A solid list of go-to bodyweight exercises is like an insurance policy for your fitness goals. You could find yourself miles from a gym with no exercise equipment in sight and just 15 minutes to spare and still have the means get in a good workout.
Seriously — all you really need to build muscle and maintain a healthy weight is your own body, a bit of floor space, and a willingness to work. At BODi, a number of our programs utilize bodyweight exercises to help you strengthen and tone, including Just Bring Your Body, Xtend Barre, and Yoga52.
The following bodyweight exercises — drawn from those and other programs on BODi — hit every major muscle group and are appropriate for beginners, experienced athletes, and everyone in between.
Arm and Shoulder Exercises
Work your triceps to your delts with these arm and shoulder exercises.
1. Seated triceps dips
- Sit on the floor with your legs together, knees bent, and soles of the feet planted on the floor. Place your hands slightly behind your butt, palms on the ground, fingers forward.
- Extend your elbows and lift your butt off the ground. This is the starting position.
- Keeping your shoulders back, chest lifted, and elbows tucked in toward your ribs, bend your elbows to lower your butt toward the ground. Then, extend the arms to push back up to the starting position.
- Continue to bend and extend the elbows in a quick, pulsing motion.
2. Crab touch
- Sit on the floor with your knees bent and soles of the feet planted on the floor about hip-width apart. Place your hands slightly behind your waist, palms on the ground, fingers facing forward or slightly to the side.
- Extend your elbows and lift your butt off the ground. This is the starting position.
- Extend your right leg toward the ceiling and tap your toes with your left hand.
- Return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.
- Continue alternating sides.
3. Diamond push-up
- Assume a push-up position with your wrists directly beneath your shoulders and your body straight from head to heels.
- Move your hands together so that the tips of your thumbs and index fingers are touching and your hands create a diamond shape. This is the starting position.
- Keeping your elbows tucked (don’t let them flare out), lower your torso until your chest lightly touches the backs of your hands, or as far as you can go without losing proper form.)
- Pause, then push yourself back up to the starting position.
4. Plank up down crunch
- Assume a push-up position, with your wrists directly beneath your shoulders and your body straight from head to heels.
- Squeeze your glutes and brace your core by drawing your belly button toward your spine to lock your body into position.
- Bend your elbows slightly and lower your right forearm and then your left forearm to the ground, so you end in a forearm plank position.
- Push back up into a high plank one arm at a time, starting with your right.
- Lift your right foot and try to draw your right knee to your right elbow. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side with your left leg.
- Repeat the entire sequence, this time initiating each movement (lowering to forearm plank, knees to elbows) with your left side first.
- Continue alternating your starting side with each rep.
Chest and Back Exercises
Activate your pectoral muscles, lats, erectors and more with these chest and back moves.
5. Chin-up
- Grab a pull-up bar with an underhand grip that’s slightly wider than shoulder-width, and hang at arm’s length (a position known as a dead hang).
- Pull yourself upward until at least your chin clears the bar, keeping your back straight and core tight.
- Pause, and then lower yourself back to a dead hang.
6. Push-up
- Start on all fours with your feet together, your body straight from head to heels, and your hands in line with (but slightly wider than) your shoulders. Squeeze your glutes and brace your core.
- Keeping your elbows tucked to your sides and head down, lower your torso until your chest is within a few inches of the floor.
- Pause, and then push yourself back up to the starting position as quickly as possible.
- If that’s too difficult, it can be modified by placing your hands on a sturdy elevated surface such as a step or bench.
7. Burpee
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your arms at your sides.
- Push your hips back, bend your knees, and squat down, placing both palms on the floor.
- Jump your feet back to a push-up position (arms straight, legs together, core tight, body straight from head to heels) and do a push-up.
- Jump your feet back toward your hands, and then explode upward, jumping into the air.
- Land softly and immediately begin your next rep.
8. Superman hold
- Lie face-down on the floor with your arms extended overhead and your legs extended behind you. This is the starting position.
- Keeping your neck in line with your spine, lift your arms, chest, and legs off the floor simultaneously, squeezing your glutes.
- Pause, and then lower back down to the starting position.
9. Pilates swimming
- Lie face-down on the floor with your arms extended overhead and your legs extended behind you.
- Lift your arms, chest, and legs off the floor. Keep your neck in line with your spine and squeeze your glutes at the top.
- With your arms, chest, and legs lifted, begin pulsing your arms and legs up and down, alternate right arm/left leg and left arm/right leg.
- Continue alternating for time or reps.
Core Exercises
Target your abs and obliques with these core moves.
10. Single-leg body rock
- Sit on the floor with one leg extended and the other knee bent so that your foot is flat on the ground.
- Lift both arms straight overhead, palms facing forward. This is the starting position.
- Holding this posture, use your core muscles to roll onto your back and immediately back up to the starting position.
11. Scissor kicks
- Lie on your back with your legs straight, your elbows bent, and your fingertips touching your head lightly behind your ears.
- Keeping your core engaged, legs straight, and lower back pressed into the floor, lift both legs and begin alternately raising and lowering them in a “scissor” motion.
- Continue alternating legs for reps or time.
12. Boat pose (v-sit hold)
- Sit on the floor with your legs together, knees bent, and feet resting on the ground. Place your hands slightly behind your butt, palms on the ground, fingers forward, or extend your arms straight out in front of you with your palms facing up.
- Keeping your shoulders back and chest up, lean back slightly and lift your feet off the ground, straightening your legs so that you’re balancing in a v-shaped position. (If you need to modify, you can keep your knees slightly bent.)
- Hold for the specified amount of time.
13. Side plank twist
- Assume a side plank position, supporting yourself on your left forearm with your feet staggered on the floor (right foot in front of left), the fingertips of your right hand touching your head lightly behind your right ear (elbow pointing towards the ceiling), and your body straight from head to heels. This is the starting position.
- Keeping your body straight and your core engaged, curl your right elbow toward the left hand, and then return to the starting position.
- Do all of your reps, switch sides, and repeat.
Glute Exercises
Work your backside with these killer glute bodyweight moves.
14. Glute bridge
- Lie on your back with your knees bent, your feet flat and close to your butt, and your arms by your sides. This is the starting position.
- Keeping your core engaged, squeeze your glutes as you raise your hips until your body is straight from knees to shoulders.
- Pause, then reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
15. Donkey kick
- Get on your hands and knees with your hands directly below your shoulders and knees directly below your hips. Keep your back flat and your neck in line with your spine. This is the starting position
- Keeping your arms straight, core engaged, and knees bent 90 degrees, raise your left knee and press the sole of your left foot toward the ceiling, giving your right glute an extra squeeze at the top of the movement.
- Reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
- Do all of your reps, switch legs, and repeat.
16. Second position plié
- Stand with your feet wider than hip-width apart, toes pointed outward. Hold onto the back of a chair or another sturdy structure for balance. This is the starting position.
- Keeping your back flat and core engaged, bend your knees and lower your hips as far as you can, making sure your knees track over the center of your heel and toes.
- Squeeze your glutes as you straighten your legs and return to the starting position.
Activate your quads, hamstrings, and calf muscles with these leg exercises.
17. Reverse lunge double punch
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands at your sides. Make fists with your hands and hold them next to your hips, palms facing up. This is the starting position.
- Keeping your chest up, back flat, shoulders back, and core engaged, take a large step back with your right leg as you extend both arms forward in a double punch.
- Lower your body until your left thigh is parallel with the floor. Your knees should be bent about 90 degrees, with the right knee hovering a couple of inches above the ground.
- Pause, and then push off your back foot to return to the starting position.
- Do all of your reps, and then repeat, this time stepping back with your left leg.
18. Side lunge
- Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and your arms by your sides. This is the starting position.
- Keeping your core engaged and without moving your left foot, take a large step out to your right with your right foot.
- Bring your hands together in front of you as you push your hips back, bend your right knee, and lower yourself until your right thigh is parallel to the floor.
- Pause, and then reverse the movement to return to the starting position.
- Repeat, this time stepping out to your left with your left leg.
- Continue alternating sides with each rep.
19. Squat jump
- Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Keeping your chest up, core engaged, and back flat, push your hips back and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Push yourself back up explosively, jumping straight up.
- Land softly, lowering yourself immediately into your next rep.
20. Monkey walk
- Stand tall with your hands by your sides, feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, and toes pointed forward.
- Keeping your back flat and core braced, push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor, bringing your hands together in front of your chest with your elbows bent.
- Take four steps forward and four steps backward, pulsing up and down slightly with each step, but staying low so you feel the burn in your quads.
- Continue walking forward and backward for time.
