No special training program or equipment is needed, only motivation.
You don’t even have to leave the house to do these exercises. All you need is some free space and a chair or step. These exercises will give you that desired physique everyone is looking for.
Features of Bodyweight Exercises
Each workout should include five to eight exercises. Choose exercises for different parts like two for the lower body, two for the upper body, and two for the core.
Perform each exercise in 3-5 sets of 10-15 reps. In static exercises hold for 30 to 60 seconds. If at the end of the set you feel that you are not tired at all, increase the number of repetitions.
Lower Body Bodyweight Exercises
1. Air squats
Place your feet shoulder-width apart and turn your toes slightly to the sides. Squat with a straight back, lower to the parallel of the hips with the floor or slightly lower. Keep your hands in front of you.
2. Lunges
Lower until right thigh is parallel to the floor and right shin is vertical. Make sure your knees don’t go past the tip of the toes. Keep your hands in front of you or on your waist.
3. Standing on one leg
Raise one leg, bend the knee at an angle of 90 degrees, keep your thigh parallel to the floor. Maintain balance for 30-60 seconds. Change legs and repeat.
4. One Legged Lunges
Stand up straight, bend one leg and lift your shin. Lower yourself into a squat on one leg and touch the floor with your knee. Return to the starting position and repeat. Do a set for one leg, then repeat for the other one.
5. Single Leg Bridge
Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor. Raise one leg and straighten it. Straining the gluteal muscles, lift the pelvis. The pelvis, lower back, and raised leg should be in one line. Lower your leg and repeat.
6. Single Leg Bulgarian Split
Pick up support no higher than your knee, stand with your back to it and put the toe of one leg on it. Squat almost until your knee touches the floor. The other knee doesn’t go past the tip of the toes. If it does, place your foot a little further away from the support.
7. Plyometric lunges
Place your feet hip-width apart. Lunge forward and touch the floor with your knee. The knee in front of the standing leg should not extend beyond the toe. Jump out of the lunge, swap legs in the air, and lunge again. Continue jumping out, changing legs.
8. Plyometric squats
Squat down and jump up. Keep your heels on the floor while squatting.
9. Pistol Squat
Find support at or above the level of your knee. Stretch a straight leg forward, fold your arms in front of you. Lower yourself onto a support with your back straight and rise back up.
10. Single Leg Calf Raise
Raise one straight leg. Rise on your toes and lower back down. Repeat for the other leg.
11. Bent Leg Calf Raise
Bend your leg at the knee at an angle of 120-140 degrees. Stand on your toes and lower back down without straightening your knee until the end of the exercise. Repeat for the other leg.
12. Lowering the heel
Stand on a step with the toes of one foot on the edge, with the heel in the air. Lower it, trying to reach the floor, and lift it back. Repeat for the other leg.
13. Side lunges
Stand straight with your hands on your waist or in front of you. Lunge to the side as deep as you can. Rise up and repeat on the other side. Keep your back straight.
Bodyweight Core Exercises
14. Plank
Get in the pushup position, place your palms under your shoulders. Straighten your knees, tighten your glutes and abs. The body should be in one line. Do not lift your head, look at the floor in front of you. Hold the plank for 60 seconds.
15. Side plank with a leg lift
Stand in the side plank on one arm. The palm is under the shoulder, the body is stretched in one line, the legs are straight. From this position, lift the leg, and then lower it. Do the set for one leg, then switch sides and do for the other.
16. Mountain Climber
In a lying position, bend the knee of one leg and pull it to your chest. You can leave the foot hanging or put it on the floor. Bring your leg back quickly and repeat for the other leg. To speed up the exercise, change legs with a jump, but at the same time make sure that the pelvis does not go up and down very much.
17. Leg Raise Hold
Lie on your back, straighten your legs, put the back of your palms under your buttocks. Raise your straight legs 15–20 cm from the floor and hold for 30–60 seconds. Press the lower back to the floor and do not lift it throughout the exercise.
18. Russian twist
Sit on the floor, gently bend your knees and place your heels on the floor. Exhale as you twist to the left, punching your right arm over to the left side. If you have weights – kettlebells or dumbbells – you can do weighted twists.
19. Leg Raise
Lie on your back and lift your straight legs. Lower them back slowly, pressing the lower back to the floor.
20. Bicycle Crunch
Lie on your back, put your hands behind your head, raise your straight legs. Turn the body to the right, bend your left leg and touch your knee to the elbow. Then do the same on the other side, turn the body to the left, straighten the left leg, bend the right and touch the left elbow to the right knee. Continue with alternating sides.
21. Superman
Lie on the floor with your face down, straighten your legs, stretch your arms forward. While straining your buttocks, lift your chest and legs. Lower your body and repeat.
22. Bird and dog exercise
Get on all fours. Stretch your arm forward and the opposite leg back. The arm, leg and body are extended in one line. Bend your working leg and arm and touch your knee to the elbow, and then extend it again. Switch the sides and repeat.
23. Swimmer
Lie on your stomach, lift straight arms and legs off the floor. Raise your right arm and left leg higher, then your left arm and right leg. Continue to alternate them without dropping to the floor until the end of the exercise.
24. Scorpio
Lie facedown on your stomach, spread your arms out to the sides. Raise your right leg, place it behind your left thigh and touch the floor with your toes on the left side. Try not to lift your shoulders. Hold the pose for 30 to 60 seconds and repeat for the other side.
Upper Body Bodyweight Exercises
25. Push-ups
Place your palms under your shoulders. Lower your body, touch the floor with your chest. Keep your elbows at an angle of 45 degrees. Keep your back straight, do not round your lower back. Don’t lift your head, look at the floor in front of you.
26. Indian push-ups
To start the Hindu push-up, get into a normal, starting push-up position. With your knees bent and touching the ground, place your hands on the ground directly under your shoulders. Your arms should be straight. Then, slowly remove your knees from the floor and dig your toes into the ground to stabilize the lower half of your body. You should be in a high plank position. Return to starting position and repeat.
27. Reverse push-ups
Find stable support like a chair. Stand with your back to it, put your hands with your fingers towards you and stretch your legs forward. Lower your body until your shoulders are parallel to the floor, and then rise. To make the exercise easier, bend your knees.
28. Hand step-up
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, tilt forward and touch the floor. Take a few steps with your hands forward until you reach a lying position. Push up from the floor, walk back with your hands, straighten up and repeat again.
29. Burpee
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, weight in your heels, and your arms at your sides. Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body into a squat. Place your hands on the floor directly in front of, and just inside your feet. Shift your weight onto your hands. Jump in a plank position. Jump with your feet back so that they land just outside of your hands. Reach your arms over head and explosively jump up into the air. Land and immediately lower back into a squat for your next rep.
30. Walking plank
Take your plank on the move by adding an up-and-down motion. Start in standard plank position on hands and toes. Slowly lower right arm down to your forearm, and then bring left arm down as well so you’re supported by your forearms.
Place right hand on the floor and begin to push your body back up, following with left hand. Repeat.
