Let's get straight to the point: working out from home can be just as effective as hitting the gym. Despite what some people may lead you to believe, you can get a good workout in with simple pieces of kit such as dumbbells, kettlebells or a suspension trainer, or even using just your bodyweight. Even as your strength grows and your fitness increases, you can still keep pushing yourself by increasing your reps, introducing more sessions per week, aiming for faster times, using more advanced movements, or using special techniques such as slowing down (or speeding up) the tempo of your exercises. That's a lot of ground to cover before you even have to consider investing in a heavier set of dumbbells.
But moreover, working out from home might help you to nail the single most important factor when it comes to building muscle and boosting your fitness levels: consistency. With no commute, no opening hours and no one hogging the dumbbells, excuses not to get that session in start to become thin on the ground.
You may be tempted to label bodyweight movements as strictly for beginners and not much cop for building serious muscle, but you'd be wrong. A recent study looked at the effectiveness of the press-up as a muscle-building tool. Published in Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness, over the course of an 8-week training period, the researchers found that, when compared with a similar load to 40%1RM (rep max) bench press, the press-up was as effective for muscle hypertrophy and strength gain.
Your own bodyweight is great for cardio, too. In-fact, according to researchers at the University of Pristina, it makes no difference to your overall health and general fitness whether you embark on a routine of jogging or bodyweight exercises. The scientists split a number of students into three groups: one did endurance training, another took part in strength-based circuits, and the third did nothing. The results showed that the groups who exercised lost weight and had lower body fat measurements at the end. However, what was remarkable was how similar the results were, with the researchers concluding that both kinds of exercise were equally beneficial for your cardiovascular system.
The bottom line is this: you don't need a gym membership to get fit. Fitness can be free. And with MH's help, bringing your work(out) home with you can be as fun as it is effective.
Below is our collection of some of the best no-fuss exercises to try at home, whether you're a complete beginner or a seasoned gym-pro, coupled with an explanation the muscles they work, and most importantly, how to do them properly.
We've divided the moves up into categories based on what parts of the body they work and what kit they require to help you to put them into practice in a solid regime, but if you're struggling to put them into a workout routine, don't worry-
we've also included a selection of the best basic but effective home workouts for you to try.
Bodyweight Only Exercises
Upper Body
Push-up
Primary Muscles worked: Chest, shoulders, triceps
Assume a strong plank position, hands stacked directly below elbows and shoulders (A), bend your elbows to slowly lower your chest to the floor (B). Keep your upper arms from flaring as you push back up explosively to a straight arm position. Repeat.
Feet elevated push-up
Primary Muscles worked: Chest, shoulders, triceps
Kick both feet up onto a box or bench. Place your hands on the floor, shoulder width apart, and create a strong plank position (A). Bend your elbows to slowly lower your nose to the ground, pause here (B), keep your upper arms from flaring out as you push back up explosively. Raise or lower the box height to increase or decrease the difficulty, respectively.
Hands elevated push-up
Primary Muscles worked: Chest, shoulders, triceps
Place your hands shoulder-width apart on a bench or box, assuming a strong plank position (A), bend your elbows to slowly lower your chest to the bench, pause here (B). Keep your upper arms from flaring out as you push back up explosively to a straight arm position. Repeat. Raise or lower the box height to decrease or increase the difficulty, respectively.
Close-grip Push-up
Primary Muscles worked: triceps
Assume a strong plank position with your hands almost touching on the ground and core tight (A), bend your elbows to slowly lower your chest to the floor (B). Keep your upper arms tight to your body as you push back up explosively to a straight arm position. Repeat.
Pike push-up
Primary Muscles worked: Shoulders, triceps
Assume a strong press-up position with your hands shoulder width apart. Walk your hands backwards towards your feet until your hips are almost above your shoulders (A). Lower your cost slowly towards the ground by bending at the elbow (B) Pause as your nose makes contact before explosively pushing back up.
Bench/box dip
Primary Muscles worked: Triceps
Sit on the edge of a box or bench, with your legs outstretched. With your hands next to your hips, support your weight with your arms as you shift off the edge of the box (A). Flex at the elbows to lower your body until you feel a stretch across your chest (B). Straighten your arms explosively to push back up. Elevate your feet to increase the difficulty.
Down-up
Primary Muscles worked: Full body, cardio
Hinge, squat and drop your hands to the ground, shoulder width apart (A). Explosively kick both legs backwards and assume a strong plank position, avoiding any ‘hip sag’ (B). Quickly jump your feet back in and return to standing (C). Repeat, keeping your torso straight a rigid throughout.
Burpee
Primary Muscles worked: Full body, cardio
Hinge, squat and drop down, placing both hands on the floor between your feet. Jump your feet back into the top of a press-up and lower your chest to the ground (A). Straighten your arms to press back up and hop your feet back forwards (B). Jump into the air explosively, touching your hands together above your head (C).
Strict handstand push-up
Primary Muscles worked: Shoulders, triceps
Kick up against a wall into a handstand position with your hands no more than 30cm from the wall, a little over shoulder width apart (A). Bend at the elbows slowly lowering your head to the ground or a mat, pause here (B) , push back up, keeping your feet together and body rigid.
Lower Body
Air squat
Primary Muscles worked: Quads, glutes
Standing tall with your chest up (A), sink your hips back and bend at the knees, squatting down until the crease of your hips passes below your knee (B). Drive back up explosively and repeat, try to keep your heels on the ground and torso upright.
Jump squat
Primary Muscles worked: Quads, glutes
Lean slightly forward as you squat down (A), before using your arms to assist as you explode up, jumping as high as you can (B). Cushion your landing with bent legs, then sink immediately back into another squat and repeat. Aim for the maximum possible height you can achieve on each and every rep.
Forward lunge
Primary Muscles worked: Quads, glutes
Stand tall with your chest up (A), take a step forward with one leg, bending the at the knee until the back knee gently touches the ground (B). Stand up explosively, pause and repeat with the opposite leg. Alternate legs unless otherwise other stated.
Reverse lunge
Primary Muscles worked: Quads, glutes
Stand tall with your chest up (A), take a long step backward with one leg, bending your front leg until your back knee gently touches the ground (B). Stand up and forward explosively, pause and repeat with the opposite leg. Alternate legs unless otherwise other stated.
Split Squat jump
Primary Muscles worked: Quads, glutes, cardio
Step one foot backward and sink into a deep lunge, with your rear knee lightly touching the floor (A). Explode upwards into a jump, switching legs mid-air (B) to land in a lunge position with the opposite leg forward. Repeat the movement, alternating legs each rep and aiming to jump as high as possible.
Pistol squat
Primary Muscles worked: Quads, glutes
Stand tall lifting one foot from the ground (A), bend at the opposite knee, slowly squatting towards the floor, keeping your lifted leg straight and out in front of your body. Once the crease of your hip passes below your knee, pause (B) and drive back up to a standing position.
Cyclist squat
Primary Muscles worked: Quads, glutes
Raise your heels up on a weight plate or block, keeping your heels within 6 inches of each other. Stand tall (A). Sink your hips back and bend at the knees, squatting down until the crease of your hips passes below your knee (B). Drive back up explosively stopping just short of locking your legs out to keep the tension on the quads. Repeat.
Core
Butterfly sit-up
Primary Muscles worked: Abs
Lay flat on your back with your legs bent, the soles of your feet together and your hands behind your head (A). Tense your abs as you sit up and forward, touching your hands to your feet (B). Reverse the move, touching the floor behind your head on each rep.
Mountain climber
Primary Muscles worked: Abs, shoulders, cardio
Assume a strong plank position, hands stacked directly below elbows and shoulders. Explosively bring on knee towards your chest and then back out (A), immediately repeat with the other leg. Keeping your back straight and hips low quickly alternate legs (B) aim for a fast, controlled rhythm.
Straight arm plank
Primary Muscles worked: Abs, shoulders
Assume a strong, straight armed plank position, creating a rigid structure from your ankles to your shoulders (A). Focus on tucking in your pelvis and squeezing your core, hard. Create as much tension as possible throughout your entire body and hold it for as long as you can (B) .
Plank shoulder tap
Primary Muscles worked: Abs, shoulders
Assume a strong plank position, arms straight, hands stacked directly below your shoulders (A). Keeping your torso rigid and fighting rotation, reach one hand up and tap the opposite shoulder (B), place the hand back down and immediately repeat with the opposite arm. Repeat, alternating arms in quick succession.
Pull-Up Bar, Suspension Trainer or Gymnastics Ring Exercises
Upper Body
Pull-up
Primary Muscles worked: Lats
Grasp a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly over shoulder width apart. Lift your feet from the ground and hang freely (A). Pull yourself up by flexing your elbows and pulling your shoulder blades down and back. Think of bringing driving your elbows down into your pockets. When your chin passes the bar, pause (B) before lowering slowly to the starting position. Try to avoid excessive swinging.
Chin-up
Primary Muscles worked: Lats, biceps
Grab a pull-up bar with your palms facing your body. Lift your feet from the ground and hang freely (A). Pull yourself up by flexing your elbows and pulling your shoulder blades down and back. Think of bringing driving your elbows into your pockets. When your chin passes the bar, pause (B) before lowering slowly to the starting position. Try to avoid excessive swinging.
Ring/ suspension pull-up
Primary Muscles worked: Lats, biceps
Hang with straight arms beneath a set of rings or suspension straps. Lift your feet from the ground and hang freely (A). Pull yourself up by flexing your elbows and pulling your shoulder blades down and back. Think of bringing driving your elbows down into your pockets. When your chin passes the height of your hands, pause (B) before lowering slowly to the starting position. Try to avoid excessive swinging.
Ring/ Suspension Trainer Row
Primary Muscles worked: Lats, biceps
Hang, parallel to the ground, with straight arms beneath a set of rings or suspension straps. Create tension throughout your entire body to form a rigid ‘plank’ position (A). Flex at the elbows, pulling yourself up towards the rings. Don’t allow your elbows to flare and keep your hips from sagging. Squeeze your biceps at the top of each rep before slowly lowering yourself back down to the starting position.
Ring/ suspension trainer dip
Primary Muscles worked: Chest, triceps
Support your full bodyweight above your gymnastics rings or suspension straps with your palms facing inward and your arms locked out straight (A). Lean forward slightly and bend your elbows, slowly lowering yourself until you feel a deep stretch in your chest (B). Drive yourself back up to the top and repeat, ensuring your elbows don’t flare outward. Control your tempo to avoid swinging.
Ring/ suspension trainer push-ups
Primary Muscles worked: Chest, triceps
Assume a strong, straight armed plank, above a set of gymnastics rings or suspension straps (A). Flex at the elbows to slowly lower yourself until your chest passes below your hands (B), pause here before explosively pressing back upwards. Keep the ring straps steady and close to your body throughout. Raise the rings or elevate your feet to decrease or increase the difficulty, respectively.
Core
Forward leaning rest
Primary Muscles worked: Abs, shoulders
Assume a strong, straight armed plank, above a set of gymnastics rings or suspension straps (A). Turn your biceps out slightly and focus on tucking in your pelvis and squeezing your core, hard. Create a rigid structure from your ankles to your shoulders and hold it (B) .
Hanging knees raises
Primary Muscles worked: Abs, grip
Hang from a bar, gymnastics rings or set of suspension straps. Ensure that your legs are straight, in front of your body, and that your feet are together (A). Engage your abs and pull down on the bar, raising both of your knees towards your chest (B). Pause for a beat, before lowering your legs to the start position under control. Swinging is cheating.
Dumbbell Exercises
Upper Body
Standing Shoulder Press
Primary Muscles worked: Shoulders
Clean a pair of dumbbells onto your shoulders. Take a breath, squeeze your glutes and create tension through your core. (A) With no assistance from your legs, Press both dumbbells up overhead (B) Lower them under slow control to your shoulders and repeat.
Push press
Primary Muscles worked: Shoulders
Clean a pair of dumbbells onto the front of your shoulders. Take a breath and brace your core. (A) Dip at the knees and using your legs to help (B) drive the dumbbells up overhead. Lower them under slow control to your shoulders and repeat.
Single arm push press
Primary Muscles worked: Shoulders
Clean a dumbbell onto the front of your shoulders. Take a breath and brace your core. (A) Dip at the knees and using your legs to help (B) drive the dumbbell up overhead. Lower it under slow control to your shoulder and repeat. Squeeze the opposite fist to create tension.
Z-press
Primary Muscles worked: Shoulders
Sit flat on the floor with your legs open and outstretched and a pair of dumbbells on your shoulders. (A) Take a breath and brace your core, keeping your torso upright press your dumbbells overhead (B). Lower under control to your shoulders and repeat.
Floor press
Primary Muscles worked: Chest, triceps
Lay flat on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground, holding a pair of dumbbells. Press the weights up above your chest, locking out your elbows (A). Lower them slowly until your upper arms are resting on the floor (B) pause here before explosively pressing back up. Keep your elbows from flaring throughout.
Upright row
Primary Muscles worked: Shoulders, back
Stand tall holding a pair of dumbbells at your waist, in front of your body. (A) Keeping your core tight pull the dumbbells up towards your chin, driving your elbows up and back (B). Slowly lower back down to your waist under complete control. Avoid excessive movement in your torso and ‘dropping’ the dumbbells too quicklyd.
Bent-over row
Primary Muscles worked: Back
Hold a pair of dumbbells at your sides and hinge at the hips until your chest is parallel to the floor, dumbbells hanging at your shins (A). Maintaining a flat back, row both dumbbells towards your hips (B), squeeze here and lower under control to the start before repeating.
Three point row
Primary Muscles worked: Back
Hold a dumbbell in one arm and hinge at the hips, letting the dumbbell hang and placing your empty hand onto a bench, box or wall for support (A). With a flat back and rigid core, shift your weight onto your supported hand and row the right dumbbell up into your hip (B). Pause briefly, then lower the weight under control. Repeat.
Lower Body
Front-rack forward Lunge
Primary Muscles worked: Quads, glutes
Clean a pair of dumbbells up onto your shoulders and stand tall (A), take a step forward with one leg, bending the at the knee until the back knee gently touches the ground (B). Stand up explosively, pause and repeat with the opposite leg. Alternate legs unless otherwise other stated.
Front-rack reverse lunge
Primary Muscles worked: Quads, glutes
Clean a pair of dumbbells up onto your shoulders and stand tall (A) take a long step backward with one leg, bending your front leg until your back knee gently touches the ground (B). Stand up and forward explosively, pause and repeat with the opposite leg. Alternate legs unless otherwise other stated.
Goblet squat
Primary Muscles worked: Quads, glutes
Stand tall holding a dumbbell close to your chest in the ‘goblet’ position (A). Sink your hips back and bend your knees, dropping into a deep squat (B), your elbows should be almost between your knees at the bottom. Drive back up explosively, keeping your torso upright and dumbbell steady throughout.
Front-rack squat
Primary Muscles worked: Quads, glutes
Clean a pair of dumbbells up onto your shoulders. Take a breath and brace your core. (A) sink your hips back and bend at the knees, squatting down until the crease of your hips passes below your knee (B). Drive back up explosively and repeat.
Deadlift
Primary Muscles worked: Hamstrings, glutes
With a pair of dumbbells on the floor just outside of your feet, hinge down with a flat back and soft knees to grip them (A). Squeeze your lats and stand upright, picture ‘pushing the ground away’ with your feet (B). Take a deep breath and reverse the movement to the ground. Squeeze your empty fist to create tension on the opposite side. Avoid excessive rounding of the lower back throughout.
Romanian deadlift
Primary Muscles worked: Hamstrings, glutes
Stand tall holding a pair of dumbbells at waist height (A). With a slight bend in the knees, push your hips back and slowly lower the bells towards the ground, pinning your shoulders down and maintaining a flat back. Push your hips back until you feel a stretch in your hamstrings (B), pause and explosively return to an upright position.
Core
Plank pull-through
Primary Muscles worked: Abs, shoulders
Assume a press-up position next to a dumbbell. Reach through from the opposite side, and grip your weight (A), drag or lift the bell under your body to the opposite side, keeping your midline rigid (B). Alternate back and forth, keeping your hips from rotating, throughout.
Russian twist
Primary Muscles worked: Abs, obliques
Sit on the ground with your knees bent and your feet planted on the ground. Holding a single dumbbell with both hands (A), twist from side to side, lifting and touching the kettlebell to the ground either side of your body, under control (B) Keep your feet planted throughout.
Renegade row
Primary Muscles worked: Back, abs, shoulders
Drop into a strong plank with both hands gripping dumbbells (A). Keeping your hips from rotating, shift your weight onto your left hand, row the right dumbbell towards your hip (B). Pause briefly, then lower the weight under control. Repeat on the opposite side. Continue in this fashion, alternating arms.
The Best Home Workouts for Beginners to Seasoned Gym Pro's
