Working out does not always mean spending hours at the gym to lose fat and build muscle. If your busy schedule leaves you with little time to hit the gym, you can still work towards your fitness goals with a simple home workout routine. With the right exercises, you can strengthen multiple muscle groups, build muscle and support fat loss without investing in expensive equipment or a gym membership.
Fitness coach Chadoy Leon has shared five exercises that you can incorporate into your home workout routine to help burn fat and build muscle. In an Instagram post shared on September 27, the fitness coach writes, “Lose fat and build muscle at home with just these five exercises.”
Squats
Squats help activate the muscles in your legs, which make up one of the largest muscle groups in the body. Chadoy explains, “Your legs are the biggest muscle group you own, and a desk chair barely asks anything of them. Squats wake them up, build leg and glute strength, and hold on to the muscle you already have while you eat in a deficit. Three sets of 12 to 15, bodyweight only to start.”
Push ups
Push-ups engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, making them one of the most effective bodyweight exercises that require no equipment. The fitness trainer highlights, “One movement hits your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core, which makes this the most efficient thing you can do with zero equipment. Drop to your knees if you need to. That is not cheating, that is how you earn the full version. Three sets, close to failure each time.”
Rows
Rows target the back muscles, which are often overlooked in home workouts, while also strengthening other upper-body muscles. Chadoy points out, “All you need is a towel, a resistance band, or a sturdy table edge. Most home routines are all pushing and never train the back, and that imbalance shows up in your posture over time. Rows fix it and keep your upper body muscle while you lean out. Three sets of 12 to 15.”
Glute bridges
Glute bridges are particularly beneficial for people who spend long hours sitting, as prolonged sitting can weaken the gluteal muscles over time. The fitness coach explains, “Sitting all day weakens your glutes more than any other muscle. Bridges rebuild them, and they are one of the best low impact moves for supporting your lower back as you get more active. Everyone skips this one, and almost everyone needs it. Three sets of 15 to 20.”
Plank
Planks help build core stability, which is essential for maintaining good posture and supporting proper form during other exercises. Chadoy highlights, “Forget visible abs. This builds the core stability that carries every other exercise on this list, plus your posture and lower back all day long. Start at 20 seconds if that is where you are. Adding time from there is real progress, not a shortcut. Three rounds.”
“The part most people skip past – these five exercises build and protect the muscle that keeps your metabolism steady while the weight comes off. However, the muscle is not what burns the fat. The deficit does that. The muscle is what keeps your results standing once you get there,” the fitness trainer concludes.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
