4-week home workout plan for beginners, week by week
A simple 4-week home workout plan for beginners, with six bodyweight moves, how many sets to do each week and what the research says about training without weights.
Most beginners I've coached at home don't fail because the workouts are too hard. They fail because the plan is vague, so they do too much in week one, feel wrecked and stop. A four-week plan fixes that. It's short enough to commit to, and long enough to see that you're getting better. Here's the one I'd give a friend who has a bit of floor space and no kit.
What the guidelines and research say
The NHS guidelines for adults ask for strengthening activities that work all the major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders and arms) on at least 2 days a week, alongside 150 minutes of moderate activity. Bodyweight exercises count, so you don't need a gym to tick that box.
Can bodyweight work actually build strength? A small 2017 trial from Japan put 18 young men on either push-ups or a light bench press (40% of their one-rep max) twice a week for 8 weeks, with the push-up position adjusted so the load matched. Both groups gained bench press strength and chest and triceps thickness to a similar degree. It's one small study in young men, so don't stretch it too far, but it fits with a 2017 meta-analysis of 21 studies, which found muscle growth was similar with light and heavy loads when every set was taken to failure, although heavy loads did more for maximum strength.
The good news for beginners is that you don't have to train until you physically can't do another rep. A 2022 review of 15 studies found no clear difference in strength or muscle size between training to failure and stopping short of it. All the studies were in young adults, so the authors called for more research in older people.
In practice, finish each set when you think you've got 2 or 3 good reps left. You'll recover faster and your form will stay tidy.
The six moves
Do these in order, resting about a minute between sets:
- Bodyweight squat, 8 to 12 reps
- Incline push-up against a kitchen worktop or the back of a sofa, 6 to 10 reps
- Glute bridge, 10 to 15 reps
- Step-up on the bottom stair, 8 to 10 reps each leg
- Dead bug, 6 to 8 reps each side
- Band pull-apart if you have a light band, 12 to 15 reps. No band? Swap in the bird dog
Each exercise page shows the steps and an easier or harder version, so check them before your first session.
Your 4-week home workout plan
Week 1: learn the moves. Two sessions, for example Monday and Thursday. Do 2 sets of each move. Go slowly and stop well short of struggling. The aim is to finish feeling like you could have done more.
Week 2: add a session. Three sessions with at least a day between them, such as Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Still 2 sets of each move, but aim for the top of each rep range.
Week 3: add a set. Three sessions, now 3 sets of each move. If that takes you past 30 minutes, rest a little less between sets rather than cutting moves.
Week 4: make it harder. Pick two moves and try the harder version: a lower surface for the push-up, a higher step, or a single-leg glute bridge. If squats feel easy, a Bulgarian split squat with your back foot on the sofa is a big step up. Our push-up guide lists the easier and harder versions in order. Keep 3 sets. If you feel run down or sore for days, drop back to 2 sets this week. That's sensible, not a failure.
Write down what you did each session: the move, the reps and how hard it felt. It's the simplest way to see progress, and it tells you exactly what to beat next time. Our guide to progressive overload explains how to keep things getting slightly harder after week 4.
Caveats and what to do after week 4
This plan is a starting point, not a cure-all. Bodyweight moves will get easy eventually, and at that point you'll need harder variations, a band or a pair of dumbbells to keep progressing. Some soreness in the first week is normal. Sharp pain or pain in a joint isn't, so stop that move. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or haven't been active for a long time, speak to your GP before you start.
When the four weeks are done, the free 12-week home workout plan picks up where this leaves off, with slower reps, pauses and harder versions spread across three months.
If you'd like the plans and a workout log that remembers your last session for you, you can try FitFitCity free for a week.
This post is general information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition or concerns, speak to your GP or another qualified professional before changing how you eat or exercise. Read our health and fitness disclaimer.
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