5 Best Floor Workouts To Maintain Weight Loss
Do you want to make your weight-loss journey more exciting? If so, look no further than my best floor workouts to maintain (and enhance!) weight loss. These routines are effective and engaging, using minimal equipment to deliver maximum results. They keep your muscles guessing, maintain high motivation levels, and promote consistency, which are crucial to achieving your end goal.
Whether you're at home or in the gym, these floor routines guarantee a full-body burn that keeps your fitness journey productive. Now, let's dive into the best floor workouts to maintain weight loss. And don't worry if you're a beginner; each workout comes with modifications for movements or reps to ensure everyone can participate and progress at their own pace.
Workout #1: Core HIIT
For this quick-hitting workout, you'll need a pair of non-rolling dumbbells, a suitable floor space, and a strong commitment. The dumbbells will intensify the workout by engaging your core muscles, forearms, and shoulders, as you'll use them to stabilize your plank position during each movement.
Perform five to 10 rounds of this cardio HIIT circuit. For each round, do each exercise for 30 seconds, followed by a 15-second rest before moving to the next exercise.
1. Dumbbell Renegade Rows
Renegade rows are top-tier floor exercises that sculpt your biceps and shoulders. Your core and shoulders stabilize your body while your biceps and lats work together to row each dumbbell. With each rep, this move strengthens your core and delivers a powerful upper-body weight-loss workout.
Start in a plank position with your hands under your shoulders, gripping dumbbells. Lift one hand, pulling your elbow to the ceiling in a strong rowing motion while balancing on the other arm. Alternate sides, maintaining stability and squeezing your core. Make sure to use non-rounded dumbbells for a stable surface.
2. Dumbbell Plank Jacks
Plank jacks are phenomenal for enhancing core and shoulder stability, improving adductor strength, and elevating intensity to boost metabolism.
Start in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders, gripping the dumbbell handles and your body straight from head to heels. Engage your core. Jump both feet out to the sides while maintaining the plank. Quickly return your feet together. Repeat, keeping a steady rhythm and core engaged.
3. Dumbbell Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers amplify your fat-burning potential, delivering an intense, effective, and challenging workout. You'll want to ensure you're squeezing your abs as you bust through high-volume rounds of mountain climbers.
Start in a high plank position with your hands beneath your shoulders and your body straight. Engage your core and bring your right knee toward your right elbow, then quickly switch legs, bringing your left knee toward your left elbow. Alternate legs in a smooth, controlled motion, maintaining a steady pace.
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Workout #2: Weight-Loss AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible)
AMRAP workouts are an efficient way to pack a lot of work into a short period. They elevate your intensity as you race against the clock, ensuring you push your limits while maintaining proper form.
For this workout, set a timer for 20 minutes. Complete all the reps of one exercise before moving to the next. For single-side exercises like split squats, perform all the reps on one side before switching to the other side in the next round. Knock out 10 reps per exercise and rest as needed.
1. Dumbbell Split Squats
Split squats are inherently intense, but adding dumbbells raises the challenge, creating a powerful lower-body workout. This exercise engages your quads, hamstrings, glutes, and calves, making it excellent for weight loss and building lean muscle. Beyond shedding pounds, unilateral movements like split squats enhance strength, build lean muscle mass, and promote balanced training.
Start by standing with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand at your sides. Step one foot back into a staggered stance, ensuring both feet remain aligned. Lower your body by bending your knees until your front thigh is parallel to the ground and your back knee nearly touches the floor. Keep your torso upright and your core engaged throughout the movement. Push through the heel of your front foot to rise back to the starting position.
2. Half-kneeling Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Half-kneeling dumbbell shoulder presses blend upper-body strength with core training. In the half-kneeling position, your core stabilizes your torso, promoting proper alignment. Meanwhile, the shoulder press effectively targets your shoulders and triceps, delivering a comprehensive workout.
Start by kneeling on one knee with the other foot flat on the floor in front of you, creating a 90-degree angle at both knees. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with a neutral grip. Engage your core to stabilize your torso and maintain an upright posture. Press the dumbbells overhead until your arms are fully extended, then slowly lower them back to shoulder height. Make sure to switch your front foot each round.
3. Seated Leg Tucks
Seated leg tucks can help define and develop your midsection, getting you one step closer to a chiseled mid-section. The supported position allows you to focus on engaging your abs more thoroughly without straining your back, creating an effective workout option.
Sit on the floor with your hands gripping the sides for support. Lean back slightly and lift your feet off the ground, extending your legs straight out before you. Engage your core and bend your knees, drawing them toward your chest while bringing your upper body forward to meet your knees. Pause briefly at the top of the movement, then slowly extend your legs back to the starting position while leaning back again.
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Workout #3: Strength Training for Weight Loss
Strength training sets the foundation for lean muscle mass, endurance, and effective weight loss. With adequate strength, you can fully benefit from intense workout sessions. Plus, strength training kickstarts your metabolism and increases your heart rate, further enhancing your weight-loss efforts.
1. Squat-to-Lunge
Squat-to-lunges are a power-packed combination of squats and lunges. This dynamic movement targets multiple lower-body muscles, igniting your metabolism and making weight-loss workouts more thrilling and effective.
Begin by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Lower into a squat by bending your knees and pushing your hips back, maintaining a straight back and upright chest. Return to the starting position and step forward with one foot into a lunge position. Push back to standing by pressing through your front foot. Alternate legs and repeat.
Complete three rounds of eight to 12 reps with 60 seconds of rest between sets.
2. Side Plank with Hip Dips
Side planks with hip dips are a great combo of strength training and metabolism-boosting intensity. This move targets your core, especially love handles, and helps shape your obliques for a leaner midsection. A bodyweight variation is a great starting point. Place a light dumbbell on your top oblique to turn it up a notch.
Start by lying on your side with your legs straight and stacked on each other. Prop yourself up on your forearm, ensuring your elbow is under your shoulder. Lift your hips off the ground, forming a straight line from your head to your feet, with your other hand resting on your hip or extending toward the ceiling. From this position, lower your hips toward the floor in a controlled manner, then lift them back up to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of repetitions, switch sides, and repeat the exercise on the other side.
Perform three sets of 10 to 20 reps per side with 60 seconds of rest between sets.
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Workout #4: EMOMs for Weight Loss
Here's how EMOM works: you'll complete the given number of reps and aim to finish before the minute is up. Once you're done, rest for the remainder of the minute, then move to the next exercise. Be prepared, though—these workouts get more challenging as time goes on!
1. Pushups with Shoulder Taps
Pushups with shoulder taps are great for weight loss because they work multiple muscle groups simultaneously, like your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. This compound movement increases your heart rate and burns more calories, helping you shed fat. Adding shoulder taps makes this exercise even more challenging, requiring extra stability and coordination, elevating the intensity.
Pro tip: If your form begins to break down or you're not ready for full pushups yet, opt for kneeling pushups.
Start in a high plank position with your hands beneath your shoulders and your body forming a straight line. Lower your body toward the ground by bending your elbows, then push back up to the starting position. At the top of the pushup, stabilize your body and lift one hand off the ground to tap the opposite shoulder. Return the hand to the ground and perform another pushup, alternating shoulder taps with each repetition.
Complete eight to 12 reps.
2. Back Extensions
Your posterior chains need some love during your workouts to ensure you check all the boxes and cover all the essential muscle groups. Back extensions strengthen and shape your lower back and glutes and contribute to overall core strength.
Lie face down on a mat with your legs straight and your arms extended in front of you or with your hands placed lightly behind your head. Engage your core and glutes, and keep your neck neutral. Slowly lift your chest off the floor as high as possible, using your lower back muscles and squeezing your glutes. Hold the top position momentarily, then slowly lower your chest to the starting position.
Perform 10 to 15 reps.
3. Bicycle Crunches
Bicycle crunches provide an intensive and dynamic workout for your abs, introducing rotational training for your midsection. For optimal results, focus on engaging your abs and squeezing them as you alternate from side to side.
Lie on your back with your hands behind your head, legs lifted off the ground, and your knees bent. Bring your right elbow and left knee together while straightening your right leg, then alternate by bringing your left elbow and right knee together while straightening your left leg.
Complete 12 to 18 reps total.
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Workout #5: Full-body Weight Loss
Full-body workouts optimize weight loss by targeting nearly every muscle group, ensuring a comprehensive exercise routine. Engaging multiple muscles boosts fat-burning and keeps your metabolism elevated.
1. Glute Bridge Walkouts
Gluet bridge walkouts are one of the mightiest posterior chain exercises for weight loss that you can easily do from the floor. As you begin in a glute bridge, you will focus on engaging your lower back and glutes. The emphasis shifts to your hamstrings as you walk your feet away from your hips. This exercise is potent as a bodyweight option, or you can place a dumbbell in your hip crease to increase the intensity.
Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your hips into a bridge position and slowly walk your feet away from your body, extending one leg at a time while maintaining the bridge. Continue until your legs are almost straight, then reverse the movement by walking your feet back towards your body. Lower your hips to the ground to complete one repetition.
Complete three sets of five to 10 steps per side with 60 seconds of rest between sets.
2. Gorilla Rows
Gorilla rows are fantastic for building a solid back, especially targeting your lats and upper back muscles. When you row dumbbells or kettlebells straight from the ground, you're working your back and engaging your core to stay stable.
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hinge at the hips to lower your torso until nearly parallel to the ground, keeping your back straight. Hold dumbbells or kettlebells in each hand position on the floor, ensuring they're placed directly under your shoulders. Pull the weights toward your sides, driving elbows back and squeezing shoulder blades together. Lower the weights with control to complete a repetition.
Knock out three sets of 12 to 15 reps per side with 60 seconds of rest between sets.
3. Planks with Pull-throughs
Plank pull-throughs engage multiple muscle groups, including the core, shoulders, and arms, boosting metabolism through increased calorie burning. This compound movement enhances your metabolic rate and adds a fun twist to traditional ab exercises. Use a dumbbell, a small weight plate, or even something as simple as a ball or shoe to pull through the plank position.
Begin in a plank position with your hands beneath your shoulders and your body straight. Place a weight beside you, then reach under with the opposite hand to grab it. Pull the weight across your body to the other side while maintaining stability. Perform three rounds of 30-second sets with 60 seconds of rest between sets.
