MINIMALIST FITNESS: A NOTHING TO IT WORKOUT GUIDE

Minimalist fitness. 

If you live in a tiny apartment, don’t have a car to get to the YMCA, and can’t afford a gym membership. Or if you’re just starting out at your job and you’re working so many hours that squeezing in a workout seems absolutely impossible. 

Are your fitness aspirations doomed?

Of course not. A good workout can be at your fingertips, even with little or no equipment. Thus, minimalist fitness.

WHAT IS MINIMALIST FITNESS TRAINING

It’s a way to exercise and move your body more that requires minimal equipment, space, and time. Without sufficing quality and effectiveness.

Minimalist fitness helps you to achieve similar or better results by focusing on the things that matter most.  You simplify and essentialize your fitness by doing less but better.

But you also do the things that mean the most to you. If you love walking, you double down on walking. Enjoy your Peloton rides, then you double down on your Peloton rides. Like lifting weights? Do your weights. Prefer bodyweight movements, you do bodyweight movements.

The key concept in minimalist fitness is finding the simple and essential things that add value to your life, focusing on those, and forgetting the rest.

MINIMALIST FITNESS: WORKING OUT WITH NOTHING

Awareness is key with minimalist fitness. For example, by using your body weight for resistance you can completely focus on the muscles you are using and make every rep count. 

You do this by paying attention to what the muscle is doing as part of any given movement. The idea is not to waste the move, but to be totally engaged in it, targeting your muscles from start to finish. You’ll know if you’re doing it right because you can feel your muscle tighten as you curl your bicep. You’ll feel the tension in your chest as you complete a push-up. 

WHAT ARE SOME MINIMALIST FITNESS EXERCISE EXAMPLES?

There are so many exercises that you can do in a small square of space. A trip to the gym may not be necessary, at least not when you’re first getting started.

You can get in great shape with a workout at home. whether your workout space is in front of the TV or on your bedroom floor. Minimalist fitness gives you the opportunity to level up your health whether you have space, time, or equipment. 

A shortlist of the best minimalist fitness exercises:

Bodyweight squat

Bodyweight lunge

Pull-ups

Push-ups

Forearm or elbow plank

Mountain climbers

Dips

Inverted rows

The number of minimalist exercises you can do extends far beyond this shortlist. A few other minimalist fitness options.

  • Walking
  • Running
  • Jumping
  • Play
  • Yoga
  • Stretching

The opportunities are endless. Having access to gym equipment can no longer be your excuse for not working out.

CAN YOU GET IN SHAPE WITHOUT A GYM (OR EQUIPMENT)

Whether your goals are to lose weight and body fat, build strength and muscle, improve your cardiovascular health and endurance, or general health. You can get into shape without a gym. 

Progressive overload, progression, and specificity are three of the most important parts of getting stronger and building strength. Learn more about them in our getting started with strength training guide.

Losing body fat, maintaining lean muscle, and improving health have a lot to do with building a strong nutritional base. Learn more about getting started with nutrition in our diet guide.

Improving general health and fitness, reducing stress, and building a strong fitness base start with moving your body more in ways you enjoy. Learn more about the meaningful movement here.

MINIMALIST FITNESS: CREATING A COMPACT GYM AT HOME

Of course, after a few months of working out using the force of your own body’s resistance, you’ll be seeing results. And that might inspire you to up the ante a bit.

Here are a few items to consider, none of which will break the bank – or take up much space if that is a key factor.

  • A step, which is a quick way to amp up a cardio workout as well as help you get increased muscle tone in the hips, thighs, and glutes.
  • Fitness bands, which add resistance to both upper and lower body workouts, revving up the moves and adding a challenge.
  • Suspension trainer: A great way to train the back and other pulling muscles with limited space. They also can be used for full-body workouts and to assist with more challenging movements like one-leg squats.
  • A jump rope. Aside from transforming you into a kid again, a jump rope is a great asset when it comes to cardio, and you can do it in the house on those days when the weather prevents walking or running outside. Plus, it only requires a few minutes to get your heart rate pumping to melt fat away.
  • Free weights. Having light weights to use during cardio routines and heavier weights for strength training is enough. You won’t need a full set. Adjustable dumbbells will work just fine. Even a single kettlebell will go a long way

There are also a few other options that will cost very little cash and take up no space.

Pull-up bars

Great for doing a variety of exercises and working certain muscle groups that many people neglect. They allow you to work on your back, abs, forearms, biceps, and other muscle groups all in the comfort of your home and without the monthly fees of a gym. 

Push-up equipment or the floor

The Perfect Pushup again costs $20 or less and can be stored under your bed or in other really small places. Many people find these to be fun and a nice alternative to traditional push-ups. Or you can save the cash and knock out some regular push-ups. If you need more variety to try – dive-bombers, clapping push-ups, or negative push-ups (lower yourself to a count of five)

CAN SHORT WORKOUTS BE BENEFICIAL? TRY SHORT BURSTS FOR GREAT RESULTS

While it’s clear that going minimalist is easy when it comes to equipment, what about those who have no time for a workout?

Can short workouts actually be helpful? 

The key is making sure that you’re making the most of every one of those minutes, working as hard as possible so you don’t waste time.

Instead of a 10-minute walk around the block, throw in bursts of running to rev up the workout. And rather than spending a few minutes performing one weightlifting movement, add some squats, pushups, or other big-impact moves that work a lot of key muscle groups at the same time.

It’s a matter of getting the biggest bang for your buck, and it can work.

A short workout routine at the start of a workout program is also a really effective training tool because it makes it much easier to get into the habit of training.

Try a Tabata protocol.

Pick 4-5 exercises that will hit all your major muscle groups. Each exercise will be completed in the following fashion.

20 seconds of all-out effort followed by 10 seconds of rest. You will repeat this 8 times for each exercise. 

  • Squats, 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest; 8 sets
  • Pull-ups, 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest; 8 sets
  • Push-ups, 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest; 8 sets
  • Sit-ups. 20 seconds of work, 10 seconds of rest; 8 sets

Exercise descriptions are in the resources section. Or you can try the 30 seconds on/30 seconds off workout at home. I also have beginner and intermediate bodyweight routines.

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WHO NEEDS THE GYM WHEN YOU’VE GOT MINIMALIST FITNESS?

If you start with big goals of getting to the gym six days a week to work out for an hour or more, it’s likely that you’ll have missed a workout before the first week is up. And that will feel like a failure, making it more likely that you’ll throw in the towel.

Instead, start with a simple routine that focuses on helping you stay consistent.

We’ve got an entire free 12-week plan you can follow for creating and sticking to minimalist fitness habits.

CAN YOU LOSE WEIGHT WITH MINIMALIST FITNESS?

Yes and no. But this is also my answer to any “can I lose weight doing…” question.

Weight loss comes down to creating a consistent calorie deficit over an extended period of time. If we take in more calories than we need we will gain weight. Regardless of what we do for exercise. If we take in fewer calories than we need we will lose weight. Again, regardless of what exercise we do.

To learn more about how to set up a minimalist diet. Use our free getting started with a nutrition guide. 

THREE FULL-BODY MINIMALIST FITNESS ROUTINES

The workouts below are designed to be done in limited space, with limited time, and equipment. They focus on some of the most important movement patterns that can help you build a lifetime of health and fitness. You could do these workouts for the rest of your life, simply by applying progressive overload.

Full-body bodyweight workout

Complete 2 to 5 rounds of the following circuit. Rest as needed after each exercise and round. 

Full-body dumbbell workout

Complete 2 to 5 rounds of the following circuit. Rest as needed after each exercise and round. 

Full-body kettlebell workout

Complete 2 to 5 rounds of the following circuit. Rest as needed after each exercise and round. 

WHERE TO GO FROM HERE

We’ve got more workouts and nutrition resources on the blog designed to help you do less but get better results. 

And if you’d like to learn more about the practice of minimalism. Visit the great blogs below.

Justin

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About Justin I'm Justin, a NSCA certified personal trainer, Precision Nutrition level 2 coach, and Mac Nutrition Uni licensed Nutritionist. Get started with my free 5-day free course and take back control of your health, fitness, and life today.

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