Let’s be honest: Some days, and you know which days I’m talking about, it can feel overwhelming to even think about getting that workout in. And figuring out what to do for that workout? Forget it! On those days following the steps of your favorite workout video (you know, I’ve got plenty over on my YouTube channel), is ideal. All you have to do is grab your gear, hop into your favorite workout gear, and get your sweat on.

Other days, or maybe as you’re getting deeper into your fitness journey, you want to come up with your own workout. It may seem daunting, but it’s actually very simple.

How to Create a Workout

Today, I’m answering all these questions for you by teaching you how you can easily create an amazing and effective workout, and the workouts I’m going to be teaching you about can literally be done anywhere, often with no equipment needed. See…I answered question #3 already! 🙌🏻

Here’s the recipe for creating an amazing workout:

Step #1: Time + Equipment

Step #2: Method

Step #3: Body parts

Step #4: Moves

It really is that easy!

Related: Click here for top tips to build your dream gym on a budget.

Step #1: How Much Time + Equipment Do You Have?

What’s the right amount of time for a workout? The right amount of time is the time you have to spend working out. Truth! And it can change from day to day—4 minutes, 5 minutes, 15 minutes, 30 minutes, whatever. That is the right amount of time for a workout! It’s better to get a workout in than to skip it because you can’t find the time. You also want to ask yourself if you’re going to be at the gym with tons of equipment or doing an at-home workout. At the end of the day, you want to set yourself up for success and leave your workout feeling accomplished.

Step #2: Pick a Method

What will you do for your workout—what “plan” will you follow? Here are 4 methods you can choose from, and all you’ll need is a timer and your body. You can totally add in weights and/or resistance bands, too, depending on the moves you choose in step #4.

1. EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute): Do a movement for 40 seconds, rest 20 seconds, then start again each minute. You can do the same movement or switch it up each minute.

• Tip: Don’t be tempted to do too much too soon as you’ll get tired faster. Keep a steady pace, and those minutes will add up!

2. AMRAP (As Many Rounds as Possible): Perform all of the reps (12-15 is a good number to start with!) of each movement in the circuit to equal one round, and complete as many rounds as you can until the time is up!

• Tip: Don’t come out of the gates sprinting on these! Use the first couple of rounds to find a steady, but challenging pace. It’s good to give yourself a set time to complete each circuit (for example: 1 circuit every 90 seconds), then once each circuit is completed, you can rest for the remaining time. As you get fitter, shorten the time to complete each circuit!

3. RFT (Rounds for Time): Perform all of the reps of each movement in the circuit to equal one round. Complete the prescribed number of rounds as fast as you can!

• Tip: Find a fast, but sustainable pace to complete all rounds with minimal rest, and challenge yourself to pick up the pace even more during the final rounds. Try setting a goal time per round and see if you can keep it throughout the entire workout

4. Tabata: Complete as many reps as you can in 20 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds. Repeat 8 times per movement for 4 minutes total. For example, do as many push ups as you can in 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds, then repeat. After 8 total rounds, you’re done with push ups, and it’s time to “Tabata” the next movement.

• Tip: Pace yourself here! The first few rounds will likely be pretty easy, so enjoy it while it lasts, because once you get into the later rounds, it gets challenging. The key is to aim to keep your reps the same through each round so you don’t burn yourself out early and so you can save some fuel in the tank for the final rounds!

Step #3: Body parts

When it comes to deciding which body parts to work out, you have some options:

• Keep it simple: Upper body, lower body, or a combo of both.
• Keep it focused: Legs, butt, core, shoulders, arms, and so on.

Choose from the above options, and then move on to step #4.

Step #4: Moves

Choose 3 moves for the body part(s) you’ve chosen in step #3. That’s all you need for an effective workout. Yes, you can choose more, but 3 is totally fine. If you’re short on time, choose 2 movements. And on “those” days, 1 will  check off “Work Out” on your to-do list. Here are some ideas for moves—no equipment needed:

• Lunges: Reverse, walking, princess, side, and so on.
• Squats: Air, chair, Bulgarian split, and so on.
• Hip bridges
• Deadlifts: Single leg, traditional
• Burpees
• Push ups
• Mountain climbers
• High knees
• Planks
• Sit ups
• Flutter kicks
• Tricep dips
• Crunches
• And so many more!

There you go…now you can create your own workouts! But before you start creating and working out, here are some tips to keep in mind.

Top Things to Remember When Creating Your Own Workout

• Warm up and cool down. Always. This will only add a few minutes to your workout, but these few minutes are crucial to keeping you injury-free and for a higher quality workout.
• Rest between sets. Tired muscles don’t work as well AND can get injured more easily.
• Form is everything! Slow down to make sure you’re using proper form. If you get injured, it’s difficult to work out at all.
• Don’t work out the same body parts two days in a row. Your muscles need time to heal in between workouts, so schedule your workouts accordingly throughout the week to keep those muscles growing stronger!

Anything is ALWAYS better than nothing. When life gets super crazy, skip the steps above, set a timer for 5 minutes, and just MOVE! With these 4 simple steps, you can quickly create a workout that will not only fit into your crazy, busy schedule, but it will help you nail your transformation goals too! #winwin

What workout will you create? Leave it in a comment below. I’d love to see what you’re doing!

xo,

Want an already-created workout? Here you go!

Fit in Five Minutes: 3 Move AMRAP
My 10-Minute Anywhere Workout || Bodyweight Moves for Beginners and Advanced
12 Minute Sweat Session: Total Body AMRAP Workout
20 Minute At-Home EMOM Workout
Tabata: 20 Minute Resistance Band At-Home Workout