How To Have A Successful At-Home Workout

Whoever said the gym is the only place to achieve a great workout clearly hasn’t explored the endless possibilities of at-home fitness! While the gym is undoubtedly convenient with its equipment, space, and resources, it’s not the only place you can work out. If you can make it to the gym—great, go for it! But if you can’t, for whatever reason, that doesn’t mean you have to skip your workout entirely. With a little creativity and preparation, you can burn calories, train your muscles, and boost your mood—all from the comfort of your home. Below, I’ve put together a step-by-step guide to help you set up, prepare, and crush a successful at-home workout.

📌 SAVE HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL AT HOME WORKOUT FOR LATER!

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase by clicking on the link, I may be compensated – at NO additional cost to you. Read the full disclosure here. My blogging dreams would not be possible without you, so thank you for your continuous support. It means the absolute world to me! XO

---

HOW TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL WORKOUT AT HOME

---

1. Choose The Perfect Workout Location

INDOORS WORKOUT

Choose a space in your home or apartment that you will be able to CONSISTENTLY workout in.

Whether it be your bedroom, living room, office or the basement (if you have one) make sure you choose a place that:

• You feel comfortable in
• Will motivate you to workout in
• Has enough space for you to move around in
• Can be used at any time that you need to workout
• Is not overly crowded (you don’t want to injure yourself!)
• The room temperature is fit 
• Is private (if you live with others)

Since I have a basement, I have turned one of the extra rooms in my basement into a “little gym”. This room has an en-suite bathroom with a shower, cabinets for equipment (well, these were previously kitchen cabinets hahaha), and a mirror. It’s also the coldest room in the house, which is a blessing in the summer, but a curse in the winter, haha!

OUTDOORS WORKOUT 

If you don’t want to exercise indoors and you have a backyard, patio, or deck, use this space to get some sunlight and a good workout in.

Ideally, you should choose a place that:

• Is safe for you to do any kind of exercise in
• Does not interfere with neighbors or nature
• You feel comfortable in 
• Won’t distract you from your workout 

2. Equip Yourself Like A Pro

BASIC EXERCISE EQUIPMENT

Once you have chosen a location to workout in, it is time to properly equip yourself. There is just so much you can get and if you truly enjoy at-home workouts you should definitely try to buy more equipment in the future. But for now, let’s just focus on the very basic equipment that will help you achieve a successful at-home workout. All of the items mentioned below could easily be purchased at a low cost. So, I do suggest that you invest in some of these items if you want to treat your at-home workout seriously.

AT HOME EQUIPMENT

• Dumbbells
• Kettlebells 
• Ankle/Wrist weights
• Resistance bands
• Stretching strap
• Yoga Mat  
• Yoga ball

But, if you really don’t want to invest in any equipment, learn how to transform household items into exercise equipment here! 

EQUIPMENT TO KEEP YOU MOTIVATED

The last thing you want to be when working out is bored, uninspired or lost.

Since staying motivated to workout at home is a lot harder than at the gym, it’s important that you find ways to motivate yourself. Your workout time should be a time that you look forward to during your day. To ensure that, you have to equip yourself with proper entertainment and motivation.  So, the “equipment” I’m going to mention below is something most people use on a daily basis and is necessary for at home workouts!

1. MUSIC

I don’t know about you, but whenever I listen to music, I become a much more happier, energetic, and motivated version of myself. Music is an incredible energy booster. It makes you want to MOVE and get work done, doesn’t it? So when you workout with music playing in the background, not only does the music help you distract yourself from the pain you’re feeling, but it also gives you a little energy boost to keep on going!

PRO TIP: CREATE DIFFERENT PLAYLISTS FOR DIFFERENT MUSCLE GROUPS

• Abs playlist
• Arms playlist
• Biceps and triceps playlist
• Legs playlist
• Glutes playlist

That way, you won’t get tired of listening to the same songs over and over again.

2. TIMERS

I love using timers when working out because timers help you:

• Keep track of how long you spend on every exercise.
• Ensure that you complete each exercise on both sides of your body for the same amount of time.
• Be aware of what you are doing. 

Since Pamela Reif includes timers in all her workouts, I always play her videos when I workout. I join her workouts 90% of the time, but whenever I feel like doing my own workout, I just play her workouts in the background and use her timers. Sneaky, right? Hahaha.

3. YOUTUBE

If you don’t know where to begin, how to exercise, or what routines you should follow to train different muscles, YouTube is the place to go. 

From giving you workout ideas, to providing music and timers , fitness YouTubes will help take your at-home workout experience to the next LEVEL. I don’t think at-home workouts would be the same without the help of great fitness channels. I also don’t think I would currently be so insanely obsessed with working out if I wouldn’t have come across some amazing workout videos on YouTube. Not only have they personally helped me grow my passion for fitness, but they have also helped me learn how to properly exercise while learning fitness terms.

Some of my favorite channels are:

• Pamela Rf
• Chloe Ting
• MAD Fit
• Blogilates
• Rebecca Louise
• POPSUGAR
• Koboko fitness.

Most of these channels contain a variety of workout routines for different muscles, tips on how to improve your workouts, timers for each exercise and music to go along with the workout. Literally everything you need for a perfect workout and they’re all FREE. 

You can read more about my top 5 fitness channels on youtube, here!

3. Prepare Yourself Properly

In order to have a successful at-home workout, you have to treat your home as you would the gym. If you take the time to prepare a gym bag for the gym, you must do the same for home. Your at-home workout prep-time is so so so important. 

“By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail” 

So how will you prepare for your AT-HOME workout? I will break it down for you…..

1. Get yourself a nice gym bag, if you don’t have one yet. I personally LOVE drawstring bags. 

2. Fill out your gym bag, or better yet, your workout bag. Yeah, let’s call it that.

I usually prepare my workout/gym bag before I go to bed or in the morning. 

WHAT TO INCLUDE IN YOUR WORKOUT BAG: 

PRE-WORKOUT ESSENTIALS:

• Pre-workout supplements – If you take pre-workout supplements (I currently don’t), keep them inside of your bag.
• Stretching strap – I always stretch for about 10 minutes during my warm-up routine, so my stretching strap is always always in my bag! 

DURING WORKOUT ESSENTIALS:

• Workout gear – Unless you are planning to exercise in the clothes you’re currently wearing, add in a cute workout outfit to your bag! Good workout gear will motivate you to workout.
• Waist trainer belt – This is absolutely optional! I personally find waist trainer belts helpful for posture, sweating and shaping your waist, but if you don’t like using them, no worries!
• Water bottle: I can’t stress enough how important it is to hydrate while working out. If there is one thing you can’t forget to bring to your workout it is your water bottle. So, if you think you won’t remember to get one before your workout, add one into your bag in the morning! 

POST WORKOUT ESSENTIALS:

• Clothes – to change into after your workout. 
• Healthy snack(s) – hunger after a good workout is REAL, so always be prepared to have something to snack on after you finish your workout. 

Don’t know what to have after a good workout session? Here are 10 quick and healthy post-workout smoothie recipes! 

4. Plan For Success

Once you’re equipped and prepared, you have to set up a PLAN.  

“A goal without a plan is just a wish” 

DECIDE HOW LONG YOU PLAN TO WORKOUT FOR

• 15-20 minutes
• 20-25 minutes  
• 30-40 minutes  
• 45 min-1hr : *recommended* 
• 1 hour + 

Keep in mind that whatever time you choose now can be adjusted later on. If you want to start with 15 minutes and build on from that, that’s totally up to you! However, if I were to say anything, I would suggest taking one entire hour from your day to devote to your body.

DECICE WHAT TIME OF THE DAY YOU PLAN TO WORKOUT IN

• Morning 
• Afternoon 
• Evening :*recommended*
• Night

Choose a time that works best for you and your schedule. If you’re an early bird and want to sweat in the morning, go for it.

Otherwise, I truly recommend you get a workout in sometime after 5PM. 

DECIDE HOW MANY DAYS OF THE WEEK YOU WILL WORKOUT

• 2-3 days
• 3-5 days
• 5 days: *recommended*
• 6 days 

Just like it is important to exercise consistently, it is also important to give your body proper rest to let your muscles recover. So, make sure you give your body at least two rest days per week! If you need more, you do you!

5. Workout Effectively

Once you have found the perfect “gym-like” location in your home, equipped yourself with the correct equipment, properly prepared yourself, and set up a game plan- it is time to get to the actual workout. 

WARM-UP:

Before starting your workout, it’s important you get your heart pumping and prepare your muscles!

The warm up portion of your “workout” is probably the most important time of your entire workout.

If you don’t warm your body up before working out, you are automatically putting yourself in danger of being injured.

I personally learnt this the hard way (I injured myself in a workout in 2016) Which is why, I suggest that you take a few extra minutes before each workout, to warm-up and prevent an injury that can last for weeks and even months. 

WARM UP TIPS:

• Take about 10-15 minutes to warm-up
• Do STATIC Stretches: neck, shoulders, triceps, abdominal, glutes, hamstrings, and quads stretches. (15-30 seconds each)
• Do DYNAMIC Exercises : jumping jacks, push-ups, arm circles, leg swings, and squats (20 seconds each)

WORKOUT:

Once your body is all warmed-up, you are ready to workout. 

What you do during this time, is completely up to you. However, I do suggest that you refer to workout videos and programs online.

WORKOUT IDEAS:

• Create your own workout routine with your favorite exercises (click here for 100 bodyweight exercises)!
• Choose a muscle to work on and only complete exercises that target that muscle.
• Follow workout routines on YouTube.
• Follow fitness apps and programs online.
• Try one of my workouts (click here)

COOL DOWN:

After your workout take 3-5 minutes to stretch, so that your body cools down.

This will also help you prevent an injury. So, please don’t skip this step! 

TRACK YOUR PROGRESS:

One of the best ways to remain consistent is to track your progress daily.

And what a better way to track your progress than by using a workout planner. 

I love using workout planners because they help you be more accountable of the days you workout and the days that you rest.

If you have never used a workout planner before, or don’t have a workout planner, I have you covered. I have created a simple, but fun monthly workout planner to help you plan and keep track of your workouts.

THINGS YOU CAN RECORD IN THE WORKOUT PLANNER

• The muscles you worked on: abs, arms, glutes, etc
• How long you worked for: x amount of minutes
• Routines you followed: the name of the routine or video you followed

DOWNLOAD FREE MONTHLY WORKOUT PLANNER PRINTABLE

If you want to download this free PDF, enter your email below and you’ll get access to this workout planner PDF and my entire resource library! Once you sign up, you’ll receive an email with the password to my resource library! Just enter the password and you’ll be able to download this workout challenge and anything in my resource library.  

More Posts You May Like:

• At Home Workout Plan Basics | For Beginners
• 8 Benefits of Working Out At Home
• 100 Bodyweight Exercises To Try At Home
• 5 Reasons Why You Should Workout

FINAL THOUGHTS

I truly hope you were able to benefit from this post. Let me know in the comments if you enjoyed this post and if there are any at-home workout tips that you have!, Happy working out!  

Until next time,

Gabby Abigail

Let’s Stay Connected On Social Media!

Instagram | Twitter | Pinterest | TikTok | Facebook |

All the information/advice/tips given above are to inspire you, not to replace the advice of a professional. Although GABBYABIGAILL has taken much time, consideration and research to ensure the accuracy of the information displayed above, GABBYABIGAILL will not be responsible or liable for any actions taken by your part.