You don’t need an expensive fitness club membership or fancy gym machines to have a great workout in 2022. In fact, sometimes home workouts produce better results than the gym. Try any of these highly effective home exercise routines below.
The reason home exercise routines can be so effective is that the human body adapts to movement patterns surprisingly quickly – and doing the same old gym machines week after week can sometimes lead to a complacent metabolism.
Doing exercises that use your own body’s weight for resistance will engage not only the primary muscle group on which you’re focused but also the secondary, stabilizing muscles. This leads to a sweatier home exercise routine and a healthier physique.
The following workouts I consider to be among the best for sculpting muscle and burning calories.
The exercises can be modified to match any fitness level or gender. Plus, they can be done anywhere!
As always, if you feel any sharp pains or dizziness, stop immediately. I encourage you to consult with your own medical doctor before making any significant changes to your home exercise routines.

Short on Time? Try This Classic Abdominal Series
This fundamental series of abdominal exercises require no equipment and has been done by Pilates enthusiasts for almost a century. It only takes a few minutes, yet – done correctly – it will toast your core muscles. A classic!
Do 20 repetitions (on each side), per exercise.
Tips:
- Press the navel tightly to the ground. Hollow-out your abdomen.
- Remember to also press the rib cage down (especially those top two ribs).
- Flatten the lower abdominal plate (located above your pubic bone yet below your navel).
- Exhale each rep as you exert.
- Just because you’re crunching doesn’t mean your spine isn’t long. Keep some length in your spine and neck, even when contracting the muscle fibers of your abdomen – this will help you develop ab muscles that are taut and flat (instead of like a punching-bag).
Want Shredded Abs and Firm Buttocks? Try this Core-and-Booty Workout
In this exercise routine, some of the movements require no equipment whatsoever, while for other movements I use tools.
However, if you don’t have some of these toys in your closet or home gym area, be creative. Use substitutions (for example, instead of an ab roller, try doing a 1-minute plank).
In this workout, I use:
- ab roller
- ball
- long, thick resistance band
Most people today have core and glute muscles that are far too weak. These muscle groups are intended to be powerfully strong so that the pelvis centers correctly and the spine is aligned and protected.
Want to Train Your Whole Body Quickly? Try This Rooftop Workout
Experiment with these 9 exercises during your next workout at home. Can be done in your backyard, patio, living room, driveway, or rooftop! I use:
- short, looped resistance band
- weighted ball
- jump rope
- kettlebell
- long resistance band (unlooped)
If you don’t have a kettlebell (or dumbbell, or something heavy to safely hang on to), no problem. You can do the exercises without – simply do more repetitions.
Make sure you don’t skip the bent-over fly exercise where you pull the band apart. It improves your posture by strengthening the posterior deltoids (a muscle group that is too weak in most people, causing the dreaded “texting hunch”). If you don’t have a band, use small dumbbells or even soup cans.
Want to Burn Maximum Calories? Try This Outdoor Workout
Consider this 11-exercise workout featuring higher intensity intervals, to strengthen and firm your entire body as you burn a higher number of calories than most other exercise routines.
You’ll see me using hurdles and a speed ladder in the video. But you don’t need them. The exercises can be done just as easily without. The same goes for the long, looped band I use (to do the overhead squat press and upright rows).
However, the short, looped band (I use for deadlifts and single-arm rows) does come in handy. If you don’t have any short, looped resistance bands, I encourage you to purchase them online immediately. They are cheap, fun, and you can do a zillion different exercises with them.
Enjoy Circuit Training? Try This Full-Body Home Exercise Routine
Circuit training has the benefit of providing you with both strength-building and muscular endurance at the same time – because your heart rate stays elevated for a longer period than conventional weight training.

Many people at the gym will do a set of an exercise, rest three minutes while they check their phone for texts and Instagram, then repeat the set – then rest, then repeat, then rest again and finally move on to a different machine. With so much rest, it makes it difficult to turn the workout into an aerobic session as well.
A home exercise circuit-training routine, on the other hand, is one completion of all prescribed exercises (done consecutively, without rest) for that particular circuit:
- After completing a station, instead of resting, you move quickly to the next exercise station in that circuit.
- For example, a typical circuit has 4 exercises done consecutively – with a two minute break in between, before repeating the circuit again. A workout can include 4 circuits, with 4 exercises within each – for a total of 16 exercises in under an hour.
With the following full-body circuit-training routine, you complete each exercise within the circuit without a break – then rest for 2 minutes. Repeat the entire circuit. Rest another 2 minutes. Then finish the final and third circuit. Again, please remember to modify the intensity to match your own fitness level and unique circumstances.
Try putting 3 to 4 exercises into each circuit.
By the way, those rotating push-up handles I use in a couple of the exercises are completely optional. You can do the movements just as effectively without them.
If you use a fitness chair, step, or bench to do any of the exercises, just make sure it’s secure. Use common sense (safety first)!
Don’t worry about having fancy dumbbells. If all you have is one pair of light dumbbells, that’s great – just do extra reps.
You’ll notice that the final circuit of shoulder openers is designed to keep your rotator cuffs and shoulder girdle mobile and healthy.
Want a Strong Upper Body? Try This Torso Exercise Routine
Here’s an exercise routine you can do at home to strengthen your upper body. All you need is something to lift – dumbbells, kettlebells, water jugs, whatever – as long as it adds resistance and is safe to move around. Also, if you happen to have a pull-up bar at home and some type of adjustable bench, that can be helpful, too.
If the weight feels too light, do more reps. Or, better yet, play with the tempo. Try holding a peak contraction for a few moments before slowly releasing to the return position – it’s as if you’re trying to lengthen the muscle at the same time it’s being contracted. This is called negative eccentric training and it produces serious results, even when the weight you’re using is very light.
Tight Hips? Try This Post-Workout Cool Down
This short mobility series helps you squat and move more freely.
It looks easy but can be a bit uncomfortable at first – because our hips become stiff from so much sitting.
Remember, a healthy spine is stacked upon a centered pelvis, but a perfectly placed pelvis happens because the surrounding muscles are both strong and supple. They have to be both.
Tips:
- When sitting up, sit as tall as you can – as if there’s a string coming out the top of your head that is pulling you to the ceiling.
- Be patient. Sometimes you think you’re relaxing your outer thighs, but then after a few moments, they relax still further.
- If any of the movements or stretches cause pain in a knee, then reposition yourself slightly until you find a place that is pain-free.
More Helpful Home Exercise Routines
But wait, there’s more! If you want additional options, try any of the following home exercise routines:
Exercise Anywhere
You can have an excellent workout in any location – all you need is an initiating attitude and a little creativity.
It doesn't matter where you are:
- At home in your living room or studio apartment.
- On your balcony, backyard patio, garage, or driveway.
- At the beach, park, or gym.
This list should prove helpful, it provides exercise routines that you can do anywhere, matching a workout with whatever area on your body that you want to target – or, the specific equipment you happen to have available (even if you have no equipment at all).
These workouts are a lot of fun, burn a high number of calories, and strengthen your heart, lungs, and the major muscle groups of your physique.
Mat Exercise Program for Strength and Flexibility – A No-Gym Workout
Don’t have any fitness equipment at all? Try this complete calisthenics workout.
The Foam Roller Warm-Up: How to Prime Your Body for Exercise
Got a foam roller? Try this foam roller warm-up.
14 Stability Ball Exercises for a Full-Body Sculpting Workout
Have a stability ball? Try this exercise routine.
Resistance Band Workout for Upper Body
This resistance band workout is for your upper body.
Try This Lower-Body Workout Using Resistance Bands
This resistance band workout is for your lower body.
TRX Suspension Training Body-Weight Exercises You Can Do Outside to Get Fit
Have some TRX straps? Try this suspension-training workout.
Thighs & Booty: How to Use Dumbbells to Firm and Chisel Your Leg Muscles
Got a pair of dumbbells? This dumbbell workout is for your thighs and booty.
The Dumbbell Torso Workout
This dumbbell workout is for your torso.
Kettlebell for Beginners – 12 Exercise Ideas for a Defined, Sculpted Body
Have a kettlebell? Try this full-body kettlebell workout.
Use Ankle Weights to Sculpt Your Physique
Have ankle weights? Try this complete exercise routine that uses ankle weights.
The Landmine Workout: 14 Exercises with a Leaning Barbell
Got a barbell? Try this landmine workout.
How to Train with a Weighted Vest (a 17-Exercise Workout)
Got a fitness vest? Try this weighted-vest workout.
Driveway Training: a Full-Body Workout for Healthy Muscles and Fat Loss
Got a driveway? Try this driveway workout.
9 Ideas for a Fun and Effective Outdoor HIIT Workout at Your Local Park
Going to the park? Try this high-intensity interval training workout.
The Beach Workout: Try These Barefoot Sand Drills to Get Healthier
Going to the beach? Try this barefoot sand workout.
11 Mobility Maneuvers to Help Keep Your Joints Supple
Feeling stiff lately? Try these mobility maneuvers.
8 Ways to Turn Your Metabolism into a Fat-Burning Furnace
Want to burn fat cells for energy? Try this metabolism-boosting workout.
Posture and Weight Determined by 4 Lifestyle Factors, Says New Research
Want to stand taller? Try this posture-improving exercise routine.
Plyometrics! 12 Jumping Exercises to Help Give You Great-Looking Legs
Want to elevate your mood with endorphins? Try this plyometrics routine.
Sprints and Cone Drills for a Trim Body
Stopped seeing results? Want to break past a plateau? Try this sprinting workout.
Form and Focus is Everything When Doing Home Exercise Routines
Compared to a commercial gym, an at-home workout usually involves less weight being lifted – and that means you have an opportunity to make up for the lack of heavier weight by emphasizing your form and focus instead.
I can watch somebody exercise and perceive quickly whether they have the mindset of an athlete or a standard civilian.
Civilians tend to train their arms more than their legs, and their chest muscles more than their back muscles.
A civilian impersonates a movement from the outside-in, making shapes and using only momentum and music to get themselves going.
On the other hand, someone with the mindset of an athlete also can direct their awareness from the inside out. They ask:
- Where do I feel this?
- Am I creating a deep enough contraction at the moment-of-truth?
- How’s my breathing?
- Are my abs pulled in and my glutes engaged?
- Are my knees slightly soft or tightly locked?
- How can I use tempo and negative contractions to make this more interesting and effective?
- Am I training my body symmetrically?
The Silver & Strong Course to Augment Your Home Exercise Routines
The Silver & Strong Course has launched! The foundation of the course is taking action steps toward adopting an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, particularly in regards to diet (it’s not just about fitness).
Basically, the course involves tracking calories, macros, and inflammation (in a strategic sequence) – as well as removing particular anti-inflammatory foods (again, in a specific sequence).
Once you achieve your target weight, you can experiment with implementing a once-a-week Cheat Day, during which you can have your favorite “offending” foods.
Through the course, you’ll discover the fulfillment and joy from living the anti-inflammatory lifestyle:
- Get lean strength and high energy.
- Develop supple joints and better posture.
- Dissolve brain fog and improve mental clarity.
- Reduce visceral fat deposits around the waistline.
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You’ll learn exactly how to eat after the age of 50. Your clothes will fit you better. You’ll feel trim and athletic. Even your skin will improve.