Get In Shape at Home With These 8 Awesome Exercises

Whether you're short on time, can't go to a gym, or just want to get in better shape without lifting weights, these at home exercises will be just for you. All exercises can be done without weight, although once your physical abilities get better, I highly recommend it.

Each exercise features a small snippet on how to perform them properly. The end of the article has a 2-day alternating workout.

Related - Workout Anywhere: Exercises to Do at Home

So let's check out these exercises and why they are awesome.

Get in Shape at Home

#1 - Planks

If you have never tried to do a plank before, it may come to you as a surprise that planks have many benefits. Planks target your core, but they work your entire body as well.

Plank How-To - Lay down and get into a push-up position. Keep your body tight as a board and maintain total body tightness. Hold this position for 30-60 seconds.

Plank Variations - There are many plank variations that you can complete, each with their own benefits.

• Side planks work your obliques and transverse abdominus that many ab exercises don't hit.
• Rolling planks add stability and agility.
• Walking planks work your entire body.
• Extended planks push your body to the limit.

How to perform a plank.

#2 - Burpees

While burpees may be the plague to end all human existence, they are quite effective in getting you in shape. Burpees are basically a squat and a push up melted together in one abomination of a movement. This movement tests your conditioning and agility.

While there are many different variations to the standard burpee, the general idea is to have your body vertical, get horizontal, and jump back up to vertical again.

Burpee Variations - Try these burpee variations if you dare. Instead of a standard push up, perform mountain climbers. Stick with four to six reps per burpee.

Can you do pull ups? Next time you finish a burpee, do a pull up after. You can also add a box jump to the end of your burpee.

Between you and your partner, set a total number of reps and tag your partner in when you need a break until you've finished your predetermined reps.

#3 - HIIT Intervals

Want to burn off some fat and improve your conditioning? HIIT intervals are right up your alley.
You can do HIIT intervals on almost any cardio machine or outside in the fresh air.

Don't know what HIIT means?

HIIT stands for high-intensity interval training. Think sprinting for 45 seconds and then walking for 15. It's a great way to ramp up your heart rate, burn off a lot of calories, and do it in a short amount of time.

#4 - Push Ups

Push ups are one of the most basic chest and full body exercise. You can do them literally anywhere and you can make them as easy as you need to.

Overweight? Try doing push ups from an elevated surface like a table or chair and work your way to a traditional push up.

Once push ups become second nature, why not try some push up variations?

Push Up Variations

• Hand Tap Push Up - Once you complete a rep, touch one hand to the other.
• Single-Leg Raised Push Up - Do a traditional push up with one leg elevated.
• Clap Push Up - Explode up and use the momentum to clap your hands.
• Slow Negative Push Up - Descend slowly and explode up.
• Diamond Push Up - Place your hands close so that they form a diamond.

#5 - Spider Lunge

Similar to mountain climbers, spider lunges blast your core and improve mobility.

Spider Lunge How-To - Start in a push up position and bring one foot to the outside of your hand. Bring your foot back to the starting position and alternate sides.

#6 - Squat Jump

A squat jump is exactly as it sounds, you do a bodyweight squat and then use the upward momentum to jump.

You can add some extra agility work by trying to jump forward and cover some distance. Try squat jumps from one side of your room to the other.

#7 - Side Lunge

Side lunges help with stability, agility, and overall coordination. They also help open those tight hips and blasts your glutes.

Side Lunge How-To - Keeping your chest up, shift your weight from one side to another. Lunge as deep as your flexibility allows. Return to starting position and alternate sides.

#8 - Jumping Lunge

Jumping lunges will add some explosiveness and agility to your feeble body. If you can do a lunge, these will be just what you need to see some great improvements.

Jumping Lunge How-To - Start with a regular lunge. Maintaining weight between your legs, jump and switch foot positions so the back leg is now in front.

Repeat this process and alternate legs.

Bonus Workout

So you have the exercises that work well, now what? This workout is an alternating workout. That means you do workout A one day, workout B the next, and continue with this pattern.

You can safely train 4-6 times per week using this routine, adding in some outside cardio would help tremendously.

Workout A

• Burpees - 10 reps
• Squat Jumps - 2 Minutes or 20 Reps
• Push Ups - Three sets of 10
• Side Lunges - Two sets of 15
• HIIT for 15 minutes
• Planks - Two sets for 30 seconds

Workout B

• Planks - Three sets for 20 seconds
• Jumping Lunges - Two sets of 20
• Spider Lunges - Three sets of 10
• Squat Jumps - Two sets of 12
• Push Ups - Three sets of 15
• HIIT for 10 minutes

Workout Tips

Consistency is key, so stick with this for longer than a week. Practice getting more efficient and more explosive with the exercises. Add weight once you are able to easily do the exercise.