As someone who started this semester in a new town, at a new school, alone, I found myself wondering how to pass the time and stay active in this new chapter. One thing that I neglected doing while in my hometown was working out or going to the gym, so I decided now was the time to change that.
I get pretty nervous about going to the gym and working out in front of other people, so I found my escape in at-home Youtube videos. I’m limited to my equipment (meaning I have absolutely none), have little-to-no open space in my small apartment, and still have to be mindful of my downstairs neighbors, so picking the right workout videos was crucial. Finally, after many weeks of trying different ones, I finally found a good mix of upper body, lower body, and full-body workouts for beginners. Almost all of these workouts are posted by MadFit, who does a great job at providing thoroughly-explained workouts for beginners with no equipment.
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I always start out my week with an upper body workout and I discovered a few videos that I kept going back to as the weeks went on.
This workout features two mini-circuits of arm exercises, and a final circuit that really drives it home. By the end of the workout, my arms are definitely feeling the burn!
This workout features a great variety of arm exercises, and while it is a bit more challenging, I appreciate the burn and the feeling of success afterwards. The best part is that it’s only ten minutes long, so you can fit it in easily, even with a tight schedule!
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I like to break up my upper and lower body days with a full-body exercise, and I have found plenty of options to change up the routine!
I consider this workout to be the easier of the bunch, which is why it’s a great workout for those who are just starting out! It contains a good variety of exercises, while still maintaining achievability, and it’s only fifteen minutes long!
This full-body workout is also fifteen minutes long; however, it is slightly more challenging than the first! I like to do this one as a standard full-body workout to prepare myself for a harder one later in the week.
Finally, we have the longest and most challenging full-body workout of the bunch. This workout is by growingannanas and features plenty of different exercises, including a short cool-down round at the end. I love to do this workout at the end of the week, and although it still continues to challenge me, I feel very successful by the end of it. If you’re looking to push yourself, this is a great workout to try!
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Finally, we have the lower body workouts! Of course, you can’t have a full workout week without focusing on lower body too!
I would definitely recommend this workout to anyone who is just starting out. I wouldn’t consider any of the exercises too strenuous and it’s only fifteen minutes long! And if you were (previously) a lazy girl like me, then you’ll find some relief in the ground workouts.
This workout provides more of a challenge, but if you finished the first one with no problem, then I think you’ll like this one even more! I can definitely feel the burn in my thighs with a lot of these exercises, and the sumo-squat pulses at the end are really a struggle, but there’s no doubt that finishing this workout brings a lot of satisfaction. And you still finish in under twenty minutes!
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After completing any of these workouts, it always helps to include a brief cool-down workout! I like this one because it’s stretch-based, super simple, quite relaxing, and only five minutes long.
If you’re considering starting to workout, I hope you try some of these videos! The thought of working out can be scary for some people, but doing it at your own pace, in the comfort of your own home is a great way to start! Of course, be sure to know your limits and remember to drink lots of water!