At Home, No Equipment!
Looking for a summer workout? This workout plan is designed to get your whole body moving- upper body, lower body, and core. It’s strength training focused, can easily be done at home, and requires no equipment!
What Is A Summer Workout?
Now I know most of you probably found your way to this post looking for a workout to help you get a ‘summer body’ or ‘beach body’. And while the exercises that you’ll find in this workout are great for toning and building muscle, I’ve created this summer workout for you with a different goal in mind.
I’m someone who loves to align with the seasons. We are all part of nature and aligning with the seasons is our natural state. The summertime is an energizing time of year and is all about that fiery energy.
This workout is designed to cultivate those qualities. While having aesthetic goals for your workouts is totally ok, you might find more motivation and feel better about exercise overall if you make your goals about boosting your overall wellness so that you can feel like your best self. And I believe that aligning with the seasons can be a wonderful way to boost your wellness.
So without further ado, here is your at home, no equipment summer workout!
5 Exercises For Your Summer Workout
Disclaimer: Before beginning this or any exercise program, you should consult with your physician, assess your fitness level, and follow all safety instructions.
Below you’ll find 5 exercises that are great to pair together for a full summer workout.
I recommend doing a 5 minute warm-up before this routine and a 5 minute cool down after this routine. For a warm-up, light cardio is great. For a cool down, start to decrease intensity of movement and then you can move into some stretching.
Things to remember for all the exercises below:
- Keep your breath steady. NEVER hold your breath.
- Modify as needed. There will be modifications mentioned in the descriptions. There is no shame in modifying an exercise. Do what is right for you and your body!
1. Single Leg Bridges
We’re starting this summer workout with single leg bridges to turn up the heat because these are no joke!
This exercise will challenge your lower body muscles particularly the gluteus maximus. I’m a physical therapist so I have to use the anatomical name but basically this means… it will work your booty.
Modification: This exercise is much harder than it looks so if it feels like it’s too much for you you have two options to modify. One option is instead of having your foot in the air, you can place that ankle over your thigh. If that still feels like too much, your second option is to just do regular bridges with both feet on the floor.
Things to remember with this exercise: In the single leg bridge variation, don’t let your pelvis drop, both sides of the pelvis should be level as you move through the exercise.
Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 8 reps
2. Tricep Dips
A chair doesn’t count as equipment….right? This exercise will continue to build heat in your body as we have now moved up to the upper body. This exercise targets the muscle that is located in the back of your upper arm, the triceps.
Modification: To modify, instead of having the weight through your heels, simply place your feet flat on the floor directly under your knees.
Things to remember with this exercise: Make sure your chair is somewhere secure so it doesn’t move, like against a wall. Also, make sure to keep your shoulders down away from your ears, no shoulder shrugging here!
Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 10 reps
3. Bicycle Crunches
These just might be the perfect summer workout exercise. The twisting motion is perfect for stimulating your solar plexus which is just as it sounds, an energy center closely related to the sun. What better way to connect with the summer season?
This exercise is going to be working your rectus abdominis and your obliques.
Modification: To modify, don’t let the straight leg go down as far.
Things to remember with this exercise: Let your head relax in your hands, the work should be happening at your abs not at your neck.
Sets & Reps: 3 sets of 15 reps
4. Planks
Abdominal strengthening is key in our summer workout because as mentioned before, this area is associated with our solar plexus energy, a fiery energy perfect for summer.
Planks work the abs a little bit differently than the previous exercise. Planks are more targeted to one of our core muscles called the transverse abdominis. This is a deep stabilizing muscle.
Modification: To modify your planks, simply drop your knees down.
Things to remember with this exercise: In your planks, you want your spine to be straight. Don’t let the stomach fall down and don’t stick your butt in the air. While you hold your plank, you’ll think about pulling your navel up and in towards your spine. And I know I said this before but I want to mention it again for this exercise, DO NOT HOLD YOUR BREATH. Keep the breath steady as you hold your plank!
Sets & Reps: Hold 20-30 seconds, Repeat 3 times
5. Superman Hold
The core is more than just the abs. We worked the front part of the core with our planks, now we’re going to work the back part of our core with supermans. This exercise is great for working your lower back muscles.
Modification: To modify, keep your arms down at your sides instead of out in front of you. To modify further, you could also just lift the upper body and let the lower body stay relaxed on the ground.
Things to remember for this exercise: Keep your chin slightly tucked and your neck in neutral, don’t try to look up. Again, keep the breath steady!
Sets & Reps: Hold 10-15 seconds, Repeat 3 times
There you have your full summer workout but don’t forget your warm-up and cool-down!
And remember, while aiming for aesthetic goals is fine, prioritizing overall wellness can provide more sustainable motivation.
Aligning with the fiery energy of summer, these exercises aim to invigorate your spirit and keep you feeling your best.
Enjoy 🙂
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