A lot of people love gym culture. In fact, it is a way to bond with friends and socialize with people, praising gains and supporting the weight loss of others. For other people, going to the gym triggers anxiety because they feel judged or ashamed of their bodies. If weights and crowded gyms aren’t your vibe, you can easily do beneficial bodyweight exercises at home.
It may seem like a setback to use your own body weight to exercise, but it is highly efficient. Certain bodyweight exercises test your form and allow you to perfect posture and muscle engagement. You don’t need equipment, although you can increase the resistance by using resistance bands or dumbbells. Strength and conditioning coaches even endorse bodyweight exercises and say that there are ways to ramp up the level of difficulty. These exercise are great because:
- You can do them anywhere
- You don’t need equipment
- You don’t have to pay money to do them
- You can exercise the entire body
- You can customize the workout to your fitness level
- You can do them whenever you want
To get you started on your bodyweight exercise journey, we detail some great movements below. You don’t have to do all of them each time you work out. Consider grouping certain exercises together to target specific muscle groups. We wish you well during your sweat session!
Push-Ups
Let’s start with a classic bodyweight exercise that engages your core, pectoral muscles, shoulders, and triceps. Begin in a high plank position, shoulders over your wrists and feet extended back behind you. Keep your body in a straight line from your shoulders to your heels. Bend your elbows back and lower your body toward the ground in a controlled motion. Before touching the ground, engage your core and pectorals to press yourself back up to the starting position. Make sure that your elbows don’t go out to the sides because that is hard on the shoulders. Complete three sets, doing eight to 10 push-ups per set.
Bird Dog
Working to activate your core, lower, and upper body muscle groups, Bird Dog is a great exercise to do at home. Begin on all fours, stacking your shoulders directly over your wrists and hips over your knees. In a simultaneous motion, extend your right arm out in front of you while you extend your left leg behind you. Keep your right arm and back leg in line with your shoulders and hips. Hold for a few seconds before returning to the starting position. Alternate to repeat on the other side. Be careful not to rock from side to side during this exercise, engaging your core to keep your shoulders and hips square to the ground. Complete three sets of 10 reps per side.
Air Squats
The classic squat is a great exercise to activate your lower body muscle groups. Just make sure to maintain proper form to avoid injury. Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your hips down and back, as though you are about to sit in a chair. Go as low as you can comfortably go while keeping your back straight and making sure your knees don’t extend beyond your toes. Squeeze your glutes and drive through your heels to return to the standing position. Continue until you complete your set. Aim for three sets of 10-15 squats per set.
Alternating Side Lunge
Similar to the air squat, alternating side lunges target the lower body, helping you increase strength in your legs and glutes. Stand up straight with your feet hip-distance apart. Step your right foot out to the side about two to three feet, or as far as you comfortably can. Bend your right knee as you sit your butt back to lower yourself into a lunge, ensuring that your back is straight. Keep your left leg straight as you drive through your right heel to return to the starting position. Repeat on the left side and continue alternating until you complete eight to 10 lunges per side. Complete three sets of eight to 10 lunges per leg.
V-Ups
Great for activating your core muscles, V-ups can help you reach your goal of a washboard stomach. Lie flat on your back, extending your legs out in front and arms overhead. In one fluid motion, engage your core to lift your torso and legs into a V shape, aiming to touch your toes with your fingers. Lower yourself back to the starting position and continue repeating. During the apex of the exercise, try to cup up to your tailbone, just like in Boat Pose. Complete three sets of 10 reps.
Supermans
This exercise works to target your hamstrings, glutes, and upper back muscles, but make sure that you don’t over-arch during this movement. Lie face down with the legs extended back and arms out in front of you. Engage the muscles in your upper back, hamstrings, and glutes to raise your arms and legs a few inches off the floor. You can keep your gaze at the ground or lift your head up slightly to look out at your fingertips. Hold for a second before lowering back to the ground. Make sure that you keep your shoulders down and away from your ears during the movements, and strive to keep your spine neutral. Complete three sets of 10 reps.
