I’ve been working out at home (and delivering classes from home) consistently for nearly 4 years now. Over that time, I think I’ve pretty much figured out the best 7 day workout plan, for all levels, and how to schedule your workouts for the week.
Using the 100’s (if not 1000+) of online classes I’ve delivered, I also put together a free 7 day home workout challenge, which a) gives you access to these on-demand workouts to do as per the schedule or b) to come back to whenever you decide, or, last but not least c) is a chance to check out my classes and decide if you wanna come along to a live session.
Your Personal Trainer – Elle
Since 2020, I have taken fitness online and honestly, it turned out to be a blessing. I got to connect with a new and bigger audience, meet so many different types of people and grow as an instructor too.
However, I’ve been in the industry almost two decades since starting my BSc (Hons) degree in Exercise Science way back in 2006 so I come with a wealth of experience too.
The best thing about working out at home and online (live in person) with a Personal Trainer is that you can ensure you are using proper form for the exercises, to reduce injury risk and of course, you get to enjoy movement in the comfort of your own home.
Benefits Of Regular Exercise
“Regular physical activity provides a range of physical and mental health benefits. These include reducing the risk of disease, managing existing conditions, and developing and maintaining physical and mental function.”
I think to list the full benefits of regular exercise, I’d need to write a whole separate piece. The main benefits are the reduction of disease risk, especially the risk of heart disease and conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
There are also many benefits not related to physical health such as the aesthetic results, the mental health benefits or when working out from home, the fact you can save money from not needing a gym membership.
What Equipment Will You Need
Instead of that gym membership though, you can invest in some equipment which will essentially last forever. You can check out my top ten suggestions for home exercise equipment, but the best place to start is with a set of dumbbells (adjustable ones are even better).
The majority of this 7 day home workout plan will just use bodyweight exercises though. If you don’t already have equipment or aren’t ready to invest yet, you can simply use objects in your home like tinned food, or a rucksack filled to make it heavier.
Warm Up & Dynamic Stretches
Warming up before exercise is crucial as it prepares your body for the physical demands of the workout. It gradually increases your heart rate, raises your body temperature, and improves blood flow to your muscles, reducing the risk of injury.
A proper warm-up also helps to lubricate your joints and mentally prepares you for the upcoming activity. However in shorter classes, we don’t often get to spare more than 3-5 minutes for a warm up, to also include dynamic stretches.
Dynamic stretches typically involve active movements that mimic the motions in your main workout. Unlike static stretches, dynamic stretches help increase flexibility and range of motion.
I created and shared a dynamic warm up routine which has become legendary over the years. I use it for all my Personal Training clients, and often in my live online classes too. It also works well before indoor or outdoor rides, and as a pre-run warm up.
Schedule Rest Days
It’s easy to forget to schedule your rest days when you get into the swing of things, so I’ve made sure that’s covered. Rest days don’t have to mean doing absolutely nothing though so I’ve added a 30 minute foam rolling session for during the week and a longer 45 minute Yin inspired session for the weekend.
If you don’t already have a foam roller I highly recommend you invest in one and use it regularly as part of your workout routine.
Rest days are a vital part of your workout routine; they aid muscle recovery, prevent injuries, improve performance, balance hormones, rejuvenate the mind, promote physical adaptation (strength gains, anyone?!), and ensure you can continue to move well in the long term.
This ‘down time’ is literally where you reap the benefits of the exercise you‘ve done as it allows the body to repair and strengthen muscle tissues, making you stronger for your next workout.
As you’ll see below, days three and seven have been set aside as your recovery days. If you don’t fancy foam rolling, you can also try activities like yoga or taking an outdoor walk.
7 Day Home Workout Plan – Your Daily Workouts
On your fitness journey, it’s super important to pick a 7-day home workout plan that matches your fitness level and goals. There’s something for all fitness levels, whether you’re just starting out or more experienced.
We’ll hit up all the major muscle groups, mix in some high-intensity workouts to get your heart pumping, and make sure you’ve got plenty of recovery time not just during the week, but during each workout itself. The best thing about on-demand home workouts are that you can hit pause whenever you need a little bit of extra recovery time too!
Here’s an overview of your seven-day workout schedule:
- Day One: HIIT
- Day Two: Core
- Day Three: Stretch & Foam Roll (Active Recovery)
- Day Four: Kettlebells / Weights
- Day Five: Core
- Day Six: Lower Body
- Day Seven: Stretch & Foam Roll (Active Recovery)
You can repeat this 7-day cycle as needed. It’s best to ensure you adapt the exercises, intensity, and duration to your fitness level and goals – which is why live classes can be better suited sometimes. It’s also crucial to listen to your body, rest when needed, and maintain proper nutrition and hydration throughout your home workout plan.
Sign Up For The Free 7 Day Home Workout Plan
Each day around 6am, you’ll get an email in your inbox with the video workout for you to complete. It’s completely free of charge and you’ll have unlimited access to the content. Classes are suited for all levels, are all 30 mins (with the exception of one 45min foam rolling session, which is optional).
Here’s a bit more on the workouts included in the 7 day home workout plan, and why.
Full Body HIIT Workouts
Your seven days of workouts starts with MetCon, a version of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). HIIT training is a time-efficient and highly effective workout method known for its diverse range of benefits, but personally, I don’t advocate for you to do too much of it in any one week.
HIIT promotes fat loss, improves cardiovascular health, builds and tones muscles, and enhances metabolism through short bursts of intense exercise followed by brief recovery periods.
This workout is 30 minutes of solid HIIT. It’s short and sweaty but a great way to start the week, test your lung capacity and conquer your cardio quota. No equipment needed.
More HIIT Workouts:
- Quick 10 Minute HIIT Workout
- 30 minute HIIT Home Workout [+Video]
- Can a 7 Minute Workout Be Scientific?
Your Core Workout
I always programme a solely core workout for all my clients and that’s why it’s remained on my online schedule even when other classes have changed. Today it’s time to crunch, twist and plank your way through this 30-minute workout for your core muscles.
Core workouts are super important for various reasons, including enhanced stability, balance, and posture, reducing the risk of injury, improving functional strength and mobility, bolstering sports performance (especially for runners and cyclists), and supporting the lower back to alleviate lower back pain.
The terms “core muscles” and “abdominal muscles” are often used interchangeably, but they refer to slightly different groups of muscles. Abdominal muscles primarily refer to the muscles in the front of the abdomen, including the rectus abdominis and external obliques, whilst core muscles encompass a wider group of muscle that also includes the internal obliques, transverse abdominis, erector spinae, and pelvic floor muscles.
No equipment needed for this workout.
Strength Training Workouts
This 30 minute strength training session is a full body workout- using kettlebells – for day four. If you don’t have kettlebells, you can use dumbbells or items from your home.
A full-body workout is typically the best way to get ‘more bang for your buck’ when it comes to exercise routines and training plans. In this 7 day home workout plan, I’ve programmed all full body workouts with the exception of the core workouts and lower body workout.
You can find more guidance on strength training here on the blog.
Check out these posts:
- Why Strength Training Is Important For Women
- 5 Strength Exercises For Beginners (Part One)
- 5 More Strength Exercises For Beginners (Part Two)
Lower Body Days
Welcome to day 6 and the penultimate session of your 7 day hone workout plan. Today the focus is on strengthening and toning your lower body. Get ready to squeeze, squat, lift and burn your way through a class that whoops your ass to give you glutes of steel and thighs of iron.
No equipment needed.
Upper Body Focus
If you’re keen for a workout with an upper body focus, you can swap out one of the core workouts for an upper body workout which usually will still include core muscles.
I’ve not included an upper body workout in this 7 day home workout, but you can get access to options via my on-demand membership or through the Beyond Strength Foundations programme available via my ko-fi store (or free for Studio Members).
You can also find a quick upper body workout here on the blog.
Nailing A Healthy Diet
A healthy diet is the cornerstone of any successful fitness routine, to provide your body with nutrients it needs to perform at your best during workouts. The combination of a balanced diet with the right mix of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals in addition to consistent exercise / movement will help you to achieve your goals and see results, faster.
A nutritious diet also plays a critical role in the recovery and repair of your muscles. Exercise, especially strength training and high-intensity workouts, causes microscopic damage to your muscle fibres.
This might sound counterintuitive, but it’s an essential part of building strength and endurance. Protein, for instance, is essential for muscle protein synthesis, which is the process of rebuilding and strengthening your muscles after a workout.
Including a source of protein in the 30 minutes after a workout is the beginning of your recovery process,
Join The Live Workouts
I hope you enjoy the 30 minute workouts in this 7-day home workout plan! If you wanna try a live workout class, which you can of course do in the comfort of your own home, you can see the full schedule and get more details via the booking page.
You can also get an on-demand membership which gives you monthly access to the back catalogue of workouts including HIIT, HardCore, Strength, Kettlebells, BadAss (lower body) and more!
Got a favourite workout from the seven I’ve shared here?! Or have a request for a different workout?
Elle
Free 7-day Home Workout Plan Challenge:
P.S Safety always comes first. If you are new to exercise ensure you seek advice from your GP. Make sure you drink plenty of fluids, wear appropriate clothing and carry out drills in a suitable space. Technique is paramount, and nothing should hurt. Should you experience pain, discomfort, nausea, dizziness, chest pain, shortness of breath etc, STOP and consult your GP.
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