You've been counting down the hours at work since four o'clock. Somebody sneezed on you on the train. Your key got stuck in the lock again. We get it: there is just no way you're going back out there. But that doesn't have to mean you can't get in a solid workout.
Natalie Rado McClure, NASM CPT, was a traveling trainer in New York City for nine years, where she worked one-on-one with clients in their tiny apartments. We teamed up to get these four workouts, all of which you can complete in your cool, quiet apartment (even if it's not so cool or quiet at all).
From supersets to tabata to circuits, these four plans are designed to help you melt away fat and build muscle and endurance in the privacy of your home (even if it's tiny). Each workout can be repeated or combined with others in the series to build your transformation plan. Just be sure to always begin with 2-3 minutes of jumping jacks, high knees, or dynamic stretching to get warmed up, and never skip out on a cool down.
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WORKOUT #1 THE SUPERSET WORKOUT
Looking to work your entire body in one go? This 40-minute superset workout will hit every spot, with each set targeting a different major muscle group. After each 4-exercise set, you can take a 30-60 second break. If you want to add a bigger cardio challenge, skip it.
SUPERSET #1-2 SETS
Flys with hips in a bridge (12 reps): Lie on your back and push your hips to the ceiling, keeping knees hip-width apart, not letting your IT Bands take over to flare your knees out to the sides. Use weights that you can control in the flye so you can keep proper form throughout.
Bicycle crunches (30 seconds): Aim to get your elbow to your knee and twist from the core. Move your legs as if you are riding a large bicycle in a circle motion.
Slow Pushups (4 counts down, 2 counts up—15 reps) If you cannot control this motion, don't hesitate to modify by dropping your knees to the floor.
Rollups (5 reps): Start by lying down on the mat with legs extended and arms extended over-head. Inhale and then as you peel yourself off the mat, exhale, rolling up one vertebrae at a time, pulling the belly button in and away from the waist band of your pants. Reach for your toes, inhale to reset the movement, and then roll down slowly, one vertebrae at a time pulling the belly button in, trying not to let your back plop to the floor.
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SUPERSET #2-2 SETS
Plank rotators (10-12 reps): Start in a push-up position, move to a high side plank, then back to push up position, then side plank on opposite arm.
Squats (12-15 reps): Hold two dumbbells in your hands. Use a chair or your couch as a guide or target for the positioning of the squat. Make sure to keep your weight in your heels, not your toes. You can pull your toes up to the inside of your shoes to make sure you aren't letting your weight fall forward in this position. Try to keep your back flat, feet hip-width apart, big toes parallel, and gaze forward, not to the floor.
Balance shoulder press: Shoulder press while balancing on one leg—Keep weights fairly low and do 10 reps on one leg and then switch legs, performing 10 more reps.
Split squat: Holding two dumbbells, stagger the feet, front foot flat, back heel up. Put most of your weight in your front foot and bend both legs, making sure not to put your body weight into your toes. Again, pull the toes up to the inside of your shoes to ensure that your weight is in your heels, not toes.
SUPERSET #3-2 SETS
Plank knee pulls: Start in a pushup position. Tuck right knee to left elbow crossing the body and then left knee to right elbow crossing the body, getting a nice crunch in the lower abs. Do 10 reps on each side.
Reverse flys: Soften the knees, bend at the waist so that your torso is somewhat parallel to the floor, and hold two dumbbells in your hands, "fly" both hands up to the ceiling, really pulling your shoulder blades together, thinking of trying to hold a pencil between your shoulder blades as you contract. Perform 12 reps, taking your time, and not speeding through the movement.
Standing bicep curls: While balancing on one leg, perform 10 reps on each leg.
Walking planks: Start in a high plank and then walk down to a plank on forearms and then push up back into plank. 10 reps.
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WORK OUT #2 THE LADDER WORKOUT
You might think that with just four exercises and no equipment, this would be a good workout to save for an easy day. You would be wrong.
Start with 16 reps of each exercise, then to 14, 12, 10, 8, 6. It may sound manageable enough, but here's the catch: you won't be taking a single break. Twenty to thirty minutes later, you'll definitely be feeling it. For a challenge, finish it off with a bonus round of another 16 reps. No matter what, be sure to foam roll at the end—skip out and you'll regret it tomorrow.
1) Squat thrusts/burpees
2) Tick-tock lunges: Lunge forward and then if you can, lunge backward on the same leg without stopping in the middle to touch the floor with your foot so it becomes a balance challenge as well. One rep is a forward and backward movement. If you were on the 16 reps, you would perform 8 on the right leg and then 8 on the left.
3) Mountain climbers: One rep is both knees coming up to the chest.
4) Basic pushups
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WORKOUT #3 THE TABATA WORKOUT
HIIT—high intensity interval training—is the ultimate fat-burning workout. Whether you're looking to recover from a few days off the diet train or trying to kickstart your weight loss goal, this is the workout for you. The tabata method alternates 20 seconds of work (the hardest you can go) with 10 seconds of rest, for 8 sets. This comes out to a total of four minutes. Take no more than 30-90 seconds of rest in between each round. At the end, be sure to do some stretching or foam rolling to loosen up.
Download a free tabata timer on your smartphone to keep you focused and on task through this killer workout.
1) Front plank: If you feel your form start to slip, do this on your knees. Make sure to squeeze every muscle as tight as you can, pulling your belly button in and away from the waistband of your pants. Do not let your hips hike up.
2) Kettlebell Swings: You don't need a kettle bell for this one. You can just use a dumbbell vertically and swing it.
3) Lateral hops: With both feet together, jump over an imaginary line or an actual line on the floor if you've got one. Try to keep your feet as close together as possible and try to keep the jump as small as possible.
4) Hand walks: Roll down one vertebrae at a time, controlled but quick, to the floor walk out to a plank position, and then walk back to your feet, rolling up to the start.
5) Side planks: On your right forearm, balance and push your hips to the ceiling raising your right hand to the ceiling. Hold. For a bigger challenge, raise that left leg up and hold. Then, switch sides.
6) Basic jumping jacks
7) Reverse lunges: Hold dumbbells in your hands for more of a challenge and a bigger calorie burn.
8) Russian twists: Balancing on your sits bones, hold one dumbbell in both hands, and twist from left to right. If balancing your heels off the floor seems like too much, just connect your heels to the floor for more support.
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WORKOUT #4 ALTERNATING CARDIO AND WEIGHT CIRCUIT
This is the most flexible workout in the series. It is a circuit of 10 exercises you will perform for 30 seconds each, 2-3 sets through. If you're looking for an intense cardio burn, take it at a pace similar to the Tabata workout. If you're trying to focus on strength alone, feel free to take it slow, moving consciously through the positions to build up strength. Modify to fit your needs, but no matter how you do it, be sure to cool down.
1) Standing overhead shoulder press: Balance on one leg for a bigger challenge.
2) Butt kickers: Like you're jogging in place but kick your butt with your heels.
3) Plank row: In a pushup position, hold two dumbbells on the floor. Alternate right elbow up to the ceiling, then the left.
4) Mountain climbers
5) Lateral lunges with dumbbells: Step out to the right with the right foot (really wide!), bend the right knee while keeping the left leg straight and frame your right bent leg with the dumbbells. Come back to start and repeat on the left leg.
6) Squat jumps
7) Pushups
8) Pushup jacks: In a pushup position, jump your feet out and in like you are doing a jumping jack but on the floor.
9) Superman: Lie on your stomach, hold a 3lb-5lb weight in both hands, lift your chest, arms, and legs off the floor and hold for 2 seconds, then release to the floor, repeat.
10) High knees
