “V” shape with body. Lower body back down. That’s one rep. Perform as many reps as possible in 45 seconds, then rest for 15 seconds and continue to your next move.
How to: Start lying down on back with hands behind head, shoulder blades off mat, legs lifted and bent at 90 degrees, and gaze at thighs. Engage abs and rotate right elbow toward left knee while extending right leg to straight in air. Return to start and repeat on the other side. That’s one rep. Complete 30 reps, alternating sides then continue to your next move.
How to: Start lying on back with arms extended over chest and legs in air, bent at 90-degree angles (knees above hips). Keep low back pressed to the floor, engage abs, then slowly and simultaneously extend and lower left leg until heel nearly touches floor and right arm until hand nearly touches floor overhead. Pause, then return to start and repeat on the opposite side. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps and then continue to your next move.
How to: Start on all fours with wrists directly under shoulders and knees under hips. Keep back flat, abs engaged, and a slight bend in elbows. Extend right arm out in front at shoulder height and left leg straight behind at hip height. Lower leg and arm down, then repeat on the opposite side. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps then continue to your next move.
How to: Start on all fours, wrists under shoulders, knees under hips, toes tucked, gaze slightly in front of hands. Push down into palms and lift knees to hover off floor keeping hips level. Hold for 30 to 60 seconds then lower back down and continue to your next move.
How to: Start on all fours at the back of mat with wrists under shoulders, knees under hips, and gaze slightly in front of hands. Keep a slight bend in elbows, push down into palms and lift knees to hover off the floor while keeping hips level. Slowly walk hands and feet forward to the top of mat without lowering knees, then reverse the movement. That’s one rep. Complete 12 reps then continue to your next move.
How to: Start lying on back with arms extended over chest and legs raised at a 90-degree angle from the floor, toes pointed. Engage core and lift upper body off mat to tap ankles or feet with fingers without moving lower body. Return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 30 reps then continue to your next move.
How to: Start lying on back with hands by sides and feet lifted off the ground at 45-degree angle, toes pointed. Push down into arms and pull knees into chest until hips lift off mat. Slowly return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps. Continue to your next move.
How to: Start in a plank position. Drive right knee toward chest, return to a plank and quickly repeat with left knee. That’s one rep. Do as many as possible in 30 seconds then continue to your next move.
How to: Start lying on back with hands at sides and legs raised in the air at a 45-degree angle, feet flexed. Swiftly scissor legs up and down a few inches in opposite directions without lifting lower back off mat. Continue for 30 seconds then move on to your next exercise.
How to: Start seated, upper body leaned back until abs are engaged, legs lifted and bent at 90 degrees, arms bent, hands clasped, and elbows wide, torso rotated to right side so that right elbow is hovering off mat. Keep lower body still while rotating upper body to left side. Return to start. Gaze follows hands. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps. Continue to your next move.
How to: Start lying on back with arms on mat and hands under butt, palms down, legs raised at a 90-degree angle from the floor, feet flexed. Slowly lower legs as far down as possible without back lifting off the ground. Return to start. That’s one rep. Do 15 reps and then continue to your next move.
How to: Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart. Bend knees, sit hips back, and lower body down until thighs are parallel with the floor. Bring arms forward as lower down to keep torso upright. Rise back up to start, squeezing glutes at the top, and bringing arms to sides. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps and then continue to your next move.
How to: Start standing with legs wider than shoulders and turned out so inner thighs are pointed forward, knees and toes pointing in the same direction, hands by sides. Bring hands together in front of chest while bending knees and sinking tailbone toward the floor (keeping pelvis tucked and trying not to stick butt out). Continue lowering until thighs are parallel to mat. Return back to start. That’s one rep. Do 15 reps and then continue to your next move.
How to: Start standing at back of mat with feet under hips. Take a large step forward with right leg, and lower down until thigh is parallel with the floor, while bringing hands together in front of body for counter balance. Return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps on each side and then continue to your next move.
How to: Start standing sideways at the bottom of mat with feet under hips and arms by sides. Take a large step out with right leg and sit hips back and bend right knee until right thigh is parallel to floor while left leg remains straight, toes of both feet facing forward. Push through right heel to return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps on each side and then continue to your next move.
How to: Start standing on right leg, with left leg bent, heel off the ground. Hinge at hips to drop torso forward until back leg lifts off floor and chest is parallel to mat. Keep hips square to the ground; return to stand. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps on each side and then continue to your next move.
How to: Start standing with hands on hips and feet staggered (right foot in front of body and left foot behind, left heel high). Bend knees and lower down until both legs form 90-degree angles and back knee softly taps floor. Pause and then push through both feet to return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps on each side and then continue to your next move.
How to: Start lying on back, arms by sides and knees bent so that you can brush back of heels with fingertips. Engage core and glutes, then press into heels to raise hips toward the ceiling until body forms straight line from shoulders to knees. Hold for two seconds before lowering back to start position. That’s one rep. Do 15 reps and then continue to your next move.
How to: Start standing at back of mat facing sideways with right leg crossed behind left, heel high, hips facing forward, and arms by sides. Push through left foot to jump sideways toward top of mat, landing on right foot and cross left leg behind body toward back diagonal. Reverse the movement by hopping onto left foot and repeating the same thing on the opposite side. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps and then continue to your next move.
How to: Start standing with feet under hips and arms by sides. Left right leg a few inches off ground and extend arms in front of body at chest height. Maintain this shape while bending left knee and lowering body down as close to mat as possible. Push through left heel to stand up and return to start position. That’s one rep. Do 15 reps on each side and then continue to your next move.
How to: Start kneeling on all fours. Keep right leg bent at 90 degrees and lift it into the air until right thigh is parallel to mat while maintaining flat back and level hips. Reverse the movement to return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 12 reps on each side and then continue to your next move.
How to: Start standing facing a bench or stair, hands on waist and feet under hips. Step right foot onto bench or stair and pull left knee up toward chest. Reverse movement to return to start. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps on each side and then continue to your next move.
How to: Begin by standing with feet hips-width apart, hands on waist. Engage abs and lift up onto the balls of feet, keeping knees straight but not locked. Pause at the top and squeeze calf muscles, then lower back down to the ground. That’s one rep. Complete 15 and then continue to your next move.
How to: Sit in a chair and grip the front edges with hands. Scoot butt forward until it’s hovering just off the seat and legs form a 90-degree angle. Straighten arms. This is the start position. Lower body down until biceps are parallel tofloor. Engage triceps to press back to start. That’s one rep. Complete 10 reps and then continue to your next move.
How to: Start in a plank position. Lower body down a few inches, with elbows pointing toward feet and biceps close to ribs. Then press back up. That’s one rep. Complete as many reps as possible in 50 seconds and then continue to your next move.
How to: Start in a plank position, but with hands directly under chest. Lower body down, with elbows pointing 45 degrees away from body, until upper arms are parallel to mat. Then press back up. That’s one rep. Complete as many reps as possible in 50 seconds and then continue to your next move.
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