The 10 Best Home Workout Programs

The 10 Best Home Workout Programs

Gyms can be intimidating, expensive and difficult to work into your schedule. Don’t worry! You can easily get fit at home with this collection of the best home workout programs.

I vividly remember the first time I ever stepped into a gym. I was 21 years old, about 80 lbs overweight, totally clueless and 100% terrified. It seemed like everyone knew what they were doing except me. I was afraid that everyone would be staring at me, judging me.

It’s kinda crazy the things we tell ourselves. The truth is, everyone at the gym is only worried about themselves. And people who love health and fitness love to see newcomers come in and succeed. I promise, no one is judging you.

Still, this can be intimidating. There are so many machines. And those pictures on there? Does anyone really understand those?

For many people looking to venture into a new, healthy lifestyle, your home can feel like the safest place. No one else to see you in your gym clothes. No waiting in line for the treadmill (my January pet peeve!). And, best of all, no need to worry about impressing anyone else.

Related content >> Start Your Weight Loss Journey

Additionally, working out at home is the perfect rebuttal to some of the most infamous excuses.

“I don’t have time to go to the gym.”

“I can’t afford a gym membership.”

“There’s no one to watch my kids.”

There are so many home workout programs designed for people just like you. They, like gym memberships, vary in price, but some are absolutely free! Generally, all you need is an open space, a workout mat, and maybe a few light dumbbells. Some workouts are as short as 10 minutes!

There’s a lot out there, though, and that can be overwhelming. We’ve compiled a list of the best of the best so you can just pick one that looks like a fit and get sweating.

Related content >> 4 Options for Home Gym Flooring

Fitness Blender

{free!}

“Fitnessblender.com is my go to work out site. Daniel and Kelly have made over 500 fitness routines/videos with and without weights and all of it is FREE!” – Jessie | Tallahassee, FL

I love that Fitness Blender is gimmick-free. They offer you over 500 free workout videos (whaaaat?!). With workouts ranging from 10-85 minutes, there is always something for everyone and every schedule.

Think you can’t get a good workout in 10 minutes? I dare you to try one of their 10 minute videos. You’ll be surprised!

Kelli and Daniel offer everything from HIIT to Pilates and include plenty of strength training and bodyweight workouts that are perfect to do at home with very little equipment.

Recommended Equipment

Many Fitness Blender workouts require no equipment at all. Here are a few things that will help you use any video anytime.

• Fitness mat: This is especially useful for floor exercises and plyometrics. Plus, it gives you a dedicated workout space.
• Soft mat: Softer and cozier than a traditional fitness mat. Great for core work and stretching.
• Dumbbells: For strength training workouts.
• Yoga mat: For yoga, pilates and core work.
• Yoga block: For, well, yoga.
• Stationary bike: For spinning workouts.

Related content >>  Home Gym Flooring for Your Budget

Bikini Body Guide

{starting from $52.28}

“I do Kayla Itsines BBG Guide and I love it. It’s a shorter workout (half hour total), you can do it virtually anywhere, and last – but not least – it’s a GREAT workout.” – Mallory, Madison, NJ

Kayla’s Bikini Body Guide is designed to be an accessible, challenging workout for women of all shapes and sizes. You can do the workouts at home, a hotel, the park, you name it. Kayla’s site also includes recipes, meal planning, groups and an app.

Recommended Equipment

As I said, you can do these workouts with no equipment. If you want to up your game, here are a couple of things that could make your experience even better.

• Fitness mat: This is especially useful for floor exercises and plyometrics. Plus, it gives you a dedicated workout space.
• Soft mat: Softer and cozier than a traditional fitness mat. Great for core work and stretching
• Kayla’s accessories: Kayla shares a few accessories that help during her workouts.

Related content >> Ken’s Story: How One Man Lost 300lbs and Got His Life Back

Beachbody

{on demand memberships start at $2.99/week, purchased programs vary, but typically start around $50}

“I love beachbody on demand. It’s on sale right now but you can stream any of their workouts and it gives you a ton of variety and keeps it interesting. There is also a 30 day free trial.” – Sara | Indianapolis, IN

Beachbody is like the Amazon of home workouts. They have everything, everyone loves them and it’s easy to find exactly what you want. All of their workouts are great, but to help you choose, we’ve highlighted a few favorites.

21 Day Fix

{$72.80 for food containers, DVDs and their Shakeology}

“I really Beachbody workouts – Specifically 21 day fix since it’s low equipment and great for all fitness levels – plus only 21 days, but can be repeated.” – Nicole | Chandler, AZ

21 Day Fix is great because it incorporated a healthy eating plan along with your workout plan. The eating plan is really simple – it breaks up your servings by food group and tells you exactly how much to eat of each group based on your weight and activity level. Unfortunately, there is no container for ice cream. Rude.

The fitness plan is simple and easy to do with very little equipment. Each workout is just 30 minutes and they offer a wide variety of workouts so it never gets boring.

Recommended Equipment

Many 21 Day Fix workouts require no equipment at all. Here are a few things that will help you excel in all 21 days.

• Fitness mat: This is especially useful for floor exercises and plyometrics. Plus, it gives you a dedicated workout space.
• Soft mat. Softer and cozier than a traditional fitness mat. Great for core work and stretching.
• Dumbbells: For strength training workouts.
• Yoga mat: For yoga, pilates and core work.

Hammer & Chisel

{usually about $100 – prices vary}

“I love Hammer & Chisel because the workout schedule never got redundant and having two different trainers doing different types of workouts really kept me on my toes and forced my body to keep working and adapting. Also, I loved the nutrition plan because it taught me that you should eat more carbs and more food (things that I had been afraid of) if you want to get real results. I really committed to Hammer & Chisel and felt incredibly strong and proud of myself once I reached the end!” – Katie | Littleton, CO

Hammer & Chisel is one of the few home workout programs that really focuses on strength training. So often, people (women in particular) will do hours and hours of cardio without really seeing the results they want. We forget that strength training is equally important to the equation.

In addition to toning and shaping your body, strength-based workouts like Hammer & Chisel help you build more muscle mass, in turn burning more calories all day long just by existing. It also comes with a great nutrition plan that encourages you to eat and not shy away from foods like carbs.

Recommended Equipment

There are just a few things you need to get the most out of Hammer & Chisel.

• Incline bench: For weightlifting.
• Dumbbells: Consider getting a couple different weights – as you get stronger, you may need to go heavier.
• Pull-up bar: For, well, pull-ups.
• Resistance bands: Great for building strength without any weights.

P90X

{typically $120-140, depending where you purchase}

“What’s nice about is that it’s mostly body exercises and its a program so it has the workout plan and nutritional plan, which i nice for newbies. Me personally, I just used it for something different – gotta switch it up from time to time and it is a great way to do that. ” – Lamont | Mesa, AZ

Not for the faint of heart, P90X is known for giving you a killer workout. The workouts are 90 minutes each and include cardio, a whole lotta strength training and some yoga.

You don’t already need to be fit to start P90X! You can modify things to your fitness level and you can always restart from the beginning after getting into shape the first go around.

These workouts are designed for people looking to get stronger, build lean muscle and get into all around better shape. The program is designed to keep your body on its toes, constantly varying movements. P90X goes for a total of 90 days.

Recommended Equipment

P90X does require just a couple of things to get you started.

• Fitness mat: This is an intense workout program. You don’t want to be sliding on carpet or jumping on your hard tile.
• Dumbbells: They don’t need to be heavy.
• Yoga mat: For yoga and core work.
• Pull-up bar: For, well, pull-ups.

Insanity

{typically $120-140, depending where you purchase}

“I like the challenge the Insanity workouts give you. The workouts are tough and you can set your pace, but Shaun T motivates you and it really pushes you to the max so you end up giving it your all. It’s the best home workout I have found, no equipment required. It’s a 90 day program and the workouts get more intense as you go. I think the best part is the sense of accomplishment you feel after doing Insanity. ” – Beth | Phoenix, AZ

Insanity is pretty similar to P90X in terms of intensity. These workouts, instead, last only 45 minutes and the program only lasts 60 days.

The primary difference between Insanity and P90X is that Insanity is targeted specifically at cardiovascular ability and weight loss. In a gross over generalization (I know, I know…), I would say that women tend to prefer Insanity, while men tend to prefer P90X. Of course, this isn’t always the case. Insanity just happens to targets the majority of women and their goals.

Recommended Equipment

Insanity does not require any equipment. However, we do recommend just one thing:

• Fitness mat: This is an intense workout program. You don’t want to be sliding on carpet or jumping on your hard tile

Core De Force

{usually starts around $60 – prices vary}

“Core De Force is one of my favorite programs because it really challenged me and it was fun at the same time. The MMA/Boxing style workouts made the time fly and had me feeling like I could kick someone’s butt at the same time. The program also significantly improved my strength and cardiovascular endurance, which surprised me since it was only 30 days!” – Katie | Littleton, CO

Core De Force is a super targeted, intense core workout. You’ll use boxing and MMA to work your core in ways you didn’t even know were possible.

What’s cool about it is each round is only 3 minutes so you only have to work for 180 seconds at a time. The short duration with frequent breaks allows you to really go all out during your working time.

The plan goes for 30 days, starting you at 6 rounds (3 min each) and working up to 12. Your core is what gives you stability, power, and of course, those 6 pack abs you’ve been dreaming of.

Recommended Equipment

Core De Force does not require any equipment. However, we do recommend just one thing:

• Fitness mat: This will give your joints some shock absorbency and keep you from slipping on tile or laminate.

Related content >> Home Gym: Foam vs. Rubber

Tone It Up

{free!*}

“I LOVE (like really love) the Tone It Up workout plans! Their Summer Bikini Series is amazing! Free workout plan, daily workouts, videos and a VERY involved community (lots of hashtags) to keep you motivated and involved. Their workouts mix both cardio (running, HIIT, and days where you can pick), weights, body weight moves and yoga – I love the diversity! They also have a meal plan (clean eating focused) but that has a membership cost.” – Nicole | Chandler, AZ

Tone It Up, 21 Day Fix and Bikini Body Guide aren’t all that different. These workouts all primarily target women and offer easy-to-accomplish workouts you can do just about anywhere. Tone It Up offers a more intuitive approach to working out. This is really great for anyone who has struggled with eating or over exercise issues.

One of the great things about Tone It Up is that you can easily swap out workouts if there’s something else you want to do. They give you a guideline but, at the end of the day, it’s up to you. If you have a random and sometimes chaotic schedule, this flexibility can be such a blessing.

Recommended Equipment

Many Tone It Up workouts require no equipment at all. Here are a few things to get you going so you can accomplish just about any of their workouts.

• Fitness mat: This is especially useful for floor exercises and plyometrics. Plus, it gives you a dedicated workout space.
• Soft mat. Softer and cozier than a traditional fitness mat. Great for core work and stretching.
• Dumbbells. For strength training workouts.
• Yoga mat. For yoga, pilates and core work.

*Note: Workouts are free, but specific plans do cost money.

Related content >> Home Gym Flooring Buyer’s Guide

DoYogaWithMe

{free for most videos, $5/month subscription gets you all videos and no ads}

“DoYogaWithMe.com is the most extensive, enriching, generous yoga website I’ve come across. And most of it is FREE, what!? Fiji McAlpine and Tracy Noseworthy are among the best teachers I’ve had the pleasure to practice with!” – Brittany | New York, NY

DoYogaWithMe.com is a humble but mighty site. Their goal is to offer as much free, high-quality yoga instruction as possible to make yoga accessible for everyone. They offer challenges, tutorials, and programs for all levels from novice to super yogi.

This site embodies the spirit of yoga – there is no ego, only quality instruction for everyone. This is a great add-on for anyone who wants to incorporate yoga into their routine without spending an arm and a leg at a yoga studio. Or, there is enough content on the site to make this your entire yoga practice and workout regimen.

Recommended Equipment

You can start doing yoga with just your body, but these will make it a little easier and more enjoyable.

• Yoga mat: The floor is hard and slippery.
• Yoga block:. Helps with balance and flexibility.

In conclusion

There’s lots of home workouts you can try with little or minimal equipment. Have a favorite we didn’t include? Share it in the comments! We’d love to help spread the word about all the great fitness programs out there.