Full Body Workout At Home For Beginners: Build Muscle Without Gym

No time for the gym? No problem. You can get a full body workout at home. The tips and workout ideas below will help beginners and seasoned pros start training today. You only need a few minutes and a little space at home. 

What Is A Full Body Workout?

A full body workout is a series of exercises that works out all of your major muscles using few or no weights. But, don’t let the simplicity fool you. It’s a total body workout that challenges and engages your entire body.¹

Tony Horton recommends a full body workout for anyone looking to lose weight or build muscle. 

What Are The Benefits Of The Full Body Workout?

A full body workout at home does more than save you a trip to the gym. One study found it resulted in better hypertrophic effect than targeted training. In other words, a total body workout may be a great choice for building muscle.²

That’s largely because these exercises engage major muscles all at once. This means you strengthen all your muscles every time you workout, rather than on specific, targeted training days at the gym.³

Who Are Full Body Workouts Best For?

Most anyone – beginners to bodybuilders –  can do a full body workout at home. It can be a great way to lose weight or build muscle mass. Also, a total body workout may help people who are new to exercise develop a good foundation to build upon.⁴

How To Do The Full-Body Workout

There are a wide variety of bodyweight exercises that you can do at home. Try to strike a good balance between mobility, endurance, and strength training when designing a workout plan. This will help promote both stamina and strength.⁵

Below you can find a few workouts to begin your training session at home. 

Warm Up

Even though these workouts are quick, they can be intense on the body. A quick warm up is always an important part of any well-balanced workout plan.

Do each of these basic exercises for 30 seconds. 

Glute Bridge

1. For the starting position, lie down on your back with bent knees. Place arms at your side. 
2. Lift your hips off the ground into the air. Your middle-section from your knees to your shoulders should be in a straight line. 
3. Squeeze your glutes. Hold for a few seconds then lower back down.⁶

Bird Dog

1. Start on your hands and knees. Keep your shoulders over your hands and your hips over your knees.
2. Reach your right arm out and extend your left leg back. Do your best to reach out as far as you can with the heel to engage the leg muscles.
3. Return to the original position on all fours. Repeat on the other side.⁷

Full Body Home Workout Plan

These exercises will be more challenging and engage lots of muscles. Take it easy if you are just starting out with this new workout routine. Do each workout below for 30-60 seconds.

Plank Up-Down

1. Start in a pushup position (full plank) on your hands. If this is too difficult, start in a knee pushup position.
2. Slowly lower your right elbow down onto the floor. Then, lower your left elbow until you are in an elbow plank. Hold for a moment.
3. Put your right hand on the ground, then your left, and lift yourself back into full plank. Repeat.⁸

Burpees

1. Get into a squatting position with your arms at your side.
2. Put your hands down in front of you on the floor. Place your weight onto your hands, then jump your feet backwards. You should land in a plank position on the balls of your feet. Maintain a straight line from your head all the way to your heels.
3. Quickly jump your feet up and toward your hands. They should land just outside your hands.
4. Reach up with your arms, and jump into the air.
5. Land, and then return to the starting position.⁹

V-Ups

1. Lie on the ground. Keep your arms by your side with your hands down.
2. Hinge your legs up together as high as possible. At the same time, lift your upper body toward your legs with your hands on the ground. This will make a v-shape. 
3. Lower your chest and legs back down slowly.¹⁰

How Often Should I Do The Beginner Bodyweight Workout?

Of course, you should always consult your doctor before beginning any new workout routine. But once you get approval, the general recommendation for full body training is to workout around three times a week. Your workout should hit all the major muscles in your upper and lower body. Of course, how often you work out will depend largely on your fitness goals.¹¹

Advanced Strength Builder

Adding weights to your training session can help support your strength training. Take things to the next level with a few of these more advanced workouts. Do each exercise for 30-60 seconds.

The Full-Body Kettlebell And Weight Workout

Choose an appropriate weight to avoid injury. Move on to heavier weights only when you feel comfortable and prepared.

Kettlebell Swing

1. Hold the kettlebell between your legs with both hands. Keep your feet about shoulder-width apart with knees bent. 
2. Bend your hips back a little to start the swing. Extend your hips out and squeeze the glutes to swing the weight up and out. You should bring it up to about shoulder height.
3. Allow the kettlebell to swing back down between your legs. Extend your hips again to swing it back out to repeat the cycle.¹²

Bent-Over Row With Barbell

1. With the barbell ready on the floor in front of you, lean your upper chest forward with bent knees. Keep your back straight. 
2. In the bent over position, pick up the bar and let it hang. Your arms should be straight and about shoulder-width apart.
3. Brace your core. Then slowly lift the bar toward your chest by squeezing your shoulders. You will feel this in your back muscles. The bar should touch your sternum.
4. Slowly lower the barbell back down. Repeat.¹³

Overhead Press

1. In a standing position, hold a barbell to your chest about shoulder height.
2. Extend the elbows to push the bar up. Try to follow a straight line from the elbows to the hands.
3. Return the bar back to shoulder height along the same line. Repeat.¹⁴

A Personal Trainer May Help

The brief workout plan above can help get you started at home. If you want even more out of your session, work with a personal trainer. Tony Horton recommends working with someone to help build your repertoire of full body workout routines. 

Start Your Training Journey Today

No gym memberships are required to start working toward your fitness goals. You can do all of these total body exercises right from your living room. They may help you lose weight and even build muscle. So, grab a mat and a few weights, and get started. 

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Sources:
1. https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/Full-Body-Workouts-Best-Building-Muscle-46299815
2. https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Abstract/2019/07001/High_Resistance_Training_Frequency_Enhances_Muscle.16.aspx
3. https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/ask-mens-fitness-it-better-do-full-body-workouts-or-body-part-focused-routines/
4. https://www.menshealth.com/uk/building-muscle/a28433729/full-body-workouts/
5. https://www.self.com/gallery/full-body-workout-at-home
6. https://www.coachmag.co.uk/glute-exercises/2333/glute-bridge-how-to-do-it-benefits-and-variations
7. https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/How-Do-Bird-Dog-Exercise-Your-Back-40441615
8. https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/photo-gallery/37392905/image/37392999/Up-Down-Plank
9. https://www.shape.com/fitness/tips/how-do-burpee-exercise-benefits
10. https://www.coachmag.co.uk/abs-exercises/6731/how-to-master-the-v-sit
11. https://www.self.com/story/heres-what-a-perfect-week-of-working-out-looks-like
12. https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/perfect-kettlebell-swing/
13. https://www.coachmag.co.uk/exercises/back-exercises/177/bent-over-row
14. https://www.bodybuilding.com/content/how-to-overhead-press-a-beginners-guide.html