10 Best At-Home Exercises
Updated: May 30
Sometimes the gym just isn’t an option, for various reasons. Covid-19 was an obvious situation where people were stuck inside their homes. During this time more than ever home equipment and home workouts became a thing. If you’re like me, maybe you want to start building your fitness foundation at home. Whatever the reason, you may want to have some base knowledge of what exercises you can do at home. Only a few of these require at-home equipment; most only need your body weight aka Calisthenics. This article isn’t about home equipment however, some things that are really great to have a home are: Over-the-door pull-up bar, fitness bands, Dumbbells, or a Kettlebell. The intensity of these exercises really depends on how much you're willing to ramp yourself up. I would recommend tackling these exercises in sets of 4-5 each, or if you really want to break a sweat you could do them as a circuit for 3-4 rounds in a rep range you’re comfortable with. Let's look at 10 of the best at-home exercises:
1. PUSH-UPS
The quintessential bodyweight exercise for the chest and an obviously good at-home exercise for the chest. The push-up is an exercise that can be modified in many different ways; diamond, wide, narrow, etc.
2. PIKE PUSH-UPS
This variation of a push-up transfers the body weight resistance from the chest to the shoulders. To perform pike push-ups:
Begin by assuming a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your feet together.
Walk your feet towards your hands, lifting your hips up into a pike position. Your body should form an inverted V shape, with your hips at the highest point and your head aligned between your arms.
Engage your core muscles by pulling your navel towards your spine.
Slowly bend your elbows and lower your head towards the ground while maintaining the pike position.
Continue the movement until your head is just above the ground or as low as you can comfortably go.
Push through your palms and straighten your arms to return to the starting position.
Keep your core muscles engaged and your body in a straight line throughout the exercise.
Aim for a desired number of repetitions or perform the exercise for a specific duration, such as 10 to 12 repetitions or 30 seconds to 1 minute.
If you're new to pike push-ups or need a modification, you can perform the exercise with your hands elevated on a stable surface, such as a bench or step, to reduce the intensity
3. TRICEPS DIP
The triceps dip is a fantastic at-home exercise for tricep development and can easily be done with a chair. To do this exercise start by putting your arms behind you with your hands on a chair and your body positioned in front of the chair. Bend your knees as if you were sitting on an imaginary chair. To do the movement, bend at the elbows going to 90 degrees or slightly more, and push up through your arms making sure not to fully lock them out when extended.
4. PULL UP
This is one of the exercises on this list that requires home equipment. With an over-the-door pull-up bar, you can add this great exercise to your at-home workouts. The pull-up works all the muscles of your upper and mid-back, including your biceps.
5. BICEP CURLS
This exercise also requires some equipment. To do the bicep curl you could use fitness bands, dumbbells, or a kettlebell. As a variation to the wide grip pull-up, you could do a close grip pull-up and focus on squeezing your Biceps. This almost becomes a compound movement for them. Aim to not use momentum when performing bicep curls to move the weight.
6. BODY SQUATS
You have to remember to throw in your legs in your routine. As a variation, you could do jumping squats to ramp up your heart rate.
7. BODY LUNGES
Body Lunges are also a great way to work out legs. You could do these forward or in reverse to slightly change which muscles you are targeting.
8. DONKEY KICKS
Donkey Kicks are a great exercise to work on your glutes and get great hip extension. Get down on all fours, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. To perform the exercise:
Engage your core muscles by pulling your navel towards your spine.
Bend your right knee and lift your foot towards the ceiling, keeping your foot flexed.
Continue lifting your leg until your thigh is parallel to the ground, with your foot pointing straight up toward the ceiling.
Squeeze your glutes at the top of the movement to fully engage them.
Slowly lower your leg back to the starting position.
Repeat the movement for the desired number of repetitions on your right leg before switching to your left leg.
Maintain proper form throughout the exercise by keeping your back straight, and shoulders down, and avoiding any swinging or momentum.
Increase the intensity by adding ankle weights or resistance bands as you get stronger.
9. MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS
Mountain Climbers add a bit of cardio into the mix while working out your core. Your shoulders and upper body also work to keep you stable. To perform the exercise:
Start in a high plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your body forming a straight line from head to heels.
Engage your core muscles by pulling your navel towards your spine.
Begin the movement by bringing your right knee towards your chest, while keeping your left leg extended.
Quickly switch legs by simultaneously extending your right leg back while bringing your left knee towards your chest.
Continue alternating the movement, as if you are running in place, but in a horizontal position.
Keep your hips low and your upper body stable throughout the exercise.
Maintain a steady and controlled pace, avoiding any bouncing or excessive movement.
Aim for a desired number of repetitions or perform the exercise for a specific duration, such as 30 seconds to 1 minute.
To increase the intensity, you can perform mountain climbers at a faster pace or bring your knees closer to your chest.
10. BURPEES
You either love them or hate them, but burpees also do a great job of increasing your heart rate and involving many muscles in your body to complete the exercise. If you add a push-up variation, you could work the chest, shoulders, core, legs, and glutes among other muscle groups. This is how to perform the exercise:
Start by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Lower your body into a squat position by bending at the knees and hips, and place your hands on the floor in front of you.
Kick your feet back, landing in a plank position with your arms fully extended, wrists directly under your shoulders, and your body forming a straight line from head to heels.
Lower your chest and thighs to the ground in a controlled manner, performing a push-up if you are able to.
Push through your palms and extend your arms to raise your chest and thighs off the ground, returning to the plank position.
From the plank position, jump your feet forward towards your hands, landing in a squat position.
Immediately explode upward, jumping as high as you can with your arms extended overhead.
As you land, lower your body back into a squat position and repeat the entire sequence for the desired number of repetitions.
Aim for a desired number of repetitions or perform the exercise for a specific duration, such as 10 to 15 repetitions or 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Conclusion
With this list of at-home exercises, you can break a sweat, and increase your heart rate right from the comfort of your home. There are many more calisthenics exercises you could experiment with. Anyone can do these with form variations and varying degrees of intensity.
Before starting any fitness program or making dietary changes, including supplementation, please consult your physician for a thorough examination.