The 33 Best Beginner Exercises to Do During Home Workouts - Kiến Thức Cho Người lao Động Việt Nam

Let’s get straight to the point: you can exercise at home – and get a good workout in – using your bodyweight or simple pieces of kit such as dumbbells, kettlebells or a suspension trainer. Even as you grow stronger and fitter, by increasing your reps, or simply slowing down – or speeding up – the tempo of your exercises (which is easier said than done btw), you can progress your workouts and the effectiveness of them.

This No-Weights Workout Will Spike Your Metabolism

We know what you are thinking – bodyweight workouts can’t build muscle. Well, they can. A recent study looked at the effectiveness of the press-up as a muscle-building tool. Published in Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness, over the course of an 8-week training period, the researchers found that, when compared with a similar load to 40%1RM (rep max) bench press, the press-up was as effective for muscle hypertrophy and strength gain.

Your own bodyweight is great for cardio, too. In-fact, according to researchers at the University of Pristina, it makes no difference to your overall health whether you embark on a routine of jogging or bodyweight exercises. The scientists split a number of students into three groups: one did endurance training, another took part in strength-based circuits, and the third did nothing. The results showed that the groups who exercised lost weight and had lower body fat measurements at the end. However, what was remarkable was how similar the results were, with the researchers concluding that both kinds of exercise were equally beneficial for your cardiovascular system.

The bottom line is this: you don’t need a gym membership to get fit. Fitness is free. And with MH’s help, taking your first steps towards fitness needn’t be daunting.

Below is our collection of the best beginner exercises to try at home, coupled with an explanation of what makes that move useful. If you’re struggling to put these moves into a workout routine, don’t worry. We’ve also included a selection of the best workouts for you to try.

How to do it: Get down into a press-up position with your hands placed shoulder-width apart and back flat, so a straight line forms from your head to heels, via your glutes. Lower your body until your chest is an inch from the ground then explosively drive up by fully extending your arms. That’s on rep.

Why: This move uses multiple muscle groups for maximum growth and strengthens your shoulder joints. Easily done as an exercise at home, this prepares you for progression to the more demanding shoulder exercises you’ll face in a gym, like the incline bench press.

Dumbbell standing shoulder press

How to do it: Stand holding two dumbbells at shoulder height with an overhand grip – palms facing forwards. Ensure your elbows are in front of the bar and don’t flare out to the sides. Press the weights up above your head until your arms are fully extended. Return slowly to the start position.

Why: This is a safer shoulder-sculptor than lifting from behind your neck. As a beginner the aim should be to keep strain off your joints and protect against an injury called shoulder impingement syndrome. Missed sessions this early in your lifting career are especially costly.

Best Exercises to Lose Weight: Skipping

Skipping

How to do it: Grab the rope at both ends. Use your wrists to flick it round your body, jumping to clear the rope as it hits the ground. Make the move more intense with double unders – letting the rope pass round your twice for every jump

Why: The ultimate no-nonsense workout, jumping rope could be the most efficient form of cardio. A study that found just 10 minutes a day with the rope was similar to 30 minutes of jogging

Dumbbell squat

How to do it: Holding a dumbbell in each hand, position your legs shoulder width apart. Keeping your head up and back straight, sit back into the squat until the dumbbells are an inch from the floor. Focus on keeping your knees over your toes and chest out – don’t arch your back or lean forward as you drop down. Exhale, straighten your legs and return to the starting position.

Why: Squats are an excellent all-round exercise and one of the best moves for building overall strength. Dumbbells let you concentrate on technique and work on your range of movement at low weight. Only advance to barbell squats in the gym once you’ve got this nailed.

Farmer’s walk

How to do it: Grab a heavy dumbbell in each hand – think half your bodyweight – and hold them at your sides. Stand up tall with your shoulders back and walk forward as quickly as you can using short steps.

Why You Should be Doing More Farmer’s Walks

Why: Super simple with no need to worry about technique, this move hits your shoulder stabilisers, upper traps and front deltoids. It also supercharges your grip strength, which will transfer strength to your other lifts too.

How to do it: Stand holding a light dumbbell in each hand. Slowly lift the dumbbells out to the side until they reach shoulder height – no higher – and resist the urge to cheat by swinging the weight. Pause, then lower back to your sides, slowly – you’ll build more muscle fighting gravity than letting it do the work for you.

Best Exercises and Workouts to Build Shoulders

Why: If you’re doing exercise at home, this is the best move for visible shoulder development. The lateral raise isolates your medial deltoid, the middle of three shoulder muscles, helping to develop your shoulder width and mass. Perfect for creating the V-shape that you covet.

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Burpees

How to do it: From a standing position squat down until your thighs are parallel to the floor and place your palms on the floor. From there kick your feet back as far as you can while keeping your arms extended. As soon as your feet land jump them back in towards your hands, then jump up into the air. Land and immediately squat down to go into the next rep.

Why: When it comes to burning fat at home, few moves can do better then the burpee. Perfect for frying fat with zero equipment, work these into your home workout routine to ramp up your heart rate or set yourself daily challenges.

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Plyometric, Jumping Lunges

How to do it: Lunge forward until your rear knee is almost touching the ground. Jump into the air, bringing your rear foot forward and the front foot back. Land in a lunge and repeat. Land on both feet simultaneously to cushion the impact on your joints.

Why: Just like burpees, these are perfect for building up your cardiovascular system, but will also help you build faster, more powerful quadriceps. Ideal if your leg day has taken a hit.

Dumbbell calf raise

How to do it: Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand with the balls of your feet on a step with your heels touching the floor. Raise your heels off the floor and hold at the top of the contraction. Slowly lower yourself to the starting position and repeat.

3 of the Best Exercises For Your Calves

Why: Too many beginners are prone to skipping calves when it comes to leg day. Some guys are even getting surgery to fix it. Work this move into your workout to guarantee you’re hitting as many leg muscles as you would in the gym when it comes to exercise at home.

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Spiderman Press-Up

How to do it: Get into a traditional press-up position. Lower yourself toward the floor and bring your right knee to your right elbow, keeping it off the ground. Press back up and return your leg to the starting position. Repeat with the alternate leg.

Why: Perfect if you’re looking to get some mobility in before a workout or just want to switch up your chest routine, Spiderman press-ups are the perfect alternative if you’re looking to scale things up.

Bicep curl

How to do it: Stand with a dumbbell in each hand and, keeping your upper arms stationary, curl the weights until the dumbbells are at shoulder level. Focus on keeping your elbows still – only your lower arm should move. Squeeze your bicep at the top of the contraction then lower slowly and repeat.

The Best Way to Get More From Your Dumbbell Curls

Why: This is the perfect move for developing those mirror muscles you crave. By keeping your upper arm stationary you hit the whole bicep for maximum growth.

Dumbbell step-up

How to do it: Stand in front of bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Place your right foot onto the bench, push up through your heel to lift your whole body up. Step down with your left foot and repeat on the opposite side.

Want to Lose Weight? You Need These 5 Exercises

Why: By activating all of your upper leg muscles (glutes, quads and hamstrings) it’s an entire leg day in one move. Plus, it’s low-impact, which is means you avoid the knee injuries associated with more explosive exercises.

Plank

How to do it: Get in a press-up position, but rest on your forearms rather than your hands. Make sure your back is straight and tense your abs and glutes. Hold without allowing your hips to sag.

This Is How Long You Should Be Holding the Plank

Why: Endless crunches put pressure on your spine and, when done incorrectly, can give you a set of weird, distended abs. Planks are perfect for working your core in a way that keeps you injury-free and builds the flat six-pack you’re after.

Deadbug

How to do it: Lie on your back with hands above you and feet up so your knees are at 90 degrees. Straighten your leg until your heel is an inch from the floor and then return to the start position. Repeat with the other leg.

5 Moves to Reveal Your Abs in Two Weeks

Why: By extending your legs and hovering your heels you work on your core stabilisers, not just your abs. That means you’re building muscle you can use on the sports field, not just see in the mirror.

Side plank

How to do it: Lie on your left side with your legs straight and prop yourself onto your elbow. Brace your core and raise your hips until your body forms a straight line. Hold this position while breathing deeply. Roll over and repeat on the other side.

Why: Excellent for targeting a small muscle in your lower back, the quadratus lumborum. Strengthening it is crucial for spine health and will help you avoid the notorious beginner’s back pain. Diamond-cut obliques are a bonus.

Dumbbell floor press

How to do it: Lie down on the floor with a dumbbell in each hand. Bend at the elbows and hold the weights above you. Press up and straighten your arms before pausing at the top of the rep and lowering slowly to the start position.

How to Get Bigger Arms with One Dumbbell

Why: By restricting your range of movement this moves helps you build a bigger chest, minus the risk of shoulder injury from over extension. Consider this your stepping stone to being a bench bro in the gym.

Bench dips

How to do it: Stand facing away from a bench, grab it with both hands at shoulder-width. Extend your legs out in front of you. Slowly lower your body by flexing at the elbows until your arm at forearm create a 90 degree angle. Using your triceps lift yourself back to the starting position.

Your Biceps and Triceps Will Hate This Workout

Why: This is easy to do on a chair, stair or coffee table. It works the arms, chest and shoulders and is great if you want people to notice that you’ve started working out as it builds triceps effectively.

Crunch

How to do it: Lie flat on your back with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle. Place your hands on either side of your head. Push your lower back into the floor as you lift your shoulders a few inches off the floor – make sure your lower back stays in contact with the ground at all times. Tense your abs hard at the top point of the movement, then return under control to the start position.

6 of the Most Pointless Gym Exercises

Why:The first port of call for any abs workout this is a must-do. By lifting your legs you place extra weight on the stomach muscles and reduce the momentum that could make this easier.

Lower back curl

How to do it: Lie down flat with your arms by your sides. Slowly raise your chest upwards, with your arms down. Keep your head up during the move. Once you’ve reached the furthest point up, lower yourself back down.

Why: People often forget the importance of back workouts, but they’re vital to develop all other muscle groups. This curl is great as it works the whole back and also alleviates back pain from days at the desk.

Calf raises

How to do it: Stand upright holding the barbell, two dumbbells by your sides, or unweighted. With your toes pointing forwards, raise your heels off the floor and contract your calves. Slowly return to the starting position.

7 Easy Ways to Make Your Leg Workout Great

Why: Isolating the calves for a workout can benefit overall leg definition. It also helps hamstring and glute stength. Different foot positions target different muscles. Toes pointing in hits the outer head harder, toes out works the inner head.

how to perform bear crawl

Bear Crawls

How to do it:

Find a spot on the floor where you have around 10m of empty space
Go onto your hands and knees, with your weight on your palms and toes
Lift your knees off the ground and keep your back flat with a braced core
Move your right hand and left foot forward at the same time to start moving and vice-versa
Look ahead of you and keep your core braced

Why: Touted by Hollywood legend Chris Hemsworth, bear crawls smoke your core, shoulders and quads. It can also be used as a mobility aide or part of your warm-up. Win-win.

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Two-Point Plank (Two-Point Bridge)

How: Get in a press-up position, with your hands beneath your shoulders and core locked to ensure a straight line from head to heels. Tense your abs and fight the urge to raise your hips as you lift your left foot and right arm until they’re parallel to the ground. Slowly lower and repeat on the opposite side. That’s one rep.

Why: Finding a plank too easy? Fire-up your core, shoulders and stabilising muscles with this devilish move. It’ll test your co-ordination, core strength and more.

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Pike Push-Up

How: Get into a press-up position with your hands wider than shoulder width apart. Bend at the waist and lift your heels off the floor, keeping your back straight, so your body forms an upside down V-shape. Bend at your elbows to lower your head towards the floor. Then push back explosively to the start position.

Why: Not ready for handstands, but want to build bigger shoulders without weights? The pike push-up will test your shoulder pushing strength while also giving your hamstrings and glutes a stretch. A tip: It’s OK to come up on your toes, but if you can’t keep your legs and back straight then you should focus on flexibility work.

glute bridge

Bodyweight Glute Bridge

How: Lie flat on the floor with your legs bent. Drive through your heels to push your hips upwards as far as you can go, before pausing and returning to the start position.

Why: Whether you need to warm-up fora run or want to keep your glute strength ticking over, the bodyweight glute bridge is the easiest way to get a stronger, firmer behind that’ll boost strength across the board, from a heavier squat to a more stable bench press.

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Diamond Press-Ups

How: Get in a press-up position and place your hands together so your index fingers and thumbs form a diamond. Keep your back straight as you lower until your chest almost touches the floor then push back up to the start position.

Why: If standard press-ups are feeling too easy, try this. It’ll smoke your triceps and chest and challenge your form. A tip: Keep your core locked to avoid sagging at the hips and putting stress on the lower back.

kettlebells exercises to lose weight

Thrusters

How: Hold two kettlebells or dumbbells by their handles but so the weight is resting on the back of your shoulder. Slightly bend your knees and squat down, keeping your legs in line with your shoulders. Drive through your legs and straighten them, extending your arms as you do so to raise the kettlebells above your head. Squat down and repeat.

Why: There are few exercises more humbling then thrusters. Not only will they redline your heart rate, but you’ll build stronger glutes, quads and shoulders with a cobblestone core to boot. Plus, they can be done with barbells, kettlebells, or dumbbells. Or anything, in fact.

Shadow boxing

How to do it: Adopt a fighting stance and bounce on your toes as you shadow box. Dip and weave to your heart’s content.

Why: This can help consolidate the rest of your workout as it benefits cardio strength, legs, core and arms. Jog on the spot between low- and high-intensity punching for a HIIT style cardio workout.

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Hammer Curls

How to do it: Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing your hips. Curl the weights up until your thumbs are near your shoulders, then lower.

Why: You’ve mastered bicep curls, but for even bigger arms, switch to a ‘hammer’ grip. You’ll hit your brachialis – the muscle that makes your arms look thicker.

preview for star plank

Star Plank

How: From a press-up position, walk your palms and toes out and away from your body until they form an x-shape. Brace your core to keep a flat line from your head to your hips and toes. Hold for the required time then walk back to a normal press-up position.

Why: Planks too boring? Hit a star plank for added core tension.

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Prone Back Extension

How: Lie flat on the floor with your palms facing upwards and your toes touching the ground. Slowly raise yourself off the ground by pulling your shoulders back and lifting your legs up as far as they can go. Look straight ahead throughout the move. Return to starting position and repeat.

Why: Back extension exercises are ideal for building strength in the lower-back muscles, also hitting your glutes, hips and shoulders. If you suffer from back pain, throw a few of these into your weekly routine.

preview for sniff the floor press up

‘Sniff the Floor’ Press-Up

How: Drop down to your hands and feet before lifting your hips and backside to create a V-shape. Move your head down towards the floor, shifting your weight forward. Continue moving your bodyweight forward until your chest is over your hands. Push up and back into the V-shape starting position.

Why: Smoke your shoulders, chest and core with the ‘Sniff the Floor’ press-up, which is a challenging progression on the standard press-up.

Lateral Bounds

How: Start in a half squat position. Jump off your outward facing leg as far as possible before landing. Immediately return to the other side.

Why: Lateral bounds ramp up your heart rate, test your stability and build explosive lower-body strength.

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Box Jumps

How: Set yourself a comfortable distance from the box with feet shoulder-width apart. Drop quickly into a quarter squat, swing your arms and explode upwards to jump onto the box. Land as softly as possible. Now step backwards off the box under control.

Why: You don’t need a box for this one — any raised surface will do. You’ll redline your heart rate, burn calories and build explosive strength. That you don’t need any kit is a welcome bonus.

The Best Home Workouts for Beginners

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