NO GYM - NO PROBLEM
I want to make it very clear that building your physique at home without equipment is a little more challenging, but not impossible. When all of the gyms were shut down during Covid, I had just gotten out of an 8 month dry spell from the gym due to two shoulder surgeries. I obtained the shoulder injury from a fall, and it was not from working out. When I got my mobility back and was able to exercise, I had nowhere to do it except home. I was able to build a physique that I was confident in from just a few months of focused at home workouts. It reminded me of a time when I was younger in high school in a small town with no money and had no workout equipment.
Over the summer when I didn’t have access to my high schools weight room, I improvised. I would fill backpacks with gallon jugs and do lunges. I would cary bricks in a duffle bag to the local playground and do pull ups on the monkey bars with the duffle bag around my shoulders.
To achieve a physique like Brad Pitt in Fight Club, you’ll want to focus on building lean muscle, increasing definition, and reducing body fat. This requires a combination of bodyweight strength training, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) for fat-burning, and some core-focused exercises to target that ripped look. Though admittedly, I no longer directly train abs or core. You can, but I don’t. I have no evidence for it, but I find that when I train my abs hard - yes they get sore - but over time I noticed that it just makes my abs look kinda blocky and washed out. My waist looks larger. The only way to achieve that slimmed down appearance is to truly do just that - slim down. You will notice a greater improvement in your midsection when you lose more body fat. That being said - Here's an at-home workout plan designed to help you achieve that look, all without any equipment.
Weekly Schedule (5 days a week)
Day 1: Upper Body + Core
Day 2: Full Body HIIT
Day 3: Lower Body + Core
Day 4: Upper Body + Core
Day 5: Full Body HIIT + Core
Rest Days: 2 days (e.g., Saturday and Sunday) for recovery
Day 1: Upper Body + Core
Circuit 1 (Repeat 1 time)
Push-ups – 60 seconds (I aim for 40 push-ups)
Diamond Push-ups (hands close together) – 30 seconds
Plank to Push-up – 30 seconds
Triceps Dips (using a chair/bench) – 30 seconds
Plank – 30 seconds
Rest for 60 seconds between rounds
Core Finisher (Repeat 2 times)
Leg Raises – 40 reps
Bicycle Crunches – 20 reps each side
Mountain Climbers – 30 seconds
Side Plank (each side) – 30 seconds
Day 2: Full Body HIIT
Perform each exercise for 45 seconds followed by 15 seconds rest. Complete all exercises, then rest for 1 minute. Repeat for 4 rounds.
Jump Squats
Push-ups
Burpees
Mountain Climbers
Lunges (alternating)
Plank Hold
Day 3: Lower Body + Core
Circuit 1 (Repeat 3 times)
Bodyweight Squats – 45 seconds
Lunges (alternating) – 30 seconds
Bulgarian Split Squats (use a chair/bench) – 30 seconds each leg
Glute Bridges – 30 seconds
Side Leg Raises – 30 seconds each leg
Rest for 60 seconds between rounds
Core Finisher (Repeat 2-3 times)
Leg Raises – 20 reps
V-ups – 20 reps
Plank with Shoulder Taps – 30 seconds
Flutter Kicks – 30 seconds
Day 4: Upper Body + Core
Circuit 1 (Repeat 3-4 times)
Wide Push-ups – 45 seconds
Tricep Push-ups – 30 seconds
Inchworm Walkouts – 30 seconds
Superman Hold – 30 seconds
Side Plank – 30 seconds each side
Rest for 60 seconds between rounds
Core Finisher (Repeat 2-3 times)
Russian Twists – 20 reps each side
Leg Raises – 20 reps
Plank to Push-up – 30 seconds
Flutter Kicks – 30 seconds
Day 5: Full Body HIIT + Core
HIIT Workout: (Perform each exercise for 40 seconds, 20 seconds rest in between)
Jumping Jacks
Push-ups
Burpees
High Knees
Lunges
Mountain Climbers
Core Finisher (Repeat 2-3 times)
Bicycle Crunches – 20 reps each side
V-ups – 20 reps
Leg Raises – 20 reps
Plank with Shoulder Taps – 30 seconds
Cardio:
Add in 1-2 sessions of moderate-intensity cardio (like jogging or cycling) for 30-45 minutes on rest days.
HIIT workouts (like the ones above) will also help boost your metabolism and burn fat.
Rest and Recovery:
Sleep is crucial for muscle recovery and fat loss. Aim for 7-9 hours per night.