Skip the gym and try this at-home workout instead
You don't need to go to the gym or buy lots of fancy equipment to start strength training. All you need is your bodyweight and the right workout video.
Personal trainer Anna Engelschall is one of the most popular PTs on YouTube, publishing regular home workouts on her channel Growingannanas. Her workouts are ideal for people who want to develop muscle and boost their metabolism without a gym membership.
Engelschall’s just shared a brand-new bodyweight workout that’s quickly racking up views. The no-jumping routine is low-impact and doesn't require any equipment, so it's accessible to a wide range of people, but it’s challenging enough to help you build strength.
Bodyweight workouts are great for toning muscle, as well as improving balance and coordination.
You can follow along with Engelschall by watching the video. The best part? It only takes 30 minutes and that includes a warm-up.
It's really important to focus on good exercise form to get the most out of this workout. Bad form can lead to injury and it also minimizes the effectiveness of each exercise.
Try not to rush through the movements. Instead, think about moving intentionally, completing the full range of motion and increasing the time your muscles are under tension, which will challenge your muscular strength and endurance.
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Keep your core engaged throughout, whether you're standing, planking or lying down, which will increase your core strength and also improve your posture. To do this, squeeze your abdominal muscles, as if you're preparing to be punched in the stomach, but don't hold your breath!
There's a short warm-up included in this video, but if you'd prefer a more thorough routine because you're feeling tight or dealing with an injury, you'll find more dynamic stretches in this explanation of how to warm up.
If you liked this workout, try Growingannanas Tabata workout next.
Alice Porter is a freelance journalist covering lifestyle topics including health, fitness and wellness. She is particularly interested in women's health, strength training and fitness trends and writes for publications including Stylist Magazine, Refinery29, The Independent and Glamour Magazine. Like many other people, Alice's personal interest in combining HIIT training with strength work quickly turned into a CrossFit obsession and she trains at a box in south London. When she's not throwing weights around or attempting handstand push-ups, you can probably find her on long walks in nature, buried in a book or hopping on a flight to just about anywhere it will take her.
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