8 At-home Workouts to Lose Weight and Build Muscle

You can build muscle and lose weight all in the privacy of your home so you’re free to sweat in solitude or bring the house down with your favorite workout songs. Because, while there are times when the gym is the perfect respite from a long day at work (you can get in, sweat, get out, and feel completely renewed), there are others when the gym is one giant irritation. There are too many people clanking weights, or chatting when they should be clanking weights, and all you want to do is walk back through the door and head home. Well, guess what? You can do that—and still get a killer workout in.
Here are 8 options that prove it:
1. Barrel chest bedroom workout
2. Total-body burnout workout
3. Light-up-your legs workout
4. Cardio blast workout
5. Ab-obliterator workout
6. Upper-body muscle-builder workout
7. Lower-body muscle-builder workout
8. The back-saver workout
Try these at-home routines and see for yourself how effective they can be.

1 / 9

Barrel chest bedroom workout

Perform all exercises as a massive superset. Rest 3 minutes, then repeat.

1. Pushup (10-15 reps)
2. Pullup (in doorframe, as many reps as possible)
3. Plank (60 seconds)
4. Renegade Row (10 reps)

Repeat 5 times

James Michelfelder 2 / 9

Total-body burnout workout

Perform exercises labeled “A” then exercise labeled as “B,” rest, then repeat for prescribed sets/reps.
1A. Dumbbell Lunge
1B. Pushup
3 sets, 8-12 reps each, 90 seconds between supersets
2A. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
2B. Ab-Wheel Rollout
3 sets, 6-8 reps each, 90 seconds between supersets
3A. Dumbbell Curl
3b. Dumbbell Shoulder Press
3 sets, 12-15 reps each, 2 minutes between supersets
4A. Plank
4B. Dip (can be done on a chair)
3 sets, as many reps as possible (60-plus seconds for plank), 90 seconds between supersets

3 / 9

Light-up-your legs workout

1A. Bodyweight Squat
1B. Lying Glute Bridge
As many sets as needed, 100 total reps for each exercise, 60 seconds between sets
2A. Reverse Lunge
2B. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
4 sets, 10 reps, 90 seconds between sets
3. Wall Sit
Lean against a wall and squat down until your knees are bent at 90 degrees and your shins are vertical to the ground. Hold the position. Complete one set and hold for as long as possible.

4 / 9

Cardio blast workout

Perform all exercises as a massive superset, rest 2 minutes, then repeat 5 times.

1. Jump Rope (60 seconds)
2. Burpee (10 reps)
3. Dumbbell Curl-To-Press (15 reps)
4. Bear Crawl (60 seconds)

5 / 9

Ab-obliterator workout

1A. Ab-Wheel Rollout
1B. Superman Hold
3 sets, 10 reps (30 seconds for superman hold), 60 seconds between supersets
2. Renegade Row
3 sets, 10 reps, 60 seconds rest
3. Plank
3 sets, 60 second hold, 90 seconds rest

6 / 9

Upper-body muscle-builder workout

1. Pushup 55*
See below for description. 3 sets, 3 minutes rest between sets
2. Plank
3 sets, 60-second holds, 60 seconds rest
3A. Bodyweight Squat
3B. Dumbbell Curl
3 sets, as many reps as possible, 90 seconds rest between supersets
4A. Dip (can be done on a chair)
4B. Pullup (in doorframe)
5 sets, 5-10 reps, 45 seconds rest between supersets
*Perform 10 pushups, rest 30 seconds; next, 9 reps, rest 30 seconds; then do 8 reps, continuing this pattern all the way down to 1.

7 / 9

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Beth Bischoff 8 / 9

Lower-body muscle-builder workout

1A. Bodyweight 1¼ squat*
1B. Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift
5 sets, 10 reps (as many as possible for squat), 90 seconds rest
2A. Walking Lunge
2B. Lying Glute Bridge
5 sets, 20 reps, 90 seconds rest
*Perform a bodyweight squat, come up ¼ of the way, drop back down to full depth, and come all the way up. That’s one rep.

Beth Bischoff 9 / 9

The back-saver workout

1A. Pushup
1B. Prone Back Extension
3 sets, 12 reps each, 90 seconds rest
2A. Plank
2B. Prone Pressup*
3 sets, 10 reps (60 second plank), 90 seconds rest
3. Staggered Romanian Deadlift
3 sets, 6 reps/side, 60 seconds rest
*Lie facedown on the ground, positioning your hands as you would a pushup. Push yourself up, but leave your hips and legs on the ground. Hold for one second then return to the start position.