This is more of a general framework than a structured program.
The idea here is to train daily, every single day, but only 10 to 15 minutes each session.
Before we proceed: there’s an implicit assumption that you don’t have access to a commercial gym and understand that there are significant drawbacks to training with no equipment. Building a home gym is another superior option, but let’s assume this isn’t currently possible whatever the reason.
If this sounds like you, the below framework is likely a good fit to allow you to commit to the routine and stay on track with your progress.
Details
Equipment required
- Floor space
- Pull-up bar or equivalent
We’ve just outlined that exercising on floor space is unfortunately a very inefficient route to take compared to having access to a variety of equipment, including floor space, in a commercial gym.
With that said, we can still make this work with one piece of equipment. Strictly speaking, you can probably get away with not having a kettlebell, or resistance bands, or a dip rack (though they are great items to have in a properly kitted home gym).
The one thing we do need however is a pull-up bar, or anything equivalent to do pull-ups such as a smooth tree branch or monkey bars at the local park.
Look if you can’t, you can’t. Doing some exercise is always better than no exercise. But I also cannot tell you in good faith that it would be a well rounded and effective routine without the ability to stably pull yourself upwards.
Schedule
The schedule is rather straightforward, given the idea is simply to do a bit every day.
- Day 1 – Full body
- Day 2 – Full body
- Day 3 – Full body
- Day 4 – Full body
- Day 5 – Full body
- Day 6 – Full body
- Day 7 – Full body
I do suggest the classic time management strategy of sandwiching this between two other events.
Mentally attach this to after a fixed event, such as brushing your teeth in the morning. Then correlate a reward event that is conditional to completing your session, such as having breakfast.
Session
The session structure will look like this:
- Joint circles
- Warm-up (optional)
- Core movement – 2 sets (rest 2 mins)
- Pull movement – 2 sets (rest 2 mins)
- Push movement – 2 sets (rest 2 mins)
- Leg movement – 2 sets (rest 2 mins)
Warm-up
If time is an issue this could be cut out, and subbed in on days with more time.
The home workout would probably look something like this:
- 3-5 mins of practicing the connection breath (see here for more details)
- 2-3 mins of joint circles
- 2-3 mins of an ostrich walk, a bodyweight exercise to build awareness of hamstrings, glutes, and lower back (see here for more details)
Focus on lowering your body only partially and feeling your hamstrings first, then lowering more to feel your glutes, then all the down and feel your lower back round over. - 2-3 mins of bodyweight squats. Focus on squatting to a partial depth and feeling your quadriceps, then squatting parallel, then ‘ass to grass’, being conscious of your lower back flexion.
Movement slots
This is really quite simple, we’re going right back to the basics:
- Core
- Pull
- Push
- Legs
For each of these slots there are a variety of exercises that can work.
There are no magic exercises, but some options which are a very effective starting point are listed below.
Exercises
This is very much a a choose your own adventure type concept. Given the nature of having to repeat this everyday, any number of options work.
You can go through these alphabetically. You can pick your current favourite on the day. You can assign a number to each and roll a random number generator. The choice is yours.
Core
- V-up. This is a sit-up plus a lying leg raise done simultaneously.
- L-sit. Seated on the ground with your legs in front of you, have your arms by your sides with your fingers pointed sideways. Press down with your hands and push your scapula down.
- Dead bug. Lying on your back, bend your knees to a 90 degree angle. Engage your core by pressing your lower back onto the ground. To progress, move one limb at a time. Then the opposing limbs together.
- Bird dog. Get in a quadruped position with your hands and knees on the ground. Engage your core by moving one limb out at a time. The key is to not shift your lower back or pelvis as you do so.
- Plank and side plank. Everyone knows what a plank is. The actual point of a useful plank is not to hold it for 5 minutes sloppily, but 30 seconds with maximum tension. Drive your elbows towards your toes and your toes towards your elbows as hard as possible. Same concept goes for the side plank, rest on your elbow and maximally drive your hip upwards.
Pull
- Pull-up (narrow grip). This is a pull-up (palms facing away from you) with a roughly shoulder width grip.
- Pull-up (wide grip). This is a pull-up with a wider grip, roughly where your elbow makes a 90 degree bend at the top of the pull-up.
- Chin-up (medium grip). This is a chin-up (palms facing towards you) with a grip a tad wider than shoulder width.
Push
- Push-up (wide grip). A push-up done with your hands out to your side, in line with your chest. Another way to think of it is your arm makes a 45 degree bend from your torso. The goal here is to focus on awareness of the chest muscles as you push.
- Push-up (narrow grip). A push-up done with your hands down by your side, near your hips. Another way to think of it is your arm is tucked next to your torso. The goal here is to focus on awareness of the tricep muscles as you push.
- Pike push-up. A push-up done with your butt as elevated as you can. Shuffle your feet back to make it easier and shuffle it forward and on an elevated surface to make it harder. The goal here is to focus on awareness of the shoulder muscles as you push.
Legs
- Reverse lunge. Take a step behind you and descend, focus on squeezing the glutes. A walking lunge can also be done if you have space.
- Front scale and back scale. Another word for a 1-leg Romanian deadlift, stand on one leg and raise the leg in front of you maximally, and then bending forward behind you maximally,
- 1-leg glute bridge. A standard glute bridge but elevated on one leg, make sure to focus on squeezing the glutes.
- Squat. Bodyweight squats is always an option. Yes, if you do the full warm-up this will overlap but that’s not an issue. This is the one exception to the 5-15 rep range suggestion; here you can aim for 30, 50, or even 100 continuous reps.
- Shrimp squat. A one legged squat with the other leg behind you.
- Pistol squat. A one legged squat with the other leg in front of you.
- Reverse Nordic curl (advanced). This is the only option where I specifically call out it should only be done if you’re experienced. Seated on your shins, lower yourself backwards until you feel a deep stretch in your quads, then contract yourself up with your quads. It’s important here to not just arch your lower back to lower yourself done, keep your spine neutral and feel your legs working.
Reps, sets, rest times
In terms of reps, the proximity to failure is much more important than an arbitrary rep number. Try to push to failure with each set – keep going with each set until your form starts breaking down.
As a general rule of thumb, you should end up at around 5 to 15 reps for all your sets.
Each of the 4 key movements will be done for 2 sets. Of course, if you have a free day with plenty of time you can easily bump this up to 3 or 4 sets.
In between each set aim to rest for 1.5 to 2 minutes.
Sample session
A full session may look like this:
- 3 mins of connection breath
- 2 mins of ostrich walk
- 2 mins of bodyweight squats
- 2 sets of L-sit holds (rest 90 sec each)
- 2 sets of wide grip pull-ups (rest 90 sec each)
- 2 sets of pike push-ups (rest 90 sec each)
- 2 sets of pistol squats (rest 90 sec each)
For a total duration of 20 minutes.
If short on time, a condensed session may look like this:
- 1 set of L-sit hold (rest 30 sec)
- 1 set of wide grip pull-ups (rest 30 sec)
- 1 set of pike push-ups (rest 30 sec)
- 1 set of pistol squats (rest 90 sec)
- 1 set of L-sit hold (rest 30 sec)
- 1 set of wide grip pull-ups (rest 30 sec)
- 1 set of pike push-ups (rest 30 sec)
- 1 set of pistol squats
For a total duration of 8 minutes.