At Home Workout for Beginners Menu Verywell Fit Nutrition Weight Management Nutrition Facts Nutrition Basics Diets Meal Plans Meal Delivery Services View All News Fitness and Nutrition What to Buy How We Test Products Fitness Gear Nutrition Products Tools Recipe Nutrition Calculator Weight Loss Calorie Goal BMI Calculator Body Fat Percentage Calculator Calories Burned by Activity Daily Calories Burned Pace Calculator About Us Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Search Home Workouts The Simple, At-Home Workout Perfect for Beginners By Rachel MacPherson, BA, CPT Rachel MacPherson, BA, CPT Rachel MacPherson is a health writer, certified personal trainer, and exercise nutrition coach based in Montreal. Learn about our editorial process Published on June 21, 2022 Medically reviewed Verywell Fit articles are reviewed by board-certified physicians and nutrition and exercise healthcare professionals. Medical Reviewers confirm the content is thorough and accurate, reflecting the latest evidence-based research. Content is reviewed before publication and upon substantial updates. Learn more. by Jonathan Valdez, RDN, CDCES, CPT Medically reviewed by Jonathan Valdez, RDN, CDCES, CPT Jonathan Valdez, RDN, CDCES, CPT is a New York City-based telehealth registered dietitian nutritionist and nutrition communications expert. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Getty Images / Morsa Images Table of Contents View All Table of Contents What You'll Need At-Home Beginner Workout Frequently Asked Questions Working out at home is both convenient and efficient since you don't have to travel or share equipment. If you are a beginner, or just someone who hasn't been in a consistent workout routine for a while, working out at home is a good way to ease into a routine that is accessible and enjoyable. It's important to note that proper form should be a top priority for any exercise participant, whether novice or advanced. For this reason, it's best for beginners to stick to exercises that have a low injury risk and are easily progressed. You can always work your way up to more advanced movements as you grow comfortable with proper form and execution. Below is a complete at-home workout for beginners to try. What You' ll Need For this beginner workout at home, you will need dumbbells and resistance bands. If dumbbells aren't accessible, using bodyweight for the exercises will work as well. Be sure you have enough clear space to perform these movements. You may also want a mat or padded flooring for additional comfort. At-Home Beginner Workout Perform the following exercises in order. Aim for two to three sets of each exercise. The ideal repetitions are added in the instructions, but it's best to do as many repetitions as it takes to challenge your muscles. This means by the final two to three reps, you feel as though you are close to failure. Dumbbell Lunges Verywell / Ben Goldstein Unilateral movements like dumbbell lunges are excellent for building strength and muscle in a functional way. They challenge the legs, glutes, and core. If you are very new to exercise or do not have dumbbells, you can perform lunges with bodyweight only. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, and stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart. Retract your shoulders back and brace your core.Take a large step forward with your right leg so that when you bend your right knee, your thigh and lower leg are at a 90-degree angle.Slowly bend your knees, lowering your body toward the floor until your knee almost touches the ground.Raise to the start position by slowly straightening your legs and pushing through your feet. Alternate legs until you've performed 10 to 15 repetitions on each side. Banded Glute Bridge Verywell / Ben Goldstein Glute bridges target the glute muscles (your bum) and core. They are also excellent for reducing injury risks, helping stabilize your pelvis, and preventing low back pain. If you don't have a band, perform this exercise with bodyweight only, increasing repetitions so you are still challenged. Lay on your back with your feet flat on the floor, and your knees bent at a 90-degree angle.Lay a resistance band across your pelvis and hold it down with your hands by your sides.Lift your hips by pushing through your feet until you form a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.Hold this position for a count of one while squeezing your glutes, then slowly lower your hips back to the starting position.Aim for 15 to 20 reps. How to Strengthen Your Glutes to Improve Your Running Banded Chest Press Banded chest presses are safer and easier to manage while working out at home where you may not have access to a rack or a spotter. This exercise targets your chest. You can perform it laying on the floor, on a bench, or from a standing position with the band anchored safely behind you, as described below. Attach a resistance band to a sturdy anchor point at the level of your shoulders.Hold each handle and step forward into a split stance, one foot in front of the other.Brace your core and push the bands in front of your chest without locking out the elbows.Slowly reverse to the starting position, feeling the stretch and tension in your chest muscles.Repeat for 10 to 12 reps. If you don't have bands, you can perform pushups with your upper body elevated onto a step, or against a wall at an angle, depending on your strength level. Banded Back Row Verywell / Ben Goldstein Banded rows will work the muscles of your back, strengthening them to prevent soreness and injury, and counteract the effects of sitting. Stand onto a resistance band with your feet about shoulder-width apart.Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips with a braced core and slightly arched (hyperextended) lower backPull the handles of the band back, leading with your elbows to retract your shoulder blades closer together. Hold this contraction and feel the squeeze of your back muscles before slowly reversing the motion.Aim for 10 to 12 reps. While you normally want to maintain a flat or neutral spine for most exercises, the back row is best performed with a hyperextension in your lower spine, in other words, a slight inward arch. This helps protect you from the tendency to hunch which can cause injury and pain. Side Plank on Knees Verywell / Ben Goldstein Side planks are challenging and require you to brace against gravity, activating your core muscles including the abdominals, back, glutes, and obliques. Kneel on an exercise mat and place your feet behind you.Lower yourself onto your side and place your elbow and forearm perpendicular to your torso.Brace your core, lift your hips, and hold for 30 to 60 seconds or longer, depending on your ability.Switch to the other side.Aim for three sets on each side. Increase the challenge by separating your knees and raising one arm, as demonstrated in the photo. A Word From Verywell Beginners can get a safe and enjoyable workout at home with some effective exercises and a few pieces of equipment. Just be sure you know how to perform each movement properly and you don't overdo it. Progress your workouts by adding heavier weights, more repetitions, and/or more sets to gain muscle and strength. If you experience any lingering pain or unusual ailments, seek advice from a healthcare professional. Frequently Asked Questions Is a 30-minute at-home workout effective? A 30-minute at-home workout can be very effective, especially if you are a beginner. You can reduce the amount of time you work out by performing circuits or shortening rest times. Just don't speed through the motions—this will reduce effectiveness and increase injury risks. Learn More: All About Short Workouts Is it better to exercise at morning or at night? It doesn't matter if you exercise in the morning or night, the main goal is to be consistent. Choose a time that you can stick to and you feel energized. For many people, the morning works best because they are refreshed from sleep and there are no unexpected commitments to get in the way. Learn More: How Being Intentional About Timing Can Improve Your Routine Should I exercise on an empty stomach? Exercising on an empty stomach is a personal choice, but it is often recommended to fuel up (whatever that means to you) before your workout. How close to your workout you eat and how much depends on the composition of your meal and how large it is. Smaller, less fatty meals that contain simple carbohydrates can be eaten closer to a workout while larger, fat-containing meals can be eaten a few hours prior to avoid gastrointestinal issues. Exercising on an empty stomach will not increase weight loss and can hinder your performance. However, if you have gastrointestinal issues, such as acid reflux, it may be beneficial to wait until after your workout is complete to eat a meal. Learn More: Should You Eat Before or After Working Out? 6 Weeks to Fitness for Absolute Beginners 4 Sources Verywell Fit uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Núñez FJ, Santalla A, Carrasquila I, Asian JA, Reina JI, Suarez-Arrones LJ. The effects of unilateral and bilateral eccentric overload training on hypertrophy, muscle power and COD performance, and its determinants, in team sport players. Sampaio J, ed. PLoS ONE. 2018;13(3):e0193841. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0193841 Neto WK, Soares EG, Vieira TL, et al. Gluteus maximus activation during common strength and hypertrophy exercises: a systematic review. J Sports Sci Med. 2020;19(1):195-203. Buckthorpe M, Stride M, Villa FD. Assessing and treating gluteus maximus weakness – a clinical commentary. Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2019;14(4):655-669. doi:10.26603/ijspt20190655 Lorenzetti S, Dayer R, Plüss M, List R. Pulling exercises for strength training and rehabilitation: movements and loading conditions. JFMK. 2017;2(3):33. doi:10.3390/jfmk2030033 By Rachel MacPherson, BA, CPT Rachel MacPherson is a health writer, certified personal trainer, and exercise nutrition coach based in Montreal. 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