No traditional gym equipment required for this full body workout…only a piece of luggage!

By Jon-Erik Kawamoto, MSc, CSCS, CEP

Well, we’re still stuck at home and many are looking for home workout ideas. In addition to our 2 Dumbbell Home Workout and Full Body Band Workout, here’s a full body home workout you can do in your living room, all with a large piece of luggage. Fill it with clothes, zip it up and here we go!

The Workout

This workout is designed to be performed 1-2x/week. You’ll do all 5 exercises in a row with minimal rest in between.

Exercise #1 – Overhead Alternating Reverse Lunge

home workout
Overhead Alternating Reverse Lunge Start
home workout
Alternating Overhead Reverse Lunge Bottom

How – Hold the piece of luggage overhead with your arms straight. Stand with your feet hip width apart. Take a large step back and land on your big toe joint. Bend your knee as you kneel toward the floor. Gently touch the floor with your knee and push off your rear leg and push down with your front foot to return to standing. Alternate sides. Make sure to keep your arms straight throughout the set. 

Do – 15 reps per side

Exercise #2 – 2 Point Luggage Row

home workout
2 Point Row Start
home workout
2 Point Row Top

How – Stand with your feet hip width apart, soften your knees and bend over at your hips. Keep your back flat and abs braced. Grab the side loop on the piece of luggage and put your opposite arm straight as if pushing onto a workout bench. Brace your abs and keep your torso still and row the bag up. Squeeze your shoulder toward your opposite hip. Lower the bag but don’t touch the floor. 

Do – 15 reps per side

Exercise #3 – Front Loaded Good Morning

home workout
Front Loaded Good Morning Start
home workout
Front Loaded Good Morning Bottom

How – Stand with your feet hip width apart and cradle the bag in your arms in front of your chest. Soften your knee and bend over at your hips. Keep your back flat and abs braced. Bend to a 90-degree hip angle and notice tension in your hamstrings. Return to standing and squeeze your glutes.

Do – 15 reps

Exercise #4 – Half Kneeling Luggage Overhead Press

home workout
Half-Kneeling Overhead Press Start
home workout
Half-Kneeling Overhead Press Top

How – Kneel on one knee with your opposite leg in front. Form a 90-degree angle at your front knee, get tall and hold the bag in front of your chest with your elbows pointing down. Brace your abs and squeeze your glute on the kneeling leg. Press the bag overhead and stack your wrists over your shoulders. Move your head back and return the weight to your chest. 

Do – 10 reps per knee

Exercise #5 – Luggage Weighted Leg-V Sit-Up 

home workout
Leg-V Sit-Up Start
home workout
Leg-V Sit-Up Top

How – Lie with your back on the ground and your legs open in the shape of a “V.” Hold the bag in front of your chest. Use your abs to sit up. Sit to a tall posture and support the bag with your elbows pointing down. Slowly lie back down using your abs. When you sit up, do not lift your legs.

Do – 15 reps

Once you finish 1 round, take 90-seconds rest and start over. Do 5 total sets.

Have fun with this home workout. Remember, try and do 5 total sets and feel free to do this workout 1-3x/week.


Jon-Erik Kawamoto, MSc, CSCS, CSEP is a Strength and Conditioning Coach, Co-owner and Founder of JKConditioning. With 15 years in the industry and over 10 years as a freelance fitness writer, Jon has helped many change their lives through fitness. To inquire about coaching, workshops, presentations or writing, you can contact him through our Contact Us page. (photo credit: Jim Mullowney Photography)

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Find out more HERE.

I originally joined JKC because I was anxious about passing out and embarrassing myself since I hadn’t weight trained in a while and I’d hoped to find somewhere sympathetic. My husband @terry_hussey had been training at JKC and his success there made me miss the achievement you feel from a good workout. I went to meet Jon and immediately knew it was going to be a safe space for me. I was never judged for the fears I had and where I was starting from. Jon and Thomas made sure to check on me often, and found a way to challenge me but make me feel secure at the same time, and Terry and I were able to book sessions together, so working out became a shared win for us!

JKC is different from other gyms because of the personal growth you have outside JKC (the sessions inside JKC creates a great positive feedback loop!). You gain self confidence, learn how to show up for yourself, meet a community of newfound friends, and get the support of your trainers who are behind you 100%. I’ve left a scattered workout so proud of myself I’ve honestly shed a tear in the car on the drive home. JKC is the mental health relief valve I need to stay positive, and keep my anxiety and health related fears at bay.

I heard really good things about it from my sister, and I could see the positive results she was getting.  I needed to do something.  I was overweight, depressed, and recovering from a back injury.  I had reached a point where simply getting up out of a chair was becoming difficult.  I knew that if I didn’t do something about it my senior years would be very burdensome to the people close to me.  I’m so glad I did!  After just a few weeks my day-to-day pain was drastically reduced, and my mobility increased. I had the confidence to try sea kayaking, and I now play ice hockey twice a week!

The key difference is the expertise.  The trainers know the gym equipment and the exercises, but they also have degrees in kinesiology, and can apply what they know to your workout.  As someone who was in poor physical condition starting out, I was worried about hurting myself.  Previously I tried an outdoor weekly bootcamp and injured my knee by pushing too hard.  The trainers at JKC constructed a program that started at the right level for me, evolving it as I grew stronger and more fit.  I feel well looked after.

I joined JKC because I wanted to better care for my physical health, but didn’t really know how, or where, to begin.  Seeking help from a trainer seemed like a wise choice, and I had heard great things about the staff at JKC. Anyone who knows me knows that I hate exercising.  So, I’ve only ever tried sticking with a gym routine twice in my life.  Each experience consisted of me wandering around, not knowing what to do, and settling for an elliptical machine or something else that seemed comfortable and non-threatening.  Each session was the same, and I felt like I was wasting my time.

Each session at JKC, however, is specifically crafted for me.  I don’t have to think about what to do, because I’m told what to do.  I don’t have to worry about how to do things properly, because I’m shown (sometimes multiple times!) how to accomplish each task.  I don’t have to be concerned about slipping into a comfortable routine, because Jon and Thomas won’t let that happen.

I’m 30 — started at JKC Aug 2016. I moved to NL to open lululemon and we chose Jon as one of our store’s ambassadors, did one workout and have raved about it ever since! The JKC team can adapt a workout no matter what the situation — injuries, new goals, you name it! The trust and expertise can’t be matched!

I heard somewhere that achieving your health goals is determined largely by what you do in the kitchen. I am grateful to have found Julia who brought direction and accountability to this most important piece for me. Having Julia in my corner has brought me confidence and certainty that I am on my way to achieving my goals. I highly recommend her if you are serious about making a change and feeling better about your health.

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