It’s a misconception that you need to go to the gym or spend thousands of dollars on equipment to get a good workout. Thousands of my 28ers have achieved fantastic results working out in the comfort of their own home using little to no equipment at all. 

I’m a big believer in working out at home because, let’s face it, finding time to go to the gym isn’t always easy. In fact, getting to the gym can be tricky and downright stressful. The problems start as soon as you look for class times that fit into your schedule, then you have to get through all the traffic and then, hopefully, find a carpark that’s in the same suburb as your gym! Home workouts do away with all the stress and, once you understand what you need to do (and how simple it can be), you’ll be free to get fit whenever and wherever you want.

Working out from home solves the most common excuse people give for not exercising: a lack of time.

How to get a fat-burning, full-body workout at home (without equipment!)

Studies show that the best way to lose weight and burn fat is to choose exercise routines that incorporate many muscle groups and will spike your heart rate. My home HIIT workouts are super effective for doing exactly that. They burn fat and tone your entire body, and the best part is that you don’t need any exercise equipment at all.

Try this full-body resistance workout at home

Get creative. There’s always something to use at home if you don’t have gym equipment.

NOTE: This 7 move full-body resistance workout does require some extra resistance. But don’t worry, you don’t need to rush off to get dumbbells or resistance bands, you can easily use tinned beans (or even wine bottles!) for your resistance.

1. Alternating lunge and press
2. Squat curl and press
3. V-sit overhead boxing
4. Row and press (left side)
5. Row and press (right side)
6. Front raise into side raise
7. Running arms

How to use household items instead of gym equipment

Yes! You don’t need to buy expensive home workout equipment. You can get stronger, fitter and leaner at home by adding regular household items into your workout, to replace common pieces of equipment you’d normally find in the gym.

Common household items you can use instead of hand weights (for lighter resistance):

  • A can of baked beans
  • A can of coconut cream

Common household items you can use instead of dumbbells or kettlebells (for heavier resistance):

  • A heavy basket of washing
  • A pile of books
  • Your kids!

Home resistance workout with Snez and Baby Willow!

Charlie and Willow have been wriggly resistance for Snezana at home, so we made a home workout out of it!

Your baby can be an amazing wriggly resistance weight while working out!

For this workout, all you’ll need is an 8-month old baby…or whatever other cute resistance you have at home. Try each of these seven exercises for 30 seconds each, repeat the sequence 4 times for a baby-weight resistance 28-minute workout!!

  1. Reverse lunge (right side)
  2. Reverse lunge (left side)
  3. Squat and press
  4. Kneeling push up and kiss
  5. Plank
  6. Sit up
  7. Baby (Willow) kayaks

Best ‘no equipment’ home exercises to lose weight

If you want to burn fat and lose weight at home in the shortest possible time, you need to try resistance training. You can get an awesome high-intensity, full-body workout done in less than 30 minutes. The options are endless when it comes to bodyweight resistance exercises, but we thought we’d start with two!

Sam’s fat-burning HIIT workout | Snez’s fat-burner workout

WORKOUT: Fat Burning HIIT in 7 moves with no equipment

Try this 7 move, no-equipment workout if you want to burn fat and lose weight from the comfort of your own home.

1. Burpees

Sam’s no equipment, fat-burning home exercise #1: burpees

2. Jump Squats

Sam’s no equipment, fat-burning home exercise #2: jump squats

3. Split lunge jumps

Sam’s no equipment, fat-burning home exercise #3: the split lunge

4. Push-ups

Sam’s no equipment, fat-burning home exercise #4: push ups

5. Mountain Climbers

Sam’s no equipment, fat-burning home exercise #5: mountain climbers

6. Plank up-downs

Sam’s no equipment, fat-burning home exercise #6: plank up-downs

7. Bicycle Crunches

Sam’s no equipment, fat-burning home exercise #7: bicycle crunches

Home HIIT workouts are really effective for burning fat and toning muscle and you don’t need to use any equipment at all.

Washing baskets can be a great way to create some extra resistance while working out at home.

Washing baskets can be used as heavier weights at home so you don’t have to buy any equipment. You can also change the weight depending on how big your washing load is!

WORKOUT: Snez’s fat-burner routine

Try Snez’s home workout to help you lose weight, and you won’t need any special gear.

  1. Mat jumps (side to side)
  2. Mountain Climbers
  3. Squat Jumps
  4. Box & Jump
  5. Split Lunge jumps
  6. Ducking Squats
  7. Burpees

Home toning exercises – no equipment needed!

Home workouts aren’t just good for burning fat, they help you tone up too. There are plenty of ways to workout at home to tighten and tone your muscles, and I’m going to show you a few exercises that will get the job done. If you have an area you want to target, then give one of my home workouts a go and get ready to feel the burn!


Tone Your Legs | Tone Your Abs | Tone Your Upper Body


Home workout to tone your abs

  1. Swing Sit-Ups
  2. Toe Taps
  3. Kneeling Plank
  4. Lying Leg Raise – Left Side
  5. Lying Leg Raise – Right Side
  6. Supported V Sit
  7. Alternating Kneeling Shoulder Touches

If you’re an absolute beginner, start off by doing 30 seconds of each of the 7 exercises with 30 seconds rest in between each exercise. As you increase your strength, go for longer, working your way up until you reach a full minute for each exercise.

Remember, you don’t need to be fit to get started, you just need to start.

Home workout to tone your legs

  1. Squats (20 reps)
  2. Forward-back lunges (10 reps each leg forward and back)
  3. Calf raises (20)
  4. Static lunge (10 each leg)
  5. Squat Jumps (10)
  6. Side lunges (10 each leg)
  7. Side Leg Raises (10 each leg)
  8. Repeat 3-4 times

Home workout to tone your upper body

Instead of dumbbells, Snez is using tins of baby formula to increase the resistance and get a fast and effective upper body workout!

1. Renegade row (10 reps each side, 20 in total)

Renegade row using cans of baby formula instead of weights!

2. Push-ups (20 reps)

Push-ups

3. Curl & Press (20 reps)

Curl & Press – move 1
Curl & Press – move 2

4. Arm Curls (20 reps)

Arm curls

5. Overhead tricep extension (20 reps)

Overhead tricep extension (holding a tin of baby formula for extra resistance)

6. Lat raise (20 reps)

Lat raise

7. Side Plank with Resistance (hold 30 seconds each side)

Side plank with resistance (thanks to a tin of baby formula!)

I know that getting in shape isn’t always easy, the good news is that it can be simple. You can get the same – or even better – results working out from home, than you do from attending the gym.


Beginner’s Guide To Getting Fit At Home

Ready to get in shape but don’t know where to start? Check out my new beginner’s guide to resistance training at home.


Posted by Sam Wood

Father and husband, on a mission to help people move more, eat better and make a positive change to their lives. Sam Wood has over 20 years experience as a personal trainer and is recognised as one of Australia’s leading experts and media commentators in the health & fitness industry. Sam is the founder and personal trainer of 28, Australia’s #1 home fitness and nutrition program, and he's also the proud owner of Australia’s largest personal training studio, The Woodshed, based in Brighton, Melbourne.