AtOMIC

BODY AT
HOME
make home workouts as
effective as gym ones

Stephanie Redman
ACE certified Health Coach
Are at home workouts
effective?
You can get a great workout at home. Not only can
at-home workouts be just as effective as going to
the gym, they also give you more flexibility and
help you save on time and even money. Many
people are worried about the lack of equipment at
home, but you can have an effective workout even
without any equipment.

In fact, a study in ACSM’s Health & Fitness Journal

found that using your bodyweight as resistance is
just as successful at decreasing fat and improving
muscular strength and endurance. Furthermore,
you can burn just as many calories performing an
at-home workout as you can in the gym.

Burning calories, decreasing body fat, and

increasing lean muscle mass are the ingredients
for weight loss.

That tells us that you can indeed

lose weight and improve your health

from at-home workouts.

However, just like a gym routine, the

key to success is consistency.1

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Benefits of home
workouts
When you are consistent with your workouts, you
will reap all the benefits. One of the many benefits of
working out is increased lean muscle mass, which in
turn increases your muscle-fat ratio. More muscle is
correlated with burning more calories at rest (resting
metabolic rate) and thus can help you lose weight.
Losing weight can decrease the risk of many chronic
diseases, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and
cancer, and it can improve your overall health and
well-being. There are even more benefits that come
with skipping the gym and doing your workout right
at home.2

Saves time - Save time by not having to drive to and

from the gym, waiting for machines, etc.
Flexibility - You can work out whenever you have 20-30
minutes free!

Comfortable setting - It can sometimes be

uncomfortable working out in front of others. If you are
one of those people, at-home workouts are a great
remedy.

Saves money - Those gym membership fees add up!

Working out at home is cheaper.3

2
Disclaimer: Before

you start doing at-

home workouts,

safety is key.

When starting any new exercise program, it is

crucial that if you are experiencing any pain, feel

dizzy, are short of breath, or if you have a chronic

disease, you get clearance from your doctor before

beginning the program. Also, if at any time during

your workout you feel pain, dizziness, shortness of

breath, etc., be sure to stop and consult your

doctor. Always listen to your body.

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Other ways to ensure
safety during at-home
workouts:
Check the space - Be sure it is free of anything
that could cause tripping or injury. Also
straighten out your arms and legs to ensure
there is enough space to be able to perform
different exercises.

Wear proper attire - Even though you’re at

home, it’s important to wear proper clothing and
especially sneakers that are appropriate for
training. You should have on clothing that is
comfortable and will allow you to move through
the workout effectively. Wearing shoes can help
avoid slips and falls. During certain types of
workouts, such as yoga or pilates, it may be okay
to be barefoot.

Warm up and cool down - Don’t skip these. It’s

always important to properly warm up your
muscles and cool down afterwards. This helps to
avoid unnecessary injury.

Equipment safety - If using equipment, be sure

to use it properly and safely, especially if you are
home alone. When you are at a gym, others are
around in the event something goes wrong.4

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Setting Your Goal

If you have checked off all the safety tips, then you
are ready to set your goal(s). You can have the
same goals as you would if you were going to the
gym. First, decide what your goal is and then put it
into the SMART format. Be sure to choose a goal
that can be achieved within a few weeks/months.

- Specific: Think…what exactly do you want to

accomplish and why?

- Measurable: Add numbers into your goal. This

helps to quantify it so that you can easily measure
whether or not you are on track to reach your goal
or have indeed achieved it.

A
- Achievable: Ask yourself…Is this goal realistic for
me right now? It’s important to be in the right
state of mind to work towards your goal, have the
skills, or be able to get the skills needed, to reach
your goal.

- Relevant: Be sure that your goal aligns with what

you are trying to improve in your life or the healthy
changes you want to work on.

T - Time Bound: Set a realistic deadline. It’s okay to

have halfway goals for longer time frames.

Ex: I want to improve my health by losing 10

pounds. I will do this by doing a 30-minute at-
home workout at least 5 times a week. I plan to
reach this goal in 8 weeks.

Ex: In 10 weeks, I will be able to run 10 miles

without stopping. I will do this by training 4 times a
week and increasing the number of miles I run by 1
mile each week. By the end of week 5, I will be up
to 5 miles without stopping, so I am on track for my
overall goal.5

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Tracking Progress

After setting your goal, don’t forget to track your

progress. This is a key aspect to reaching your
goals. Here are a few ways you can monitor the
progress you’re making:

Write it down - Whether you are taking

measurements, weighing yourself, or keeping
track of exercise
Track it in the app - This is a great place to log
your weekly progres
Take pictures - Pictures are a good way to see
progress made6

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Warm ups and cool
downs at home

Now that your goal is set and you are ready to

begin your at-home workout, where do you start?
You always want to start with warming up to get
your muscles ready and decrease your risk of injury.
Begin with a 5-10-minute warm-up before starting
your workout. Your warm-up can differ depending
on what type of workout you will be doing. You
want your warm-up exercises to be similar to what
you will be doing in your workout.

Warm-up exercise examples:

Beginner
Intermediate/
Knee lifts
Advanced

Marching in Jumping jacks

place
Squats

Leg swings
Butt kickers

Shoulder rolls
Shoulder rolls

Arm circles Arm circles

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End your workout with a cooldown, which can be
thought of as your recovery period. The cooldown
is essential for proper recovery of your breathing,
heart rate, and blood pressure after a workout, and
it can even reduce the chance of next-day muscle
soreness.

Cooldown exercise
examples:

Walking in place

Toe taps

Upper and lower body

stretches

Seated twist

Child’s pose7

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Stretching

As important as warm-ups and cooldowns is

stretching. It is a key factor to maintaining a good

range of motion, flexibility, and even muscle

strength. A good time to stretch is after your warm-

up or as part of your cooldown. The two main types

of stretching are static and dynamic.

Static stretching: Stretching the muscle as far as

you can without pain and holding it for 20-45

seconds for 2-3 sets. This type of stretch is very

beneficial if your goal is increased flexibility.

Examples: Hamstring stretch, quad stretch, tricep

stretch, shoulder stretch, butterfly stretch.

Dynamic stretching: Actively engaging the muscle

and moving the joints through the full range of

motion. It’s a moving stretch. This type of stretch is

beneficial if your goal is to improve speed, agility,

and acceleration, and it can be more challenging.

Examples: Lunges with twist, hip circles, standing

8,9

toe taps, leg swings, march and reach.

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Different Types of
Home Workouts

Now that you understand the

importance of warm-ups,
cooldowns, and stretching, let’s
take a look at some of the different
types of at-home workouts, along
with a few exercise examples that
you can incorporate into your
workout. Some exercise examples
can double as both cardio and
resistance training.

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Cardio

Cardio exercise is any exercise that increases

your heart rate and keeps it up for a prolonged
period of time, thus strengthening the heart
muscle. This type of exercise is an effective
way to improve your cardiovascular health. By
doing cardio workouts you can lower your
blood pressure, boost your immune system,
improve your mental health, and decrease the
risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes
and many other chronic health conditions.10

Beginner - march in place, jumping jacks,

air punches, high knees, speed skaters,
butt kicks, outside wal

Intermediate - light jump rope, plank

jacks, lunge jumps, plyo jacks, jog in plac

Advanced - HIIT (high intensity interval

training), jump rope, mountain climbers,
burpees, squat jumps11

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Resistance Training

Resistance training is a type of exercise that uses

external resistance, such as body weight, resistance
bands, dumbbells). This type of exercise has many
benefits, including an increase in muscle-fat ratio,
increase in strength and muscle tone, improved mental
health, improved flexibility, and so much more. Be sure
to choose exercises for both the upper and lower body.
It’s a good idea to start by using your own body weight
then add some light dumbbells. (If you don’t have any
dumbbells at home, see the alternative equipment
section of this guide)12
Beginner - 2-3 days per week using bodyweight:
squats, modified planks, wall or modified push ups,
lateral lung

Intermediate - 3-4 days per week using body

weight or light weight: tricep dips, push-ups, bend
over dumbbell row, single leg bridge, bulgarian split
squat

Advanced - 4-5 days per week using bodyweight,

light or heavier weight: HIIT resistance training (can
use any of the exercise examples or others of your
choice), stability ball push-ups, planks with shoulder
tap, squat jumps

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Mind and Body

These types of exercises focus on combining

movement with focused and controlled breathing.
Increased strength and improved flexibility are just a
couple of the many benefits. Yoga is one example of
exercises that target the mind and body. When
beginning yoga practice, be sure to start with stable
poses and be careful with upside-down positions that
may impact your balance. As you progress, try more
challenging poses, but remember to always listen to
your body. If at any time you feel pain, loss of balance,
or dizziness, stop the practice.13

Beginner - child’s pose, tree pose, downward facing

dog, seated pose, warrior

Intermediate - plank pose, upward facing dog,

warrior 1, half moo

Advanced - boat pose, wheel pose, shoulder stand,

crane pose14

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Workouts for different
purposes

Which workout you choose should depend on your

fitness goals.
If you are looking to
Lose some weight - Cardio and 2-5 days that include
resistance training depending on your fitness level15
Gain lean muscle mass - Resistance training
Focus on mind and body and improve flexibility - Yoga,
Pilates, Tai Chi

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Exercising with and
without equipment

When performing at-home workouts, you can choose

whether or not you want to incorporate any equipment
into your workouts. Most exercises don’t require any
equipment at all. Your body weight itself provides
resistance against gravity and is effective for increasing
strength.

If you want to intensify your workout you may want to

check out some inexpensive ways to make your
exercises more challenging with these at home
equipment options

Dumbbell
Kettlebel
Ankle weight
Medicine bal
Resistance band
Jump rop
Stability bal
Gliding discs16

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Alternative Equipment for
home workouts

If you don’t have any of the equipment discussed

above, that is no problem. There are alternatives that
you can use. Here are some items you probably have in
your house right now that can be used in your at-home
workouts.

Alternative Item Replacing

Broomstick Barbell bar

Towel Resistance band
Canned food Dumbbells
Chair Bench
Water jug/Laundry Kettlebell
detergent
Paper plates Gliding discs

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At-home workouts to
target specific muscle
groups
If you want your at-home workouts to tone specific
areas, there are lots of great exercises to try. Check out
some exercises that focus on strengthening the most
desired areas. Remember that you can use body
weight, at home equipment, or alternative equipment
items.

Abs/Core: planks, leg raises, flutter kicks, Russian twists

Glutes: curtsy squats, bridge, fire hydrants

Back: bent-over rows, renegade rows, supermans,

reverse snow angel

Biceps/Triceps/Shoulders: side bicep extensions,

isometric hammer curl (use towel), tricep kickbacks,
skull crushers, shoulder press, lateral raises, I-Y-T

Hamstrings/Quads: lateral lunge, sumo squat, walking

lunges, Bulgarian split squats

Chest: push-ups, close grip push-ups, decline push-ups

**Be sure to choose exercises that you can perform

with proper form by starting with an easier variation,
then progressing to more difficult variations.

Examples:

Wall plank -> knee plank -> incline plank -> plank ->
decline plank

Wall push-ups -> incline push-ups -> knee push-ups ->

push-ups -> decline push-ups

Stability ball wall squat -> bodyweight squat ->

weighted squats -> squat jumps17

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Workout to make a break
from work

You may be trying to work on muscle strength for

some of the areas in the above section and also need a
little break from work. Whether you work from home or
in an office, you can certainly do some quick exercises
during a short break. Using your office chair or desk is a
great way to get some quick, effective exercises in.

(Be sure the chair is stationary or locked, so it does not

move)

Here are some examples of exercises you can do using

your office chair or desk:

tricep dips

chair squats

calf raises

seated bicycle crunches

knee raises

seated arm circles

bulgarian split squats

push-ups18

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Adding progression to
your training

If you want to see an increase in strength and

endurance, or even lose weight, your muscles need to
be challenged. The most effective way to do that is
through exercise progression. That means you are
gradually increasing different aspects of your workout
to challenge those muscles a little more. In order to
properly progress, be sure to do it slowly (a little at a
time) over many weeks/months. See below for parts of
your workout you can slowly increase to meet the goal
of exercise progression and examples of how to do it.

Time
Week 1-4: 2 days per week

Week 5-8: 3 days per week

Week 9-12: 4 days per week

Sets/Reps
Week 1-4: 2 sets, 5 reps (2x5)

Week 5-8: 2x8

Week 9-12: 2x10 or increase sets instead of reps (3x8)

It’s recommended to do 3 sets and 8-15 reps to

improve muscle strength.
Weight

Week 1-4: 5lbs

Week 5-8: 8lbs

Week 9-12: 10lbs

Resistance bands
Week 1-4: extra light band

Week 5-8: light band

Week 9-12: medium band

Speed

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Workout Plan Sample

Below you can find a workout plan sample using some

of the concepts and exercises discussed above. You can
try this workout or substitute some of your preferred
exercises to create your own.

*These exercises will require the use of weight (home

equipment or alternative equipment); you can also add
weights to any of the other exercises should you feel
you need it.

Levels

Beginner: repeat 2 times, 30 second rest between each

round

Intermediate: repeat 3 times, 20 second rest between

each round

Advanced: repeat 4 times, 10 second rest between each

round

Monday
20 Highs Knees 20 Butt kicks
20 Jumping jacks 10 Squats
10 Lateral lunges 10 Walking lunges
10 Bridges
10 Curtsy squats

Tuesday
5 Squat jump 10 Tricep kickback
20 Speed skaters 10 Hammer curl
20 March in plac 8 Lateral raise
10 Bicep curls
8 Shoulder press

Wednesday

20 Air punche 5 Wall, modified or regular

20 Jumping jack wide grip push-up
20 High knee 10 Bent over row
5 Wall, modified or regular push- 10 Superman
ups
10 Reverse snow angels

Thursday
Rest Day

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Friday

20-30 minutes of Yoga, pilates, or stretching (all levels)

Saturday

20-30 minute brisk walk (all levels)

30 second Plan

10 Leg raise

10 Flutter kick

20 Russian twists

Sunday

Rest Day

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Footnotes
1. https://journals.lww.com/acsm-healthfitness/
fulltext/2013/05000/
high_intensity_circuit_training_using_body_weight_.5.
asp

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/
PMC4836564/

3. https://www.healthline.com/health/exercise-fitness/
strength-training-at-home#at-home-workout-
benefits

4. https://www.healthxchange.sg/fitness-exercise/
exercise-tips/exercise-at-home-safety-tips

5. https://www.smartsheet.com/blog/essential-guide-
writing-smart-goals

6. https://americanhomefitness.com/blogs/news/6-
ways-to-track-and-measure-your-fitness-goals)

7. https://extension.psu.edu/warm-up-and-cool-
down

8. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/
the-importance-of-
stretching#:~:text=Stretching%20keeps%20the%20
muscles%20flexible,to%20extend%20all%20the%20
way

9. https://www.hss.edu/
article_static_dynamic_stretching.asp#:~:text=Static
%20stretches%20are%20those%20in,tissues%20for%
20performance%20and%20safety

10. https://utswmed.org/medblog/heart-cardio-
workouts/

11. https://www.healthline.com/health/cardio-exercises-
at-home#beginner

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12. https://www.healthline.com/health/how-often-
should-you-work-out#How-often-should-you-
work-out-for-muscle-gain?

13. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/dictionaries/
cancer-terms/def/mind-body-exercise

14. https://greatist.com/move/common-yoga-
poses#advanced

15. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/
PMC6081873/
#:~:text=The%20current%20recommendations%20for%
20resistance,on%20the%20subjects'%20training%20st
atus

16. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/
expert-answers/body-weight-training/faq-20147966

17. https://www.lifehack.org/838416/core-strengthening-
exercises

18. https://snacknation.com/blog/office-
exercises/

19. https://thetrainingtoole.com/principle-of-
progression/

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