Warm up for three minutes
- 30 seconds marching or jogging on the spot
- 10 arm circles forward and 10 backward
- 10 slow bodyweight squats
- 10 push-ups against a wall or counter
- 5 slow lunges per leg
The workout: 3 rounds, about 20 minutes
Do the five exercises one after another, rest 60 to 90 seconds, and repeat for three rounds. Use the easier or harder version so the last reps of each set feel hard but clean.
| Exercise | Reps | Easier | Harder |
|---|---|---|---|
| Squats | 12–15 | Squat to a chair | Pause 2 s at the bottom |
| Push-ups | 8–12 | Hands on a table | Feet on a step |
| Reverse lunges | 8 per leg | Hold a wall | Split squats, back foot on a chair |
| Glute bridges | 12–15 | Smaller range | One leg at a time |
| Plank | 20–40 s | On your knees | Lift one foot |
Your week
Do the workout three times a week on days that aren’t back to back, for example Monday, Wednesday and Friday. On the days between, go for a walk or rest. Three steady sessions every week beat one huge one followed by ten days off.
How to keep getting stronger
Your body adapts to the same workout within a few weeks. To keep progressing, make one thing a little harder each week:
- More reps. Add one or two reps per set.
- Slower reps. Take three seconds on the way down.
- Harder variations. Move one column to the right in the table.
- More rounds. Go from three rounds to four.
- Shorter rest. Cut the break between rounds by 15 seconds.
Write your sets down or track them in an app, so you know what to beat next time.
Common mistakes
- The same workout forever. If nothing gets harder, you stop getting stronger.
- Going all out every day. Muscles grow in the rest between sessions.
- Skipping the warm-up. Three minutes make the first round feel much better.
- Sloppy reps for a bigger number. Ten clean reps beat twenty bad ones.
Let Burly plan it
Burly builds a plan for home or the gym that grows with you, from your first push-up to your first pull-up. Short workouts, every exercise on a loop, and a streak that keeps you coming back. Once a week, a backup day covers a missed one.
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If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, check with a doctor or physiotherapist before you start. Training should feel hard, not painful.
