5 Of The Best Exercises For A Beginner's At Home Workout

The last time I posted about a great beginners workout at home I received great feedback.

It would seem that a lot of folks are interested in workouts that are easy to do and don’t require much equipment or none at all.

The good news is that there’s lots of these types of exercises.

There really isn’t any bad news. If you’re interested in the first time I posted a great workout for beginners you can check it out here.

Now you’ll have a couple ideas for workouts that you can choose from. I thought of these specifically with the idea of fitness for beginners in mind.

These are a lot of the exercises I got started with in the beginning of my fitness journey and I still use most if not all of them today.

They are really great.

I’m also going to include workout tips for beginners throughout to help with describing the movement and what should be going on.

I mentioned before that these are great exercises if you’ve never worked out before. They’re also good if you used to exercise and are looking for a way to get back into it.

My story fits into that second group. I got away from fitness for a while.

When I decided to start getting back into it, these were definitely exercises that became part of my go to routines.

These are all easy to do exercises that can be done pretty much anywhere. You don’t really need equipment for any of these movements.

I’m going to include a couple suggestions for things you can use while performing these exercises if you want to. But it’s up to you. I’m not your boss.

Before You Get Started

So I’m going to make a similar suggestion here like I made in my first post.

If you really are a genuine and true first time workout beginner, I’d suggest you speak with your doctor before starting any new routine.

Just to be sure you’re good to go. You don’t want to risk injuring yourself.

Also, as I’ve said before, if this really is you’re first time exercising, you might want to consider warming up with a brisk walk.

It’s great for your whole body. Especially for beginners. It gets your blood pumping and acts as a nice warm up.

But really be brisk. No lollygagging around. Yes, that’s a real word. Because I said so.

Now I know a walk may not be the trick for you. Maybe you think it’s a little boring. But it really is a great place to start. Just take 5 or 10 minutes and go outside and enjoy some fresh air before we get started.

But since I know you want more than just a stroll for your beginners workout routine…

Here we go…

The Mountain Climber

The first exercise you’re going to do in this routine is the mountain climber. If you’ve never heard of it before, check out my introduction to mountain climbers here.

This really is a great full body exercise that gets the blood pumping and is easy to perform as part of a beginners workout.

You start by getting down on all fours. Then stretch your legs out straight behind you so that you go up into a full plank position.

Your arms should be straight. You should be supporting yourself with only the palms of your hands and your toes on the floor.

Next, without moving your hands and keeping your arms straight, you pull your left knee up towards your left elbow.

Then as your return your left foot to its starting position, you shoot your right knee up towards your right elbow.

The switch should be simultaneous. It’s like you’re walking in place in the push up position. Each time you do both legs consider it a single repetition.

Try and do it for 30 seconds. If that’s too long for you right now try 5 to 10 repetitions for starters.

Here is a great demo of the mountain climber being performed by Rachel Buschert Vaziralli with the good folks at Howcast.com.

The most important points to take away from the demonstration regard form. Its important to keep your hips down, don’t bounce and keep the feet going. As one comes up the other goes back. All in the same motion.

You’re going to feel this one.

You’re Gonna Know Squat (Ugh, bad joke)

The next exercise in this at home beginners workout routine is going to be the squat.

It’s one of my favorite moves for my legs and the way the word sounds makes me laugh. It’s a ridiculous sounding word.

Fortunately, it’s easy to complete.

Start by standing straight up with your arms by your sides and your feet roughly shoulder width apart.

Bend at your knees and keep your back straight, just like you’re sitting down into a chair. Go down until your thighs are approximately parallel with the floor.

As you bend your knees, you can bring your hands up toward your chest, keeping your elbows near where they began but a little out in front of you.

Here is Anna Renderer demonstrating how to do the basic squat for the folks over at Popsugar Fitness.

I’ve used this video before in a post I did about bodyweight exercise because it really is a great demonstration of proper form.

Great stuff. Also take note of the strengthening suggestions she makes if you’re having trouble with the movement.

Another great alternative to the full squat if you’re having difficulty, is using a chair.

Simply squat down into the chair until you touch the seat and then stand back up.

It’s a great way to strengthen your muscles while you’re getting accustomed to the movement. Try and complete ten. Remember to keep your head up and back straight.

The Bear Crawl (Beginners Workout Classic)

Your next adventure in this beginners workout routine is the bear crawl.

Another great full body exercise, the bear crawl will help build strength, coordination and balance.

It’s another straight forward movement.

Start on all fours again. Then while keeping your hands on the floor, lift up your hips until your feet are flat on the ground. That’s right. You look just like a bear.

Keep your back flat. Don’t arch up. You can bend your knees.

Now you’re going to walk on your hands and feet. Move forward with your right hand and left foot first, moving together. Then do the same with your other side.

You’re marching like a bear.

You can move forward, backwards or side to side. Just remember to keep moving opposite hands and feet together, whichever direction you are moving.

Here’s a great demonstration of the bear crawl put together by the good people over at Beachbody.com.

Pretty easy idea. Give it a try. You’ll feel it all over. Try going 5 steps forward and then 5 back to start.

If you’re finding this movement too easy, here’s a little advanced hack:

After you take a step forward, try doing a push up. Then step with the other side and do a push up. Try repeating that movement five times forward and back.

Still feel like it’s easy?

best exercises for beginner's at home workout

Jumping Rope

The next exercise moving forward is jumping rope. You’re going to feel like a kid again!

Now I know I said you can do this routine without any equipment and you can.

You can do this with a real jump rope or you can do what I like to think of as a phantom jump rope. I do both.

The phantom jump rope move is basically exactly what it sounds like. You go through all the motions of jumping rope but you’re just not holding the rope. It’s that easy.

Of course, if you can find a jump rope to use, that’s even better.

Try jumping rope for 30 seconds. If that’s too difficult right now, go as long as you can.

Here’s a fun video from the nice folks over at 12minuteathlete.com breaking down the basic form and technique for jump rope.

There’s your basics. Did you catch the phantom jump rope move? Awesome.

Don’t try to get too tricky for now. Just try and give it a shot for 30 seconds and you’re in business. If the rope is giving you difficulty, do it without it. It’s the movement that’s giving you the benefits.

The Step and Curl (Added Bonus To Beginners Workout)

The final exercise I’m including in this beginners workout routine as an extra. I’m calling it a step and curl because that’s close enough to the variety of names that are out there for it.

Find a stair in your home or something you can safely step up onto. It doesn’t have to be high at all. A small step is great for starters.

If you have a small dumbbell you can hold in your hand that is great. If not, grab something you can comfortably hold and curl up.

You’re going to step up with one foot. As you step up, your other foot does not touch the step but instead bends back at the knee.

Also as you step up, you’re going to curl with your arm. Then step down and repeat the movement stepping up with your other leg.

Here’s a quick video demonstrating the movement from Watchfit. I apologize in advance for the 80s background music.

A couple quick notes on the video.

Again you don’t need a bench that high. A low step will do just fine.

She is holding two dumbbells and curling both at the same time. You can do it with one and switch hands after a given number of repetitions.

Or you can curl with nothing in your hand to get the coordination right. You’ll eventually need something for the resistance benefits.

Finally, the leg that doesn’t touch the step bends back. Another version has you lifting your knee up in front of you. That works your core and is probably a little more advanced. If you’re up to the challenge go for it.

Try and do 5 repetitions on each side.

And that’s the whole routine!

A quick note that I like to include for beginners. Something that is often overlooked when it comes to starting a new fitness regimen is having the right equipment.

For me, comfortable clothes and the right shoes make all the difference. You want to have solid dependable footwear to give you the support you need and help prevent injury.

‘Nuff said. Let’s check out this whole routine!

Let’s Put The Beginners Workout All Together

Mountain Climbers for 30 seconds or 5-10 repetitions
Squats for 10 repetitions
Bear Crawl 5 steps forward per side and 5 steps back
Jumping Rope for 30 seconds
Step and Curl 5 times per side

Try and complete the whole routine 3 times.

While going from one exercise to the next, try and rest as little as possible. This is to increase your metabolic rate and maximize your calorie burn. Take a rest each time you’re preparing to start the routine again.

There you have it! A great beginners workout you can do at home or wherever you happen to be.

You should really be feeling this one when you’re done. The great thing is you can cater it to your abilities.

As I mentioned above I have another post with a great workout like this one. Feel free to mix and match with it if you’re looking for a little more variety.

Stick with this routine a few times a week and you won’t be a beginner for long.

Hope you enjoy it (as much as you can).

Check back soon for more workout routine ideas.

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