Mornings are, well, not so pleasant for many of us. Workouts aren’t particularly that enjoyable either. But you’re here, reading this article, so we can at least assume that you’re taking a good step to conquer both mornings and workouts.
And we’re here to help you every step of the way. This routine is effective, quick, and fun. In fact, it’s not a single routine. We’ve tailored three different morning workout routines for every fitness level: beginner, intermediate, and advanced. We hope these body weight workouts can aid you in achieving your fitness goals.
Get ready to change your morning and body!
Table of Contents
Morning Workout Routine Benefits
Studies have shown that exercising has an immense effect on your mood. Research also shows that exercises could alleviate long-term depression. You can use a bit of that. We all know how cranky mornings can get.
Not only will you be happier but also smarter. We already hear your rising arguments from here, “Well then, I just have to exercise, but not necessarily in the morning.”
We’ll just stop you there. Morning exercises have their own particular set of qualities. For example, early morning workouts help you sleep better at night. So not just will those morning workouts wake you up and give you a rush of adrenaline for the rest of the day, but they’ll also regulate your sleep, so you won’t wake up cranky in the first place.
Also, you’ll more likely eat better and have better control of your appetite for the rest of the day if you exercise in the morning. Another amazing benefit is that pre-breakfast workouts are associated with 24-oxidation, which regulates your burning calories for the entire day.
Now that we’re sure you’re excited to wake up tomorrow morning and workout. Let’s get into the routines.
But First, Let’s Warm Up
You should never go from 0 to 100. That will just shock your body, and you’ll risk injuring yourself.
Good warm-up exercises you should start with are as follows.
Arms Warm Up
Stretch both of your arms like wings. When they are perfectly parallel to the floor, start rotating them forward for 30 seconds. Then rotate them backward for another 30 seconds.
Legs Warm Up
Jog in your place for 40 seconds. Start with low intensity and then increase.
Squats
Squats target many muscle groups in the body. Warm up with a set of 10 to 12 reps of body-weight squats. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and slowly start to lower your hips until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Ensure your knees are directly over your toes at the bottom of the exercise to prevent injury.
Morning Workout Routine for Beginners
We’re fairly reasonable people. This is why we won’t ask you to give two hours in the morning to a workout. We know that you’d rather enjoy your sleep.
This workout won’t even take 20 minutes to complete. Our recommended plan is 10 minutes of cardio, followed by 5-7 minutes of strength training. This mix is to get your heart rate up and engage all major muscle groups to get maximum effectiveness while being efficient with our time.
Get ready!
The Beginner Workout
- Lunges x2
- High knees x2
- Jumping jacks x2
- Mountain climbers x2
- Burpees x2
- Push up x2
- Planks x2
- Set ups x2
- Dumbbell lunges x2
- Squats x2
1. Cardio
Now that you’ve warmed up. Let’s get into business!
Lunges
Start in a standing position and clasp your hands together in front of your chest. Move your left leg to the back and then lunge downward with your hips.
Push through your heel to get back to your starting position. Repeat with your other leg.
Alternate between your left and right legs for 30 reps, with no pause between reps.
Repeat 1 time.
Time: 2 minutes
High Knees
Stand with your legs together. Start by lifting one knee towards your chest. As you lower it, raise the other knee. Move your arms with them as if you were running. Increase your speed as your fitness level allows. Do this for 1 minute.
Repeat 1 time.
Time: 2 minutes
Jumping Jacks
Stand with arms by your side. Move your legs farther apart as you jump and get your arms together above your head. Do this for a full minute.
Repeat 1 more time.
Time: 2 minutes
Mountain Climbers
Take a high plank position. Start to move your right leg towards your chest, and as you move it backward, move your left leg towards your chest. Keep alternating for 30 reps, switching as fast as you can.
Repeat 1 more time.
Time: 1-2 minutes
Burpees
Start by standing on your feet shoulder-width apart, arms on your side. Lower yourself into a squat position. Then put your hands on the floor, inside your feet, and jump your feet back.
Now that you’re in a plank position move your feet back towards your hands. Reach your hands over your head and jump. Land and start repeating 15 times.
Do 2 sets.
Time: 1- 2 minutes
Tip: Don’t get off the ground by lifting your chest first and leaving your hips. Engage your whole body. Also, jump both feet back simultaneously.
Again, if this move is difficult for you at first, try stepping your feet back when going for the plank position rather than jumping them back.
It’ll get easier with time and you can jump after mastering it with stepping first.
2. Strength
After cardio, we encourage engaging in 5-7 minutes of strength training. Strength training increases your metabolism for the rest of the day. So you’ll be burning fat even when you’re working in your office later.
There are many ways to increase your metabolism. Strength training proves to be one of the most prominent ones. Especially in old age where your metabolism rate naturally declines. Strength training can help increase it again.
Push Up
Lie on the mat face down with your toes touching the floor. Place your hands a bit farther apart than your shoulders. Hold your torso up at arms’ length and start lowering your body downward until your chest almost touches the floor. Move your body upwards again and then repeat 15 times.
Do a couple of sets.
Time: 2 to 3 minutes
Tip: If you can’t do the full push up at first, then do knee push ups. Copy the first position, but instead, rest your knees on the floor.
After your body gains the muscle memory and your core gets stronger, switch to the normal position. That may take several weeks or even months, but keep at it. The most important thing is to not get discouraged.
Planks
We recommend a mat or a towel. Start on all fours on your forearms. Then straighten your legs with only your tiptoes touching the floor.
Engage your core and stay in this position for 30 seconds.
Repeat for another 30 seconds.
Time: 1 minute
Sit Ups
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor with someone or something holding your feet in place. Then place your hands on your chest. Move your upper body towards your knees and slowly move it backward again.
Repeat this 15 times and repeat the round 1 more time.
Time: 1 minute
Dumbbell Lunges
Hold your dumbbells by each side and start doing regular lunges. If you have enough space around, do walking lunges. Repeat 30 times, 15 for each leg.
Repeat the exercise 1 more time.
Time: 1-2 minutes.
Squats
Hold both hands clasped in front of your chest and your feet far apart. Squat 40 times.
Repeat 1 more time.
Time: 1 minute
Do this set 5-6 times a week. As you get better, increase the number of sets.
Morning Workout Routine for Intermediate Trainers
The following workout plan is hard enough to challenge intermediates. Don’t forget to warm up. Do the same warm-up exercises as in the beginner level.
The Workout
- Jumping Rope
- Mountain climbers x3
- Burpees x3
- High knees
- Dumbbell balancing deadlift x2
- Dumbbell squat x2
- Dumbbell chest press x2
- Dumbbell bent-over x2
Cardio
We’ll start with 10 minutes of cardio, then move to strength training.
Jumping Rope
Focus on moving your wrists and hump for 2 to 3 minutes straight. If proven too difficult, rest for 10 seconds after 1 and a half minutes and then jump for another 1 and a half minutes.
Time: 3 minutes
Mountain Climbers
Do 40 reps, increasing your speed as you go.
Repeat 2 more times.
Time: 2 minutes
Burpees
Do 30 reps of burpees. Then repeat 2 more times.
Time: 2 minutes
High Knees
Do it for 3 minutes without stopping or stop for 10 seconds after 1 and a half minutes, then continue.
Time: 3 minutes
Strength Training
Now that you’re done with cardio let’s move to strength training.
Dumbbell Balancing Deadlift
Stand with your knees slightly bent and your arms by your side, holding the dumbells. Start moving your upper body forward till it forms a straight parallel line with the floor. Get your left leg to straighten behind you as well.
Now that you’re standing on your right leg. Reach your arms down and up on either side of your foot. Do 20 reps on each leg.
Repeat 1 more time.
Time: 1-2 minutes
Dumbbell Squat
Hold one dumbbell with both hands clasped in front of your chest. Then start squatting normally. Squat 30 times.
Repeat 1 more time.
Time: 1 minute
Dumbbell Chest Press
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet on the floor. Hold your dumbbells and raise your arms till they’re completely straight. Palms facing forward. Then bend your elbows until your upper arms rest on the floor on your sides. Your forearms should stand vertically to them.
Repeat this 15 times and repeat the round 1 more time.
Time: 1 minute
Dumbbell Bent-Over
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and knees slightly bent. Hold your dumbbells at each side. Bend your upper body slightly forward and start pulling the dumbbells toward your chest. Lower them again and repeat 30 times.
Repeat 1 more time.
Time: 1-2 minutes
Do this routine 5-6 times a week.
Morning Workout Routine for Advanced
The following workout is enough to challenge any advanced gym-goer.
The Workout
- Mountain climbers x3
- Burpees x3
- Rotational jacks
- Jumping rope
- One-arm push-up x2
- Side plank
- Dumbbell squat x3
- Dumbbells Chest Press Leg Drop x2
Cardio
As with the previous levels, we’ll start with cardio.
Mountain Climbers
Do 60 reps and repeat 2 more times. Go as fast as you can.
Time: 2 minutes
Burpees
Do 60 reps and repeat 2 more times.
Time: 2 minutes
Rotational Jacks
Start with a jumping jack position and jump into a squat. Switching your arms between each jump. Do this for 2 full minutes.
Time: 2 minutes
Jumping Rope
Jump for 4 full minutes without stopping.
Time: 4 minutes
Strength Training
Now that you got your heart rate up let’s move to some strength training.
One-Arm Push-Up
Put yourself in a push-up position, but with one arm and the other on your back. Attempt as many reps as you can in 60 seconds. Even for advanced fitness levels, this can be a tough exercise, so feel free to go down to your knees if needed. Repeat once.
Time: 2 minutes
Side Plank
Lay on your side and raise yourself with the support of one arm. Stay in that position for 1 minute. Switch on the other side and repeat.
Time: 2 minutes
Dumbbells squats
With dumbbells weight that matches your level, do squats for 60 seconds. If you don’t have dumbbells, turn this exercise into a jump squat. Repeat 1 time.
Time: 1-2 minutes
Dumbbells Chest Press Leg Drop
Here’s a video for demonstration. Hold your dumbbells and lie face up. Straighten your legs over your hips. Raise your legs to be perpendicular to the floor. Hold your legs and perform a chest press with your dumbbells. Perform for 60 seconds. Repeat 1 time.
Time: 1-2 minutes
Repeat this routine every other day at a minimum and track your results to see your body improve.
Wrapping Up
A morning workout routine is one of the best things you can do for your body and long-term health. It requires consistency and dedication for it to work.
With the workout routines we presented to you, you could achieve that. These are straightforward, take up little time, and can be done all in your home gym space.
Now go and start changing your life!