Want to train but don’t have access to equipment? Here is a guide to bodyweight workouts that you can use to build muscle anywhere—at home, on vacation, or in your backyard.
I’m a big fan of bodyweight training. I owe a lot of my strength, especially early on, to countless reps of pushups, pullups, situps, and the like. And I’m not alone. Guys like Mike Tyson, Bruce Lee, and Herschel Walker used bodyweight training to get jacked, too.
However, the best testament to bodyweight training is Olympic gymnasts. Despite rarely touching weights, they have upper bodies that would rival pro-natural bodybuilders. Of course, they are strong, too.
The truth is there are many different forms of strength beyond absolute strength. Relative strength deals with the strength-to-bodyweight ratio, and bodyweight training is one of the best ways to develop it. High relative strength and body weight control are critical for excelling in athletics and daily life.
That said, the best aspect of bodyweight training is its accessibility. You can do it anywhere. You don’t need a fancy gym or access to any equipment. The problem is that bodyweight workouts can be hard to program. Well, that is where I come in.
Here is a list of my favorite bodyweight workouts. Enjoy.
Modified Murph
Modified Murph is my all-time favorite bodyweight workout. All you need is a place to do pullups.
While pursuing my Master’s, I only had time to go to the gym twice a week. To supplement these two days, I did the modified Murph workout every Saturday in my office. I performed the pullups on a simple doorway pullup bar.
The Workout: 20 Rounds For Time
- 5 Pullups
- 10 Pushups
- 15 Air Squats
By the end, you will have done 100 pullups, 200 pushups, and 300 air squats. If you want to get crazy, you can throw on a weight vest and run a mile before and after doing this for the full Murph workout.
100 Reps For Time
The 100 reps for time workout is simple. Pick an exercise and do 100 reps of it as fast as possible. I like to do this when I’m short on time but still want to work out.
Here are some examples:
- Pushups: 5 sets x 20 reps = 100 reps
- Pullups: 10 sets x 10 reps = 100 reps
- Burpees: 10 sets x 10 reps = 100 reps
- Air Squats: 5 sets x 20 reps = 100 reps
The One Exercise-a-Day Program
Strength coach Dan John wrote about this workout in his book Never Let Go. I modified it a bit by adding a time cap.
The one exercise-a-day program is similar to the 100 reps for time workout. However, the difference is that instead of counting reps, you do as many reps as possible of one exercise for a specific time.
An example would be 15 minutes of pushups or 30 minutes of pullups. You would be surprised at how much work you can get done in a half hour by focusing on only one exercise.
5 Rounds of 5 Exercises
For this workout, pick five exercises and do five rounds with little rest in between. This setup gives you a ton of flexibility. You can choose any exercises you like.
Here is an example:
- Pushups x 10 reps
- Air squat x 10 reps
- Sit up x 10 reps
- Single Leg Calf Raise x 10 reps (on each leg)
- Leg raises x 10 reps
The Full Workout
For the full workout, pick a few bodyweight exercises and structure them as you would for a gym workout. This setup works well if you are on vacation and want to put together a couple of days’ worth of workouts.
Here is an example of an upper and lower body workout.
Upper Body
- Push-ups: 4 sets x 10-15 reps
- Pullups: 4 sets x 5-10 reps
- Handstand Push-ups: 4 sets x 5-10 reps
- Dips: 4 sets x 10-15 reps
- Superman Back Extensions: 4 sets x 15-20 reps
Lower Body and Abs
- Air Squats: 4 sets x 15-20 reps
- Lunges: 4 sets x 15-20 reps
- Single Leg Calf Raise: 4 sets x 15-20 reps on each leg
- Glute Bridge: 4 sets x 15-20 reps
- Sit-ups: 3 sets x 15-20 reps
- Leg Raises: 3 sets x 10-15 reps
My Favorite CrossFit Bodyweight WODs
There are many great bodyweight CrossFit WODs. Here are six of my favorites.
Angie
Do 100 reps of each exercise before moving on to the next. For Time.
- 100 Pullups
- 100 Pushups
- 100 Situps
- 100 Air Squats
Cindy
20 minutes AMRAP
- 5 Pullups
- 10 Pushups
- 15 Air Squats
Barbara
5 rounds for time. 3 minutes of rest between each round.
- 20 Pullups
- 30 Pushups
- 40 Situps
- 50 Air Squats
Maggie
5 rounds for time.
- 20 Handstand Pushups
- 40 Pullups
- 60 Alternating Pistol Squats
Annie
For time. 50-40-30-20-10
- Double Unders
- Situps
Mary
20 minutes AMRAP
- 5 Handstand Pushups
- 10 Alternating Pistol Squats
- 15 Pullups
The 10 Fundamental Bodyweight Exercises
When creating bodyweight workouts, focus on the ten fundamental exercises listed below. These ten exercises can train your entire body.
Pushup
Pushups are among the best bodyweight exercises and can be helpful in any training regimen. During a pushup, your hands and feet are fixed to the ground, and as you lower yourself, your scapula is free to move. This feature is unique to most chest exercises.
Easier: Hand Elevated Pushup—If you struggle to do a regular pushup, try hand-elevated pushups. These are simply pushups with your upper body elevated by placing your hands on a bench or chair. As the pushups become easier, lower the hand elevation until you can go from the floor.
Harder: Clapping Pushup – If the regular bodyweight pushup becomes too easy, you can do clapping pushups. The clapping pushup is a great exercise to build explosive strength and power. Everything stays the same, except you want to push off the floor with enough force to lift your hands off the ground. While your hands are off the ground, clap your hands together in mid-air.
Air Squat
The air squat is an exercise that reinforces the squat movement pattern and can be a great workout by itself. It’s also a great diagnostic tool. If you struggle to maintain an upright position on an air squat, loading a barbell on your back will eventually lead to problems.
Easier: Box Air Squat – The box air squat is a great entry point. Perform box air squats until you feel comfortable without them. The key is not to relax while sitting on the box.
Harder: Pistol Squat: If you are an air squat master, you can replace the air squat with the pistol squat. The pistol squat is an air squat on only one leg. These are very challenging and require great strength and mobility, but they are an excellent goal to aspire to.
Pullup
The pullup is one of the most effective lat exercises you can do, and the best part is that all you need is a bar to hang from. These can be done with just your body weight, with added weight, or with added assistance, depending on your strength level. The biggest mistake people make with pullups is cutting the rep short. Pull yourself all the way up so that your chin gets above the bar. At the bottom, each rep needs to start with your arms fully locked out. I recommend using multiple grips – wide, close, neutral, and underhand. Use an underhand grip if you want to shift a little more emphasis onto the biceps.
Easier: Assisted Pullups—The only downside to pullups is their difficulty. If you struggle with bodyweight pullups, start with assisted pullups by attaching a band to the pullup bar and looping it around your knee. Or, if you have access to one, you can use an assisted pullup machine.
Harder: Weighted Pullups—If you are great at pullups, you can add extra weight via a belt to increase the intensity.
Parallel Bar Dips
The parallel bar dip is one of the simplest but most effective chest and triceps exercises you can do with or without equipment. If you don’t have a dip station, you can use the backs of two chairs. To put extra emphasis on the chest, use the widest grip you can comfortably perform and lean forward. The closer the grip and the more vertical the torso stays, the more triceps engagement.
Easier: Assisted Dips—If using your body weight is too difficult initially, you can use a dip-assist machine. If you don’t have an assisted dip machine, close-grip pushups are also a great alternative exercise.
Harder: Weighted Dips—If you are strong on this exercise, you can add a weight belt to add more resistance. Keep in mind that you should only add weight if moving your body weight is too easy. Don’t be in a rush to add extra weight before you are ready. For most people, bodyweight dips provide plenty of resistance.
Hanging Leg Raise
The hanging leg raise is great for the lower abdominals. However, a common error is allowing too much hip movement during the rep, causing a swinging motion. While performing the movement, aim to keep the torso as still as possible. Come to a complete stop at the bottom before starting the next rep.
Easier: Hanging Knee Raise—Instead of raising your full legs up, you can raise your knees up instead. At the top of the rep, your hips and legs should look like you are sitting in a chair.
Harder: Toes to Bar—If the hanging leg raise becomes too easy, you can try the full-to-to-bartoes-to-bar exercise. With the toes-to-bar exercise, instead of stopping once your legs reach 90 degrees or parallel to the ground, bring them all the way up so your toes come in contact with the bar.
Single Leg Calf Raise
The calves get ignored more than any other body part. This is a mistake. Not only are strong calves crucial for athleticism, but they are also highly functional as well. Anyone who has trucked up a steep hill or carried a dresser up a flight of stairs will agree.
The best part of the single-leg calf raise is that it’s highly effective and can be done anywhere! The biggest mistake people make with this exercise is going too fast. Take your time and feel the calf muscles working. Make sure you use a full range of motion. Try raising your body as high as possible on each rep.
Easier: Double Leg Calf Raise—If using one leg is too difficult at the start, you can use both legs at the same time. The movement pattern is the same; the only difference is that you keep both feet on the ground.
Harder: Elevated Single Leg Calf Raise—If the single leg calf raise becomes too easy, elevating your working foot can make the exercise more challenging. This can be done by placing your working foot on a step, causing a greater range of motion and making the exercise more challenging.
Glute Bridge
The glutes are the new biceps! It seems like everywhere you look online these days, there are glute workouts being posted. And training the glutes is not just for the girls. Building strong glutes can help you squat and deadlift more weight. The real key with the bodyweight glute bridge is getting your hips as high as possible. The glutes are activated the most in the end range, so cutting the rep short limits its effectiveness.
Easier: To make the exercise easier, move your feet forward away from your body to cut down the range of motion.
Harder: Single-Leg Glute Bridge -If the glute bridge becomes too easy, you can switch to the single-leg variation. The exercise is done the same way, except you use only one leg at a time.
Handstand Pushup
The handstand pushup (HSPU) is one of my all-time favorite shoulder exercises. It is just as effective as any shoulder exercise done with a dumbbell or barbell. However, the HSPU is one of the more difficult bodyweight exercises you can do. Don’t let that intimidate you. Unless you have a shoulder injury preventing you from getting into the overhead position, you can do handstand pushups. Start with the pike pushup if you have to, and work from there.
Easier: Pike Pushup—Get into a traditional pushup position on the floor. Once in position, raise your hips up, walking your feet toward your hands so that the torso forms an upside-down V. With the top of your head pointing toward the ground, bend your elbows and lower your upper body until the top of your head lightly touches the floor.
Harder: Weighted Handstand Pushup—During COVID, when I was training at home a lot, I played around with these. Let me tell you, weighted handstand pushups are no joke.
Superman
Overall, bodyweight exercises are highly underrated for developing muscle and strength. However, the lower back is an area of the body that is difficult to train properly without equipment. Superman is an exception. Since Superman has a very short range of motion to begin with, it’s important to aim to raise up as high as you can. Focus specifically on raising your chest and knees vs. arms and feet.
Easier: Back Extension—If doing the full Superman is too difficult, you can do a back extension, which requires lifting your chest off the floor while the legs stay down.
Harder: Extended Pause Superman – If the regular Superman exercise becomes too easy, we can add an extended pause at the top of the range of motion. When you lift your legs and arms off the ground, instead of only holding the top position for a full second, hold it for up to 10 seconds for each rep. The pause will add a ton of time under tension, increasing the difficulty.
Sit Ups
The classic situp has had a rocky existence. For decades, it was the gold standard of abdominal exercises. However, more recently, it has been forgotten in favor of more flashy movements. I still think the classic situp is great and worth doing.
Easier: Crunches – If situps are too challenging, start with crunches and go from there.
Harder: GHD Situps – If you have access to a Glute Ham Developer machine, GHD situps are next-level hard.
So, What Do You Think?
Well, there you have it—an entire article on the best bodyweight workouts and muscle-building exercises. Hopefully, you will use it the next time you find yourself without any equipment. Or maybe I convinced you to add more bodyweight exercises to your gym routine. Give it a shot; you won’t be disappointed.
Author: Kyle Hunt
Instagram: @huntfitness
YouTube: @HuntFitnessTV
Hire Kyle as your coach: http://www.kylehuntfitness.com/services/