Bodyweight training covers the main strength patterns — push, pull, squat, hinge, and brace — using leverage, tempo, and range instead of plates. It suits home workouts, travel days, warm-ups, and anyone building a base before loading a barbell or dumbbells hard.
This guide highlights well-established bodyweight exercises you can open in the exercise library, plus a simple full-body session. For a broader browse-by-equipment view, see the Bodyweight Exercises hub. Want a dedicated knee-dominant sissy-squat plan? See How to Increase Your Sissy Squat. It is general fitness guidance — not personalized coaching or medical advice. Use the linked exercise pages for setup cues.
Why train with bodyweight
Bodyweight work shines when you want:
- Zero-equipment sessions at home, outdoors, or while traveling
- Joint-friendly volume and warm-ups around heavier gym lifts
- Skill progressions (push-up → decline/pike; squat → split squat; row → pull-up)
- Core bracing that transfers to every loaded lift
Absolute max loads still favor barbells and machines. If your main goal is a heavier squat, bench, or deadlift, keep free-weight compounds as the core of the plan and use bodyweight for accessories, conditioning, or equipment-free days. Prefer bands for portable tension? See Best Resistance Band Exercises for Full-Body Training. Prefer dumbbells? See Best Dumbbell Exercises for Strength and Muscle. Prefer a barbell for progressive overload? See Best Barbell Exercises for Strength and Muscle. Prefer constant-tension stack accessories? See Best Cable Exercises for Strength and Muscle. Prefer a guided bar path when free racks are busy? See Best Smith Machine Exercises for Strength and Muscle. Prefer selectorized machines? See Best Leverage Machine Exercises for Strength and Muscle. For beginner barbell templates, see 5x5 for Beginners. For a gym split, see Push/Pull/Legs Split Explained.
Bodyweight basics before you grind reps
- Choose a variation you can finish with about 1–3 reps in reserve on strength sets (roughly RPE 7–9). See How to Use RPE for Working Sets
- Prefer full range and controlled eccentrics over bouncing or partial reps
- Match hard pressing volume with pulling volume across the week — inverted rows or pull-ups matter as much as push-ups
- Progress with harder leverage, slower tempos, pauses, or single-leg work when easy sets no longer challenge you
- Stop a set if you feel sharp shoulder, elbow, knee, or low-back pain — elevate the hands, shorten range, or switch to a more stable variation
Push: chest, shoulders, and triceps
- Push-up — default horizontal press; elevate hands if needed, then progress to full range; for a dedicated push-up plan, see How to Increase Your Push-Ups
- Decline Push-Up — feet-elevated progression that biases upper chest and shoulders; for loaded incline pressing progressions, see How to Increase Your Incline Bench Press
- Wide Hand Push up — wider hand placement for a chest-biased option
- Close-grip Push-up and Diamond Push-up — triceps-biased press variations; for loaded close-grip pressing progressions, see How to Increase Your Close-Grip Bench Press
- Pike Push up — vertical-press pattern toward overhead strength
- Chest Dip and Triceps Dip — parallel-bar presses when you have bars; Bench Dip is a gentler chair/bench option; for assistance→reps→load programming see How to Increase Your Dips
- Handstand Push-Up — advanced overhead option; only after solid pike work and shoulder comfort
More pressing context with free weights: Best Chest Exercises for Strength and Muscle and Best Shoulder Exercises for Strength and Muscle.
Pull: back and biceps
- Inverted Row — horizontal pull under a bar, rings, or sturdy table edge; easiest place to start pulling at home; for frequency, body-angle progressions, and progressive overload see How to Increase Your Inverted Row (broader free-weight rows: How to Increase Your Rows)
- Pull-up and Wide Grip Pull-Up — vertical pulls when you have a bar; for assistance→reps→load programming see How to Increase Your Pull-Ups
- Chin-Up — underhand vertical pull with more biceps involvement; for a dedicated chin-up plan, see How to Increase Your Chin-Ups
- Band assistance on hang days? See Band Assisted Pull-Up in the resistance-band guide
For a fuller pull-day shortlist including cables and free weights, see Best Back Exercises for Strength and Muscle.
Squat, lunge, and hinge patterns
- Squat — bilateral knee-dominant pattern; use depth you can control
- Walking Lunge, Lunge, and Reverse Lunge — step patterns for single-leg strength and balance (how to increase your lunges)
- Bulgarian Split Squat — rear-foot-elevated progression when bilateral squats feel easy (how to increase your Bulgarian split squat)
- Step-up / Step-up on Chair — single-leg push onto a box or chair (how to increase your step-up)
- Glute Bridge Two Legs on Floor — hip-extension hinge pattern without a bar; for a programming plan, see How to Increase Your Glute Bridge
- Single Leg Bodyweight Deadlift with Arm and Leg Extended — balance-heavy single-leg hinge
- 45 degrees Back Extension / Floor Hyperextension — pad or floor hinge for erectors, glutes, and hamstrings (how to increase your back extension)
Barbell and machine leg shortlists: Best Leg Exercises for Strength and Muscle.
Core and simple conditioners
- Front Plank and Side Plank — anti-extension and anti-lateral-flexion braces; for frequency, quiet braces, and progressive overload on the front hold, see How to Increase Your Plank; for the lateral brace score, see How to Increase Your Side Plank
- Dead Bug and Bird Dog — controlled limb movement while the trunk stays quiet; for frequency, quiet reps, and progressive overload on the floor score, see How to Increase Your Dead Bug; for the quadruped score, see How to Increase Your Bird Dog
- Hollow Hold — gymnastic-style brace once basic planks feel solid; for frequency, quiet hollow-body braces, and progressive overload, see How to Increase Your Hollow Hold
- V-up — floor hollow-to-pike compression once basic hollows feel solid; for frequency, quiet folds, and progressive overload, see How to Increase Your V-Up
- Lying Leg Raise and Hanging Leg Hip Raise — optional flexion finishers; for frequency, quiet floor raises, and progressive overload on the lying score, see How to Increase Your Lying Leg Raises; for a dedicated hanging raise plan, see How to Increase Your Hanging Leg Raises; for hang-to-bar contacts, see How to Increase Your Toes to Bar
- Crunch Floor and Sit-Up — simple flexion options after compounds; for frequency, quiet short-range curls, and progressive overload on the floor-crunch score, see How to Increase Your Crunches; for a dedicated longer-range sit-up plan, see How to Increase Your Sit-Ups; for a dedicated reverse-crunch / pelvic-curl plan, see How to Increase Your Reverse Crunches
- Mountain Climber and Burpee — optional conditioning finishers; keep form crisp; for frequency, quiet plank knee-drives, and progressive overload on the mountain-climber score, see How to Increase Your Mountain Climber; for quiet squat-to-plank conditioning on the burpee score, see How to Increase Your Burpee
Core structure in more detail: Best Core Exercises for Strength and Stability. Arm finishers after dips and chin-ups: Best Arm Exercises for Strength and Muscle.
Sample full-body bodyweight session
Use this as a 2–3× per week template when bodyweight is your main tool. Rest about 45–90 seconds between most sets (longer on pull-ups and dips). Keep most working sets around RPE 7–8 with the RPE & Rest Calculator.
| Order | Exercise | Sets × reps |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Squat or Bulgarian Split Squat | 3 × 8–15 |
| 2 | Glute Bridge Two Legs on Floor | 3 × 10–15 |
| 3 | Push-up or Decline Push-Up | 3 × 6–12 |
| 4 | Inverted Row or Pull-up | 3 × 5–12 |
| 5 | Pike Push up or Bench Dip | 2–3 × 6–12 |
| 6 | Front Plank | 2–3 × 20–45 s |
| 7 | Optional: Mountain Climber or Burpee | 2 × 8–15 |
No pull-up bar? Stay on inverted rows and add a slow negative hang later when you get access to a bar — see negative reps and eccentric overload for pull-up progressions.
How to progress without plates
Bodyweight progress is mostly leverage and control:
- Cleaner reps at the same variation before moving harder
- Extra quality reps in the same RPE band
- Harder variations (push-up → decline; squat → Bulgarian; row → pull-up)
- Slower eccentrics and brief pauses at the hardest point
- Denser sessions (slightly shorter rests) only after technique stays solid
When you return to free weights you can load precisely, estimate a 1RM with the One-Rep Max Calculator and How to Calculate Your One-Rep Max. Plate math for barbell days still lives in the Plate Loading Calculator.
Programming tips
- Warm up with easy squats, shoulder circles, and a short plank before hard push-ups or dips
- Keep hard full-body bodyweight days at least a day apart when they are your only resistance
- Pair training with enough protein using the Protein Intake Calculator
- Want rising tension without a gym? See Best Resistance Band Exercises for Full-Body Training
- Prefer a compact bell or a pair of dumbbells? See Best Kettlebell Exercises for Strength and Conditioning or Best Dumbbell Exercises for Strength and Muscle
- Building the week around a barbell instead? See Best Barbell Exercises for Strength and Muscle
- Prefer cable accessories after compounds? See Best Cable Exercises for Strength and Muscle
- Prefer a guided bar path when free racks are busy? See Best Smith Machine Exercises for Strength and Muscle
- Prefer selectorized machines for stable presses, rows, and leg work? See Best Leverage Machine Exercises for Strength and Muscle. Prefer straps for portable angle-based training? See Best Suspension Exercises for Strength and Muscle
- Prefer sled presses, hacks, pushes, and drags for lower-body strength or conditioning? See Best Sled Exercises for Strength and Conditioning
- Prefer battle-rope waves, slams, and squat combinations for upper-body conditioning finishers? See Best Battle Ropes Exercises for Conditioning and Power
- Prefer a light jump rope for bounce, skip, and short intervals? See Best Jump Rope Exercises for Conditioning
- Prefer medicine-ball slams, wall balls, throws, and core work for power or conditioning? See Best Medicine Ball Exercises for Power and Conditioning
- Prefer stability-ball presses, rollouts, hamstring curls, and core work for accessory volume? See Best Stability Ball Exercises for Core and Strength
- Prefer a Bosu dome for balance stands, light squats, push-ups, and core crunch variations? See Best Bosu Ball Exercises for Balance and Core
- Prefer weighted pull-ups, dips, vest push-ups, and loaded core work for progressive overload? See Best Weighted Exercises for Progressive Overload
- Prefer partner-assisted stretches, hanging knee raises, sit-ups, and light assistance patterns for mobility or supported core? See Best Assisted Exercises for Mobility and Supported Core
Limitations
- Bodyweight “best” lists are not personal programs; joint history and coaching matter
- Advanced skills (handstand push-ups, muscle-ups, pistols) deserve conservative progression — form first
- Form cues here are high-level — open each library entry for exercise-specific guidance
- Sturdy bars, chairs, and clear floor space matter for rows, dips, and split squats
- If you have a shoulder, elbow, knee, or back injury history, get clearance from a qualified professional before starting a new program
New to library pages? See How to Read Exercise Instructions on This Site.
Quick links
- Push-up
- Pull-up
- Inverted Row
- Bodyweight Exercises hub
- Resistance Band Exercises hub
- Dumbbell Exercises hub
- Barbell Exercises hub
- Best Chest Exercises
- Best Back Exercises
- Best Leg Exercises
- Best Shoulder Exercises
- Best Arm Exercises
- Best Core Exercises
- Best Resistance Band Exercises
- Best Kettlebell Exercises
- Best Dumbbell Exercises
- Best Barbell Exercises
- Best Cable Exercises
- Best Smith Machine Exercises
- Best Leverage Machine Exercises
- Best Suspension Exercises
- Best Sled Exercises
- Best Battle Ropes Exercises
- Best Jump Rope Exercises
- Best Medicine Ball Exercises
- Best Stability Ball Exercises
- Best Bosu Ball Exercises
- Best Weighted Exercises
- Best Assisted Exercises
- Barbell vs Dumbbell Bench Press
- Push/Pull/Legs Split Explained
- 5x5 for Beginners
- How to Use RPE for Working Sets
- How to Use Negative Reps and Eccentric Overload — pull-up/dip skill negatives and tempo lowers
- How to Use Unilateral and Single-Leg Training — keep heavy bilateral compounds; add 1–2 single-leg or one-arm accessories
- How to Train Grip Strength and Forearms — carries, hangs, and light wrist work so grip keeps up with pulls
- How to Increase Your Farmers Walk
- How to Increase Your Wrist Curl
- How to Increase Your Bench Press — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/close-grip accessories around a main flat press
- How to Increase Your Squat — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/front-squat accessories around a main squat
- How to Increase Your Front Squat — frequency, progressive overload, and front-rack/pause accessories around a main front squat
- How to Increase Your Zercher Squat — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet elbow-crook practice around a main Zercher squat
- How to Increase Your Sissy Squat — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet knee-dominant practice around a main sissy squat
- How to Increase Your Goblet Squat — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/front-loaded accessories around a main goblet squat
- How to Increase Your Deadlift — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/deficit accessories around a main floor pull
- How to Increase Your Sumo Deadlift — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/block accessories around a main wide-stance floor pull
- How to Increase Your Trap Bar Deadlift — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/deficit accessories around a main hex-bar floor pull
- How to Increase Your Kettlebell Swing — frequency, progressive overload, and crisp hip-snap practice around a main ballistic kettlebell swing
- How to Increase Your Overhead Press — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/push-press accessories around a main vertical press
- How to Increase Your Pull-Ups — frequency, progressive overload, and assistance/negatives/weighted work around a main vertical pull
- How to Increase Your Chin-Ups — frequency, progressive overload, and assistance/negatives/weighted work around a main underhand chin-up
- How to Increase Your Hanging Leg Raises — frequency, progressive overload, and knee→straight→weighted work around a main hanging leg raise
- How to Increase Your Lying Leg Raises — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet floor-flexion practice around a main lying leg raise
- How to Increase Your Toes to Bar — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet hang-to-bar practice around a main toes-to-bar
- How to Increase Your Plank — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet anti-extension practice around a main plank
- How to Increase Your Mountain Climber — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet plank knee-drive practice around a main mountain climber
- How to Increase Your Burpee — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet squat-to-plank conditioning practice around a main burpee
- How to Increase Your Side Plank — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet lateral-brace practice around a main side plank
- How to Increase Your Hollow Hold — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet hollow-body brace practice around a main hollow hold
- How to Increase Your V-Up — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet hollow-to-pike practice around a main V-up
- How to Increase Your Dead Bug — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet floor brace-with-limb practice around a main dead bug
- How to Increase Your Bird Dog — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet quadruped brace-with-limb practice around a main bird dog
- How to Increase Your Crunches — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet floor-flexion practice around a main floor crunch
- How to Increase Your Reverse Crunches — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet pelvic-curl floor-flexion practice around a main reverse crunch
- How to Increase Your Sit-Ups — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet longer-range floor-flexion practice around a main sit-up
- How to Increase Your Cable Crunch — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet loaded flexion practice around a main cable crunch
- How to Increase Your Rows — frequency, progressive overload, and supported/pause accessories around a main horizontal row
- How to Increase Your Seated Cable Row — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo accessories around a main seated cable row
- How to Increase Your Dips — frequency, progressive overload, and assistance/negatives/weighted work around a main dip
- How to Increase Your Push-Ups — frequency, progressive overload, and incline→floor→decline/weighted work around a main push-up
- How to Increase Your Hip Thrust — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/single-leg accessories around a main hip thrust
- How to Increase Your Hip Abduction — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet-peak practice around a main lateral hip abduction
- How to Increase Your Hip Adduction — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet-peak practice around a main medial hip adduction
- How to Increase Your Inverted Row — frequency, progressive overload, and angle/pause/tempo practice around a main bodyweight inverted row
- How to Increase Your T-Bar Row — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo practice around a main machine T-bar row
- How to Increase Your Thruster — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet squat-to-press practice around a main thruster
- How to Increase Your Push Press — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet dip-drive practice around a main push press
- How to Increase Your Pallof Press — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet anti-rotation practice around a main Pallof press
- How to Increase Your Renegade Row — frequency, progressive overload, and quiet plank-row practice around a main renegade row
- How to Increase Your Glute Bridge — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/single-leg practice around a main floor glute bridge
- How to Increase Your Romanian Deadlift — frequency, progressive overload, and tempo/pause accessories around a main RDL
- How to Increase Your Good Morning — frequency, progressive overload, and tempo/pause accessories around a main good morning
- How to Increase Your Shrug — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo accessories around a main shrug
- How to Increase Your Back Extension — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo accessories around a main back extension / hyperextension
- How to Increase Your Face Pull — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo accessories around a main face pull / rear-delt row
- How to Increase Your Rear Delt Fly — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo accessories around a main rear-delt fly / reverse fly
- How to Increase Your Lat Pulldown — frequency, progressive overload, and grip/tempo accessories around a main lat pulldown
- How to Increase Your Lateral Raise — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo accessories around a main lateral raise
- How to Increase Your Front Raise — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo accessories around a main front raise
- How to Increase Your Arnold Press — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo accessories around a main Arnold press
- How to Increase Your Bicep Curl — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo accessories around a main bicep curl
- How to Increase Your Preacher Curl — frequency, progressive overload, and stretch/tempo work around a main preacher curl
- How to Increase Your Incline Curl — frequency, progressive overload, and stretch/tempo work around a main incline curl
- How to Increase Your Concentration Curl — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo work around a main concentration curl
- How to Increase Your Spider Curl — frequency, progressive overload, and stretch/tempo work around a main spider curl
- How to Increase Your Hammer Curl — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo work around a main hammer curl
- How to Increase Your Reverse Curl — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo work around a main reverse curl
- How to Increase Your Zottman Curl — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo work around a main Zottman curl
- How to Increase Your Tricep Extension — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo accessories around a main tricep extension
- How to Increase Your Tricep Kickback — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo accessories around a main tricep kickback
- How to Increase Your Skull Crusher — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo work around a main skull crusher
- How to Increase Your Close-Grip Bench Press — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/lockout accessories around a main close-grip press
- How to Increase Your Incline Bench Press — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo accessories around a main incline press
- How to Increase Your Decline Bench Press — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo accessories around a main decline press
- How to Increase Your Floor Press — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo accessories around a main floor press
- How to Increase Your Chest Fly — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo accessories around a main chest fly
- How to Increase Your Pullover — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo accessories around a main pullover
- How to Increase Your Straight Arm Pulldown — frequency, progressive overload, and pause/tempo accessories around a main straight-arm pulldown
- How to Increase Your Lunges — frequency, progressive overload, and reverse/Bulgarian/step-up accessories around a main lunge pattern
- How to Increase Your Leg Press — frequency, progressive overload, and hack/single-leg accessories around a main machine press
- How to Increase Your Hack Squat — frequency, progressive overload, and foot-placement/single-leg accessories around a main hack squat
- How to Increase Your Bulgarian Split Squat — frequency, progressive overload, and rear-foot/front-foot accessories around a main Bulgarian split squat
- How to Increase Your Step-Up — frequency, progressive overload, and box-height/load accessories around a main step-up
- How to Increase Your Calf Raise — frequency, progressive overload, and standing/seated accessories around a main calf raise
- How to Increase Your Leg Curl — frequency, progressive overload, and lying/seated/single-leg accessories around a main machine curl
- How to Increase Your Leg Extension — frequency, progressive overload, and seated/single-leg accessories around a main machine extension
- How to Read Exercise Instructions
- How to Warm Up Before Lifting
- How to Calculate Your One-Rep Max
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- RPE & Rest Calculator
- Protein Intake Calculator
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