I’m going to take you through a muscle building bodyweight workout that you can do in the privacy and convenience of your own home. No more worries about getting into your car and driving to the gym and dealing with sweaty people and waiting for exercise equipment. Just throw on some comfortable workout clothes and you are all set to get a great workout in!
This home workout targets your upper and lower body and really works your triceps for tight and toned arms. All you need is a mat, your own body weight and a dining room table, couch or some other type of furniture that you can press your bodyweight onto. This workout routine consists of 5 total exercises and you will be doing each one for 15 repetitions. Make sure you fully warm-up for 5-10 minutes before starting this exercise routine.
Home Bodyweight Workout – Exercise #1
Exercise: Pushups
Reps: 15
Workout Advice: Pushups are excellent for building muscle and strength in your chest muscles (pecs). This exercise also works your shoulders and triceps as secondary muscle groups. You can do regular pushups on your toes or modified pushups on your knees, which are much easier and are perfect for beginners and women who need to increase their upper body strength. Place your hands on the floor at shoulder width apart and then lower your chest down and gently touch the floor. Push back up and really place 100% tension on your pecs and squeeze your chest muscles.
Home Bodyweight Workout – Exercise #2
Exercise: Side Planks and Side Crunches
Reps: 15
Workout Advice: Side planks are wonderful for building strength in your abs, obliques and overall core. Your core consists of the four main stomach muscles that wrap around your midsection like a belt and include the rectus abdominis, external obliques, internal obliques and transverses abdominis. Along with these 4 muscles, your core also includes your lower back, pelvic floor and your hips. You can see why the side plank is such an important exercise for developing strong functional muscles that you use every single day. To start the side planks, position your body on the floor and rest your upper body on your right elbow. You want to have a straight line from the top of your shoulder all the way down to your elbow with your body elongated and your feet stacked on top of each other. Start by pushing your hip up towards the ceiling and really feel the tension in your abs, obliques and lower back. Do 15 reps and then switch over to your left arm.
If you have any shoulder issues, you can take a lot of the tension off by doing leg raise crunches which allows you to take the weight off of your shoulder joints yet still works the core muscles very well.
Home Bodyweight Workout – Exercise #3
Exercise: Lunges
Reps: 15
Workout Advice: This is one of the best bodyweight exercises for toning your legs and butt. Start by placing your left foot out in front of you and make sure to keep your back straight with good posture. Slowly lower yourself down and really try to feel the tension in the front of your leg (quadriceps). Do not lean over during this exercise. Always keep your posture solid throughout the entire range of the movement and keep your head straight while looking directly forward. Do 15 reps and then switch to your other leg.
Home Bodyweight Workout – Exercise #4
Exercise: One Leg Deadlifts
Reps: 15
Workout Advice: These are fantastic for working your quadriceps, hamstrings and calves. One leg deadlifts also work your core muscles and trains your body for overall coordination and balance. Bend forward on one leg and slowly lower your upper body down to about waist level. This isolates one leg at a time and is excellent for toning your leg muscles. Do 15 reps and then switch to your other leg to complete a full set.
Home Bodyweight Workout – Exercise #5
Exercise: Triceps Press
Reps: 15
Workout Advice: The triceps press exercise is great for toning and tightening the back of your arms (triceps). Using a piece of furniture like your dining room table or your couch, place your hands shoulder width apart and slowly lower your upper body down to the bottom position while keeping your elbows tucked into your sides to maximize the tension on your triceps. Push yourself back up to the top and focus on squeezing your triceps muscles as you extend your arms.
Want to see more home workouts? Make sure to check out my Home Medicine Ball Ab Workout and my Full Body Home Workout to get more great workout routines and exercise ideas that you can do to tone and tighten your whole body at home!