How to Complete a Full Body Workout at Home

Wanting to work out but not a fan of the gym? Why not try a full-body workout in the comfort of your own home?

Gyms aren't everyone's cup of tea. Full of loud music and people who all seem to know exactly what to do on those complicated-looking machines, gyms can be overwhelming and stressful. Additionally, gyms can be expensive or inaccessible in other ways and so, learning how to do a full-body workout in your home can be really good for your health.

Working out and getting your heart rate up is essential to good physical health. Exercise is a pillar of a healthy lifestyle and can help to make you feel good about yourself. Exercise is also great for good mental wellbeing as it releases endorphins and other feel-good chemicals into your brain, fighting off negativity.

In this article, we're going to take a look at at-home workouts, the benefits of working your full body in one go, and a few exercises you can do at home to engage your entire body in a good workout! Let's take a look now!

Why workout at home?

Working out at home is preferable to many and after more than a year of lockdowns where gyms became inaccessible, knowing how to work out in your own home is essential to making sure you can exercise no matter the circumstances!

There are a few benefits to working out at home, above and beyond the inaccessibility of gyms to some people. We've listed them below, check them out now!

• Choose your own music. Though this is probably the least of many people's worries, getting to choose your own music can really help get you in the mood to work out!
• You can go at your own pace. Without the pressure of onlookers, you get to set your own pace and stop when you feel you should when you work out at home.
• Feel more comfortable in general. For many, the gym isn't a relaxing place to be and being at home can help you to feel more comfortable as you exercise. You don't need to worry about anyone watching you, what you should be wearing, and whether you're lifting the right weight to be considered good at exercise!

Working out at home is considered more favourable to some and if you're one of those people, this article is for you! Keep reading to find out how working your whole body can benefit your overall health!

Benefits of a full-body workout

Rather than splitting your days between legs, arms, core, and cardio, full-body workouts mean engaging with the entire body in one go. There are a few benefits to this kind of workout and we've summarised them below. Take a look!

Lower time commitment and maximum efficiency

What is more efficient than engaging your full body twice a week? Rather than heading to the gym six days a week to cover all the different parts of your body, doing a full-body routine can increase the efficiency of your exercise time, reducing the commitment needed and giving you more free time.

Increased recovery rates

By only doing strength workouts every other day, you're giving your body the chance to recover more quickly. Doing a full-body exercise routine means you don't need to do back-to-back workouts. This can help your muscles to recover more quickly, helping you to build more muscle and feel more energised when you do work out.

Simple scheduling

As mentioned above, scheduling a full-body workout is really easy. You don't need to consider when you last worked out and how this might impact the session like you would with a routine that separates areas of the body. Full-body workouts can be slotted in wherever they can fit!

Burn more calories in less time

As you're exercising the full body in one go, you're also going to burn more calories. You workout muscle groups all over the body meaning that calorie burning is at its peak. This makes full-body workouts great for weight loss and calorie counting.

Full-body workout routine you can try at home

Now we know why you should be doing full-body workouts, let's take a look at some exercises you can add to this kind of workout. All of these exercises are suitable to be done at home and can be done without the use of any equipment.

Most of these exercises have modifications that will be noted and can be made more difficult by adding weights. For notes on modifications and adding in extra weight, take a look at the next section. For now, let's take a look at some fantastic full-body exercises.

Glute bridge

The glute bridge, as the name suggests, works your glutes and other muscles in your legs and butt. To perform this exercise, lie on your back with your knees bent. Plant your feet flat and push upwards, lifting your pelvis into the air and keeping your shoulders and upper body on the floor. Lower your pelvis back down to the floor and then repeat.

Modifications

This exercise can be modified to increase the intensity. Modifications include raising one leg and performing the exercise on one leg and using a resistance band around the legs to add in resistance as you push upwards.

Crunches

Crunches are kind of like a half sit up and work your abdominal muscles. To execute, lay on your back and lift the upper body upwards, curling towards the knees. Rather than lifting the full body like in a standard sit-up, this exercise only lifts you halfway with your chin tucked into your chest.

Modifications

To add extra intensity, you could perform a full sit up and even add in weights. If you don't have weights at home, you can compromise with a bag of flour or even a big water bottle filled up!

Plank walkout

A plank is an exercise that covers the entire body and the plank walkout is just the same. To begin, start in a forward fold with your hands touching the floor, if possible. Walk your hands slowly outward until you're in the full plank position. Hold this plank for a few seconds and then walk back to the start position.

Modifications

This exercise doesn't really need to be made more intense, but you can modify it to make it easier by only walking half the way out.

Forearm plank or half plank

Forearm plank, or half plank, is considered the easiest plank to begin with. It works core muscles as well as arm and leg muscles and can help you to be able to perform full and side plank too.

To do a forearm plank you should get into the lower plank position, with forearms resting on the floor in front of you. Your body should be in a straight line and your back should not curve upward or downward. Make sure your buttocks are not sticking up!

You can build up to holding a plank for a long while the more you practice!

Modifications

To make this more intense, try doing a full plank where you balance on your hands rather than your forearms, holding something close to the starting push-up position.

Push-ups

Push-ups are a well-known exercise that works your arms and shoulders. To begin, get into the push-up position with palms flat on the floor. Lower your body to the floor, keeping elbows tucked in, and then push back up to complete one rep.

Modifications

If you cannot perform a full push-up, try starting with knee push-ups, where you rest on your knees rather than your toes.

Lunges

Lunges are a fantastic lower body workout and can vary in many ways. To perform a basic lunge, start with feet facing forward, looking straight ahead. Step forward with your right leg and plant the right foot flat. Bend at the knee until your right knee is at a 90-degree angle. Push back up and step back to the starting position. Then perform on your left leg.

Modifications

To add intensity, you can perform this holding weights. If you don't have dumbbell weights, you could compensate with canned food or cartons of milk.

You could also try side lunges, where you step to the side and bend. Or walking lunges where your feet don't return to starting position but meet the foot that moved forwards.

Russian twists

Russian twists are fantastic for working your core muscles. They focus mostly on your obliques but can help with most abdominal muscles. Start in the crunch position with arms extended slightly in front of you. Twist to one side and then move back to the centre and then to the other side. Each twist to both sides counts as a rep.

Modifications

Russian twists can be done while holding a weight or a weighted exercise ball. You could also modify to performing bicycle crunches which adds in leg movement too.

To perform a bicycle crunch, start in the crunch position but with legs raised. As your body twists to the right, straighten your left knee, extending your left leg out. As you return to the centre, pull your left leg back to the starting position. When you twist to the left, extend your right leg out.

Squats

Squats are great for your leg and butt muscles and are an exercise that can be performed anywhere. Start with feet hip-width apart and back straight. Bend at the knees, keeping your chin up and reaching a 90-degree angle, holding the squat position, before pushing your feet into the floor and raising back to the starting position.

Modifications

To make squats more intense, add weight, or a bag of rice if you don't have weights at home!

A note on modifications and adding in weights

Modifications should be made to exercises that you find difficult. Do not perform an exercise if it causes considerable pain and get to know your own limits! When adding in weights, ensure you're not pushing yourself too far and only add more weight when you feel able to.

Final thoughts

Entire body workouts are a great way to build muscle, burn calories, and fit exercise into a busy schedule. We love at-home workouts because it gives people the option to exercise without having to travel to or pay for the gym.

These exercises are just a few suggestions of ways to work out your full body. If you find that some are not to your liking, check out other exercises that work the same muscles!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good full-body workout routine at home?

A good full-body routine should cover as many areas of the body as possible. When choosing exercises make sure to choose a routine that covers the upper body, lower body and core muscle groups. Make sure there is an exercise that works the arms and shoulders, stomach and abdominal area, and legs and butt.

Are 20-minute full-body workouts effective?

20 minutes of high-intensity exercises that work the full body is a good way to get your heart rate up and your blood pumping. 20-minute workouts can be effective provided you move throughout it and commit to performing high-intensity exercises.

Can I do a full-body workout at home daily?

While full-body workouts are perfect to perform at home, you should always build in time for recovery. Even if you're only doing a short workout, your body needs to recover as recovery is when muscle mass is built. Aim to rest at least once a week, if not twice.

Which is the best full-body exercise?

There are a few exercises that work the full body and our favourite has got to be the plank. Whether performing a forearm plank or full plank, you're engaging core muscles as well as leg and arm muscles when you hold a plank. Remember to keep your body in a straight line and hold for as long as possible.