Have a goal to build strength? Bodyweight exercises are a good place to start. You'll get comfortable in the movement patterns without the added stress (and injury potential) of weights. Once you get stronger, you can progress [1] to using weights, increasing your reps [2], or switching to single-leg or jumping variations. Plus, you can do bodyweight moves anytime, anywhere [3] and pack them into fast, challenging circuits if you want to rev your heart rate.
But not every bodyweight exercise is created equal, so of course we wanted to know which ones are the best for getting strong. To find out, we surveyed nine certified personal trainers for their favorite muscle-building, no-weight-needed exercises. Check out 11 of their choices ahead, and add them to your workouts to increase your strength and sculpt those muscles.
Bulgarian Split Squat
"This is one of the best movements you can perform for your legs," said Tim Liu [5], CSCS. "It opens up your hips, builds your quads and glutes, and balances out the strength difference between the two legs." The single-leg structure demands more of your leg muscles, added Sean Light, NSCA, of 4A Health [6]. You can do this move with or without dumbbells.
- Begin by placing the toes of your left foot on a bench, box, stair, or chair, with your right leg straight.
- Make sure your right foot is out far enough so that when you lower your hips, your knee stays directly over your ankle.
- Bend your right knee, squeeze your left glute, and lower your pelvis toward the ground.
- Press your right heel into the ground to straighten your right knee. This completes one repetition.
Air Squat
The squat will tone your glutes and thighs, "but it's also a great exercise to reinforce proper posture and work the stabilizer muscles in your back and those deep core muscles," said Laura Su, CSCS-NSCM, of LS Training [7]. "When done correctly, it's also a great way to stay mobile and gain mobility."
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders, feet parallel or toes slightly turned out.
- Bend your knees, lowering your hips deeply. Bring your thighs parallel to the floor, and bend your elbows, keeping weight back in your heels.
- Rise back up, straightening your legs completely, squeezing your glutes at the top of the movement to get the most out of the exercise.
- This counts as one rep.
Elbow Plank
"Planks are one of if not the best bodyweight exercises to focus on the core," said Alex Tauberg [8], DC, CSCS, a strength and conditioning coach and chiropractor in Pittsburgh. Your core is essential for not just your workouts but also functional strength for everyday movements. Plus, you can progress your plank with plenty of plank variations [9] to increase the difficulty. "Increase the time, add some weight, elevate your feet . . . There are tons of ways to upscale your traditional plank," Su told POPSUGAR.
- Start on the floor, resting on your forearms and knees.
- Step your feet out one at a time, coming into a plank position.
- Contract your abs to prevent your booty from sticking up or sinking. Your spine should be parallel to the floor, with your abs pulling toward the ceiling.
- Hold for 30 seconds, and work your way up to one minute as you get stronger.
Pull-Up
One of the most difficult bodyweight exercises out there, pull-ups "challenge the biceps but also the traps, lats, scapular retractors, and to some extent the core," Dr. Tauberg said. "Pull-ups are a great upper-body workout." If you have trouble with a full pull-up, try the band-assisted version shown here, or progress up to one with these pull-up-focused strengthening moves [10].
- Place a large resistance band [11] securely around a pull-up bar. A band with more resistance will provide you with more assistance/momentum to pull yourself up.
- Stand on a stable object (a bench will work), and grip the pull-up bar. With one hand, place the band around the arch of your shoe. Fully extend your banded leg.
- With a neutral spine and your abs engaged, pull yourself up. The band will provide you with momentum to lift your body up. Lower back down to the starting position.
- This counts as one rep.
Basic Push-Up
"Push-ups are truly one of the best bodyweight exercises you can master," said Angie Asche [12], MS, RD, CSSD, an ACSM-certified personal trainer and exercise physiologist. "They are excellent for building upper-body and core strength, activating your chest, arms, shoulders, and core."
- Start in a plank position with your arms and legs straight, shoulders above your wrists.
- Take a breath in, and as you exhale, bend your elbows out to the sides and lower your chest toward the ground. Stop as soon as your shoulders are in line with your elbows. Inhale to straighten your arms. This counts as one rep.
- If this is too difficult, do this exercise with your knees on the floor [13].
Alternating Reverse Lunge
Walking or stationary lunges "are an excellent way to strengthen your lower body, especially your quads, hamstrings, and glutes," Asche told POPSUGAR. "Lunges also help improve balance and core stability." They'll also help you pinpoint muscle imbalances and increase symmetrical strength in both legs, added Alexa Massie [14], NASM-certified personal trainer and lead instructor at CycleBar Naples.
- Stand with your feet together. Take a controlled lunge (or large step) backward with your left foot.
- Lower your hips so your right thigh (front leg) becomes parallel to the floor and your right knee is positioned directly over your ankle. Keep your left knee bent at a 90-degree angle and pointing toward the floor. Your left heel should be lifted.
- Step your left foot in, and lunge back with your right foot.
- This counts as one rep.
Glute Bridge
"Glute bridges are a great way to target your glutes and hamstrings," Asche said. "They also help to strengthen your lower back and hip mobility."
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground.
- Leave your arms down by your sides with your palms flat on the floor.
- Press down into the ground with your heels, and push your hips into the air as high as you can to form a flat bridge.
- Squeeze your glutes at the top of the motion while holding for a two to three count.
- Lower down with control. This counts as one rep.
V-Ups
New York City-based trainer Reggie Chambers [15], NASM, said that V-ups are one of his favorite exercises for strengthening the core. "It hits the lower and upper abs together, and if done properly, it will increase the heart rate, giving it a cardio effect as well."
- Lie face up with your arms and legs extended and resting on the floor.
- Keep your abs tight, and lift your hands and feet to meet over your torso.
- Lower your arms and legs toward the floor to complete one rep.
- If this variation is too difficult, bend your knees.
Jump Squat
"Jump squats are excellent for strengthening the glutes, hamstrings, lower back, and core," said Jackie Wilson, NASM, CEO and founder of NOVA Fitness Innovation Studios [16] in NYC. The move also helps you develop power and explosiveness, improve balance, and rev up your cardiovascular system, he added.
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Start by doing a regular squat [17], then engage your core and jump up explosively.
- When you land, lower your body back into the squat position to complete one rep. Land as quietly as possible, which requires control.
- This counts as one rep.
Burpee
Everyone's favorite! Wilson said burpees are full-body exercises that build strength while revving your heart rate. "Burpees attack the entire body in a functional way. This movement strengthens the arms, shoulders, chest, core, and legs," he explained. "Further, the intensity of the movement torches calories and boosts the metabolism." If you can't do a full burpee, try these build-up variations [18].
- Lower into a crouching squat with your hands on the floor.
- Do a squat thrust by jumping your feet back into a plank position.
- Do one basic push-up, bending your elbows and then straightening back to a plank.
- Jump your feet forward to your hands, and come into a squat.
- Do an explosive jump straight up, getting as much height as you can.
- This counts as one rep.