A Halloween workout you can do at home or in the gym
Halloween falls on a Saturday in 2026, which leaves room for a proper session before the parties start. This one has silly names and a real structure underneath: a warm-up, two strength blocks, a short finisher and a cool-down. It takes about 35 minutes and works the whole body.
How it’s laid out
Each block lists a gym version, a version with a pair of dumbbells, and a bodyweight version you can do in a lounge room. Pick one column and stay in it, or mix them if your gym is busy. Choose weights you could lift a few more times than the reps asked. The goal is good, controlled reps, not a trip to the floor.
Warm-up: Wake the Dead (5 minutes)
Go through this twice, without rushing:
- 30 seconds marching on the spot, then 30 seconds of arm circles
- 10 slow bodyweight squats
- 5 inchworms (walk your hands out to a plank and back)
- 10 glute bridges
Block 1: The Graveyard Shift (12 minutes)
Three rounds. Rest about 60 seconds after each round.
| Exercise | Gym | Dumbbells | Bodyweight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grave Digger squat, 10 reps | Barbell back squat | Goblet squat | Squat, slow on the way down |
| Coffin Lid press, 10 reps | Bench press | Floor press | Push-up (on a bench or bed if needed) |
| Crypt row, 10 reps | Seated cable row | One-arm dumbbell row | Inverted row under a sturdy table |
Block 2: The Haunted Staircase (10 minutes)
Three rounds. Rest about 45 seconds after each round.
| Exercise | Gym | Dumbbells | Bodyweight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Creaking Stairs, 8 per leg | Barbell reverse lunge | Dumbbell step-up | Step-up on a stair |
| Body Lift, 10 reps | Romanian deadlift | Dumbbell Romanian deadlift | Single-leg glute bridge, 8 per leg |
| Skeleton Plank | 30 to 40 seconds | 30 to 40 seconds | 30 to 40 seconds |
Finisher: The Monster Mash (6 minutes)
Set a timer for six minutes and repeat this circuit as many times as you can, moving at a pace you can keep:
- 5 Pumpkin Smashes (burpees, or squat thrusts without the jump)
- 10 Spider Scrambles (mountain climbers, counting each leg)
- 10 Bat Swings (kettlebell or dumbbell swings, or bodyweight hip hinges with a fast stand)
Write down how many rounds you got. Next Halloween, beat it.
Cool-down: Rest in Peace (4 minutes)
Slow your breathing and hold each stretch for about 30 seconds a side: a hip flexor stretch in a half-kneeling position, a hamstring stretch, a chest stretch in a doorway, and child’s pose to finish.
Making it easier or harder
- Short on time? Do two rounds in each block and skip the finisher. That’s closer to 20 minutes.
- New to training? Use the bodyweight column, rest as long as you like, and stop each set with a few reps in reserve.
- Want more? Add a fourth round to Block 1, or slow every lowering phase to three seconds.
- Training with friends? Pair up for the finisher. One person works while the other rests, and you add your rounds together.
Keep it going past October
One themed session is fun. What changes anything is turning up again on Monday. Forge is a workout app for iPhone built around a daily streak. I make it, so weigh that. You choose your training days, and rest days never break the streak. It builds a plan from your goal and your equipment, down to bodyweight only, and its exercises come with form videos so you can check your technique.
If you train on 31 October, Forge gives you the Graveyard Shift badge. Logging your sets also shows your best lifts, so next year’s Grave Digger squat has a number to beat.
Forge for iPhone
A plan for your goal and your week, sets logged in seconds, and one streak to keep going. Free to download.
Common questions
How long is this Halloween workout?
About 35 minutes, including a five-minute warm-up and a short cool-down. Drop a round from each block if you only have 25.
Can I do it with no equipment?
Yes. Every exercise has a bodyweight version in the table, and the only thing you might want is a sturdy chair or a step.
Is it suitable for beginners?
Yes, if you use the bodyweight or lighter options and rest as long as you need between rounds. Stop any movement that hurts and swap it for an easier one.
Can I do it with friends?
It works well as a group session. Take turns on the finisher, or race each other through the Monster Mash rounds.
Forge
Aloud
Moat