This 5-Day No-Equipment Workout Is the Perfect Stress Buster

For a full-body prep, start with these exercises before getting into your circuit work each day, then do them again for recovery at the end of each workout:

Warmup: 20-30 seconds per exercise if not otherwise stated, moving clockwise and counterclockwise.

• Neck circles
• Wrist rolls
• Shoulder rolls
• Arm circles
• Hip circles
• Leg kicks: forward, back, and side to side for each leg.
• Ankle circles
• Jumping jacks: 1-3 minutes (rest as needed).
• Ropeless jump rope: 3 rounds of 30 seconds (rest as needed).

Cooldown:

• Repeat the warmup.
• Follow with a full-body stretch, making sure to hold each stretch for 1-2 minutes.

Do 12 reps of each exercise with a 20- to 30-second rest between exercises. Complete four total runs of each circuit, taking two-minute rests between them.

Circuit 1

• Bodyweight squats
• Push-ups
• Bent-over rows: use household items like water jugs if you don’t have dumbbells for added resistance.

Circuit 2

• Reverse lunges
• Planks
• Hip bridges

Circuit 3

• Side lunges
• Lying knee tucks

Cardio Circuit

• Stair sprints: 3-8 stair sprints for 10-20 seconds with a 1-minute rest between sprints.

Do each exercise for 45 seconds followed by a 15-second rest between exercises. Complete four total reps of each circuit, taking two-minute rests between them.

Circuit 1

• Reverse lunges
• Side planks
• Push-ups

Circuit 2

• Step-ups
• Bent-over rows: use household items like water jugs if you don’t have dumbbells for added resistance.
• Hollow holds

Circuit 3

• Wall sits
• Biceps curls: use household items like water jugs if you don’t have dumbbells for added resistance.
• Lying leg raises with hip thrusts: you can do this on the floor, keeping hands on the small of your back.

Cardio Circuit

• Stair sprints: 3-8 stair sprints for 10-20 seconds with a 1-minute rest between sprints.

This is an active rest day (not to be confused with your two total rest days at the end of this plan), so there’s no cardio circuit included. Do eight reps of each exercise followed by a 30-second rest between exercises. You’ll complete three total reps of each circuit, taking a one-minute rest between them.

Circuit 1

• Single leg deadlifts
• Bodyweight squats

Circuit 2

• Jumping jacks
• Crunches (try one of these variations for an added challenge)
• Side steps and squats

Circuit 3

• Push-ups with shoulder taps
• Flutter kicks

Do each exercise for 45 seconds followed by a 15-second rest between exercises. Complete four total reps of each circuit, taking two-minute rests between circuits.

Circuit 1

• Bodyweight squats
• Push-ups
• Bent-over rows: use household items like water jugs if you don’t have dumbbells for added resistance.

Circuit 2

• Reverse lunges
• Planks
• Hip bridges

Circuit 3

• Side lunges
• Lying knee tucks

Cardio Circuit

• Jog: jog the stairs in your building for 5-10 minutes or at a moderate pace for 10 minutes.

Do 12 reps of each exercise followed by a 20- to 30-second rest between exercises. Complete four total reps of each circuit, taking two-minute rests between circuits.

Circuit 1

• Reverse lunges
• Side planks
• Push-ups

Circuit 2

• Step-ups
• Bent-over rows: use household items like water jugs if you don’t have dumbbells for added resistance.
• Hollow holds

Circuit 3

• Wall sits
• Biceps curls: use household items like water jugs if you don’t have dumbbells for added resistance.
• Lying leg raises with hip thrusts: you can do this on the floor, keeping hands on the small of your back.

Cardio Circuit

• Stair sprints: 3-8 stair sprints for 10-20 seconds with a 1-minute rest between sprints.