Quick home workouts are a great way to hit the major muscle groups when you only have 10 minutes in your schedule. Workouts do not have to be long and boring to be super effective. These workouts are not more than 10 minutes, but are very effective for burning fat and building lean muscle.
This workout can be done in the comfort of your home, and is just as advertised, “quick.” That does not mean that it is an easy workout. Your muscles will be worked hard in a short time, and like any fitness plan, the “pushing” part is up to you.
Quick Home Workouts for a Busy Life
We all need “quick” somewhere in our workout routines. We are all very busy with life, and we all have those days when there is just not much time to work out. However, there really is time to work out, because it does not take an hour to achieve a good workout. Most people think that you need to work out for an hour, or it’s just not worth it. But that’s simply not true.
It’s all about focus and intensity. In your average gym most people spend half their time chatting about their weekend activities, not doing muscle-building exercises. We have all seen it, and that is not the best course to be effective in the gym or at home.
10 Minute Workout is a Full Workout
There are many days when we don’t have 30 minutes. The important lesson is that even if you only have 10 minutes, a great 10 minute workout is nearly as effective as 30 minutes with enough intensity and focus, and certainly better than no workout at all.
These quick home workouts will cover all of the major muscles groups:
- Chest
- Back
- Shoulders
- Biceps
- Triceps
- Abdominals
- Legs
Warm-up and Stretching
Even though you only have a short time for your workout, you still want to take a few minutes to do proper warm-up. This is especially true if you are over 35 years old. You can suffer many different workout injuries as a result of poor warm-up, and they can be very debilitating.
So, here are some quick warm-ups to get the blood flowing and the muscles ready to exercise:
- 1 minute of light cardio to get the blood flowing and warm your muscles
- 1 minute of dynamic stretching to loosen your muscles
This is a must, as it will help you avoid injury and will result in a better workout. (1)
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Quick Home Workouts
The following quick home workouts are really effective for building strength and lean muscle. Your muscles will feel the burn, and you will get a light cardio workout as well.
This workout will target all major muscle groups:
Chest
20 Push-ups – Works your chest and triceps. You can also click for a complete home chest workout.
You can elevate your feet on a bench or exercise ball as shown below (which makes the push-up more difficult), or you can do traditional push-ups.
Back
10 Bent-over Dumbbell Side Raises – works your back and shoulders.
Shoulders
10 Dumbbell Side Raises – works your shoulders.
Triceps
10 Tricep dips – don’t forget your triceps…they make up 2/3 of your upper arm size.
You can perform bench dips with your feet on a bench (elevated) as shown below which is more difficult, or you can position your feet on the floor. You can also do the first cycle with elevated feet, and as your triceps fatigue do the second cycle with feet on the floor.
Click to see a complete tricep dips workout.
Biceps
12 Dumbbell curls – works your biceps and forearms.
You can do alternating curls, or both arms together to save time.
Click for a complete dumbbell arm workout.
Abs
20 Crunches – works your abs to work on your 6-pack.
Click for a complete ab workout at home.
Legs
10 Bodyweight Squats
Cardio
1 minute jumping rope, or jogging in place with high knee kicks to increase the intensity.
Workout Highlights:
- The 7 exercises above + jump rope are considered 1 cycle.
- Perform 2 cycles, with 1 minute rest between cycles.
- You can increase or decrease the number of reps for each exercise depending on your conditioning and fitness level.
- Do not rest between exercises within each cycle (rest only as long as it takes to get set-up for the next exercise).
- It’s a great idea to have 2 sets of dumbbells for your quick home workouts:
🏋️♀️ 🏋️♀️ — 1 set for larger muscles (chest and back) – 20# or 30#
🏋🏻♂️ — 1 set for smaller muscles (shoulders, biceps, triceps) – 10# or 15#
You can create variation in your quick home workouts by varying the reps as well as the exercises. Make sure your form is spot on, as this will improve the workout and also help you avoid injury.
These exercises are meant to be simple yet effective. Fundamentals, with their simplicity, always win the day!
Click for some more home workouts, and also to see our home workout videos.
David Williams
A diet and fitness enthusiast, David Williams is an ex-Army Airborne Ranger and Infantry soldier with decades of fitness and wellness experience. A West Point graduate with a degree in engineering, he focuses on technical research related to fitness, nutrition, and wellness. He loves the beach, and spending time with his wife and daughters.
References
- Contributors, W. M. D. E. (n.d.). Warm-up exercises: Do they improve performance and reduce injuries? WebMD. https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/benefits-of-warmup-exercises
