Dad Workout With Baby: A No-Nonsense Guide

Every dad workout with baby article on the internet says the same thing: exercise while they nap, wake up before them, do push-ups in the living room. Helpful if you're training alone. Useless if your baby is awake, attached to you, and you still want to train.

This guide is different. It's about training with your baby — literally using them as part of your workout. Your child on your chest during squats. Your toddler on your shoulders during lunges. Not a workaround. An actual training method.

Luca here. I built PlayRep with Hanna because we both wanted to train without choosing between fitness and time with our kids. Most of the fitness world talks to mums. Dads get forgotten. So here's what actually works.

Why Train With Your Baby

The obvious reason: you don't need childcare. But there's more to it than logistics.

Your baby weighs something. A 6-month-old is around 7-8kg — the same as a kettlebell you'd use for goblet squats. A 2-year-old is 12-14kg. That's real resistance. And unlike a kettlebell, this weight moves, shifts, and grows heavier every month. You get stronger without ever changing equipment.

There's also the bonding. Babies and toddlers thrive on physical contact and movement. Being lifted, swung gently, carried through space — this is stimulating for them. Vestibular stimulation (the sensation of being moved) supports their brain development. You're not just training. You're giving them something they actually need.

When to Start

Unlike your partner who may be recovering from birth, you have no medical recovery period. You can start immediately. The limiting factor is your baby's development, not yours.

6 Exercises That Work

These are compound movements — they hit multiple muscle groups at once, which means more results in less time. Each one has been tested with real babies in real living rooms. (For a broader list including mum-focused variations, see our guide to 10 exercises you can do while holding your baby.)

1. The Goblet Squat

Hold your baby at chest height, facing you, with your hands supporting their torso. Feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground, keeping your chest upright and your weight in your heels. Drive back up.

This is the foundation exercise. Your baby's weight sits in the same position as a kettlebell goblet squat. It targets your quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core. A front carrier works well here too if your baby is younger and you want your hands free for balance.

Start with 3 sets of 10. Add a pause at the bottom for extra difficulty as you get stronger — or wait a month and your baby will be heavier.

2. The Overhead Press

Hold your baby at shoulder height, facing outward or toward you. Press them upward, extending your arms fully above your head. Lower back to shoulder height. Keep your core braced and avoid arching your lower back.

Babies usually love this one. The upward motion, the change in perspective, the eye contact at the top — it turns a shoulder exercise into a game. Targets your shoulders, triceps, and upper chest.

Wait until your baby has solid head and neck control (around 6 months). 3 sets of 8-12 reps. If your baby is light (under 5kg), slow the movement down to increase time under tension.

3. The Walking Lunge

Baby in a front carrier or held at your chest. Step forward into a lunge — front knee at 90 degrees, back knee nearly touching the ground. Push through your front heel to step forward into the next lunge. Alternate legs as you walk across the room.

This challenges your balance more than a stationary lunge because the added weight shifts your centre of gravity. Great for quads, glutes, hamstrings, and core stability. A front carrier is better than holding in arms here — the symmetrical weight distribution helps with balance.

2-3 sets of 8 per leg. Turn around and come back.

4. The Romanian Deadlift

Baby in a front carrier. Stand tall, slight bend in your knees. Hinge forward at the hips, pushing your hips backward while keeping your back straight. Feel the stretch in your hamstrings. Drive your hips forward to return to standing.

This is one of the most functional exercises you can do as a parent. You hinge forward to pick things up hundreds of times a day — toys, nappies, the baby themselves. Strengthening this pattern protects your lower back. Targets hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.

3 sets of 10. Keep your back neutral throughout — if it rounds, reduce the range of motion.

5. The Floor Press

Lie on your back. Baby sits on your chest or lower abdomen. Hold them securely and press them upward, extending your arms. Lower them back to your chest. This is essentially a bench press with your baby as the weight.

Most babies find this hilarious — the up-and-down motion, your face appearing and disappearing. Targets your chest, shoulders, and triceps. The floor limits your range of motion compared to a bench, which is actually safer with a baby.

3 sets of 12-15. Slow and controlled. Your baby should be at least 4-5 months old with good head control.

6. The Farmer's Walk

Pick up your baby (or put them in a carrier). Walk. That's it. But walk with purpose — core tight, shoulders back, deliberate steps. Walk around your house, around the garden, around the block.

This is the most underrated exercise in fitness. It trains your grip, core, shoulders, and cardiovascular system simultaneously. With a baby or toddler as the load, it's also the most natural movement you do every day — you're just doing it intentionally now.

Walk for 5-10 minutes as a warm-up or cool-down. Or do intervals: walk for 2 minutes, rest for 30 seconds, repeat 5 times.

Building a Routine

You don't need an hour. You need 15-20 minutes, 3-4 times a week. Here's a simple structure:

Warm-up (3 min): Farmer's walk around the house with baby in carrier.

Circuit (12-15 min): Goblet squat, overhead press, walking lunge, Romanian deadlift, floor press. 8-12 reps each, 30 seconds rest between exercises. 2-3 rounds.

Cool-down (2 min): Gentle stretching. Baby on the floor beside you — or on your chest while you stretch your hip flexors.

The key is flexibility. Some days your baby will be into it. Some days they'll last two exercises before wanting something else. That's normal. Do what you can. Consistency over perfection.

What If Your Baby Doesn't Like It

Not every baby enjoys being used as a weight. Some find it overstimulating. Some just prefer to be on the ground exploring. That's completely fine.

The alternative: you train with bodyweight or a kettlebell while your baby plays nearby. Set them up with age-appropriate toys or games within your line of sight. You're still training and still present. The guilt of "I should be with my child" disappears because you are with your child — they're right there.

Some babies warm up to being part of the workout over time. Others never do. Both are valid. The point is training while being present, whatever form that takes.