How to do an Effective at Home Full Body Workout

Knowing how to get in a good at home full body workout is worth it’s weight in gold right now. Boosting our health and staying sane are so important as we learn to live in this “new normal.” Yet, many of us are struggling with motivation at home. It can feel like a home workout just isn’t the same… but it can be!

Today, we’ll dive into the tips and tricks I use to keep myself feeling strong and fit at home. To be honest, I ditched the gym more than three years ago and have never looked back! There is a lot of freedom in working out on your own schedule without having to drive anywhere. Then I felt I could easily adapt to working out in other unfamiliar situations (related to road trips, changes in routine, etc.).

Here’s the deal…

• Whether you were a gym rate before COVID-19 or not, you may be finding yourself doing a lot more workouts at home…
• Or your workout routine is completely off because of all the new adjustments you’ve had to make in your life…
• Or lastly, you have never really had a good workout routine and you’ve realized just how precious your health is…

Regardless, now is a great time to maximize your full body home workout routine and training!

How to set up your home workout routine

No matter how many times a week you like to (or have time to) workout, when you’re in charge of your own home workouts you can easily feel burned out (decision fatigue is a real thing!). There are so many options for a exercising at home, so where should you start? Keeping it simple is always better for staying motivated. The fewer decisions you have to make regarding your workout the better (aka we want your workouts on autopilot). Here are some ways to simplify:

• Time block your schedule for your daily (or whatever frequency) workouts. That way you have a clear idea for when you will be exercising.
• Try doing your workout at the same time each day if possible to make it easier to maintain as a habit
• Make a plan for the week to take the guesswork out of what you will do each week (see the info graphic below for an example)
• Mix up your weekly routine to prevent boredom and address all major muscle groups (more on that later)

How to bring balance to your workouts

Google search words like “full body workout” and “balanced workouts” are trendy nowadays. That’s because when all our muscles are all used frequently (and in a balanced manner) it promotes good overall health. This means less risk of injury or pain, better endurance, and strength for all that you want to do in your life.

This doesn’t mean you have to work all the same muscle groups everyday. Rather, it should involve a combination of strengthening, functional movements, and flexibility that optimize your body’s fitness levels.

How do you target all major muscles groups regularly while avoiding boredom and burnout simultaneously? Simple…

• Shoot for 2-3 days of strengthening each week. You can decide if you want to focus on one major area at a time (i.e. legs, arms, core) or do a combo of all of them each designated strength day.
• Then go for 1-2 days of high intensity workouts per week to further boost your metabolism, build heart health and endurance, and feel energized.
• Lastly, don’t forget recovery. Many of us (I’m totally guilty) think recovery is a part of the weekly workout process that can be skipped. But it unfortunately leads to burn out and injury. Try low impact workouts, restorative yoga and stretching, or just take a full day of rest to recoup.

For more about the benefits of a home workout, specific workouts, and possible equipment. See the full article.

What you don’t need to get started

There are many excuses and beliefs that we can throw at a workout routine that will lead to procrastination and delaying health potential. Don’t let these be your excuses!

• You don’t need any fancy workout apparel (especially at home!)
• You don’t need any equipment. Just your body weight and maybe some creativity (soup cans, water bottles, a towel, etc.)
• You don’t need a lot of time. You can literally commit to 10 minutes a day and start noticing changes. I can guarantee you that you can find 10 minutes. “I don’t have time” is just another way to say “it’s not a priority.”
• No need for space. You can stick to standing exercises or carve out a tiny space just big enough for your body. You can make it work! (I’ve worked out in my tiny camper van more than once.)
• No fitness experience or knowledge required. Moving your body in ways that feel right to you will help you gain coordination and strength quickly.
• It’s never too late! Don’t feel like it’s not worth getting started because you’ve neglected your fitness routine for too long. There are so many benefits to exercise that you can start gaining immediately when you decide to start moving more.

What you need to get started

While all you literally need is yourself to get started, there are a few things that will help you stay motivated and on track.

• Figure out your “why”– the more detailed the better so you feel good and have clarity on what you want from your workouts. Weight loss or tone might be your goal- but why?!
• Set detailed goals and break then down into actionable daily steps
• Brainstorm ways to address bad habits that might threaten your progress (i.e. TV time, computer time, snacking, etc.)- be prepared!
• Start making your workout a routine by initiating a 30 day challenge
• Find an accountability partner or community to feel supported and empowered
• Have a plan to get back on track when you feel lost (and review the top 5 steps we just went over) and resume without missing a beat

Exercises options at a glance

This month we will dive into all of the best exercises for each muscle group in the body (in a variety of positions and intensity). We’re going to learn a lot! For now, I want to give you a quick overview of options for getting started.

Core strength

• Planks (side and front)
• Dead bugs
• Mountain climbers
• Toe taps
• Boat (yoga pose)
• Russian twists
• Bridges
• Push ups
• Superman (prone position- on stomach)
• Swimmers (on stomach)

**One of my favorite ways to address core strength is with Pilates on the floor (try this one!).

Leg strength

• Side-lying leg raises
• Bridge marches
• Squats
• Lunges (forward, backward, side)
• Calf raises
• Single leg balance

***Here’s a killer leg workout from one of my favorite YouTube channels for the lower body.

Upper body strength

• Biceps curls
• Triceps dips
• Side and front raises
• Rows
• Reverse flys
• Flys or chest press
• Overhead press
• Shoulder external and internal rotation
• Shoulder scaption (overhead “Y”)

** Another arm favorite from Heather Robertson.

Compound strengthening

These are my absolute favorite because you can tackle a bunch of muscle groups at once. It gets the heart rate up and strength maximized in a short amount of time.

• Planks rows
• Bridges with triceps extension
• Squats with punches
• Side arm raise hold with hip abduction
• Single leg dead lift with overhead reaching
• Lunges with bicep curls or overhead press

**I recorded some of my go to compound exercises in a 10 minute HIIT workout with weights here.

Plyometric Exercise

Add these into any routine to get the heart rate up and metabolism burning. The best part is these body workout exercises require no equipment. It’s important to pick an intensity and movement that you can control to prevent injury.

• Jumping jacks
• Running in place
• High knees
• Jump squats
• Burpees
• Jump lunges

This is just a short list of options. They are literally endless for creating a workout plan that works for you! For more exercise ideas (and more in depth explanations), see our 10 exercises that give you the most bang for your buck.

Staying motivated

Working out at home can be tough. Without the structure of a gym you can keep putting it off until later until all of a sudden it’s the end of the day and nothing happened (sound familiar?). Or maybe you crave the social time that working out with a partner or gym provides. I know I miss my group class Zumba workouts sometimes, so I was occasionally joining some friends at classes when I had time.

Ways to stay on track:

• Online accountability partners (like we are every month in the FB group)
• Join online fitness groups- they are popping up everywhere lately!
• Get your family or neighbors involved
• Make it fun! You are in control of your choices.
• Use positive affirmations, along with all the other tips we discussed at the top to stay consistent
• Be flexible and have grace with yourself- guilt trips don’t work!

Nothing is stopping you!

Working out at home gets a bad rep sometimes. However, there is so much untapped potential in getting your workout done at home. If we can look at it is an opportunity rather than a burden, home workouts can be a great addition to your healthy habits and life.

What health goals could you be working toward if you started a home workout today?