13 Workout Exercises at Home to Train Your Whole Body

You can train every major muscle group with these 13 workout exercises at home, using body weight, a stable chair, and a loaded backpack for rows and hinges. The list covers squats, lunges, bridges, calf raises, push-ups, pike push-ups, dips, rows, and core work.

Together, they work the legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms. That balance matters because daily tasks rarely use one muscle alone. By the end, you will know how to perform each move, how to combine them into a 25-minute or 40-minute session, and how to adjust the difficulty without buying equipment.

How These 13 Workout Exercises at Home Fit Together

A complete home routine needs a squat pattern, a hip hinge or bridge, a single-leg move, pushing, pulling, and core work. Pulling is the part most home routines miss, which is why this list includes two back exercises.

A repetition, or rep, is one complete performance of a move. A set is a group of reps done before you rest. Start with the form described below, then add reps or a harder variation only when the last two reps still look controlled.

Pattern	Exercises	Main areas worked
Squat and single-leg	Bodyweight squat, reverse lunge	Thighs, glutes, calves
Hip-dominant	Glute bridge, calf raise	Glutes, hamstrings, calves
Push	Push-up, pike push-up, chair dip	Chest, shoulders, triceps
Pull	Backpack row, prone superman pull	Upper back, rear shoulders, biceps
Core and conditioning	Dead bug, bird dog, forearm plank, mountain climber	Abdomen, obliques, back, hips

Before You Start: Space, Warm-Up, and Safety

Clear enough floor space to lie down and step back into a lunge without hitting furniture. Use a chair that does not have wheels, placed against a wall so it cannot slide. The NHS gives the same stable-chair advice for its home strength exercises.

Warm up for 3 to 5 minutes with marching in place, easy squats to a chair, arm circles, and gentle hip hinges. Your breathing should rise, but you should still be able to speak in full sentences.

This routine is for generally healthy adults and is not medical advice for a specific condition. Stop and seek medical help for chest pain, severe breathlessness, dizziness, or sharp joint pain, and talk with a clinician or physical therapist first if you are returning after injury, surgery, pregnancy, or a long break. Muscle effort and mild next-day soreness can be normal; pain that changes how you move is a reason to regress or stop that exercise.

The 13 Exercises, With Form, Reps, and Easier Options

1. Bodyweight Squat

The squat trains the thighs and glutes and practices standing up from a low position.

Stand with feet about hip-width apart, toes turned out slightly.
Sit your hips back and bend your knees, keeping your chest tall.
Go as low as you can while keeping your heels down and knees tracking over your toes.
Push through your whole foot to stand.

Do 8 to 15 reps. Easier: squat to a chair and lightly touch it before standing. Harder: pause for 3 seconds at the bottom or slow the lowering to 3 seconds.

Common mistake: letting the knees cave inward. Point them in the same direction as your toes.

Bodyweight squat form, demonstrated by Bupa Health

2. Reverse Lunge

The reverse lunge trains each leg separately, which can expose a side that relies more on the other leg.

Stand tall with feet hip-width apart.
Step one foot back and lower until both knees are comfortably bent.
Keep most of your weight through the front foot.
Push through the front foot to return to standing.

Do 6 to 10 reps per side. Easier: hold a wall or chair back and shorten the step. Harder: hold a backpack at your chest.

Common mistake: rushing. Place the back foot, pause, then lower.

Reverse lunge form, demonstrated by Dr. Carl Baird

3. Glute Bridge

The glute bridge trains the glutes and hamstrings without loading the knees as much as a squat may.

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat, hip-width apart.
Brace your abdomen lightly as if preparing for a cough.
Push through your heels and lift your hips until your body forms a line from knees to shoulders.
Lower slowly without fully relaxing at the bottom.

Do 10 to 15 reps. Easier: reduce the height. Harder: hold the top for 3 seconds or do a single-leg bridge.

Common mistake: arching the lower back at the top. Stop lifting when your ribs start to flare.

Glute bridge form, demonstrated by Hinge Health

4. Calf Raise

Calf raises train the calves, which help with walking, stairs, and balance during single-leg work.

Stand near a wall or stable chair for balance.
Rise onto the balls of your feet as high as is comfortable.
Pause briefly at the top.
Lower your heels slowly to the floor.

Do 10 to 15 reps. Easier: use both hands for support. Harder: do one leg at a time or stand on a step only if it is stable and you have support.

Common mistake: bouncing. The lowering phase is part of the exercise, so control it.

5. Push-Up

The push-up trains the chest, shoulders, and triceps, and your core has to keep your body in one line.

Place your hands under or slightly wider than your shoulders.
Form a straight line from head to heels, or from head to knees for the easier version.
Lower your chest toward the floor by bending your elbows.
Push the floor away until your arms are straight.

Do 5 to 12 reps. Easier: use your knees or place your hands on a sturdy counter. Harder: slow the lowering or raise your feet on a low, stable step.

Common mistake: letting the hips sag. Shorten the set or choose the easier version if your back position changes.

Push-up form, demonstrated by NASM

6. Pike Push-Up

The pike push-up shifts more work to the shoulders than a standard push-up does.

Start in a push-up position and walk your feet toward your hands.
Lift your hips so your body forms an inverted V.
Bend your elbows and lower the top of your head toward the floor.
Push back up.

Do 4 to 10 reps. Easier: bend your knees slightly or reduce the range. Harder: raise your feet on a low, stable surface.

Common mistake: turning it into a regular push-up by letting the hips drop. Keep the hips high throughout.

7. Chair Dip

Chair dips train the triceps, the muscles at the back of the upper arm, along with the chest and shoulders.

Sit on the edge of a stable chair with your hands beside your hips, fingers facing forward.
Walk your feet forward and lift your hips off the chair.
Bend your elbows and lower only as far as your shoulders feel comfortable.
Push through your palms to straighten your arms.

Do 6 to 10 reps. Easier: bend your knees and bring your feet closer. Harder: straighten your legs.

Skip this move if it causes shoulder pinching. A close push-up, with hands nearer your ribs, is a reasonable substitute.

8. Backpack Row

The backpack row trains the upper back and biceps and gives you a pulling move without a bar. Fill a backpack with books and check that the straps and zipper are secure.

Hold the backpack handles or straps with one hand and hinge forward from the hips with a flat back.
Place your other hand on a chair or your thigh for support.
Pull the backpack toward your lower ribs.
Lower it slowly until your arm is straight.

Do 8 to 12 reps per side. Easier: use a lighter load. Harder: add books or pause for 2 seconds at the top.

Common mistake: standing up as you pull. Keep your torso angle steady.

9. Prone Superman Pull

This floor exercise trains the upper back and rear shoulders with no load, which makes it useful when a backpack row feels too heavy.

Lie face down with arms extended overhead in a Y shape.
Lift your chest and arms slightly off the floor.
Bend your elbows and pull them down toward your ribs, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Straighten your arms and lower slowly.

Do 8 to 12 reps. Easier: keep your forehead resting on a folded towel and lift only the arms. Harder: hold the pulled position for 3 seconds.

Common mistake: lifting too high and straining the lower back. A small lift with control is enough.

10. Dead Bug

The dead bug trains the deep abdominal muscles while teaching you to move your arms and legs without arching your back.

Lie on your back with arms pointing up and knees bent to 90 degrees.
Press your lower back gently toward the floor.
Slowly extend your right arm overhead and your left leg forward.
Return to the start and switch sides.

Do 6 to 10 reps per side. Easier: move only the arms or only the legs. Harder: extend the leg lower, but only while your back position stays unchanged.

Common mistake: holding your breath. Exhale as you extend, inhale as you return.

11. Bird Dog

The bird dog trains the core and back muscles that help keep the trunk steady during lifting and walking.

Start on hands and knees, hands under shoulders and knees under hips.
Extend your right arm forward and your left leg back.
Keep your hips level and your back flat, as if balancing a cup of water on it.
Return slowly and switch sides.

Do 6 to 10 reps per side. Easier: slide the foot back without lifting it. Harder: pause for 3 seconds at full extension.

Common mistake: rotating the hips open. Move less far if you cannot keep them level.

12. Forearm Plank

A plank is an isometric exercise, which means the muscles work while the joints stay still. It trains the abdomen, shoulders, and glutes together.

Place your forearms on the floor with elbows under your shoulders.
Step your feet back and form a straight line from head to heels.
Squeeze your glutes and brace your abdomen.
Breathe steadily and hold.

Hold for 20 to 45 seconds. Easier: drop to your knees. Harder: extend the hold only while your form stays the same, up to 60 seconds.

Common mistake: chasing time with a sagging back. End the set when your position changes.

13. Mountain Climber

Mountain climbers add a conditioning element, raising your heart rate while your core and shoulders work to hold a plank position.

Start in a high push-up position with hands under shoulders.
Bring one knee toward your chest without lifting your hips.
Return that foot and switch sides.
Continue at a pace you can control.

Do 20 to 40 total steps, or work for 30 seconds. Easier: place your hands on a counter and move slowly. Harder: increase pace only if your hips stay level.

Common mistake: bouncing the hips up and down. Slow down until the movement is quiet and controlled.

How to Turn the 13 Moves Into a Workout

You do not need to do all 13 in every session. Choose a version based on the time you actually have, not the time you wish you had.

Session	Exercises	Format	Approximate time
Short full-body	Squat, push-up, backpack row, glute bridge, dead bug	2 rounds, 40 seconds rest between exercises	25 minutes
Full 13-move session	All 13 exercises in order	2 rounds, 45 to 60 seconds rest between exercises	40 minutes
Lower-body focus	Squat, reverse lunge, glute bridge, calf raise, bird dog, plank	3 rounds	30 minutes
Upper-body and core focus	Push-up, backpack row, pike push-up, chair dip, superman pull, dead bug, plank	3 rounds	30 minutes

Rest longer if your form breaks down. For strength, the quality of the last rep matters more than finishing a round quickly.

For the full session, move in the order listed. Leg exercises come first while you are fresh, pushing and pulling alternate so the same muscles get a break, and core and conditioning finish the workout.

A Weekly Schedule That Fits Strength Guidelines

According to the WHO physical activity fact sheet, adults should do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity, plus muscle-strengthening activities involving all major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week. The CDC gives the same core target of 150 minutes a week and 2 days of muscle strengthening.

This routine alone does not supply all of that aerobic activity. Pair it with brisk walking, cycling, dancing, or another activity you can sustain.

Day	Plan
Monday	Full 13-move session
Tuesday	30 minutes brisk walking
Wednesday	Rest or easy walking
Thursday	Short full-body session or lower / upper split
Friday	30 minutes brisk walking
Saturday	30 to 60 minutes activity you enjoy
Sunday	Rest

If you are new to exercise, start with one strength session in the first week and add the second when soreness no longer affects your movement. Some activity is better than none, and building up gradually is the point.

How to Progress Without Weights

Progress means making the same pattern slightly harder over time, because your muscles adapt to a demand they have already mastered. Use one method at a time for two to three weeks.

Add reps first: when you reach the top of a rep range with good form for two sessions, move to the harder variation.
Slow the tempo: take 3 seconds to lower, pause, then lift. This works well for squats, bridges, and push-ups.
Use one side: single-leg bridges, reverse lunges, and one-arm rows increase the load without extra equipment.
Add a load you can measure: add one book to the backpack for rows and record what you used, so the change is repeatable.

Choose A if a move is new or your form is inconsistent: stay with the easier version and add reps. Choose B if the easier version feels stable for the full range: use tempo, a pause, or the single-side version before you add load.

Mistakes That Make Home Workouts Feel Harder Than They Help

Doing every exercise to exhaustion: stop a set with one or two good reps still possible. Form usually fails before effort does.
Skipping pulling work: a routine of only squats and push-ups leaves the upper back undertrained. Keep both rowing moves in your week.
Changing the whole routine each session: repeat the same sessions for at least three weeks so you can tell whether you are improving.
Treating soreness as the score: soreness after a new move is common and is not a reliable measure of a good workout. Track reps, control, and how a session feels instead.
Using unstable furniture: chairs for dips and step-ups must be against a wall and must not tip. If you cannot make a setup stable, choose the floor version.

If a particular joint hurts on the same exercise each week, do not push through it to finish the list. Reduce the range, choose the easier version, or replace that pattern, for example a glute bridge instead of a lunge for knee discomfort during a session.

13-Move Home Routine Questions, Answered Straight

Do I need any equipment for these 13 exercises?

No equipment is required except a stable chair and a backpack you can load with books for rows. Those two household items solve the two gaps in bodyweight training at home: support for dips and calf raises, and load for pulling.

How many times a week should I do this routine?

Two full-body sessions a week cover the muscle-strengthening guidance from the WHO and CDC for most adults. A third session can be a shorter lower-body or upper-body version if you recover well between sessions.

Can beginners do all 13 moves in one session?

Yes, if you use the easier version of each move and do one round first. Beginners who cannot keep good form on the later core moves should split the list across two days until strength and control improve.

Will this routine alone meet my weekly activity target?

No. It can meet the strength part on two days, but you still need aerobic activity such as brisk walking to reach 150 minutes of moderate activity a week. Add walking on non-strength days rather than making the strength sessions longer.

What should I do if push-ups are too hard?

Use a counter or wall version and aim for the same straight body line at an angle you can control. Move to the floor version from your knees, then to full push-ups, only when you can complete 8 controlled reps at the current level.

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How This Guide Was Put Together

This guide is based on the WHO 2020 physical activity guidelines and the CDC adult activity guidance linked above, with exercise selection covering the major muscle groups those guidelines name. It does not claim personal testing, expert review, or individual medical assessment.