Working out at home has always been a cheap, convenient way to stay fit, but with the coronavirus pandemic affecting most gyms and public places right now, it’s become most gym rats’ only option. You’ve heard it countless times by now, but it’s worth repeating: The COVID-19 pandemic is a legitimate health crisis, and everyone should be following the social distancing guidelines from the CDC.
Whether or not your city has made the decision for you in the form of curfews and temporary closures, you still have a choice to make. You can either binge all of your lockdown snacks in two days and make the quarantine 15 a thing, or you can maintain your gains at home or outdoors. You can probably guess which of those options we recommend. And even if you’re a hardcore gym rat, don’t think that home workouts aren’t worth your time. With minimal equipment—or even sans equipment—you can get a good pump going.
If you’re not sure where to start with home workouts, there are plenty of places to find them, including YouTube and fitness apps. Below, we’ve rounded up our readers’ favorite at-home routines, ranging from bodyweight to dumbbell-only, and even a few CrossFit WODs. Try any of them, and we guarantee you’ll be convinced that you can, in fact, get an awesome workout in at home.
The Total-Body Dumbbell Workout You Can Do at Home
In this at-home workout with dumbbells, you’ll perform seven exercises as a circuit. These exercises alternate between pushing and pulling, or your upper body and lower body. That way, one particular muscle group won’t get too tired over time, saving time and also providing a bit of aerobic benefit.
If a full-on plan is what you need, this six-week regimen is a solid option. Once you’re done, you may be rethinking your gym membership altogether (but probaby not).
The At-home Bodyweight Workout You Can Do Without Equipment
It doesn’t get any simpler than bodyweight moves, but don’t let the simplicity fool you. Of course, the more bodyweight you have, the more challenging that workout can be. That’s good news, since you’ll drop weight as you progress.
Cardio isn’t everyone’s favorite part of working out, but these routines aren’t your typical cardio. If you’re not one to pound the pavement or spend forever on the treadmill, give these a try.
No home gym? No problem. This routine requires no equipment and, if done with purpose, is intense enough to give you a great pump and shock your system something fierce.
Ditch doing interval sprints on the driveway (which has a place in an at-home workout program!), to try an approach that requires limited space and equipment. This high-intensity cardio workout requires only a six-by-six foot area and no equipment.
Two weeks should be all it takes to start making home workouts a habit, and this plan is the perfect blueprint. With minimal equipment, this 14-day plan will get you off to a good start.
CrossFitters, this one’s for you. You may not be able to set new personal records in the snatch or deadlift, but you can stay on track with these five routines.
Many home workouts tend to be full-body routines, but not this targeted arm workout. By combining old-school biceps and triceps moves like the close-grip pushup and the dumbbell biceps curl with lots (and lots) of volume, you’ll guarantee a serious pump and that searing muscle hypertrophy—and that translates to huge gains.
