As spring and summer begin to approach, I wanted to take some time to outline some easily accessible home workouts for you all. Before beginning the workout, please take into account your current fitness level and any physical limitations you have. Not all exercises are right for everyone and some should be avoided or modified.
Try These Home Workout Ideas: Circuit Style or Trisets?
Next, before picking a workout, it’s important to solidify your fitness goals. Knowing what you want to accomplish will help you more accurately pick out a fitness program that will work best for you.
If you’re new to working out and/or have more than 20 pounds you would like to lose, I recommend circuit style workouts.
Circuit style workouts are 5-8 exercises (this would be called the circuit) done 2-3 times through with minimal rest periods in between exercises (20-40-seconds if possible) and no more than a minute in between circuits if possible.
These workouts are designed to burn calories and keep you moving. Exercises can be done for reps or time. Please pick a rep range and/or interval that is challenging, but not unrealistic.
Finding a healthy challenge is the name of the game when it comes to health/wellness.
Now, if you want to tone and shape, have been working out for a while, and/or want to lose 5-10 pounds max, then I would recommend triset workouts for you.
Trisets are three exercises done 2-3 times through with minimum rest in between movements (20-40 seconds), and no more than a minute rest in between each triset. Two trisets per workout is usually what I would recommend, but that can vary by the individual.
Trisets are geared towards toning/shaping and building muscle. The heavier resistance and lower reps you go, the more bulky your muscle gains will most likely be. If you stay in the 20-25 rep range with light-moderate weights, you will most likely be burning fat and building minimal lean muscle.
With all this being said, I recommend (for most individuals) training at moderate weight at 15 reps when it comes to trisets. This won’t bulk an individual up, but it will create visible lean cuts on the body.
This is usually a great route for women that don’t mind adding 3-7 pounds of muscle onto their frames.
Please note that adding 5-7 pounds of muscle to most women’s bodies will not make anyone look beefy or roided out. Depending on one’s body fat percentage, it will most likely create aesthetically-pleasant, lean cuts that will make one look more athletic.
If you’re unsure of what workout type is right for you, please consult a fitness professional. Everyone’s body responds differently to different programs, so it’s important to know what is going to work best for you.
Feel free to reach out to me with any questions you might have as well. I’m happy to help find what’s going to work best for you!
Lastly, please note that there are many more types of workouts besides circuit style and trisets. These are just the two main types I like to recommend for most individuals.
Types Of Exercises
Furthermore, it’s important to note that circuits and trisets can be very specific when it comes to exercises chosen (catering to specific muscle groups or body parts) or cater to the total body.
It’s all about what you need, your overall fitness program, fitness level, injuries/physical limitations, and what type of workouts you enjoy.
Notice I did mention exercise you enjoy. Much of fitness is about discipline, sticking to your plan even when you don’t want to, etc. However, I feel it’s best to find some enjoyment out of what you’re doing or why do it?
If you’re only liking the results, I highly recommend trying to find a workout routine that can give you similar results and create more joy for yourself.
With this being said, if this isn’t attainable and the gains are what keep you going, then that’s totally cool too.
I’m just a big believer in if you can find enjoyment out of physical activity and get your desired outcome, then go that route, since it’s better for the soul, psyche, and heart, and will most likely create more sustainability and longevity in your fitness journey.
Sample Circuit Workout
Below is a sample total body circuit. Please modify and add in whatever you need. I’m using only bodyweight movements for this example in case folks don’t have access to equipment at this time.
- Pushups
- Leg raises
- Lunge hops
- Pikeups
- Fire hydrants
Sample Triset Workout
Below is a sample triset workout. Please modify and add as needed. Again, I’m using bodyweight exercises in case folks don’t have access to equipment. This is a total body workout as well.
Triset #1
- Diamond pushups
- Sumo squats
- flutter kicks
Triset #2
- Russian twist
- Lateral lunges
- Side plank hip dip
Wrap-Up
Thank you for taking the time to read this article! I hope it has given you some valuable ideas on how to improve your home workouts. If you have any questions or comments, please email me here.
Alexis is grateful to be a NASM-certified personal trainer and a Mad Dogg Athletics-Certified Spin Instructor. Her mission is to help all individuals achieve their best selves, and have the happiest and healthiest lives possible. Her specialities are resistance training, TRX, bodybuilding, HIIT/VIIT/LIIT, spin, corework, functional moment, nutrition, and weight loss.
She is honored to be a guest contributor for DIY Active and wishes to inspire and motivate all readers. Please feel free to email her at [email protected] for more info about wellness, fitness, and personal training including virtual options.
