Bennett Richardson, DPT, PT, CSCSWhy hit the gym when your living room floor is a fitness haven?
Embrace bodyweight exercises to get stronger, and improve balance and flexibility. Bodyweight exercises allow you to build strength using just your own body weight anywhere, anytime.
Whether you are a novice or a seasoned pro, you can benefit from incorporating bodyweight exercises into your routine.
Exercises using only your body weight are helpful for improving coordination, functional fitness, and a variety of other exercise-related parameters.
In this post, we’ll review the top 30 exercises for targeting all the major muscle groups and improving strength with only your body weight. Let’s dive in!
30 Best Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do At Home
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1. Push-Ups
Push-ups work the chest, triceps, and a host of key shoulder muscles. Plus, they can be performed by anyone, when appropriate modifications are made.
How to Perform
- Start with both hands on the ground, just under the shoulders, and both feet on the ground, spaced about hip-width apart.
- Bend your elbows and extend your shoulders as you lower your chest to the ground. Once you’ve reached the bottom of your range, push yourself back up to the starting position to complete the rep.
2. Long-Arm Crunch
Crunches are great on their own, but the extended crunch utilizes physics to make the movement harder. By effectively lengthening your trunk through the use of your arms, you make yourself into a longer lever, increasing the difficulty of the exercise.
How to Perform
- Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor, knees bent.
- Extend your arms up over your head, biceps near your ears.
- Perform a crunch, keeping your arms above your head the whole time.
3. Single Leg Squats
Single-leg squats are an advanced exercise, but fear not! This move can be made easier with the use of support and decreased range of motion. Also, you can simply perform regular squats at first to prep your body for this key exercise.
How to Perform
- Start in a standing position, with all your weight on your right leg.
- Kick your left leg straight out in front of you.
- Perform a squat, maintaining this position.
4. Step-Up
Step-ups, much like single-leg squats, are a great exercise for figuring out whether you have any asymmetrical weakness in your lower body. Plus, the exercise can correct said asymmetry.
How to Perform
- Find a step, box, or elevated platform upon which you can perform the exercise.
- Place your right foot on the elevated surface and step up, using only the top leg to perform the movement. As you rise, tuck your left knee to your chest.
- Then, step back down to complete the motion.
5. Standing Triceps Dips
Tricep dips are tough, but they are worth it. This exercise works the pecs, triceps, and a few other shoulder muscles.
How to Perform
- Find a set of parallel bars and stand between them.
- Gripping the bars firmly, push yourself up, and bend your knees so that your feet clear the ground.
- Slowly, bend your elbows and extend your shoulders back as you lower yourself down.
- Push yourself back up to complete the rep.
6. Burpees / Groiners
Burpees can be performed in a variety of ways. This modification requires you to keep your hands on the ground the whole time and it increases the stretch/emphasis on the adductor muscles.
How to Perform
- Place your hands on the ground beneath your shoulders.
- Position your toes on the floor, spaced about hip-width apart.
- Jump your feet forward, landing on the outsides of your hands.
- Jump back to complete the rep.
7. Wide Plank
The plank, like many other exercises on this list, can be modified in so many ways to accomplish so many different goals. The wide plank is very difficult for many people, but it is worth trying, as it significantly increases strength and stability throughout the body.
How to Perform
- Start in a regular plank position, with the hand under the shoulders and the feet spaced about hip-width apart.
- Crawl your hands out to the side as far as you can. Then walk your feet out as wide as you can as well.
- Hold this position for 30 seconds to a minute to complete the rep.
8. Sit Ups
Sit-ups are an ancient exercise, but they have stood the test of time for good reason. This motion keeps the primary abdominal muscles strong and increases the mobility of the spine.
How to Perform
- Lie flat on your back, with your feet secured under a stable object and your knees bent.
- Place your arms across your chest and sit up by bending your trunk forward. Then lower back down to complete the rep.
9. Spidermans
Many great exercises are named after superheroes because…why not!? Superheroes are the pinnacle of strength and athleticism. So, be like Spiderman and try this move-out!
How to Perform
- Start in plank position, with your hands under your shoulders and your feet about hip-width apart.
- Quickly, tuck your right knee up toward your right armpit.
- Then, return this foot back to the starting position as you rapidly perform the same motion on the left side.
- Continue to alternate in this manner throughout the set.
10. Broad Jumps
Explosive movements are important for any bodyweight program. However, if you have knee problems or joint pain when performing an explosive move, you can still do the exercise quickly, just don’t leave the floor, and you’ll get the same benefit.
How to Perform
- Start in a standing position, with your feet about shoulder-width apart.
- Swing your arms backward, squat down, then quickly swing your arms forward as you explosively jump forward.
- Land softly to complete the rep.
11. Burpees
The burpee is awesome because it is a cardio AND strengthening exercise that can be performed anywhere. Also, there are so many ways to make the burpee harder or easier, depending on your needs.
How to Perform
- Start in standing, with your feet about hip-width apart.
- Quickly, place your hands on the ground, then jump your feet back, landing you in a plank.
- Then, jump your feet forward and stand up to complete the rep.
12. Supermans
Another superhero exercise! Superman is often seen flying through the air, with one arm straight out in front of him. This is the pose you’ll want to think of while you perform this back and shoulder strengthening exercise.
How to Perform
- Start by lying on your stomach.
- Lift your right arm up as you lift your left leg up.
- Then, repeat on the other side.
13. Wall Walks
One of the things that is hard to do with bodyweight exercises (at least for beginners) is work the deltoids and other overhead shoulder muscles. This move effectively covers the said area.
How to Perform
- Start in a pushup position near a wall.
- Slowly, walk your hands backward as you climb your feet up the wall.
- Once you’ve reached a handstand position, walk back down to finish the rep.
14. Pushup Leg Extensions
The glutes and hamstrings are key muscles of the body. When you’re completing a bodyweight program, it’s important to incorporate moves for these muscles.
How to Perform
- Start in a pushup position, with the hands directly under the shoulders.
- Lift the left heel up toward the ceiling, contracting the glutes as you do so.
- Lower the foot back down and repeat on the right side.
15. Pronated Pull Ups
Pull-ups are the king of upper-body calisthenic exercise. This movement torches the biceps, back, and even the core.
How to Perform
- Grip a bar with your palms facing forward.
- Bend your elbows as you simultaneously pull your elbows down toward your hips.
- Then, slowly lower yourself down to complete the rep.
16. Bridge Walks
Mobility exercises are key when starting a bodyweight program. Bridge walks incorporate many muscles of the body and are extremely effective for increasing endurance. Plus, you can also turn them into a crab walk by placing your hands on the ground as well while performing the move.
How to Perform
- Start on your back, with your feet flat on the floor and your knees bent.
- Next, lift your buttocks and lower back in the air by pressing your heels into the ground.
- Walk your feet forward as far as you can, maintaining as much height out of your hips as possible.
- Then, walk your feet backward to complete the rep.
17. Side Crunches
No matter who you are; everyone likes a good set of abs. Side crunches are an important exercise for isolating the obliques, the abdominal muscles found on the sides of the trunk.
How to Perform
- Lie on your left side, with your knees bent.
- Keeping your trunk facing forward, sit up toward the ceiling.
- Then, slowly lower back down to complete the rep.
18. V-Ups
V-ups are another great isolation exercise for the core. This movement uses both the upper body and the legs to fully contract the rectus abdominis and other core muscles.
How to Perform
- Lie on your back with your legs out straight in front of you and your arms above your head.
- Perform a sit-up, bringing your arms and legs together at the same time, which creates a “V” shape.
- Return to the starting position to complete the rep.
19. Single Leg Bridges
Bridges are a good exercise choice for glute and hamstring strengthening. Performing them on a single leg, instead of both legs, can help to address any weakness that is more apparent on one side of the body as compared to the other.
How to Perform
- Lie on your back, with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Extend your right leg straight out in front of you, keeping your left foot on the floor.
- Next, push your left heel into the ground to rise up in the air.
- Once you’ve finished the reps on the left side switch to the right side.
20. Plyo Lunges
Plyometric exercises increase functional strength. After all, we often need to perform quick, powerful lifts in order to complete daily tasks. Plyo lunges are excellent for increasing overall functional strength, and specifically functional strength with one leg.
How to Perform
- Start in standing, with your right leg forward and your right leg back.
- Perform a lunge by lowering down as low as you can.
- Once you get to the bottom of your range, jump up as high as you can and switch the position of your feet.
21. Plyo Squats
Plyo squats accomplish all of the same goals as plyo lunges, but they are performed on two feet instead of one!
How to Perform
- Start in a standing position, with feet about hip-width apart.
- Squat down as low as you can, then explode upward, jumping off of the ground.
- Land softly and continue in this manner for the duration of the set.
22. Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers can be performed in different ways to accomplish different functions. For instance, if you complete the move slowly, you’ll emphasize your abs. If you complete it quickly, you’ll work on your cardio. Pick whatever version works best for you!
How to Perform
- Place the hands and feet on the ground, assuming a pushup position.
- Next, bring the right knee to the chest as quickly as you can.
- Bring the right foot back to the starting position and immediately repeat the motion on the left side.
23. Reverse Situps
Situps involve bending the trunk upward while keeping the lower body stationary. Reverse situps, as you might imagine, involve lifting the legs up and keeping the trunk on the floor. This move is a great way to mix up your ab-strengthening routine.
How to Perform
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- Lift your legs and low back off of the ground.
- Then, slowly return to the starting position to complete the rep.
24. Clapping Pushups
Much like explosive lower body movements, such as plyo squats and lunges, clapping pushups provide plyometric emphasis for the upper body.
How to Perform
- Start in a pushup position, with the hands and feet on the ground.
- Lower your chest down as low as you can.
- Once you reach the bottom of your range, push yourself back upward with as much force as possible, leaving the ground and clapping while in the air.
- Return your hands to the ground, catching yourself, to complete the rep.
25. Side Plank Holds
Isometric core exercises are critical for your calisthenic success. This move, much like the other single-limb exercises on this list, is important to include in your program.
How to Perform
- Start by lying on your right side.
- Place your right forearm on the floor and stack your left foot on top of your right.
- Lift your hips off of the ground as high as you can and hold this position for the duration of the set.
- Complete an equal number of sets on both sides.
26. Single Leg Burpee
As was mentioned earlier, burpees are one of the best bodyweight exercises, due largely to the ease of modification inherent in the exercise.
How to Perform
- Start by standing with one foot on the ground.
- Place both hands on the ground, and jump your stance leg backward.
- Then, jump your stance leg forward and stand up.
- Complete the desired number of reps on one side, then switch.
27. Seated Dips
Dips, whether they are performed on parallel bars or on a park bench, are one of the best ways to work the triceps.
How to Perform
- Start in a seated position in front of a bench, chair, or stable platform.
- Reach your hands backward and grasp the bench.
- Press yourself up to the ceiling by straightening out your arms.
- Lower yourself back down to complete the rep.
28. Ab Flutters
Abdominal strengthening exercises come in many different forms. Ab flutters are another good one, when performed correctly.
29. Bear Crawls
Bear crawls can increase cardio, strength, endurance, and tons of other fitness parameters. Bears have fitness figured out!
How to Perform
- Define a wide, open space in which you can move.
- Place your hands on the ground, keeping your knees bent and your back strong.
- Walk forward by alternating upper body and lower body movements on one side, then the other, just like a four-legged animal.
30. Alternating Lunges
Last but not least, we have the humble alternating lunge. Lunges have been covered in this list in a few different ways. But let’s finish up with the traditional version of the exercise!
How to Perform
- Place one foot in front of the other.
- Bend the front knee, lowering yourself down as far as possible.
- Rise back up and switch leg positions.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a good calisthenics routine, see above! Try to incorporate some of these exercises into your next workout and see what you think!
Works Cited
- Hollingsworth JC, Young KC, Abdullah SF, Wadsworth DD, Abukhader A, Elfenbein B, Holley Z. Protocol for Minute Calisthenics: a randomized controlled study of a daily, habit-based, bodyweight resistance training program. BMC Public Health. 2020 Aug 15;20(1):1242. doi: 10.1186/s12889-020-09355-4. PMID: 32799849; PMCID: PMC7429724.
