DIET & FITNESS

A 30-day strength training routine — no equipment

required
A one-month plan to tone your core, arms and lower body using only body-weight exercises.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends incorporating strength training exercises for all major muscle groups into a
fitness routine at least two times a week. Neustockimages / Getty Images

Jan. 1, 2020, 8:39 PM IST

By Stephanie Mansour

Happy new year! It is officially that time when we all start to panic
about our fitness level (or lack thereof ) and set some lofty goals for
2020. If you've been slacking on your fitness, one of the quickest
ways to start toning up is by incorporating strength training into
your routine.

It’s an important part of a well-rounded workout program that many

of us disregard in favor of cardio-focused exercise. The Department
of Health and Human Services recommends incorporating strength
training exercises for all major muscle groups into a fitness routine
at least two times a week. Not only can it improve bone density and
help reduce your risk of osteoporosis, but strength training builds
lean muscle mass, which helps burn fat while torching calories (thus
fast-tracking progress towards your beach body).

And you won't only see physical benefits from strength training —
you’ll also score some pretty big mental perks as well. Research
shows that strength training is associated with reductions in anxiety
symptoms, improvements in cognition and self-esteem, and
reduction in depression symptoms and improvement in sleep
quality for adults with diagnosed depression. My clients have
attested to feeling an increase in energy and feeling more positively
about themselves with the addition of strength training into their
workouts.

Convinced it’s time to put those muscles to work? We have a full-

body strength training workout that doesn’t require any equipment
whatsoever. Whether you’re pressed for time, lacking space or on a
tight budget, this workout only requires your body weight.

Research shows that whether you decide to do all of your strength

training in one day, or split up the workouts by muscle group (i.e. leg
day and arm day), your results will be similar. So decide what works
best for your schedule. For our purposes, we’ve split up the
workouts into different days in case you’re short on time and only
have 15 minutes a day to commit. But if you know you’ll be busier
tomorrow than today and want to knock out two workouts, feel free!

An easy glute workout to lift and firm your butt

MARCH 9, 2019 / 03:57
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The Workout Structure

This month's plan is designed over a 30-day period — we're giving
you today off to recover from last night's festivities. The workouts are
separated into three categories: Upper body, lower body and core.
The upper body exercises focus on the arms, chest and muscles of
the upper back and shoulders. The lower body exercises focus on
the legs and glutes. The core exercises focus on the muscles that run
along the spine, the inner and outer thighs, hips and the abs.

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As a certified personal trainer, I recommend doing all of the
exercises from these categories twice a week, along with two cardio Reddit Pocket
sessions a week of your choice. You can combine them or split them
up however you’d like depending on your schedule. The only rule is Flipboard Pinterest

to avoid doing the upper body or lower body back to back two days
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in a row. Since these muscles are larger than your core muscles, they
need at least one day off to rest and repair.

DIET & FITNESS CAREERS throughout

MONEY WELLNESS RELATIONSHIPS
NEWS I recommend
NBC NEWS NOW completing 30
NIGHTLY NEWS repetitions of
MEET THE PRESS each exercise
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the workout. So on the upper body day, for example, you could
complete 10 reps of each exercise, and then repeat the entire circuit
A 30-day strength training routine — no equipment required SHARE THIS —
by TODAYthree times.

Download your printable calendar here. Hang the calendar on your

fridge, or keep it in your purse or car, for easy reference. Remember,
this is just a sample of how you can structure your workouts! The
only requirement is that you complete two workouts (with 30 reps of
each exercise) from each category every week.

Day 1: Upper Body

Day 2: Lower Body

Day 3: Core

Day 4: Cardio

Day 5: Upper Body & Lower Body

Day 6: Cardio & Core

Day 7: Rest

Day 8: Cardio & Core

Day 9: Lower Body

Day 10: Upper Body

Day 11: Rest

Day 12: Cardio & Core

Day 13: Upper Body & Lower Body

Day 14: Rest

Day 15: Core

Day 16: Rest

Day 17: Upper Body, Lower Body, Core

Day 18: Cardio

Day 19: Core & Upper Body

Day 20: Lower Body – try an advanced move!

Day 21: Rest

Day 22: Upper Body – try an advanced move!

Day 23: Core & Lower Body

Day 24: Cardio

Day 25: Rest

Day 26: Upper Body & Lower Body

Day 27: Core & Cardio

Day 28: Rest

Day 29: Upper Body

Day 30: Lower Body

QUICK VOTE 14 839 VOTES

Fess up: How often do you work out?

Every day (yep, A reasonable 3 Um, almost

total beast or 4 times a never
mode) week

Upper Body Exercises

Tricep Dips

Tricep Dip
DEC. 19, 2019 / 00:10
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To work the backs of your arms, tricep dips are an excellent option.
Start seated on the floor, and place your hands down so that your
fingers are facing towards your body. Press down through the palms
of your hands and come up onto your feet so that your knees are in
the air directly over your ankles. Bend the elbows and lower your
butt down to tap the ground, and then straighten the arms to come
up. Repeat this 10 times.

Advanced modification: Instead of having the legs bent for tricep

dips, straighten the legs out in front of you to perform this exercise.

Push Ups

Pushups
DEC. 21, 2019 / 00:14
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Starting in a plank position with your abs pulled in and your

shoulders over your wrists, bend the elbows out to the sides,
lowering your chest to the ground, and then press back up to a plank
position. Repeat 10 times.

Beginner modification: Perform this exercise on your knees.

Advanced modification: Perform this exercise with one leg in the air
(be sure to alternate between both legs).

Side Plank

Side Plank
DEC. 21, 2019 / 00:10
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From a plank position, turn your body to the left, reaching your left
arm up into the air towards the ceiling. Stack your left foot on top of
the right, and pull your right waistline up away from the ground to
work the entire right side of your body. Come back to plank, and
repeat 10 times. Perform the same exercise to the right.

Beginner modification: Perform side plank with the bottom knee

propped up on the ground.

Advanced modification: Perform side plank and lift the top leg up off
of the bottom leg.

Plank Ups

Plank Ups
DEC. 21, 2019 / 00:12
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Starting in a plank position on your knees, lower down onto your

right forearm and then your left forearm. Now you’re in a forearm
plank. Then, press your right palm down and then your left palm
down to press you back up into a plank. Repeat this 5 times with
your right hand leading, and then 5 times with your left hand
leading.

Advanced modification: Perform this exercise on your toes (full plank

position).

Lower Body Exercises

Squat

Squat
DEC. 21, 2019 / 00:12
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Start standing with your feet open shoulder-width. Pull your naval in
towards your spine, and bend your knees reaching your butt back as
if you're sitting in a chair. (Look down to make sure your knees are
not reaching past your ankles). Press down through your heels, and
then stand back up to the starting position, squeezing the glutes at
the top. Repeat this 10 times.

Beginner modification: Only squat halfway down before returning to

the top.

Advanced modification: Squat and then jump to come up, landing

softly with bent knees. Straighten the knees returning to the top
position, lower down into the squat again, and jump back up. Repeat
this 10 times.

Side Lunge

Side Lunge
DEC. 21, 2019 / 00:15
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Standing with legs hip-width apart, step your right foot a few feet to
the right and bend the right knee, sitting the right glute back as if
you’re trying to sit it down into a chair. Keep the left leg straight.
Press down through the right heel to return back to the starting
position. Repeat 10 times to the right, and then switch to the left for
10 repetitions.

Beginner modification: Only bend the knee halfway.

Advanced modification: When you come back to center, lift the

lunging leg up and out to the side to work the outer hip before
moving on to the next rep.

Back Lunge & Lift

Back Lunge and Lift

DEC. 21, 2019 / 00:12
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Start standing with your feet as wide as your hips. Then, step your
left foot back and lower down into a lunge. Press down through the
right heel as you lift the left leg straight up behind you to work the
hamstring and glute. Then lower back down into the lunge. Repeat
this 10 times and then switch sides.

Beginner modification: Take out the leg lift and perform a standard
backwards lunge. If you need extra support, hold on to a railing or a
table to help with balance.

Curtsy Lunge

Curtsy Lunge
DEC. 31, 2019 / 00:12
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Standing up, step your left foot backwards and to the right and bend
both knees into a curtsy position as if you’re taking a bow. Then
come back to center and repeat on the other side. Complete 10 reps
on each side.

Beginner modification: Only curtsy halfway down, then come back to

the starting position.

Calf Raises

Calf Raises
DEC. 21, 2019 / 00:11
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Standing upright, come up onto your tip toes and then lower back
down. Repeat 10 times.

Wide Leg Open-Toe Squat

Wide Leg Open-Toe Squat

DEC. 31, 2019 / 00:12
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Start with your feet open wider than your hips, and turn your toes
out to the sides. Pull your abs in, and then bend your knees. Track
your knees over your second toes as you lower down into the wide
leg open toe squat. Stand back up by pressing down through your
heels to come up. While lowering down into the squat, hold the
dumbbells by your sides and then raise them up out to the sides just
as high as your shoulders. As you stand up from the squat, lower the
weights back down to your sides. Repeat 10 times, for 3 sets total.

Core Exercises
Superman

Superman
DEC. 31, 2019 / 00:12
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Lying on your stomach, pull your naval in towards your spine. Reach
your arms in front of you, relax the shoulders, and squeeze the
glutes. Then, lift your legs, arms, chest and head off the ground, and
slowly lower back down. Repeat 10 times.

Beginner modification: Break the Superman up into two separate

movements by first lifting the legs and then lowering them down.
Next, lift the arms and chest and then lower them down.

Cobra

Cobra
JAN. 1, 2020 / 00:12
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