Home Gym Workout Plan: How Effective Can Such A Routine Be Compared To Gym?

You don’t always need to go to the gym to achieve the physique of your dreams. 

Whether you hope to:

• Shed pounds
• Build some bulk
• Or maintain your current weight.

A well-constructed home gym workout plan can be as effective as working out at a commercial gym.

Here’s all you need to know about losing weight and building muscle mass and strength with an at-home workout plan.

What Is A Home Gym Workout Plan For A Beginner?

A home gym workout plan for beginners is an exercise routine formulated for the comfort of your home using little to no equipment.

Because the intended user of this plan is a beginner – someone who has never worked out before or perhaps has minimal knowledge/experience of working out – routine is also usually made up of basic yet effective workouts that lead to desired results.

Are Home Workouts As Effective As Gym Workouts?

Yes, home workout exercises are just as practical as gym workouts – Scientific research has repeatedly proved this.

Check out the evidence we found:

2017

In this study published in the Journal of Physiotherapy, researchers compared the effects of gym-based versus home-based workouts on adults living with chronic conditions.

The researchers divided the subjects into two groups, and they were all given a workout routine based on their group. 

All the subjects were required to follow the workout program for 12 months. 

Only the home-based workout group received a telephone follow-up for the first 10 weeks.

After the study period, the researchers found similar long-term clinical outcomes and long-term exercise adherence results in the two study groups. The only slight difference in outcomes was that the gym-based group showed better mental health outcomes than the home-based group.

The researchers suggested that this was because gym-based exercises forced people to leave the house and interact with others – thus reducing loneliness – but they were unsure if this was the reason (1).

2019

In this study, researchers looked at home training systems’ effectiveness on body composition and cardiometabolic health. 

The subjects in this study used:

• A multi-exercise pulley system
• An incline trainer for their workout routines

At the end of the 12-week study, researchers found that all 56 study subjects (27 in the multi-exercise pulley system and 29 using the incline trainer) saw significant decreases in body weight, fat mass, visceral fat, diastolic blood pressure, resting heart rate, and all circumference sites, as well as an increase in their aerobic fitness.

The men and women in the study experienced similar significant changes in all parameters except in lean tissue mass, where the women did not see any changes. 

The researchers concluded that home-based training systems and diet effectively produced positive changes (2).

The study shows that incorporating a home gym system in your home – perhaps in a spare bedroom or garage – offers the same physical changes as you would hope to see in the gym.

2021

In this study, researchers compared the effectiveness of home and gym-based workouts while taking note of the study subjects’ calorie intakes. 

The study period was 1 month with 100 subjects:

• 50 home-based exercisers
• 50 people working out at the gym
• All are between 19-39 years old.

At the end of the study period, the researchers concluded that both gym and home-based workouts have their benefits and that they cannot label one as more beneficial. Both workout types produced similar effects on waist-to-hip ratio, heart rate, and respiratory rate.

However, they noted that those who worked out at the gym had less body and visceral fat and that home-based workouts had clear, evident benefits in reducing waist circumference (3).

These 3 studies have shown that participating in consistent workout challenges at home can be as effective as exercising challenges at the gym. 

So, if you can’t make it to the gym, you can always find a home workout plan to start exercising today.

Read more: 6 Hard Bodyweight Exercises for Beginners to Try at Home

Can You Build Muscle With Home Workouts?

Yes, building muscle with a well-thought-out home gym workout plan is possible.

According to research, building muscle requires a combination of mechanical tension and metabolic stress – 2 things you can achieve through resistance training (4, 5).

Resistance training, aka strength training or weight training, puts your muscles under stress to the point where they break down. Your muscles repair themselves and become stronger through rest and a diet with adequate protein. 

The more you repeat this cycle of muscle breakdown through exercise, a good diet, and ample rest, the stronger and more prominent the muscles get.

2 more things that you need in a workout routine to build muscle effectively:

1. Compound exercises
2. Progressive overload

Compound Workouts 

These are exercises that use multiple joints and muscle groups at the same time. 

They are the opposite of isolation exercises, which target one muscle group. A common isolation exercise is a bicep curl. 

With a bicep curl, you are targeting the bicep brachii muscle. 

You can engage the bicep brachii muscle with compound movements, but a bicep curl only grows the biceps and not the entire upper body.

The debate on which compound or isolation exercises work better for muscle growth and strength remains heated, with some claiming that compound workouts work better and others stating that isolation and compound workouts have equal benefits (6, 7). 

For the most part, using compound and isolation movements in your exercise program is ideal. This balance is especially important if your main goal is hypertrophy (muscle mass increase).

As a beginner, we suggest focusing on compound workouts: 

• These compound movements help with increased muscle mass and strength.
• They use multiple muscles simultaneously, saving time.
• The calorie burn is typically higher, contributing to weight/fat loss. 
• They will help a beginner perfect the basic movements of strength training exercises. 

Once you get the form down for various major exercises, it will reduce the likelihood of injury and allow you to isolate specific muscle groups efficiently.  

When it comes to weight loss, progress is made by inches, not miles, so it’s much harder to track and a lot easier to give up. The BetterMe: Health Coaching app is your personal trainer, nutritionist, and support system all in one. Start using our app to stay on track and hold yourself accountable!

Progressive Workouts

Progressive workouts involve progressive overload, which is gradually increasing the intensity, duration, or volume of your workout program over time to challenge the body and muscles continually. Studies show that implementing this practice increases muscle mass and strength (8, 9).

When following a home workout routine that does not use equipment, some ways you can implement progressive overload include:

• Increase The Duration Of The Workout

From 20-30 minutes, then 45 minutes, etc.

• Increase the Workout Intensity

Try doing a HIIT workout where you do your regular workouts but at a much faster pace and with less time between sets.

• Increase Repetitions 

For example, if you had been doing 8 reps per set of exercises, increase the number to 10-12 reps.

• Increase The Number Of Sets 

From the regular 3 sets to 4-5 sets if you can

• Increase Resistance 

You can invest in simple equipment for home gym exercises like:

• A 45lb barbell
• Dumbbells
• Plates for the barbell
• Various kettlebell sizes

If these weights are not within your budget, try DIY weights, such as:

• Large water bottles
• Bags full of heavy books
• Cement weights

Resistance bands are also a cheap alternative for those who may not wish to DIY.

What Is A Home Gym Workout Plan For Getting Fit?

You will need an exercise plan that helps improve both your physical and cardiovascular/aerobic fitness.

What Exercises Should Be In A Home Gym Workout Plan?

These are the best ways to exercise at home, simple beginner-friendly tips and ideas to incorporate into an at home workout plan:

Warm-Up

We often overlook the warm-up part of a workout program, but it has more benefits than many realize. According to research, not only does warming up help get you mentally ready for the workout, but it also helps with enhancing muscle flexibility, joint mobility, and neuromuscular activation, which can help reduce the risk of common injuries such as strains and sprains (10).

Easy warm-up exercises to do before starting your workout include:

1. Forward and backward arm circles
2. Reverse, forward, and side lunges
3. 2-minute jump rope
4. Jumping jacks
5. Inchworms
6. Wall angels

Legs and Core Exercises

If you want stronger legs, defined glutes, and a smaller waist, then we recommend trying out the following exercises:

1. Bodyweight squats
2. Squat to oblique crunch
3. Glute bridge marches
4. Flutter kicks
5. Goblet squats
6. 30-second plank
7. Mountain climber
8. Deadbug

A good place to start could be to pick 4 of these exercises and do 5-8 reps of each exercise with 3 sets total. Remember to keep your core engaged and to breathe throughout the workout.

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Upper Body Workouts

To build those defined arms and sexy back muscles, try the following exercises:

1. Push-ups – If you cannot do regular pushups, opt instead for knee or wall pushups
2. Tricep Dips
3. Banded chest press
4. Banded seated rows
5. Banded bicep curls – You can also use water bottles for this one
6. Band arm pull-downs
7. Lateral raises
8. Hammer curls

Do 3 sets per workout with 5-8 reps per exercise. Start with just 3-4 exercises.

Cardio

Strength training is excellent for muscle mass and strength, but cardio is just as important, especially for cardiovascular health. 

Unlike strength training, Cardio also burns a ton of calories during the workout, which is fantastic for fat loss.

Some cardio exercises you can add to your routine include

1. Squat and box jumps
2. Jumping rope
3. Walking
4. Jogging in place
5. Burpees/mountain climbers
6. Running – you can run around your neighborhood or invest in a walking pad/treadmill if you can afford it.

Please Note:

Most of these lower, core, and upper body exercises fit a home workout no equipment routine. However, if you have some free weights, you can use them too to add some resistance to the exercise. Switch out the resistance bands for the free weights.

Read more: HIIT Calories Burned: Exploring the Science of HIIT Workouts

How Long Should A Home Workout Be?

The CDC recommends 150 minutes of exercise a week (11). 

There are several ways to break the minutes down and make it work for your life. 

A 30 minute workout 5 days a week as part of a 5 day workout routine at home could work.  

30 minutes of exercise a day is an excellent start for any beginner. 

Another exercise variation could look like:

• 60 minute workout session 2x weekly
• 30 minute workout session 1x weekly 

The 60 minute sessions could be longer walks or cardio, strength, and mobility training.

The main goal here is to hit that 150 minute mark each week, and there are many different ways to accomplish it, so find what works for you and try your best to stick with it!

If you do not have 30 continuous minutes to exercise, research shows that workout sessions between 10-15 minutes can help improve your weight and cardiovascular health (12, 13).

Is It Ok To Do Home Workout Everyday?

No, it is not. More is not always better when it comes to exercising. Always aim to have at least 24-48 uninterrupted hours of rest every week. 

You may choose to make one of the days an active recovery day where you do simple exercises like light swimming, walking, yoga, or light stretches, but always have a passive rest day to let the muscles simply rest and recover. Remember that muscle growth occurs when the body is at rest. 

Frequently Asked Questions

• Can home workout replace gym?

Yes, it can. As shown in the studies above, home workouts provide similar results on body composition and health as gym workouts. Feel free to switch to home workouts if you feel like quitting the gym.

• Can I gain muscle without a gym membership?

Yes, you can. Most home workouts generally use body weights instead of free weights. Research on bodyweight exercises – known as calisthenics – shows you can build muscle and gain strength without traditional gym workouts (14, 15, 16).

If you have weights at home, that’s even better. Remember, working out at a gym does not give you muscle – proper nutrition, rest/recovery, the exercises you do, and how you structure them lead to muscle mass and strength increases.

• Are 10-minute workouts effective?

Yes, they are. As mentioned above, mini and even micro-workouts throughout the day can be as effective as longer workouts lasting 30, 45, or even 60 minutes (13, 17). 

But when we compare the differing times, the main thing to pay attention to is the intensity with which you complete these workouts. A 15 minute workout with the same effort/intensity as a 45 minute workout will not lead to results. 

You are just doing a third of the workout by not manipulating the intensity and only shorting the time. But if you increase intensity and shorten the time, these two can give you similar results.

The Bottom Line

If you are considering switching to or starting a home gym workout plan, rest assured that you can achieve similar fitness results that gym goers achieve as long as you practice progressive overload. If you do not have weights at home, you may have to get creative with increasing resistance in your workouts, but progressive muscle mass and strength overload are still possible.