How to Get Ripped Quickly Without Money or Equipment

To get ripped quickly, try a variety of challenging exercises at home instead of splurging on a gym membership or expensive equipment. Work your upper body with a combination of standard and modified planks, push-ups, and crunch exercises. Don’t forget to sculpt your legs with squats, lunges, and calf carving lifts. Do 60 minute upper and lower body routines on alternating days, and be sure to do your exercises consistently. Remember that getting ripped takes dedication, and you won't see results overnight. Make sure to eat a healthy diet in order to fuel your muscles and reduce fat deposits that conceal muscle definition. Note that these routines will work well for 2-3 months, but after your body adapts to them, you will need to seek out more difficult exercises with higher resistance in order to progress.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Exercising Your Upper Body

1
Do standard planks.^{[1]XExpert SourceDean Theriot
Personal TrainerExpert Interview. 22 January 2021.} Lay on your stomach with your body straight, then use your forearms and toes to lift yourself off the floor. Your forearms should be under your torso at shoulder distance and bent at 90 degree angles, and your head should be facing the floor. Keep yourself in a straight line from your head to your toes with no bends at your back or knees.^{[2]XResearch source}
- If you’re just starting off, hold the pose for 10 seconds, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat ten times. Gradually work your way up to holding the pose for 30, 45, and 60 seconds.
- Modify planks for a full body workout by holding the pose and slowly raising one leg 5 to 8 inches (13 to 20 cm) off the floor. Hold the leg in the air for a couple seconds, slowly lower it, then repeat with the other leg. Do a couple sets of 10 repetitions with each leg.
2
Do push-ups and modified push-ups.^{[3]XExpert SourceDean Theriot
Personal TrainerExpert Interview. 22 January 2021.} Do standard push-ups by laying on your stomach with your body straight, lifting yourself on your toes and palms with your elbows straight (but not locked), bending your elbows so they’re bent at least 90 degrees, then raising yourself off the ground so your elbows are straight again. Hold your palms further out from your body or directly under your chest to switch up the muscles you target.^{[4]XResearch source}
- Do a couple of sets of at least 10 repetitions with your palms at standard, wide, and under-chest positions. Work your way up to doing 20 reps per set at each position.
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3
Do pull-ups or chin-ups. While technically pull-ups do require a fixed bar of some sort for you to use, usually you can find something suitable to do them on. You may be able to find a pull-up bar at a local park, but just a tree branch of an appropriate height, a rafter in a garage or really any strong horizontal bar you can reach is perfectly fine. Pull-ups are when you grasp the bar with your palms facing away from you and chin-ups are when you grasp the bar with your palms facing towards you. Grip the bar firmly and hang from it, then in a controlled, quick motion pull yourself up so your chin is over the bar, lower yourself in a controlled motion and repeat.
- Usually pull-ups are the more difficult exercise because they engage more muscle groups in the forearms, shoulders and back, while chin-ups focus more on the biceps.
- If you cannot do a single pull-up, focus on doing negative pull-ups, where you start yourself at the top position with your chin above the bar and then lower yourself as slowly as you can till you are hanging from the bar. Do sets of these, working your way up to 3 sets of around 6 negatives, or until you are able to do a regular pull up.
- Grip strength may also be an issue, so you can also try 'dead hangs' where your hang from the bar with your arms and shoulders flexed. Try to hold this dead hang position for at least 10 seconds at first and work your way up to 30 second holds.
4
Try torso rotations. Start in a standard push-up position with your palms in line with your straightened elbows and shoulders. Rotate your hips and slightly bend your knees so they face your right side, hold for a count of 10, then rotate them to your left side.^{[5]XResearch source}
- Rest for 30 seconds then repeat at least twice. To increase difficulty, raise your right arm toward the ceiling as you rotate and hold your knees to the right, and raise your left arm when you hold your knees on the left side.
5
Work your abdominals with reverse crunches. Lay on your back with your hands by your sides. Extend your legs straight and slowly lift them about 6 inches (15 cm) off the ground. Bring your knees to your chest, hold for a couple of seconds, then slowly straighten them and return them to the floor.^{[6]XResearch source}
- Keep your lower back on the floor when you lift your legs to avoid injury.
- Do 4 sets of 25 repetitions, resting for 30 seconds between each set.
6
Work your back and glutes with the table exercise. Start by sitting on the floor with your legs bent in front of you. Your feet should be shoulder distance apart and flat on the floor, and your arms should be just behind you with your elbows straight and palms flat on the floor with fingers facing your feet. Lift your hips off the ground so your knees bend at a 90 degree angle, and keep your back straight.^{[7]XResearch source}
- Hold the pose for 10 seconds, lower your hips back to the floor, then repeat 10 times.
- Remember to be consistent and do your upper body workouts for at least an hour every other day. Do lower body workouts on days you don't do upper body workouts.
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Including Lower Body Exercises

1
Target your glutes with glute bridges. Lie on the floor face up, then bend your knees at about 90 degrees and keep your feet flat on the floor. Then lift your hips up and off the ground as high as your comfortably can, squeezing your glutes to engage them. Hold this position for a few seconds and then repeat.
- A more difficult variation is the single leg glute bridge. Lie on the ground like usual, but before you lift your hips, extend one of your legs off the ground and straighten it. Now, drive your hips up and hold in this considerably more difficult position. Repeat with the other leg. Try to shoot for 10 reps with each leg.
2
Try the waist whittler for full body burn. Start by lying on your right side with your right leg slightly bent and your left leg straight. Hold your elbows bent in front of you with your right hand in a fist and your left hand cupped over it. Keeping your hips on the floor and elbows bent, lift your torso up by pushing off your right elbow as you raise your left leg and elbow toward the ceiling.^{[8]XResearch source}
- Use a yoga mat, blanket, or towel to cushion your hips and elbows when you do this exercise.
- Do 15 repetitions, switch sides, then repeat.
3
Sculpt your legs and glutes with squats. Position your legs shoulder distance apart with your toes slightly turned out, and keep your weight on your heels. Place your hands behind your head, so your shoulders are drawn back and your chest is lifted. Drive your butt backward as you lower yourself toward the floor with your knees bent in line with your toes until your thighs are parallel with the floor.^{[9]XResearch source}
- Do repetitions for a minute, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat.
4
Do lunges and reverse lunges.^{[10]XExpert SourceDean Theriot
Personal TrainerExpert Interview. 22 January 2021.} Stand with your feet shoulder distance apart and your arms in front of you with your elbows bent and palms out, as if you were feeling an imaginary wall. Step forward and bend your knee until it’s at a 90 degree angle, return to a standing position, then repeat with the other leg.^{[11]XResearch source}
- Do lunges for a minute, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat.
- Try reversing the lunge by stepping backward with one leg until the opposite knee is bent at a 90 degree angle. As you step back into a standing pose, bend the knee of the leg you extended backward and raise it toward your chest, lower it to the ground to stand, then repeat with the other leg.^{[12]XResearch source}
5
Try the calf carver. Start by standing with your hands held behind your head, then lift your right knee to hip level with your right toes pointed toward the ground. Lift your left heel off the floor and balance on the ball of your foot as you contract your abs. Hold the pose for a few seconds, and lower your left heel back to the floor to complete one repetition.^{[13]XResearch source}
- Do 15 reps, switch legs, then repeat.
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Changing Your Diet

1
Maintain a balanced diet. Eat the recommended number of calories for your age and sex, and eat meals that consist of 50% fruits and veggies, 25% whole grains, and 25% lean protein. Eating right will help you ensure that you actually see results from your daily workouts. It’ll also give your muscles the fuel they need to grow.
- Track your meals and create a personalized diet using a wellness app or a resource like Super Tracker:
2
Eat lots of lean protein. To build muscle you’ll need to consume at least the daily amount of protein recommended for your age and sex. Lean proteins, like chicken breast or fish, are your healthiest options. Eating leaner proteins instead of red meat will help you swap saturated and trans fats for healthier fats.^{[14]XTrustworthy SourceHarvard Medical SchoolHarvard Medical School's Educational Site for the PublicGo to source}
- If you’re a teen or adult male, go for at least 6 1/2 ounces (184 g) of protein per day. Teen and adult women should eat at least 5 1/2 ounces (156 g) per day.^{[15]XTrustworthy SourceUSDA Center for Nutrition Policy and PromotionU.S. agency responsible for promoting good nutrition based on scientific researchGo to source}
3
Add 12 grams of fiber to your daily diet. Some studies have shown that subjects who increased their fiber intake by 12 grams lost weight from their waistline. Beans contain more fiber than any other food, so try to eat at least 1/2 cup (120 mL) per day. Other great fiber sources include whole grains, so choose whole grain options for cereal, pasta, and bread.^{[16]XResearch source}
- Teen and adult men should eat 8 ounces (227 g) of grains per day. Teen and adult women should eat 6 ounces (170 g) per day.
4
Swap sweets for healthy snacks. Between meals, eat healthy snacks instead of sweets to fuel your muscles and trim excess fat and sugar from your diet. Snacks can be an effective way to ensure you’re getting the protein, fiber, and other nutrients needed to build muscle and burn fat.^{[17]XResearch source}
- Go for snacks like unsalted nuts, dried fruit, a tablespoon of peanut butter, carrots, peppers or broccoli.
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Expert Q&A

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What's some cheap equipment I can use for a lot of different exercises?
Dean Theriot
Personal Trainer
Dean Theriot is a Personal Trainer and the Owner of Timberline Fitness in Houston, Texas. With over 25 years of experience in the fitness industry, Dean specializes in personal, group, and sport-specific training. Dean holds a BS in Exercise Physiology from LSU. Dean combines resistance and cardiovascular training with pilates exercises for comprehensive workouts for his clients. His sport-specific training includes football, basketball, and baseball.
Dean Theriot
Personal Trainer
Expert Answer
A set of dumbbells really helps and they're not that expensive. You can use them to do things like curls, overhead presses, flies, and bench presses.
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Tips

In order to see results you must keep up with your daily workouts.
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Take care to practice good exercise form, like keeping your back straight when doing planks and push-ups or keeping your lower back on the floor when doing reverse crunches.
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Warnings

It's always best to consult your doctor before taking on a new exercise routine, especially if you have existing conditions, like heart or joint issues.
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