Adding these short and simple exercises to your weekly routine will give you a full-body muscle toning workout.
We’ve included two routines: one with dumbbells and one with body-weight only.
Each of the workout splits includes both upper and lower body exercises and shouldn’t take longer than 20-30 minutes.
The workouts we’ll cover in the next section are aimed for beginners.
If you want more intermediate or advanced workouts, dive into the Fitbod app, select your preferences, and get a home workout that’s more specific to your fitness goal and ability level.
Getting Started
Before getting started, we recommend that you read through the movements. This way you can get a feel for what to expect. It can also help ensure you’re doing them properly which will give you a better workout and help prevent injury.
There will be an indicated number of sets and reps for each exercise.
During the exercises, your muscles should feel tired in the targeting muscle. Almost like a shaky, jelly type sensation.
If you feel strain, effort, or pain in a different area of your body (neck or back for instance) then this is a good indication that your form is off and you might need to drop the intensity and review the exercise instructions.
You’ll notice some exercise circuits. These alternate between different exercises for a total number of rounds.
Keep in mind that these exercises are recommended for healthy adults. If you have a medical condition or injury, please consult your physician before starting a new exercise routine.
Related: Burn 500 Calories Working Out At Home
3-Day Muscle Toning Workout: Bodyweight
Ok time for the good stuff. Grab a yoga mat or towel for comfort with the floor exercises. Otherwise, just throw on that activewear and let’s get physical!
DAY 1 – LOWER BODY
Day 1 is known to tone your quadriceps, hamstrings, abductors, calves, glutes.
SUPERSET (4 ROUNDS): AIR SQUATS + HIP THRUSTS
Air Squats – 10 reps
Primary muscles: quadriceps
Secondary muscles: hamstrings, abductors, glutes
Begin by placing your feet just outside shoulder-width apart and slightly angled outward.
Keep your weight evenly distributed through your feet throughout the exercise.
Begin to descend by reaching your hips slightly back.
Your knees should track outward over your second toe and slightly forward as you descend while keeping your core braced to avoid any rounding in the spine.
You should continue to descend to a deep enough depth that allows your spine to remain neutral before extending your hips and knees back to the starting position.
Hip Thrust – 10 reps
Primary muscles: glutes
Secondary muscles: hamstrings, calves
Lie flat on your back with your feet firmly on the ground and hip-width apart.
Place your arms to your side with your palms on the ground.
Slightly tilt your hips upward while placing tension in the abdomen to keep the back flush with the floor.
Begin extending your hips by flexing your glutes until your hips are fully extended or there is a straight alignment from your knees to your shoulders.
Control the movement as you descend your hips back to the ground.
SUPERSET (5 ROUNDS): LUNGE + SINGLE LEG KICK-BACK
Lunge – 6 reps / side
Primary muscles: quadriceps
Secondary muscles: hamstrings, glutes
Stand in an upright posture with your feet hip-width apart.
Shift your weight to your stance leg as the other leg begins to step forward.
Initiate contact, heel first, with the stepping leg until the foot is firmly planted and the back heel is lifted off the floor.
While maintaining an upright torso, descend your back knee towards the ground keeping your front heel on the ground.
Raise your back knee once the front thigh has become parallel with the floor and push off your front forefoot to return to the starting position.
Single-Leg Kickback – 10 reps/side
Primary muscles: glutes
Secondary muscles: hamstrings
Get into a kneeling push-up position with your hands underneath your shoulders and your knees underneath your hips bent to 90 degrees.
Brace your core to keep a neutral spine.
Keeping your ankles bent to 90 degrees, extend your right hip by flexing your right glute to elevate your right foot off the ground.
Lift your leg until the hamstrings are in line with the back while maintaining the 90-degree angle bend. Contract the glutes during this movement and hold the top position for a brief moment.
Return to the starting position and repeat with the opposite side.
DAY 2 – UPPER BODY
Day two hones in on chest, triceps, shoulders, chest.
SUPERSET (5 ROUNDS): PUSH-UPS + PIKE PUSH-UP + DECLINE PUSH-UP + BURPEE
Push-Ups – 8 reps
Primary muscles: chest
Secondary muscles: triceps, shoulders
Start with your elbows fully extended and your hands placed on the floor just outside shoulder-width apart.
Brace your core by breathing into your stomach and flexing the abdominal muscles to create a straight and rigid posture from your heels to your shoulders.
With your hips and knees extended throughout the exercise, flex your elbows at a 45-degree angle to your torso.
Return to the starting position after your chest has reached the floor.
Pike Push Up – 12 reps
Primary muscles: shoulders
Secondary muscles: none
Place your palms on the ground directly underneath your shoulders and raise your hips off the ground so that they are higher than your shoulders and place your feet at hip-width apart (pike position).
Bend your elbows to lower your body towards the floor keeping your hips elevated above your shoulders.
Extend your arms to return to the starting position.
Decline Push Up – 10 reps
Primary muscles: chest
Secondary muscles: triceps, shoulders
Start with your elbows fully extended and your hands placed on the floor just outside shoulder-width apart and the balls of your feet elevated onto a bench or a box.
With your hips and knees extended throughout the exercise, flex your elbows to descend your chest to the floor while keeping your elbows at a 45-degree angle to your torso.
Return to the starting position after your chest reaching just above the floor.
Burpee – 8 reps
Primary muscles: quadriceps
Secondary muscles: chest, triceps, calves, shoulders, hamstrings
Place your feet shoulder-width apart with your arms at your sides.
Hinge at your hips to descend into a squat until you’re able to place your hands on the ground just outside of your feet.
Support your weight through your arms in order to jump both of your legs backwards to extend your hips and knees.
Maintaining a straight line from your heels to your shoulders, flex your elbows to descend into a push up.
Extend your elbows to raise your chest back up before jumping your feet back underneath you.
Explore to an upright position in order to jump off of the ground and absorb the landing.
DAY 3 – CORE & BACK
Abs of steel. Day three works your abs and back.
SUPERSET (4 ROUNDS): BICYCLE CRUNCH + SUPERMAN + CRUNCHES + LEG PULL-IN
Bicycle Crunch – 12 reps
Primary muscles: abs
Secondary muscles: none
Lie on your back with your hands behind your head and your hips and knees flexed to 90 degrees.
Extend one leg away from your body keeping both feet elevated off the ground.
Bring the fully extended leg back in towards your body and up to your chest keeping your lower legs parallel with the floor.
Once you have reached your knee to your chest, rotate your head and upper back to bring the opposite elbow to the flexed knee keeping your palms firmly on the backside of your head without pulling your head forward.
Return your knee and hip back to 90 degrees and lower your head and shoulders back to the ground before repeating the movement with the opposite leg.
Superman – 12 reps
Primary muscles: lower back
Secondary muscles: hamstrings, glutes
Lie on your stomach with your arms outstretched overhead and your legs fully extended.
Brace your core by breathing into your abdomen and flexing your abdominal muscles.
Hyperextend your hips by flexing your glutes allowing your legs to lift a few inches off the ground while simultaneously flexing your shoulders to raise your arms to the same height.
Keep your ears between your biceps while in this extended position before lowering your legs and arms back to the starting position.
Crunches – 12 reps
Primary muscles: abs
Secondary muscles: none
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Place your hands behind your head and keep your lower back against the floor throughout the exercise.
Flex your abdomen to bring the bottom of your ribcage in towards your belly button while slightly tucking the chin until your upper back is off of the ground.
Keep tension in your abdomen as you lower your shoulders back to the ground.
Leg Pull-In – 12 reps
Primary muscles: abs
Secondary muscles: none
Lie on your back with your knees extended and arms by your sides with your palms facing down.
Brace your torso by breathing into your stomach and flexing your abdominal muscles.
Keep your arms on the floor as you pull your knees up to your chest while keeping your shins parallel with the floor.
Once your thighs come into contact with your midsection, flex your abdomen to bring your pelvis in towards your lower rib cage to lift your lower back off the floor.
Lower your legs under control to the starting position.
Related Article: 30-Minute Outdoor Ab Workouts You Can Do Anywhere
3-Day Muscle Toning Workout: Dumbbells
When you use dumbbells, it’s extremely important to practice proper form in order to avoid injury.
If you’re familiar with weight workouts, feel free to get started. If you’re new to the dumbbell game, please refer to the section on dumbbell safety below.
When you use the Fitbod app, you’ll be given reps and dumbbell weight recommendations based on your body profile and experience level.
Get pumped! Here’s our 3-day muscle toning workout to do at home with dumbbells.
DAY 1 – LOWER BODY
Day one gifts you with strong hamstring, lower back, glutes, quadriceps, calves, abductors and adductors.
SUPERSET (4 ROUNDS): DB ROMANIAN DEADLIFT + TUCK JUMPS
Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift – 12 reps
Primary muscles: hamstrings
Secondary muscles: lower back, glutes, back
Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart while holding a pair of dumbbells next to your hips.
Push your hips back while keeping your knees slightly bent as you lower the dumbbells to the ground. The dumbbells should fall aligned with your feet throughout the movement.
Continue lowering the dumbbells to the ground bringing your hips back as far as you can while keeping your back straight throughout the movement.
Return to the starting upright position, stand tall and repeat.
Tuck Jump – 4 sets/5 reps
Primary muscles: hamstrings
Secondary muscles: calves, abductors, adductors, glutes, quadriceps
Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart angled out slightly.
Flex your elbows to 90 degrees and place them by your side making your forearms parallel with the ground and palms facing down.
Descend into a quarter squat by flexing your hips and knees before immediately exploding back up to propel your body off the floor.
While suspended in the air, flex your hips and knees up towards your chest until your knees contact your palms.
Quickly extend your legs back underneath you and absorb the impact.
DAY 2 – UPPER BODY
Sculpt a strong upper body. Day two works your shoulders, triceps, biceps, forearms.
SUPER SET (3 ROUNDS): DB BICEP CURLS + DB REAR DELT RAISE + HAMMER CURLS
Dumbbell Bicep Curl – 10 reps
Primary muscle: biceps
Secondary muscle: forearms
Stand in an upright posture grabbing a pair of dumbbells with your palms facing forward just below waist height.
Brace your core by breathing into your stomach and flexing your abdominal muscles as you begin to flex your elbows to raise one of the dumbbells upward.
Your elbow should remain at your sides as you flex the dumbbell up to shoulder height while maintaining a neutral spine.
Exhale to lower the dumbbell back to the starting position. When the dumbbell has reached its original position, initiate the movement with your alternate arm.
Dumbbell Rear Delt Raise – 10 reps
Primary muscles: shoulders
Secondary muscles: back
Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand in an upright posture with your feet at shoulder-width apart.
Flex your knees and hinge at your hips to 90 degrees to position the dumbbells directly underneath your shoulders at knee height with your palms facing each other.
Keeping your elbows slightly flexed and your back straight, raise the dumbbells out laterally with emphasis on tightening between your shoulder blades once the dumbbells reach shoulder height.
Control the dumbbells as you return to the starting position.
Hammer Curls – 10 reps
Primary muscles: biceps
Secondary muscles: forearms
Stand in an upright posture with your feet at shoulder-width apart.
Position a pair of dumbbells next to your hips with your palms facing in.
Brace your core by breathing into your stomach and flexing your abdominal muscles.
Keep your elbow at your side as you flex one dumbbell up to shoulder height keeping your palm facing in.
Once the dumbbell has reached shoulder height, lower back to the starting position.
Alternate the movement between each arm.
DAY 3 – CORE
Day three works your abs and core.
SUPERSET (4 ROUNDS): CRUNCHES + LEG PULL-IN
Crunches – 12 reps
Primary muscles: abs
Secondary: none
Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
Please your hands behind your head and keep your lower back against the floor throughout the exercise.
Flex your abdomen to bring the bottom of your ribcage in towards your belly button while slightly tucking the chin until your upper back is off of the ground.
Keep tension in your abdomen as you lower your shoulders back to the ground.
Leg Pull-In – 10 reps
Primary muscles: abs
Secondary: none
Lie on your back with your knees extended and arms by your sides with your palms facing down.
Brace your torso by breathing into your stomach and flexing your abdominal muscles.
Keep your arms on the floor as you pull your knees up to your chest while keeping your shins parallel with the floor.
Once your thighs come into contact with your midsection, flex your abdomen to bring your pelvis in towards your lower ribcage to lift your lower back off the floor.
Lower your legs under control to the starting position.
Dumbbell Safety
The amount of dumbbell weight depends on multiple factors such as what exercise you’re doing, your current fitness level, size and body composition, goals, and if you have any injuries.
If you’re new to using dumbbells, aim to start at a lighter weight, then work your way up. You can always increase the number of reps you do, if it feels too easy. If you’re at a fitness center, ask a trainer.
When you do dumbbell exercises, aim for slow and controlled movements. Momentum can prevent muscles from expanding and contracting. It can also set you up for improper form and joint injury.
When you hold the dumbbell, wrap your fingers around one side of the handle and your thumb on the other side of the handle. Keep your wrists straight in order to prevent them from straining.
Related Article: Home Workouts For Skinny Guys: 8 Tips + Sample Programs
Final Thoughts
During these difficult times, Fitbod believes we have a responsibility to help people stay mentally and physically healthy by staying active.
We recommend that you take advantage of the extra at-home time you have and create a healthy routine to build muscle and get toned. This is the perfect opportunity to cook meals at home and eat for strength and power.
We encourage you to sign up for our bodyweight exercises.
Related Articles:
- How To Workout Twice a Day For Weight Loss (Ultimate Guide)
- 3 Day Workout Split For Beginners (For Muscle Gain & Fat Loss)
- Best 3 Day Workout Plan For Females (COMPLETE GUIDE)
About The Author
Lisa is a registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN) with over 15 years of experience in nutrition, fitness, and mental health coaching and education. She studied Foods and Nutrition at San Diego State University and earned a Master of Science in Holistic Nutrition at Hawthorn University.
Having certifications and experience in group exercise, intuitive eating, coaching and psychotherapy, and digestive wellness, she’s enthusiastic about the relationship between the body and mind.
She’s dedicated to helping people understand how to implement healthy habit change, while gaining a deeper understanding of what makes them feel their personal best.
