Home workouts
20-minute home workout with no equipment (for beginners)
A complete 20-minute routine to start training at home with no gym and no equipment: warm-up, 6 exercises, how to do them right and how to progress every week.
You do not need a gym or machines to get in shape. With 20 to 40 minutes, 3 times a week, you will notice the change. What matters is not doing it perfectly: it is not quitting.
Short answer: warm up for 5 minutes and do 2 rounds of 6 exercises with no equipment (squat, wall push-ups, glute bridge, backpack row, knee plank and no-jump jumping jacks), 3 days a week on alternate days, at an effort of 6 to 8 out of 10. Add a little more every week.
This is the beginner routine from IsraFit's free Home Workouts guide. All you need is a sturdy chair, a wall and a backpack with books or water bottles.
1. Warm up for 5 minutes (never skip it)
Warming up prepares your muscles and joints and helps lower the risk of injury. Do it without stopping between exercises:
- 1 min marching in place, lifting your knees and moving your arms.
- 30 s arm circles and 30 s hip circles.
- 1 min slow squats: go down a little at first and a bit more each time.
- 1 min side steps, easy, to raise your heart rate.
- 1 min slow alternating reverse lunges.
2. The routine: 2 rounds, about 20 minutes
Do the 6 exercises one after the other. Rest 30–45 seconds between exercises and 90 seconds between rounds.
| Exercise | Amount | How to do it |
|---|---|---|
| Squat | 10 | Feet shoulder-width apart. Go down as if sitting on a chair, chest up, and push the floor with your heels to stand. |
| Wall push-ups | 8 | Hands on the wall a little wider than your shoulders, body straight. Bring your chest to the wall and push back. |
| Glute bridge | 12 | On your back with knees bent. Lift your hips squeezing your glutes, hold 1 second and lower slowly. |
| Backpack row | 10 | Knees slightly bent and back straight, leaning forward. Pull the backpack toward your belly button, squeezing your shoulder blades. |
| Plank on knees | 20 s | Forearms on the floor, elbows under your shoulders, knees down. Tighten your abs and breathe. |
| Jumping jacks without jumping | 30 s | Step one foot out while raising your arms, come back and switch sides. Easy and steady. |
3. How hard should it feel?
Use a scale from 1 to 10, where 1 is very easy (you can sing) and 10 is your maximum (you cannot talk). Work between 6 and 8: you can talk, but in short sentences.
4. To make it work
- Technique first, speed later.
- Breathe out when you push, without holding your breath.
- Train every other day and walk on the other days.
- When you finish, stretch for 5 minutes: hold each stretch 20–30 seconds, without bouncing.
- Write down what you do: if you do a little more every week, you are making progress.
5. How to progress every week
Too easy? Add 2 reps or 5 seconds every week, or do a third round. Too hard? Do one round less or an easier version. When you finish all the rounds without much effort, move to the intermediate level: squats, lunges, knee push-ups, chair dips, bridges, rows, plank and mountain climbers, in 3 rounds.
Short on time? Do the warm-up and just one round. Something is always better than nothing.
To measure your progress, use the IsraFit Challenge test: push-ups in a row, seconds of plank and squats in 1 minute, on day 1 and in week 4.
When should I stop?
Stop if you feel sharp pain in a joint (knee, shoulder or back), dizziness, chest pain or unusual shortness of breath. If you have an injury, a health condition or are pregnant, check with your doctor before you start.
The free Home Workouts guide has all 12 exercises step by step, the intermediate and advanced routines and a 4-week plan to track your progress. And if you want Isra to correct your technique live, see how online personal training works.
Sources
- World Health Organization (2020). WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. who.int
- American College of Sports Medicine (2009). Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 41(3):687-708. doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181915670
- Borg G. (1982). Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 14(5):377-381. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7154893
This article is general information. It does not replace the advice of your doctor or a health professional. If you have an injury, a health condition or are pregnant, check with your doctor before you start. The eating advice is general and is not a clinical nutrition plan: for that, see a licensed dietitian. Our articles are based on the sources we link and show their update date; if you see an error, write to info@isra.fit and we will fix it.