No Equipment? No Excuses: 41 Exercises You Can Do In Your Living Room

No Equipment? No Excuses.

Get fit and strong in your living room starting today. Here are 41 exercises to do at home.

You don’t need any equipment to get started, and if you sign up to the blog I’ll save you the hassle of creating your own plans and I’ll send you three at home workouts for free.

Don’t forget to head over and check out my ultimate guide to working out at home.

Are Body Weight Exercises Effective For Fat Loss and Strength Gain?

The short answer is yes. You can workout at home effectively if you place enough stress on the muscles. Growth is a result of tension and load, and if you place enough of that on a muscle you will get the desired adaptations. I recommend you stay in the 4-12 rep range to get the best results. Simply progress these exercises if they are too easy for you. You can workout without weights effectively if you stay in the right repetition range, so ensure you are always progressing.

Remember, it is very important to build muscle if you want to lose fat. You will increase your metabolism over time and simply burn more calories in a strength training workout than in an average cardio workout. If you are not strength training, you need to start.

4 Quick Tips To Get The Most Out Of Your Home Workout

For a lot of people working out is tough at the best of times. Follow these four tips to make sure you get the most out of your no equipment workout.

• Put some music on. Working out is more fun when you can sing along. Music is motivating, it’s a scientific fact.

• Workout with a partner. If you have someone to do the workout with you it will be a lot more effective. Pushing each other to finish each repetition and helping out with motivation are just two of the many benefits of having someone to exercise with.

• Schedule your workouts and do them regularly. Write it down and book it in. You are more likely to get it done if it is on your schedule. You only really need 20 minutes so find the time and plan it.

•  Turn your mobile phone off and ensure there are no distractions. Nothing should stop you finishing this workout.

41 Exercises To Do At Home

Squat

The squat is the ultimate home exercise. You can do it anywhere, anytime. The key here is to move backwards with your bum first to ensure you engage your glutes. You can do it in front of a couch to make sure get that glute activation.

 

Overhead Squats

These are a great alternative to the squat that enable you to stretch out the fascia on the front of your body more effectively. Hold something overhead and perform a squat as outlined above.

Split Squat

This is a step up from the squat and will help you build quad and glute strength. Place one leg on the couch behind you, and bring your other leg far enough in front so that your knee does not go over your foot when you drop down. Slowly bend your knee unti you are at 90 degrees and then push back up again.

Lunge

Stand with your feet together and step out with one leg. Make sure you are far enough out so that your knee does not go over your toes when you bend. You can alternate legs or work one at a time.

Stiff Leg Deadlift

This is a great exercise for your hamstrings. Stand on one leg with your knee slightly bent. From here you should bend at the hip, keep your knee at the angle it started at. Once you feel a stretch on your hamstring pull yourself slowly back up.

Wall Squat

This is an isometric exercise to challenge your quads. Get up against a wall with your legs bent to 90 degrees. Keep your hands in the air or on your hips, but never put them on your legs.

Step Ups

Find a sturdy chair and step up onto it. Control your movements. You can work one leg at a time or alternate legs.

Elbow To Instep Lunges

This is a great exercise for anyone who needs to build strength and open up their hips at the same time. Step out with one leg as far as you can. From there place your elbow on the same arm right into the instep of your foot. The best way to do this is as a walk, but if you don’t have the space just push back up into a standing position and do the other leg.

Side Lunges

These are another great quad exercise that also stretches your adductors as well as hitting your outer glutes for stabilisation. They are tough for beginners so go as far as you can, you will find you improve quickly. Make sure you keep your body upright and don’t bend forward.

Calf Raises

You need these guys to look good in heels (I don’t judge guys) and keep your knee pain away. I recommend starting with one leg. If you have a ledge it is best to do them on it, but if not the floor is fine. Slowly raise yourself up only by moving at the ankle until you can’t go any higher. Bring yourself back down slowly and repeat.

Bridges

The ultimate glute exercise always comes up on Laurens Fitness and there is good reason why. It’s a great core exercise and really hits that bum. Make sure you are pressing up through your heels to get the most benefit. Once you raise yourself up, hold it for a second before you drop down again.

Single Leg Bridges

This is a progression of the bridge and also allows you to train your core a little to stop rotation, an added benefit.

Couch Hip Thrusts

These look easy but don’t be deceived, give them a go and feel the burn in your bum and hamstrings. Lie with your back on the couch and the rest of your body off the edge. Keep your feet on the floor and drop your butt as low as it can go. Pushing up through your heels raise your body so it is a straight line once again. Hold for a second and repeat.

Lunge Jumps

This is for the more advanced and will help you train power and get your heart rate up. Start in a lunge position and jump as high in the air as you can. Switch legs while you are in the air and land in the opposite position. Make sure you land softly and quickly rebound into the next jump. This should be done quickly and without break.

Squat Jumps

Drop down into a squat with correct technique. Once your knees hit 90 degrees swing your arms and jump as high as you can. Land back down softly, take a moment and repeat.

Push Up

The old pushup is a classic but one of the best exercises going around. Not only will it help you build upper body strength, it will also give you excellent shoulder stability. If you need to start on your knees. Your arms can be just wider than shoulder width apart. Keep your lower back locked and straight as you descend into the pushup. Go down until your chest hits the floor and press back up again.

T Push Up

The T push up is a great variation that will help you get core stability as well as a chest workout. Do a normal pushup but at the top open your body up into a T. Hold that position, work back down and do another push up.

Prone Walk

Start in a push up position and walk to the left and to the right. Three times to one side is one repetition. This will help you stabilize your shoulder blades, work your chest isometrically and provide you with a good core workout.

Triceps Dips

Get on the end of the couch or chair, place your hands on it and your feet out in front. Dip down until you can’t go any further and push yourself back up again. To make it easier bring your feet closer to you and to make it harder put them further away.

Upper Body Prone Lifts

I like these because they work the upper back as well as your abs. Get into a prone hold position and drop your body down, letting your scapulas go. Press back up until you round out your upper back as far as you can, and drop back down again.

Reverse Fly’s

Work your upper back with the reverse fly’s. Get into a neutral position and bend forward at the hips. Make sure your back has an inward curve. Put your arms together out the front of your body stretched out, and slowly bring them up to your sides. If this is too easy, grab a couple of milk bottles and fill them up.

Towel Rows

Find a sturdy door handle and wrap your towel around it. Hold onto the towel with one arm at each end. Pull yourself closer to the door by bending your arms and squeezing your upper back. To make it harder use one arm or step your feet closer to the door.

Chin Ups

No doubt one of the most effective exercises going around. If you have a chin up bar in your house, that’s great. If you don’t a sturdy door will generally do the trick. Hang off it (test it first) and pull yourself up until your chin is just over the door. Slowly lower yourself. If you need help place a chair under your feet and assist yourself.

Floor Shoulder Press

This may look a little strange but it is an excellent way to work your shoulder and arms. Bend over at the hips and keep your body straight. When you are on the floor in an inverted V position press down until your head just about touches the floor. Press back up and feel the burn!

Chair Squat and Press

Make sure your roof is high enough, grab a chair and get pressing. This full body exercise will work everything and get your heart rate up. Start in a squat position holding a chair in front of you and press up with your legs and arms. As you get better you can get faster and add a jump.

Burpees

Burpees are nasty, they hurt and I don’t like them… but they are pretty effective. Get into a push up position, bring your legs in to under your chest and explode up into the air.

Mountain Climbers

Work in a push up position and bring one leg up under the body quickly. Alternate with speed and really get your heart rate going.

Star Jump

I love the old star jump for warm ups and a little bit of cardio.

Star Jumps Squat

This extension of the star jump ensures you get a good strength component as well. Once your open up in the jump drop directly down into a squat.

Inchworm

the inchworm works your core and upper body as well as ensuring your get a good stretch through your whole body. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, bend down at the hips keeping your legs straight and walk your hands out until you are in a push up position. Walk back up with your legs straight as far as you can.

High Knees

This on the spot exercise can get you a good warm up and cardio workout in. Bring your knees up as high as you can, as fast as you can. I would work in 15-30 seconds intervals to get the best results.

Butt Kicks

Like the high knees, this is another way to warm up and get some interval training in. Bring your heels to your butt as fast as you can. Make sure your arms are always going like you are running.

Supermans

Get into a pushup position and get ready for a core workout that will kick your bum. Raise the opposite arm and leg and hold for one second. Alternate slowly and try to keep your body straight and pelvis level the whole time.

Prone Hold

This is the best exercise going around for your abs and back health. Put your forearms on the floor, lift your body up so your back is straight but your hips are not piking or sagging. Squeeze your bum to make sure your hip flexors are out of the equation.

Prone Hold Lift Leg

This is the same as the prone hold but we take it a little further with a leg lift. This engages your glutes a little more, as well as challenging your core muscles further. Start in a prone hold and lift one leg. Hold it for a second and then alternate.

Side Prone Hold

I spoke about this in the recent hip mobility post. It is one of the best exercises for core stability and will help solve a whole lot of biomechanical issues. Start doing it. Every day. Start on your forearm on your side, with your knees are feet on the floor. Hold that position ensuring your body is a straight line. You can progress by lifting a leg up in the air.

Push Up To Prone Hold

Start in a push up position, drop one arm down into a prone hold position, follow with the next. Hold the prone hold for a moment before getting back up into the push up position. Once you are proficient at that you can add a push up in.

Bird Dog

You will see this featured a lot on Laurens Fitness and that is because it is a very good exercise for your glutes and core. Start on your hands and knees and slowly lift your opposite arm and leg. Hold for a second and alternate.

Russian Twist

Grab a book and sit on the floor. Lift your legs up off the floor and lean back slightly. From this position you will rotate the book to the left and the right.

Killer Abs

This exercise lives up to it’s name combining two ab exercises into one. Start on your back with your feet up in the air. Put your hands behind your head and bring your torso up off the ground and back down again. When you are back down, extend your legs out to the point just before touching the floor.

Bicycle Abs

Start on your back with your feet off the floor and your hands behind your head. Bring one knee to meet the opposite elbow and alternate sides.

Got any other favourite exercises you can do at home? Leave a comment!

If you enjoyed the post please share it below 🙂