Level Up Your Gains: the top 5 muscle building exercises anyone can learn and do at home

By Fayeque Mir: April 14 2025

What’s up? The Life Advice team extends a warm welcome. Need to build muscle but can’t go to the gym? No problem. By doing the exercises outlined in this blog post and following the techniques I have listed in the post before this, you can build strong, capable muscle quickly and easily from the comfort of your home. Ready? Let’s begin.

Push-up to muscle up

First up, we've got a classic move that's a true muscle-building champion: The mighty push-up. Don't let its simplicity fool you – this exercise is a fantastic way to work your chest, those shoulder muscles that make you look broad, and the triceps on the back of your arms that help you push things. It's like hitting three muscle groups with one awesome move! To do it right, think about starting in a plank position, like the top of a push-up. Your hands should be about as wide as your shoulders, and your body should be one straight line from your head to your heels. Now, slowly bend your elbows and lower your chest towards the floor, keeping your tummy tight and your back straight – no sagging in the middle! Then, push yourself back up to where you started. If that feels a bit tough to begin with, no worries at all! You can totally do push-ups on your knees to make it a bit easier. The goal is to make progress. Do enough easy push ups, and you can eventually move towards harder versions. Standard push-up too easy? Try elevating your feet on a sturdy box or chair to make it more challenging.

squat to build crazy leg muscles

Next on our list of home-based muscle builders is: the powerful squat. If you want stronger legs and glute muscles, then squats are your new best friend. They're not just for legs though; they also get your core muscles working hard, which is super important for all sorts of activities. To nail a good squat, stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, with your toes pointing just a little bit outwards. Make sure to suck in your tummy as much as possible to activate your core. Now, imagine you're about to sit down in a chair behind you, and lower your hips. Try to get your thighs parallel to the floor if you can, but don't stress if you can't go that low at first. Remember to keep your back straight and your chest up. A key thing to watch out for is making sure your knees don't go past your toes. To stand back up, push down firmly through your heels. If squats feel a bit tricky, you can start with smaller squats or even hold onto a chair for a little support. Feeling like you've got the hang of it? Try doing a squat on just one leg for an extra challenge, or grab a backpack and fill it with some books for added weight. Remember that you don’t need a crazy weight on you to do a good squat, start out with just your body weight and master the form first, then use extra weight.

Get shredded with the plank

Now, let's talk about your secret weapon for a super strong middle: the incredible plank. You might not think of it as a muscle-building move in the same way as push-ups or squats, but a strong core is essential for pretty much everything you do, and the plank is amazing for building that foundation. It works your abs, your back muscles, and even your shoulders. To get into a plank, start in that same push-up position, but instead of having your hands on the floor, rest on your forearms. Keep your body in a straight line from your head to your heels – no bending at the hips! The secret to making the plank effective is to really engage your core muscles – imagine someone is about to poke you in the stomach, and tighten those muscles! Try to hold this position for 20 or 30 seconds to start, and as you get stronger, see if you can hold it for longer. If a full plank feels too tough right now, you can always modify it by doing the plank with your knees on the floor. Try lifting one leg up at a time while you hold the position for an extra challenge if you feel like a standard plank is too easy.

bodyweight rows to build back muscle

Moving on, we've got an exercise that's fantastic for building a strong back and those muscles on the front of your upper arms, your biceps: the amazing bodyweight row. For this one, you'll need something sturdy that you can safely lie underneath and grab onto, like a strong table or a low, stable ledge. I recommend getting something similar to a pull up bar, but shortening its height so you can grab it while siting on the ground. Lie down underneath your chosen object and reach up to grab the edge with your hands facing away from you, a little wider than your shoulders. Position your body so that when you hang, your arms are straight and your heels are on the ground, with your body in a straight line. Now, pull your chest up towards the edge of whatever you're holding onto by bending your elbows and really squeezing the muscles in your back. Slowly lower yourself back down. Remember to keep your core engaged throughout. If this feels a bit tough to start, try bending your knees and keeping your feet closer to the table. Try elevating your feet on a chair if this feels to easy.

Level up legs with lunges

Last but certainly not least, we have: the legendary lunge. Lunges are a fantastic way to work the muscles in the front and back of your thighs (your quads and hamstrings) and your glutes, and the cool thing about them is that you work one leg at a time, which also helps with your balance and coordination. To do a lunge, stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Take a big step forward with one leg and lower your hips until both of your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. Make sure your front knee is right over your ankle, and your back knee should almost touch the ground. Then, push off with your front foot to step back to the starting position, and repeat with your other leg. If lunges feel a little tricky at first, try taking a smaller step forward. If lunges are a piece of cake for you, take any weights like dumbbells (or cans of non perishable food, anything really) and hold them while you lunge, or if you're feeling super energetic, you can even try doing jumping lunges – just be sure to land softly!

there’s no excuse not to strive for a Stronger you

Just because you can’t make it to the gym, deosn’t mean you can’t be strong or fit. These five super effective exercises you can do right at home to start building muscle and getting stronger are your key to seeing results. Make sure to do these exercises regularly to se results and to really listen to your body. As these moves start to feel easier, try doing more repetitions (that's how many times you do each exercise) or more sets (doing all the exercises one after the other, and then repeating the whole circuit). Read my other post about 5 techniques you can use to build muscle to optimize your time and build muscle at an even faster rate. Stick with it, be patient with yourself, and you'll be amazed at the strength you can build right in your own home!