A 40-Minute, Full-Body Workout Men Can Do at Home

It's surprisingly easy for guys to get a calorie-burning, muscle-building workout at home in 40 minutes. No gym required — and you don't even need to leave the comfort of your living room. All you need is a few pieces of basic equipment (like a medicine ball, resistance band and set of dumbbells) and the motivation to get off the couch.

Just like any other workout, you need to start with a proper warm-up. "The purpose of a warm-up is to get your body ready and prepared for the workout you're planning to perform," says Samantha Clayton, a certified personal trainer who works with elite athletes as the vice president of sports performance and fitness education at Herbalife Nutrition.

"You want to get the blood flowing and prepare the muscles and tendons that will be doing the work in your session. Because a warm-up is all about preparing the body for movement, you will want to do dynamic moves and stretches, as opposed to static ones."

Start with five minutes of light cardio to get the heart rate up and muscles warm. Then, think about the workout ahead, and make sure the large muscles groups you'll be targeting feel loosened up and ready to go. "The best warm-up is one that takes into consideration your planned workout. Then for each planned exercise, do a low-intensity, slow-and-controlled version of it for the warm-up, " says Clayton.

Cardio

Do: 60 seconds of each of the following and repeat the circuit twice through.

• 60 seconds jogging in place
• 60 seconds jumping jacks
• 60 seconds high knees

Move 1: Jogging in Place

• Pretend as though you were jogging, but stay in one spot.

Move 2: Jumping Jacks

1. Start standing with arms at your sides.
2. Jump your feet out a few feet and raise your arms overhead.
3. Jump your feet back together and lower your arms.

Move 3: High Knees

1. Stand tall as you raise your right knee up toward your chest.
2. As you set your right foot down, quickly raise your other knee toward your chest.
3. Continue alternating your knees as quickly as possible.

Body-Weight Exercises and Dynamic Stretches

Do: 45 seconds of each of the following exercises.

• Body-weight squats
• Lunges
• Swimmer's hugs
• Dynamic shoulder stretch
• Standing core twists

Move 1: Body-Weight Squat

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart.
2. Bend your knees and hinge your hips to sit back into a squat.
3. Straighten your knees and hips to stand back up, squeezing your glutes at the top.

Move 2: Lunge

1. Stand and take a large step forward on your right leg, bending both knees to 90 degrees.
2. Step back so your right foot meets your left.
3. Repeat on the opposite leg.

Move 3: Swimmer's Hugs

1. Bring your arms wide out to the side so your body is in a T shape.
2. Wrap your arms around your body as if you were giving yourself a hug.
3. Swing your arms back open as wide as they can comfortably go.

Move 4: Dynamic Shoulder Stretch

1. Hold a resistance band with your arms straight in front of your chest.
2. Raise the band over your head, taking it as far as you can comfortably get it.
3. Hold for a second, then lower back down.

Move 5: Standing Core Twists

• With elbows bent and arms at waist height, use your core to twist your torso from side to side.

Read more: 5 At-Home Workouts for Men to Target Every Body Part

The legs are the largest muscles in your body and an area many guys neglect, so train them first. And while you can do any of the following exercises with just your body weight, you can also add a set of dumbbells.

"Slow and controlled is best when using weights," says Clayton. Start on the lower side and add weight as you get stronger and more familiar with the exercises.

Do: 40 seconds of each of the following moves, rest 20 seconds, then move onto the next move. Repeat the circuit twice.

• Split squats (45 seconds on each side)
• Stability ball hamstring curls
• Around the clock lunges
• Wall sits

Move 1: Split Squat

1. Stand with your back foot resting on the couch or a chair. (Option to hold a dumbbell in each hand.)
2. Bend your knees and squat down, keeping your weight on your front foot and your torso upright.
3. Straighten your legs to stand back up.

Move 2: Stability Ball Hamstring Curl

1. Lie on your back with your heels on a stability ball.
2. Push your hips up toward the ceiling.
3. Bring your feet in toward your butt, rolling the ball toward you.
4. Extend your feet back out.

Move 3: Around the Clock Lunges

1. Stand with feet hip-width apart (holding dumbbells if you want) and take a step to the front with your right leg, bending your knees into a front lunge.
2. Step back to center, then step to the right with your right leg, bending your knees into a lateral lunge.
3. Come back to center, then step back on your right leg, bending your knees into a reverse lunge.
4. Step back to center and repeat on your left leg in reverse — left reverse lunge, left lateral lunge, left front lunge.

Move 4: Wall Sit

• With your back against a wall, pretend like you're sitting in a chair and hold for 40 seconds.

You can't beat push-ups for building chest, shoulder and triceps strength at home. Those who are more advanced may find basic push-ups too easy, so trainer Brian Nguyen suggests two extra pushup variations — plyo push-ups and isometric push-ups. You'll also want to do some specific resistance exercises that work the shoulder to round out your upper-body routine, says Clayton.

Do: 2 sets of 10 reps of each of the following exercises, resting for 15 to 30 seconds in between.

• Plyo push-ups
• Reverse fly
• Isometric push-ups
• Overhead shoulder press

Move 1: Plyo Push-Up

1. Begin in a push-up position with your hands directly under your shoulders.
2. Lower yourself down to the bottom of the push-up position, with your chest hovering right above the ground but not touching it.
3. Push yourself away from the ground with as much speed and power as possible, letting your hands leave the ground for a split second. If you can, clap your hands together at the top.
4. Land with your hands directly beneath shoulders, elbows slightly bent.

Move 2: Reverse Fly

1. Stand with your feet beneath your shoulders, bending forward at your hips until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor.
2. Hold one dumbbell in each hand, letting your arm hang straight down from your shoulders, palms facing each other, arms slightly bent.
3. Keeping your back flat and torso still, raise your arms straight out to your sides until they're in line with your shoulders, elbows still slightly bent.
4. Pause, then slowly return to the starting position.

Move 3: Isometric Push-Up

1. Begin in a push-up position with your hands directly under your shoulders.
2. Lower yourself down to the bottom of the push-up position, with your chest hovering right above the ground but not touching it.
3. Hold the position for 10 to 30 seconds (instead of the 10 reps).

Move 4: Overhead Shoulder Press

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart or sit upright on a bench, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Hold the dumbbells at shoulder level with your palms facing forward.
3. Press both dumbbells overhead, bringing the weights together until they almost touch.
4. Lower back down to your shoulders.

Read more: 5 No-Equipment Upper Body Exercises

Do: 30 seconds of each and repeat for 3 rounds.

• Forearm plank
• Bicycle crunch

Move 1: Forearm Plank

1. Lie facedown with your forearms on the floor and your elbows directly beneath your shoulders.
2. Keep your feet flexed with the bottoms of your toes on the floor. Clasp your hands in front of your face.
   
3. Rise up on your toes so that only your forearms and toes touch the floor. Your body should hover a few inches off the floor in a straight line from shoulders to feet.
4. Pull your navel in toward your spine and tighten your thighs and buttocks. Look at the floor to keep your head in neutral position and breathe normally.

Move 2: Bicycle Crunch

1. Lie on your back and lift your knees up to form a 90-degree angle at your hip and knee joints.
2. Cradle the back of your head and upper neck with your hands.
3. Bring your right elbow toward your left knee, while simultaneously extending the right leg.
4. Repeat on the opposite side.

Finally, spend the final five minutes stretching all your major muscle groups that you worked — quads, calves, hamstrings, glutes, pecs, lats and shoulders. Stretching your muscles post-workout is just as important as each exercise move itself, so be sure to take your time with each body part — and don't forget to sip plenty of water as you finish up.

Do: Hold each of these stretches for 20 seconds

• Standing quad stretch
• Calf stretch
• Seated hamstring stretch
• Figure 4 stretch
• Chest stretch
• Arm across the body stretch

Move 1: Standing Quad Stretch

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, pull your abdominals in and relax your shoulders.
2. Bend your left leg, bringing your heel toward your glutes and grab your left foot with your left hand. Hold onto the back of a chair for balance.
3. Keeping the hips tucked under, try to line up the front of your thighs as you hold the stretch.
4. Switch legs and repeat.

Move 2: Calf Stretch

1. Stand near a wall with one foot in front of the other, front knee slightly bent.
2. Step the other foot back, keeping the knee straight and your heel pressed into the ground. Lean toward the wall.
3. Feel the stretch all along the calf of your back leg, holding the stretch.
4. Switch legs and repeat.

Move 3: Seated Hamstring Stretch

1. Sit down on the floor or mat, your soles of the feet together, keeping your back up straight.
2. Extend your right leg out, pointing your toes up toward the ceiling, while the left knee stays bent.
3. Keeping your right knee straight, bend forward at your hips until you feel a pull along the back of your right thigh, holding the stretch.
4. Switch legs and repeat.

Move 4: Figure 4 Stretch

1. Lie down on your back on the floor or mat. Keep your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
2. Cross your right ankle over to the left thigh.
3. Lift the left foot off the ground, and clasp your hands behind your knee, hugging your knee toward your chest by bending your elbows.
4. Hold the stretch, then release your clasp and slowly lower your foot back to the ground.
5. Switch legs and repeat.

Move 5: Chest Stretch

1. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and soften your knees.
2. Interweave your fingers together behind your tailbone.
3. Press your knuckles toward the floor as you open your chest out and up. The farther you draw your clasped hands away from your tailbone, the greater the intensity.

Move 6: Arm Across the Body Stretch

1. Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and soften your knees.
2. With the right hand, grasp the back part of the left upper arm, just above the elbow.
3. Using your right arm, gently pull the left arm across the body, holding the stretch.
4. Switch arms and repeat.

Read more: The Perfect At-Home Workout for Men, No Equipment Necessary