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Jan 11, 2024 · Steve Kamb. Last Updated: January 11, 2024. Evidence Based. Here are the 44 best bodyweight exercises you can do to build muscle and burn fat, no gym required! These are the exact exercises we start our coaching clients on, and many perform them from their house or apartment. In a hurry?
- Push-Up
- Squat
- Inverted Row
- Chin-Up
- Glute Bridge
- Bear Crawl
- World’S Greatest Stretch
- Burpee
- Triceps Dip
- Pull-Up
The push-upis one of the most basic and effective moves for improving upper body strength. And it really couldn’t be easier to do. You get on all fours, keep your back straight, and repeatedly lower yourself down and up — working the chest, triceps, and shoulders. Your core will also benefit, as the push-up is a moving plank that stabilizes your en...
The squat is regarded as one of the best movements — loaded or unloaded — for improving mobility and taxing your legs. Some even refer to the squat as the king of all lifts. You should be squatting if you want to sprint faster, jump higher, lift heavier, and look better. You’ll improve mobility as the squat has your body move through multiple plane...
Think of an inverted rowas pull-up lite. You’re pulling less of your body weight, so it’s easier to do for beginners while virtually recruiting the same muscles as a pull-up. The inverted row is technically a horizontal rowing movement, as your body is parallel to the floor, making it comparable to cable rows. That said, it’s a lower impact than bo...
This pull-up variant has you supinate the hands (turn them inward) when pulling your chin to the bar. Like a pull-up, the chin-up recruits the back muscles — the lats, rhomboids, and traps — but with more emphasis on the biceps. Because of the extra biceps recruitment, most people are generally stronger in this position and can pump out a few extra...
This exercise is popular among trainers to target the glutes while reducing potential back or knee pain. You can also load the glute bridgeto increase your glute strength, which will carry over to your deadlift and squat, or perform sets of them unweighted as a warm-up. If you don’t have access to weights at home, you can make the glute bridge more...
Crawling isn’t just for babies. By getting on all fours and slowly crawling forward — keeping your back straight and your knees under your hips and an inch off the floor — you’re teaching the body how to move as one unit. Your core will burn from stabilizing the torso, your quads will engage from propelling your feet forward, and your shoulders wil...
Mobility is just as important as mass or strength. The world’s greatest stretch improves mobility in three key areas — the hips, the shoulders, and the thoracic spine. It has you get into a deep lunge position, touch your elbow to the floor, and then reach up to engage your back and shoulder. You can (and probably should be) doing this before any w...
You may shudder at the word, but the burpee is the ultimate calorie burner. With several variations, the burpee can be great for beginners or challenge the fittest of athletes. This full-body exercise can be seen in gyms almost everywhere and is popular in the CrossFit Games because this high-intensity movementallows you to do more work in less tim...
To build bigger arms, the triceps are the muscles to work. Not only can you achieve the desired aesthetic, but there are several benefits to exercising your triceps. Lifts like the bench press can benefit from solid triceps and can help improve your overall upper body strength and stability. Triceps dipsin particular are great because they only req...
The pull-up is one of the harder bodyweight exercises you can do because of the required upper body strength. Even though this exercise targets a big muscle like the lats, weak arms, and shoulders can seriously debilitate your ability to perform even one rep. Plenty of progressionsare available to master the pull-up, making it possible for anyone t...
- Andrew Gutman
- Air Squats. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your hips down and back like you're sitting in a chair. Go as low as you can without losing the natural curve of your lower back.
- Push-Ups. Start in a plank position, shoulders over wrists, creating a straight line from shoulders to heels, core engaged. Bend elbows back 45 degrees and slowly lower toward the ground.
- Bulgarian Split Squats. Stand a little less than a leg's length in front of a bench, chair, box, or couch. Place the top of your right foot on the bench behind you.
- Superman Pull. A superman pull is one of the best bodyweight exercises to work your back—perfect for counteracting hunched-over posture. Lie face down on the floor with arms extended out in front of you.
- Arm circles. Remember PE class? Stand with your arms extended by your sides, perpendicular to your torso. Slowly make clockwise circles about 1 foot in diameter for 20—30 seconds.
- Standard push-up. There’s a reason this one’s a stone-cold classic. With your hands shoulder-width apart, keep your feet flexed at hip distance and tighten your core.
- Plank. Nope, we’re (thankfully) not walking the plank, although it may feel that way sometimes during this notorious ab-builder. Lie facedown with your forearms on the floor and your hands clasped.
- Squat. Learn how to nail the squat here. Stand with your feet parallel or turned out 15 degrees — whatever is most comfortable. Slowly start to crouch by bending your hips and knees until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor.
- Abdominal Crunch. Verywell / Ben Goldstein. Exercises that target the abdominals and strengthen the core prepare you for tougher full-body bodyweight exercises.
- Reverse Crunch. For this variation on the classic crunch, lie on your back with your hands by your sides. Lift your legs in the air as you flex your hips to about 90 degrees and maintain a neutral spine.
- Superman. Superman exercises target the abdominals and lower back. Lie on your stomach with your arms extended in front of you and legs stretched out behind you.
- Push-Up. Push-ups are a time-tested strength-building exercise for the upper body and core. Start in a plank position or lower your knees if you're still building up your strength.
Jan 11, 2024 · This is the Beginner Bodyweight Workout (3 Circuits): 20 Bodyweight squats. 10 Push-ups. 10 Walking lunges (each leg). 10 Dumbbell rows (use a milk jug or other weight). 15 Second Plank. 30 Jumping jacks; We turned this bodyweight workout into a fun infographic, because that’s how we roll around here:
Feb 3, 2021 · Beginners. The 30-Day Bodyweight Exercise Challenge. Improve your workout quality with these daily moves. By. Darla Leal. Updated on February 03, 2021. Reviewed by. Heather Black, CPT. Regular exercise is an important part of getting in shape and living a healthy lifestyle.