At Home Bodyweight Workout: 18 Trainer-Approved Bodyweight Exercises

Why we love it: Planks are an effective exercise for ventral core muscle activation². “You can hold planks for longer to challenge yourself and build strength in your core,” Kate Meier, CPT, USAW-L1, CF-L1, explains. “Or, you can try side planks, plank shoulder taps, plank jacks, or any other alternative.”

How to do it: 

1. Place only your forearms and toes on the floor or exercise mat, ensuring the rest of your body is off the ground.
2. Squeeze your glutes, tense your core, and make sure there’s a straight line from your head to your toes.
3. Hold for as long as possible, or until you’ve reached your desired time.

Muscles worked: Core

Why we love it: The burpees exercise is a great way to improve your cardiovascular endurance without equipment. Not only that, but you’ll also build full-body strength because you’ll be getting onto the ground and back up. 

How to do it: 

1. Stand tall with your arms down by your sides, your head neutral, and your feet hip-width apart.
2. Hinge at the hips to bend forward, and place your hands on the floor. At the same time, hop your feet backward to get into the high plank position.
3. Drop down to the floor, touching your quads and chest to the ground.
4. Reverse the motion by pushing your body back to the high plank position, bringing your left foot and right foot forward, and lifting your arms up. 
5. To finish the movement, jump up, raising your arms above your head. 
6. Land on your feet and bring your arms back to your sides to get into the starting position.
7. Keep going for reps.

Muscles worked: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, core, chest, shoulders, triceps 

Why we love it: You squat many times throughout the day, like when you sit down on a chair, for example. Performing bodyweight squats may lead to better muscle movement in the lower body. It’s important to squat at least parallel to improve strength and functional performance³.

How to do it: 

1. Stand upright, positioning your feet hip-width apart, toes pointing slightly outwards, and head neutral. 
2. Brace your core and extend your arms in front of your body.
3. Perform a squat until your quads are parallel to the floor. Pause.
4. Drive your heels into the ground and return to the upright position.
5. Squat for repetitions.

Muscles worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, hip flexors, core

Why we love it: Kate says, “If you’re looking to improve hip mobility and flexibility, bridges are a great exercise to add to your workout routine.” For those with desk jobs, your glutes can weaken, and your hip flexor muscles can become tight over time. Bridges may help you overcome this. If the movement feels too easy, try single-leg glute bridges instead.

How to do it: 

1. Lie down on an exercise mat, facing the ceiling. Place your feet flat on the floor so there’s a bend in your knees.
2. Drive your feet into the ground and lift your butt off the floor. 
3. At the top, squeeze your glutes and hold. Then, lower yourself to the floor.
4. Continue for reps.

Muscles worked: Glutes, hamstrings, core

Why we love it: Step-ups are a unilateral exercise and a great addition to your home workout as they can help fix muscular imbalances. I also like that it’s easier on the lower back because your spine is under less pressure during the movement compared to other exercises.

How to do it: 

1. Find a piece of equipment to use. Examples include a chair, stairs, a plyo box, or even your couch. Stand next to it with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Place your left foot onto the equipment so there’s a 90-degree angle in your left knee. 
3. Lift your right foot off the floor. While transferring your weight to your left leg, step your right foot onto the stepper. Pause here.
4. Go down to the standing position with your left foot first, then your right foot second. 
5. Repeat, but this time, lead with your right leg (so your right knee is at a 90-degree angle). 
6. Step for repetitions, alternating sides each time.

Muscles worked: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, core

Why we love it: Squat jumps are a more advanced version of bodyweight squats and get your heart rate up quickly. Explosive exercises such as this one are known as plyometric exercises. Benefits include improved coordination, more power and strength, and increased training focus.

How to do it: 

1. Get into the bodyweight squat position (which you saw above!).
2. Squat down as deep as you can, but this time, drive your heels into the ground to help you jump up off the ground. Go as high as you can.
3. Softly land, then adjust your body to get back into the squat position.
4. Continue for repetitions.

Muscles worked: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves, hip flexors, core

Why we love it: Inchworms are a full-body exercise because they work multiple muscle groups. “They’re kind of like a burpee but slower,” says Kate. If you have tight hamstrings, inchworms may help because you’re opening up the whole posterior chain.

How to do it: 

1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and your arms by your sides.
2. Bend at the hips and knees, placing your palms on the ground. You’ll want them to be as close to your feet as possible.
3. Brace your core, and walk forward with your hands until you’re in the high plank position. When you get there, do a push-up.
4. Reverse the motion by walking your hands backward to the original position. Stand up.
5. Keep going for reps.

Muscles worked: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, chest, back, shoulders, triceps, core

Why we love it: The lunges exercise is one of my favorite bodyweight moves because they can activate the muscles in your lower body. If losing body fat is your goal, you have a better fat-loss potential with lunges, because you’re doing double the reps (one rep on each side). You’ll improve your balance too.

How to do it: 

1. Stand up with your feet hip-width apart and toes pointing forward. Place your hands on your hips.
2. With your left foot, lunge forward. Lower your right knee toward the floor until your left quad is parallel to the floor. Hold for a moment.
3. Drive through your left heel to return to the original position.
4. Repeat on the opposite side, with your right foot forward.
5. Lunge for the desired number of reps, alternating legs each time.

Muscles worked: Hamstrings, glutes, quads, core

RELATED: What Muscles Do Lunges Work?

Why we love it: “Jumping jacks improve cardiovascular fitness and increase coordination,” explains Kate. “As a personal trainer, my clients seem to find them fun to do, too, which is always a bonus!”

How to do it: 

1. Stand upright with your arms by your sides and your feet shoulder-width apart. 
2. Jump both feet to the sides. At the same time, lift both of your arms above your head until they’re close to touching each other. Keep your head neutral.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat for reps.

Muscles worked: Quads, hamstrings, glutes, shoulders, chest, back, arms, core (yes, literally the whole body!)

Why we love it: A 2018 study in the Journal of Exercise Rehabilitation⁴ shows that regularly performing the Superman exercise may help to reduce pain in the lower back. Stronger glutes can help you walk and run better, as well as improve your lifts in the gym. If you spend a lot of time at your desk, Supermans may help give you better posture, too.

How to do it: 

1. Lie on the floor facing downward, with your legs and arms extended.
2. Squeeze the muscles at the back of your body. Then, lift your arms and legs off the floor.
3. Hold for a few seconds, then drop your legs and arms down.
4. Continue for the desired number of repetitions.

Muscles worked: Lower back, hamstrings, glutes, abdominals

Why we love it: When you place objects above your head, you use your upper body, predominantly your shoulders and upper back. Wall slides help increase strength and mobility in these muscles. They can also help reduce pain and improve scapular alignment⁵, especially in subjects with scapular downward rotation.

How to do it: 

1. Stand against a wall, facing away. You’ll want the back of your head, upper back, and glutes touching it.
2. Place your arms against the wall at a 90-degree angle.
3. To start the movement, lift both arms towards the ceiling. It’s important to drive your glutes and core into the wall whilst doing this. 
4. When you can’t raise your arms any further, pause. Then, bring them down to the starting position.
5. Repeat for reps.

Muscles worked: Upper back, shoulders, serratus anterior

Why we love it: There aren’t many at home bodyweight exercises that are great for muscle-building of the triceps, but the triceps dips exercise is one of them. Keep doing them, and bigger arms could be the end result—and let’s be honest, who doesn’t want bigger arms?

How to do it: 

1. Place both hands on the edge of a stable surface, with your fingers pointing forward.
2. Walk your feet out until the weight is on your arms. Adjust your legs so they’re either straight or bent at a 90-degree angle (either works!).
3. Brace your core, then bend at the elbows to lower your body toward the floor.
4. Hold once you can’t lower any further, then push through your hands to return to the top position.
5. Dip for repetitions.

Muscles worked: Triceps, chest, shoulders, back

Why we love it: Kate says, “Calf raises are a great way to build strength in the calves and stability in the ankles, using your own bodyweight only.” If you find the below too easy, try some single-leg calf raises instead. 

How to do it: 

1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms by your sides.
2. Lift your heels off the floor until you’re on your tiptoes. 
3. Hold, then slowly lower yourself down.
4. Raise for reps.

Muscles worked: Calves

RELATED: Calf Exercises

Why we love it: The curtsy lunge is a unilateral exercise, so it helps fix muscular imbalances. To get them right, you’ll need to use balance and coordination. Also, I like the fact that they work your hips, so if you have tight hips, they’re definitely one to try!

How to do it: 

1. Stand up with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Using your left foot first, take a big step behind your right foot. 
3. At the same time, lower your left knee to the ground until the right quad is parallel to the floor. Here, you’ll be in a curtsy pose.
4. Push through the right heel to return to the upright position. Repeat, but this time, step your right foot back.
5. Continue alternating sides for repetitions.

Muscles worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, hips

Why we love it: Well, the crunches exercise has become one of the most popular core exercises for a reason, so they’ve got to be doing something right, don’t they? There are tons of variations, and they increase strength and stability in the core. 

How to do it: 

1. Lie down on an exercise mat, facing the ceiling. You’ll want to plant your feet firmly on the ground, so your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle.
2. Take both hands and clasp them behind your head.
3. Tense your core, then lift your head and upper back off the ground.
4. Pause, then lower your upper body down.
5. Keep going for repetitions.

Muscles worked: Rectus abdominis

Why we love it: “If you think you need a treadmill or another cardiovascular piece of gym equipment to get you sweating, think again,” Kate says. High knees may not build as much strength as some other exercises on this list, but they sure do burn calories.

How to do it: 

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart, and your arms out in front of you.
2. Ensuring that your chest is up and your head is neutral, lift your left knee up toward your left hand.
3. Drop your left leg to the floor, then repeat with your right knee. It’s important to choose the right pace that works for you. 
4. Alternate for repetitions or until you’ve hit your time goal.

Muscles worked: Quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves