No space, no money to invest in a home gym, and no time? No excuses! Work your entire body with the following circuit workout. You don't need a lot of space to do it; all you need is your living room or bedroom floor. And while it tones all your muscle groups, it doesn't take a lot of time: repeat this circuit twice, and you'll still be done in about 20 minutes!
Mountain Climbers
Reps: Repeat for one minute.
Begin with mountain climbers to warm up. Here's how to do it:
- Start in a traditional push-up starting position — shoulders over hands and weight on just your toes.
- Bring your right foot forward, bending the knee and putting weight on the ball of your foot.
- Swiftly switch legs, bringing the left knee forward while moving the right leg back. It feels a little like running in place in a plank position.
- Do this for one minute.
Sumo Squats
Reps: Two sets of 10.
Wide squats target your butt and inner thighs.
- Hold your hands together in front of your chest. Step your feet apart so there's about 20 inches between your heels. Point your toes out slightly.
- Bend your knees and elbows. Keep your shoulders over your hips and lower down so your weight is back in your heels. Then straighten your legs and arms. This is one repetition.
- Complete two sets of 10 reps.
Up-Down Plank
Reps: 10 reps, each side.
Work your arms, shoulders, and core with this push-up variation:
- Come into a plank position with your legs straight and forearms resting on your mat. Your feet should be hip-width distance apart. Draw your navel toward your spine to engage your core and to avoid straining your lower back.
- Keeping your torso parallel to the floor, plant your right palm on the mat as you raise your body, so your right arm is straight.
- Repeat with left arm, so you're now in a straight-arm plank.
- Now, move your right forearm back onto the mat and then the left, lowering yourself back down into elbow-plank position. Try to avoid swaying the torso from side to side.
- Repeat for a total of 10 reps, and then reverse the direction for another 10 reps.
Jump Squats
Reps: Two sets of 10.
Torch calories while toning your legs with this workout:
- Stand with feet shoulder width apart, arms at sides.
- Start by doing a regular squat and then jump up as explosively as you can when you rise up, reaching for the ceiling.
- When you land, lower your body back into the squat position to complete one rep.
- Do two sets of 10 reps.
Toe-Touch Crunches
Reps: Two sets of 10.
Core muscles get a killer workout with the toe-touch crunch. Here's how to do it:
- Lie on your back and reach your arms behind you, pointing your legs toward the ceiling.
- Swing your arms toward the ceiling; as you do, lift your head and shoulder off the ground and touch your toes, while lifting your pelvis slightly off ground so your toes move toward your fingers. If your neck tires, place one hand behind your head.
- Do two sets of 10.
Reverse Plank
Reps: Hold for one minute.
Not only does the reverse plank target your core, but you'll feel the burn in your glute muscles, too!
- Start by sitting with your legs out in front of you, heels together, spine long, and palms by your pelvis with fingertips forward.
- Lift your pelvis off the ground and move your hips forward so you make a flat tabletop shape with your body. Plant your feet firmly on the ground.
- Remember to keep your glute muscles engaged. Hold for a minute; if this is too hard, you can break it up into 30-second sessions.
