When working out at home, the best way to get in an effective workout is to pair cardio-inspired movements with body weight and strength training staples. This is especially true if you don't have a home gym stocked with expensive equipment.
Try this full-body single station workout and train at home without sacrificing intensity.
Warm up:
Jumping jacks
- Start by standing upright with your legs together, arms at your sides
- In one fluid movement, bend your knees slightly and jump your legs outward, about shoulder-width apart
- As you jump, stretch your arms out and over your head
- Jump your legs together and move your arms back down to your sides for one rep
Inchworm walkouts (1 minute)
- Start by standing tall with your legs straight and your knees unbent
- Slowly hinge at the hips towards the floor until your palms are flat on the ground
- Without letting your hips sag, try to keep your legs straight as you walk your hands out to form a plank position. Pause briefly before walking your feet to your hands
- Once your hands and feet are touching, start to walk your hands back out into the plank position
Squats
- Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider
- Extend your hands straight out in front of your body
- Look straight ahead and keep your chest open as you slowly bend your legs and lower yourself down as if you're sitting into an imaginary chair
- As your upper body bends forward slightly, be sure to continue looking forward
- Without letting your back round completely, allow your lower back to arch slightly as you lower yourself down until your thighs are parallel to the floor with your knees over your ankles
- Press your weight back into your heels and squeeze your glutes as you bring yourself back to the starting position and repeat
Workout:
Perform each of the following moves for 45 seconds, then take a 15-second break before beginning the next exercise.
Once you have completed all of the exercises, take a two-minute break. Repeat the circuit three times.
Blast-off push-ups
- Start in a push-up position
- In one fluid motion, bend your knees and raise your hips behind you, keeping your arms straight, back flat and knees raised off the floor
- Push through your toes to move your body forward, bending your elbows to lower into a push-up
- Reverse the movement and return to start the starting position for one rep
Squat thrusts
- Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms by your sides as you lower yourself into a squat position
- As you reach the bottom of your squat, place your hands on the floor, kick or step your legs back into a plank position
- Jump or step your legs back into a squat position and raise yourself back up to the starting position for one rep
Pendulum lunges
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart
- Step your right foot into a front lunge, making sure that your right knee is over your ankle as you try to lower your back knee to the floor
- Once your back knee dips as low as possible, drive through your front heel and propel your right foot back into a reverse lunge for one rep
Mountain climber twists
- Start in a traditional plank with your shoulders over hands and your back and neck aligned and flat
- Keep your core engaged as you twist to bring your right knee forward under your left elbow
- Return to your basic plank and repeat on the opposite side for one rep
Plank ups to frogger
- Begin in a plank position and hold briefly before jumping your feet to the outside of your hands, and coming into a deep squat
- Keeping your hands on the floor, jump back to plank
- Repeat in quick succession