Bodyweight Exercises

Bodyweight exercises ,some of the best bodyweight exercises you can do at home include squats, push-ups, mountain climbers, and planks. These exercises test your form and allow you to perfect it. They also require zero equipment and little space.

Solo workouts at home often mean bodyweight-only exercises rather than studio classes and gym sessions that call for weights and other gear. It might seem like a setback for some, but using your body weight to exercise can be efficient.

1. Air Squats

Air squats help strengthen your glutes, hamstrings, and quadriceps. Follow these steps to complete the move:

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your hips down and back like you are sitting in a chair. Go as low as you can without losing the natural curve of your lower back.
Drive through the feet to return to standing. Think about pressing the floor away from you as you stand up. Keep your weight in your heels.
Repeat the exercise. Make sure your chest stays tall and your core stays tight. You should feel your entire lower body and abs working.

Alternatives

Turn it down: Try standing in front of your couch or a chair. Tap the chair with your butt at the bottom, then stand back up.

Turn it up: Increase the tempo. Make sure you maintain strong form as you go fast and still drop it low. Do not cut the movement short.

2. Push-Ups

Push-ups work several body parts, including your arms, chest, and core muscles. Here’s how to do them:

Start in a plank position, your shoulders over your wrists. Create a straight line from your shoulders to heels, and engage your core.
Bend your elbows back 45 degrees and slowly lower toward the ground.
Press yourself back up while maintaining a strong plank form, then repeat.
Make sure your elbows hit that 45-degree angle. Avoid sending them out to the sides like a goal post, which is rough on your shoulders.

Alternatives

Turn it down: Perform the same movement with your knees down (in a modified plank). You can also try performing the same movement but with your hands on a couch or secure elevated surface.

Turn it up: Perform a regular push-up, but slow the lowering phase. Aim to count to five or six before you touch the floor.

3. Bulgarian Split Squats

This squat variation requires you to elevate one leg behind you on a bench, chair, box, or couch. Follow these steps to complete the move:

Stand a little less than a leg’s length in front of the elevated surface. Place the top of your right foot on the bench behind you. Keep weight on the heel of your left foot on the floor.
Bend your left knee and lower down until your back knee touches the floor or the front knee bends 90 degrees.
Drive through the front left foot to stand back up, then repeat.
Make sure to engage your core throughout the entire move and press through your front foot’s heel and big toe to stand back up like you are driving the floor away. Your glutes and quads should be on fire by the last repetition (rep).

Alternatives

Turn it down: This move challenges the legs, glutes, and feet and requires good balance. Go as low as you can if you need to keep it shallow.

Turn it up: Add a half rep by lowering down and coming up halfway. Lower back down before you stand all the up to the top.

4. Superman Pull

A Superman pull is one of the best bodyweight exercises to work your back and improve your posture. Here’s how to do it:

Lie face down on the floor with your arms extended out in front of you.
Squeeze your upper back muscles to raise your arms and chest off the floor. Lift your feet and engage your glutes.
Hold this position, then pull your elbows down by your sides to form a W-shape with your upper body and engage your lats. Punch your arms back out in front of you, then repeat.
Make sure to engage your core and keep your shoulders down and away from your ears. Maintain a neutral spine by looking down and slightly forward. Make the mind-muscle connection by consciously squeezing and focusing on the back muscles.

Alternatives

Turn it down: Lower down after each W-shape pull. You can also leave your feet on the floor to focus on your upper body.

Turn it up: Hold the W-shape for 20-30 seconds to increase the time under tension. This variation allows your muscles to work longer, which can improve gains.

5. Bird Dog

Bird dog is a core exercise, so engage your midsection and maintain a flat back. Follow these steps to complete the move:

Start on all fours with your shoulders directly over your wrists and knees under your hips.
Extend your right arm and left leg straight, in line with your shoulder and hip. Hold for a few seconds and place back down to the all-fours position.
Extend your left arm and right leg straight out. Hold for a few seconds and return to the starting position. Continue alternating.
Make sure your shoulders and hips stay square to the ground. Flex your feet and press through your heel to extend your leg.

Alternatives

Turn it down: Extend one arm and one leg at a time instead of an arm and a leg together. This slows the movement down to help you keep your balance and focus on your form.

Turn it up: Do the same move but from a plank position. You will lift your opposite arm and leg, hold for 3-6 seconds, then place back down and switch sides.

6. Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers elevate your heart rate and help strengthen your arm and core muscles. Here’s how to do it:

Start in a plank position, your shoulders over your wrists. Form a straight line from your shoulders to your heels.
Maintain a strong form as you drive one knee toward your chest, then immediately step back to the plank.
Drive your other knee toward your chest and immediately step back to the plank. Continue alternating as fast as possible.
Do not let your hips pike up or drop, and keep your shoulders over your wrists to maintain a solid support base as you push the floor away from you with your upper body.

Alternatives

Turn it down: Keep it slow if you need to maintain a strong plank. It’s important not to sacrifice your form to complete the movement quickly.

Turn it up: Pick up the speed like sprinting in the plank position. Elevate your heart rate, but do not let your quickness wreck your form.

7. Pistol Squat

This squat variation helps improve balance, which helps prevent falls and injuries as you age.1 Follow these steps to complete the move:

Stand with feet about shoulder-width apart, your toes pointed forward. Shift your weight to your right leg, flex your left foot, and extend your left leg so your heel is a few inches off the floor.
Brace your core and squeeze your quads, hips, glutes, and upper back.
Sit back into a squat. Raise your arms to counterbalance and maintain a slight forward lean as you lower.
Lower as far as you can, then drive up through the right foot to stand up. Maintain tension in your body. Repeat, then switch sides.
Align your knee with the second toe (next to your big toe). Keep pressure on the heel of your standing leg and the big and pinky toes. Think of your foot like a tripod with three points of contact.
You can always squat on a chair, bench, or couch if you are working on the move.

Alternatives

Turn it down: Keep the move on two legs. You can also sit on a tall chair, bench, box, or couch, with one foot planted and the other extended in front of you, a few inches off the floor.

Follow these steps to modify the move:

Extend your arms in front of you. Lean back and rock forward to create momentum as you drive your arms down and your planted foot into the floor to stand up.
Make sure to only send some of your weight to the ball of your foot.
Lower back to the seat and repeat. Remove the rocking when you are ready for the next progression.

Turn it up: You can return and grab some weight like dumbbells if your pistol is squatting down. You can also slow the move down and focus on control as you lower and stand.

8. Plank Up-Downs

Plank up-downs will work your abs and shoulders, but remember to also squeeze your glutes and activate your legs. Here’s how to do it:

Start in a plank position, your shoulders over your wrists. Form a straight line from your shoulders to your heels.
Lower one forearm to the ground, your shoulder over your elbow. Repeat on the other side.
Place one palm back on the ground, your arm extended, then repeat on the other side. Continue alternating.
Keep your shoulders stacked over your wrists or elbows the entire time. Your hands are just replacing your elbows and vice versa as you go.
Keep your hips in line with your shoulders. Do not pike them up or drop them down.

Alternatives

Turn it down: Place your knees on the ground in a modified plank position to complete the move. This variation reduces the amount of body weight you support.

Turn it up: Increase the speed as much as possible without breaking form. You can also place a small pillow or yoga block on your back to make sure you do not let it fall and test your stability.

9. Alternating Side Lunge

The alternating side lunge helps strengthen the inner thigh muscles and glutes. Follow these steps to complete the move:

Stand with feet hip-width apart, your toes pointed forward.
Step right foot out to the right, to the three o’clock position. Bend your right knee as you sit your butt back and lower down. Keep your left leg straight.
Drive out of the right heel to return to standing. Repeat on the left side and continue alternating.
Maintain a neutral spine and keep the weight primarily in your heel as you lower into the lunge. Think about sitting your butt back on a chair behind you. You want your hips to go straight back as you lower into the lunge.
Avoid pushing your weight to the side, even though you are stepping in that direction.

Alternatives

Turn it down: Don’t go quite as low in the lunge. This modification helps reduce the amount of pressure you place on your lower body.

Turn it up: Stick to one side at a time and add a hop at the top of the move while driving your knee toward your chest. You can also try skaters: Hop from side to side as you stay low in a lunge position.

10. Superman

This move aids in lower back strength and stability, which can improve your posture.2 Here’s how to do it:

Lie face down on the floor with legs extended straight out and arms out in front of you, your thumbs up.
Contract the muscles in your upper back, legs, and glutes to raise your arms and legs a few inches off the floor. Hold, then lower, and repeat.
Bring your chest and legs as far off the ground as you can. Keep your shoulders relaxed away from the ears, and gaze toward the ground and slightly forward to keep your spine neutral. Make sure to engage the entire back of your body.

Alternatives

Turn it down: Raise your opposite arm and leg, hold for a few seconds, lower, and switch sides. Continue alternating.

Turn it up: At the top of the move, sweep your arms around and behind your back. Interlock your fingers or clasp one hand over your opposite wrist. Squeeze your upper back, then return to the starting position. This move requires some shoulder mobility.

11. V-Up

V-ups target your core muscles. Follow these steps to complete the move:

Face up on the floor, your legs extended straight out, and your arms extended overhead.
Lift your torso and legs into a V-shape as you lower your arms to finish parallel to the floor.
Slowly lower back to the floor, then repeat.
Try to come up to your tailbone, like a boat pose in yoga. Sit tall at the top. Control your movement as you lower back down to the floor to add more burn to your abs.

Alternatives

Turn it down: Instead of keeping the legs straight the entire time, bend your knees at the top. Bring them into a tabletop position.

Turn it up: Hold the top of the movement—the V-shape—for 10 seconds. Slowly lower back down before you repeat.

12. Burpees

This full-body exercise elevates your heart rate to improve cardiovascular endurance.3 Here’s how to do it:

Start in a standing position, then squat down and place your hands under your shoulders.
Jump your feet back to land at the top of a push-up position.
Lower your body to the floor, and then push back up. Immediately jump your feet back up to your hands.
Drive up through your heels and jump straight up. Clap hands overhead. Land softly, then repeat.

The key to a good burpee is not arching or rounding the back. Keep your core tight and your spine in a neutral position.

Alternatives

Turn it down: Eliminate the jumps. Step backward and forward in the burpee, and come to your toes at the top instead of a hop. You can also keep your chest off the floor, hitting a plank at the bottom of the move.

Turn it up: Go for speed without wrecking form. You will test your strength and, even more so, your cardio capacity.

Turn Those Exercises Into Workouts

These 12 moves make two separate workouts. Adam Rosante, CPT, CSCS, a strength and nutrition coach, suggested you alternate on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

Warm up before you jump in with active stretches, and cool down when you are finished.4 Perform each move back to back for 30 seconds. Maintain strong form and only rest when you need it. Rest for 45-60 seconds. Repeat from the top for 3-4 rounds.

You want to first focus on nailing your form on each move when you are trying a new workout.5 Performing bodyweight exercises allows you to tune into body alignment and what you should be feeling. Pay attention to the muscle groups you are working on as you go. It’s time to take them to the next level once you master each exercise.