Torn between going all out on workouts and just staying at home? You can actually do both! Fitness writer Adam Dachis gives step-by-step instructions on how to workout at home with the use of only your body weight (and some pieces of furniture, occasionally). 

4 Bodyweight Workout Rules 

Before you attempt to begin your overall body workout feat, here are some fundamental rules you need to note according to Dachis. 

• Remember when to breathe. Trust me, there are special instructions on proper timing for breathing so you don’t mess up with your system. (The author tells you how as he gives the instructions for the bodyweight exercises.) 

• Prioritize your form. Dachis says, 

“If you do an exercise wrong, what seems like progress initially will quickly dissipate and possibly result in injury.” 

• Perform more slowly (except for aerobic exercises). Engage your muscles. 
• Spend all your strength. In other words, don’t stop until you hit the goal. And, the goal is, according to Dachis, failing. Well, at least he means exercising until your strength fails. 

How To Workout At Home

To do an overall bodyweight workout right in your home, Dachis says you need to be sure about hitting the following areas: 

• Upper Body 
• Core or Midsection 
• Lower Body 
• Cardio (or a cardio alternative) 

Now here are the corresponding recommendations. 

Upper Body

Training your upper body means working your chest, arms, and shoulders. For this purpose, Dachis recommends doing push-ups, dips, and curls. 

In doing push-ups, Dachis presents an excellent method in determining how far you should go. 

“Do as many push-ups as you can without taking a break…Take the total number of push-ups you were able to do and cut that down to half…Next time you do your push-ups, do three sets of that number…with 60-90 seconds breaks in between.”

Core 

To work out your core at home, you can include the following exercises into your routine. 

• Roll Up 
• Half-Roll Down 
• Hundred (see his video for the demonstration) 
• Basic Plank (or a modification, such as Plank Jump-Ins) 

Lower Body 

To engage the muscles of your lower body, do some squats and stair-steps or step-ups. 

If you feel anything like ditching these exercises as unnecessary, just remember what the writer says: 

“…you’ll be neglecting multiple areas if you don’t bother with your lower body specifically.”

Cardio 

For a heart-healthy, aerobic, bodyweight exercise, most people would immediately think about running. And yet, Dachis says most people would also want anything else but running for 30-60mins or so. Luckily, there’s his other way. 

“Interval training is an excellent alternative that essentially involves working much harder for a shorter period of time.”

He also recommends stair climbing. And I agree that it’s especially more effective if you skip every other step. 

Start Your Total Bodyweight Home Workout Now 

Now that you’ve quite figured out how to workout at home just with the use of your body, I think it’s time to brush off excuses aside. 

Move before you no longer can. 

View original article at lifehacker.com.