If you ask me, bodyweight training doesn’t get the credit it deserves. People think you can’t burn tons of calories or build muscle without any equipment — but I’m here to tell you that you can. This full-body bodyweight workout will prove it.
First of all, bodyweight workouts give you the opportunity to really develop an awareness of your body and perfect your form, which are MUSTS if you do want to work out with weights or resistance bands at some point (and don’t want to get injured).
The fact that you can score a full-body bodyweight workout without any equipment means that you can boost your fitness and see *very* real results whether you’re at a gym or in your bedroom. (Home workouts FTW.)
Plus, since bodyweight workouts are easy to modify or progress, you can make little tweaks to increase every exercise’s difficulty, so you continue to sculpt and get stronger. It can be as simple as adding a jump to your split squats or switching from incline pushups to full pushups.
I promise: As long as you feel challenged, you are building muscle.
Need I say more? With the 20 exercise options below, you can build your perfect full-body bodyweight workout circuit — whether you want to keep it low-impact and beginner-friendly or crank up the heat and spike your heart rate with some high-intensity moves. Just make sure to incorporate upper- and lower-body movements in order to reap full-body benefits.
Time: 20 Minutes | Equipment: Bodyweight | Good For: Total Body
Instructions: Select four of the exercises below, including a balance of upper-body and lower-body moves. Perform each for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue onto the next, resting only as needed. When you’ve completed all four exercises, rest for 30 seconds to one minute, then repeat for three to four total rounds.
Beginner-Friendly, Low-Intensity Moves
1. Plank
How to: Start kneeling at back of mat with toes tucked and butt resting on heels. Walk hands forward to an all fours position with knees under hips and wrists under shoulders. Lift knees to form one straight line from heels to head. Keep hips high and abs engaged.
Hold for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
Remember, you’re doing four total moves and showing your upper and lower body equal love.) When you’ve completed all four moves, rest for 30 to 60 seconds, then repeat for three to four total rounds.
2. Deadbug
How to: Start lying on back with arms extended straight over chest and legs lifted in the air and bent at 90-degree angles. Maintaining contact between low back and floor, brace core, then slowly and simultaneously straighten and lower right leg until heel nearly touches floor and left arm until hand nearly touches floor overhead. Pause, then return to start and repeat on the opposite side. That’s one rep.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
3. Incline Pushup
How to: Start in a plank position with hands on a chair, bench or step and feet on floor. Lower down, with elbows pointing 45 degrees away from body, until arms bend to 90 degrees. Then press back up. That’s one rep.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
4. Squat to Lunge
How to: Start start standing with feet slightly wider than shoulders, toes facing forward or slightly turned out, hands clasped in front of chest. Lower down into a squat, making sure to keep your knees from passing your toes. Rise back to stand, and then take a large step forward with your left foot and lower down into a lunge, stopping when both legs form 90-degree angles. Keep right heel high. Return to start, then repeat on the other leg. That’s one rep.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
5. Glute Bridge
How to: Start lying on back with legs bent, feet flat on floor, and arms by sides. Engage abs, squeeze glutes, press into heels, and raise hips toward the ceiling until body forms one line from shoulders to knees. Hold the position for two seconds before lowering to start. That’s one rep.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
6. Step Up
How to: Start standing facing a box or step. (You can skip the dumbbells!) Place left foot on the bench and right foot on the floor. Pushing through left foot, lift body up until you’re standing on top of the bench. Drive right knee up until it forms a 90-degree angle. Pause, then return to start and repeat on the other leg. That’s one rep.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
7. Tempo Squat
How to: Start standing with feet parallel and shoulder-width apart, arms at sides. Engage core push hips back, and bring arms forward to clasp at chest height. Begin to lower down slowly to the count of five, stopping when thighs are parallel with the floor. Press through feet to reverse the movement in one count and return to start. That’s one rep.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
8. Military Press
How to: Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart, hands extended straight overhead, palms facing forward, with biceps by ears. (Note: You can use dumbbells for an added challenge.) Keeping back straight and core engaged, slowly lower arms by sides until elbows are bent at 90 degrees. Be sure to squeeze shoulder blades together at the bottom of this movement. Return to starting position. That’s one rep.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
9. Pushup Plus
How to: Start lying on stomach, with legs straight, toes tucked, arms bent, elbows pointed toward the ceiling, and palms close to body in line with ribs. Engage abs, then exhale and push the floor away until arms are straight. Next, continue to push palms into the floor, spread shoulder blades wide and lift upper back toward the ceiling. Reverse movement to return to start. That’s one rep.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
10. Around the World
How to: Start lying on stomach, arms extended forward, legs straight behind body, feet pointed, all four limbs, plus head and chest lifted to hover off floor. Then, circle arms out wide and back by sides, squeezing shoulder blades together. Reverse movement to return to start. That’s one rep.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
Advanced, High-Intensity Moves
1. Burpee 180 Jump
How to: Start standing in middle of mat with feet shoulder-width apart and arms by sides. Complete a burpee by squatting down to place palms flat on mat in front of toes, hopping feet back into a high plank position and lowering body down to floor, then pushing through palms to reverse the movement. As you rise to stand, hop around to face the opposite direction and then perform another burpee. Hop back around to start position. That’s one rep.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
2. Plank Up-Down
How to: Come down into a forearm plank with toes tucked, elbows under shoulders, and hips at the same height as shoulders. Pick up one arm and press hand into the ground toward a high, straight-arm plank; repeat the same action with the other hand to complete the transition from low plank to high. With the lead arm, lower back to forearm, then follow with the other hand. Try to keep hips still. That’s one rep.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
3. Bulgarian Split Squat
How to: Start standing about two feet in front of a step. (You can skip the dumbbells!) Extend left leg back and place left foot on step. Bend knees to lower body as far as you can (or until knee hovers right above the ground), keeping shoulders back and chest up. Pause, then press through right heel to return to start and repeat on other side. That’s one rep.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
4. Single-Leg Glute Bridge
How to: Lie on back with arms out to the side, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Keeping thighs aligned, straighten one leg so that toes point up. Squeeze glutes to lift hips evenly off the floor, then lower and repeat on other side. That’s one rep.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
5. Hand-Release Pushups
How to: Place hands shoulder-width apart on floor, then extend legs with feet about hip-width apart, forming a straight line from head to heels. Keeping core tight, bend elbows to lower body all the way down to the floor. At the bottom, allow torso to rest on the ground and briefly lift hands a couple centimetres off floor. Push back up to high plank. That’s one rep.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
6. Prone Pull
How to: Start lying face-down on floor with legs extended straight, forehead resting on a folded mat or towel, and arms bent with palms flat on floor close to ribs and elbows pointed toward ceiling. Lift palms off the floor, squeezing shoulder blades together, then extend arms straight overhead until biceps are by ears. Bend arms to bring palms back in line with chest. That’s one rep.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
7. Bear Crawl
How to: Start in tabletop position at the back of mat with wrists under shoulders, knees under hips, and neck neutral. Keeping elbows slightly bent and back flat, raise hips slightly to lift knees off the floor. Slowly walk hands and feet forward in an alternating pattern to the top of mat, then reverse the movement. That’s one rep.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
8. Walk-Up Squat
How to: Start in a kneeling position, toes tucked under, knees hip-distance apart. Bring right foot forward to a half-kneeling position. Bring left foot forward, into a low squat. Come up to standing. Return to start by lowering down to a squat and bringing right knee down first.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
9. Tricep Pushup
How to: Start in a plank position. Lower body down a few inches, with elbows pointing toward feet and biceps close to ribs. Then press back up. That’s one rep.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
10. Jumping Split Squat
How to: Start in split squat with torso upright, right leg forward and left leg back (both bent at 90 degrees), left arm bent in front of chest, and right arm extended behind body. Engage abs and drive through right heel to jump up into the air with straight legs, switching arms and leg positions to land softly back into a split squat with left leg and right arm forward. Reverse movement to return to start. That’s one rep.
Repeat for 30 seconds to one minute, then continue immediately to your next exercise, resting only as needed.
This article was originally published on www.womenshealthmag.com