Free workout-at-home exercise training plan for beginners
Interrupt prolonged sitting. Move every day. Exercise is medicine.
Boost your cardiovascular fitness, increase your strength, get healthy, and learn how to train smart.
A structured, scientific, and educational exercise training plan for folks who are new to exercise and want to workout at home.
Informed by experimental and empirical evidence.
Designed by Thomas Solomon: a PhD scientist, an ACSM-certified Exercise Physiologist, and a UKVRN-registered nutritionist.
Do you regularly use this training plan?
If you are new to this plan, it is essential that you read all of the information below before using it. So, scroll down and keep reading. 
If you're a regular existing user of this plan, click the arrow below to jump down to the plan.
Important medical information
Liability: Accessing and using the content (including, but not limited to, the training plan and physical exercises) on this page are voluntary and you use the content at your own risk. Thomas Solomon assumes no liability for damage, loss, injury, illness, or death which may occur when using the content. See terms of use for more info.
Why is a physically active lifestyle important?
It is super important to incorporate physical activity into your habits of daily living because physical inactivity is a major risk factor for several chronic conditions. As Dr John Thyfault and I once wrote, "type 2 diabetes sits in a chair". However, by frequently interrupting prolonged inactivity and combining that with daily exercise, you will be armed with a powerful preventative tool. So, if you're stuck at home, help yourself resist the seduction of inactivity and use this free training plan to motivate your physical activity journal and stay healthy, fit, and strong.
Interrupt prolonged sitting. Move every day.
Exercise is medicine.
The training plan below runs on a 7-day cycle and automatically updates daily to show today's training session.
It includes three strength sessions and six cardiorespiratory fitness sessions each week.
Some days include a strength session and a cardio session; other days only include a cardio session.
Free workout-at-home exercise training plan:
Today's training:
(updated every day)
(updated every day)
Each session suggests an exercise duration, rest duration, and number of circuits, but these are flexible. Choose a duration/number that is sensible considering your exercise training history and current fitness level.
There are clickable buttons to take you to information about training intensity (RPE scale), descriptions of warm-up and cool-down routines, and exercise videos.
If you have a newborn baby, they don't have to be an "activity barrier"; check out the exercise with a baby videos. | Strength building workout: | |
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| Circuit exercises (clickable links to videos): Plank → Lying straight-legged raise → Bench dip → Standing calf-raise → Hip hinge → Forward lunge (alternating legs) → Alternating bird dog → Glute bridge → Incline push-up → Squat. |
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| Cardiorespiratory fitness building workout: | |
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| Cardio exercise examples (clickable links to videos): Marching on the spot │ Stair-stepping │ Even Eliud Kipchoge does stair-stepping workouts (click here) |
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TRAINING TIP OF THE DAY:
Share this training plan with your people:Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE), Breathing rate, and the Talk test — how hard should you train?
Learn to be aware of your feelings, your breathing rate, and your ability to talk/sing, and set your training intensities according to your Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) out of 10, where RPE 1/10 is being sat down doing nothing and RPE 10/10 is maximal. Study the diagram below to learn what level of exertion to give for the various training intensities.
| RPE | Intensity | Breathing | Talk test |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 to 4 out of 10 |
Easy exertion | Easy breathing |
Can talk. Can sing. |
| 4 to 6 out of 10 |
Moderate exertion | Increased breathing |
Can talk. Can't sing. |
| 6 to 8 out of 10 |
Vigorous exertion | Heavy breathing |
Difficult to talk. Can't sing. |
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Exercise videos for workout-at-home training plan.
(clickable links to instructional videos)
IMPORTANT: If you are new to using this training plan, spend the first couple of weeks simply studying the exercises below and practising proper technique (click links for videos). This will enable you to get stronger in a safe and healthy manner. Always "train smart to get fast and strong".
Strength exercise circuit:
Plank
→ Lying straight-legged raise
→ Bench dip
→ Standing calf-raise
→ Hip hinge
→ Forward lunge (alternating legs)
→ Alternating bird dog
→ Glute bridge
→ Incline push-up
→ Squat.
Cardio exercise examples:
Marching on the spot
Stair-stepping. Even Eliud Kipchoge did stair-stepping workouts during his journey to running a 1:59 marathon:
Stair-stepping. Even Eliud Kipchoge did stair-stepping workouts during his journey to running a 1:59 marathon:
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Warm-up and cool-down for workout-at-home training plan.
(clickable links to videos)
WARM-UP
Activation exercises:Complete 5-reps (5 per leg/arm) of each exercise at a low-intensity (RPE 2-4/10), and move on to the next exercise.
Rocking frog. ¦ Lying hip internal rotation. ¦ Lying hip external rotation. ¦ Walking knee hugs. ¦ Walking ankle grabs. ¦ Walking squats. ¦ Resistance band shoulder rotations. ¦ Resistance band pull-aparts. ¦ Windmill arm swings (both directions).
Progressive effort Step-Ups: (using the lower step of your stairs or a doorstep)Start with 1 minute at an Easy exertion (RPE 2-4/10)
Followed by 1 min at a Moderate exertion (RPE 4-6/10)
Then 30 seconds at a Vigorous effort (RPE 6-8/10).
Warm-up complete. You are ready to rock!
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COOL-DOWN
1 minute of Easy exertion activity (RPE 2-4/10): Marching on-the-spot, walking, cycling, row-erg, etc.
Static stretching Hold each of the following positions for 5 to 30 seconds, relax for 5 seconds, and move on to the next exercise:
(NOTE → if this is your first time using these exercises, start by holding them for 5 seconds and each week increase the duration by 5 seconds until you reach 30 seconds.)
Abdominal stretch. ¦ Chest stretch. ¦ Biceps stretch. ¦ Triceps stretch. ¦ Hamstring stretch. ¦ Quad stretch. ¦ Hip flexor stretch. ¦ Side-lunge adductor stretch. ¦ Calf stretch. ¦ Back stretch. ¦ Seated lower-back stretch. ¦ Lat stretch. ¦ Thoracic spine stretches. ¦ Front deltoid stretch. ¦ Side deltoid stretch. ¦ Rear deltoid stretch.
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How to exercise with a baby.
Don't allow your newborn to prevent you from being physically active check out the videos below. IMPORTANT: No babies were harmed in the making of these videos. My wife and I don't have children, so I was forced to use a practical substitute.
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