Troy Hurst holds a Doctorate in Physical Therapy from Carroll University. He is a physical therapist specializing in both athletic and vestibular rehabilitation with an emphasis on performance running.
There will always be a reason to skip that gym commute. If you’re like the average person, you may be short on time and/or money. If you’ve been going a while, you may be bored with your workout routine. If you’re new to the gym, it can feel intimidating and overwhelming.
Whatever the reason may be, many people turn to bodyweight exercises as a convenient and affordable way to stay fit and active at home. And those people are on to something. Your body’s weight can provide a challenging and effective workout, without the need for any equipment or expensive gym memberships.
But, like any workout, there are pros and cons to consider before diving into a bodyweight routine. Let’s take a closer look at the advantages of at-home bodyweight workouts, as well as some exercise ideas to get you started.
Can I Get In Shape With Just Bodyweight Workouts?
An at home bodyweight workout with no equipment is one way to get in shape. Sure, it may not be as fancy as a fully-equipped gym, but it can still provide great results. With the right exercises and proper form, you can build strength, improve your cardiovascular health, and even shed excess pounds.
Here are 7 reasons to consider a home-based bodyweight workout routine (7):
Convenience and Flexibility
One of the biggest perks of a home-based bodyweight workout routine is the sheer convenience and flexibility it offers. You can exercise whenever you want, without being bound by gym hours or class schedules. This is particularly beneficial for those with busy lifestyles or irregular work hours.
Imagine the freedom of working out at 6 AM before your day starts, or squeezing in a quick session during your lunch break.
Studies show that flexibility in workout timing can significantly increase adherence to a fitness regimen (4). When it’s easier to fit exercise into your schedule, you’re more likely to stay consistent and achieve your fitness goals.
Cost-Effective
Gym memberships and specialized fitness classes can quickly add up. On the other hand, a home-based bodyweight workout routine costs next to nothing. All you need is some open space and maybe a yoga mat. This approach eliminates the need for expensive equipment or recurring membership fees.
By opting for home workouts, you can save this money while still getting a great workout. It has been noted that financial savings can remove a common barrier to fitness, so that’s worth considering.
Effective for Building Strength and Endurance
Bodyweight exercises like push-ups, squats, and planks are excellent for building strength and endurance. These exercises engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, enhancing overall muscle tone and functional fitness.
Research indicates that bodyweight training can be just as effective as weight training for increasing muscle mass and strength. For example, a study published in Experimental Physiology found that bodyweight exercises significantly improved participants’ muscle strength and endurance over an eight-week period (1).
With consistency, you can achieve impressive results without the need for heavy weights or machines.
Reduced Risk of Injury
Since bodyweight exercises utilize natural movements and do not require a heavy external load, they typically pose a lower risk of injury, compared to weight training.
This makes them a great option for beginners and those recovering from injuries. Proper form is crucial, but without the additional factor of external weights, it’s easier to maintain safe techniques.
A recent study highlights that bodyweight exercises can improve joint health and reduce the likelihood of injuries associated with high-impact workouts (3). This can help you stay active and healthy in the long run.
Improved Mobility and Flexibility
Incorporating bodyweight exercises into your routine can greatly enhance your mobility and flexibility. Movements such as lunges, squats, and pushups not only build strength but also aid in improving flexibility and range of motion. Enhanced mobility can lead to better posture, reduced pain, and a decreased risk of injuries.
According to Harvard Health Publishing, mobility exercises are key to maintaining mobility as you age (5). By regularly engaging in bodyweight exercises, you can keep your body agile and functional, making everyday activities easier and more comfortable.
Customizable to Any Fitness Level
Home-based bodyweight workouts can be easily tailored to suit any fitness level, from beginners to advanced athletes.
Beginners can start with basic exercises and gradually increase intensity as they become more comfortable and stronger. More experienced individuals can modify exercises to make them more challenging, such as incorporating variations or increasing repetitions.
The versatility of bodyweight exercises makes them suitable for everyone, regardless of fitness background. This adaptability ensures that you can continually progress and challenge yourself, preventing workout plateaus and keeping your routine engaging.
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Sample At-Home Full Body Bodyweight Workout (No Equipment)
You’re getting an idea of how beneficial bodyweight exercises can be, but you may also be wondering where to start.
Here’s a pull/push/lower body split workout designed to target all major muscle groups using just your body weight. This split divides exercises into pulling (mainly back and biceps), pushing (mainly chest, shoulders, and triceps), and the lower body.
Day 1: Pull Workout
1. Pull-Up (if you have access to a bar) or Inverted Row
Steps:
Find a sturdy bar or surface to hang from.
Grip the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart.
Hang with your arms fully extended and shoulders engaged.
Pull your chest towards the bar by engaging your back muscles.
Keep your elbows close to your body as you lift.
Lower yourself back down slowly.
Benefits:
Builds upper body strength
Enhances grip strength
Engages postural muscles
2. Superman Exercise
Steps:
Lie face down on the floor with your arms extended overhead.
Lift your arms, chest, and legs off the ground simultaneously.
Hold the position for a few seconds.
Lower back down to the starting position.
Benefits:
Strengthens the lower back
Improves spinal stability
Engages glutes and hamstrings
3. Bodyweight Rows
Steps:
Use a sturdy table or bar that is about waist height.
Lie underneath it and grab the edge with both hands.
Keep your body straight from head to heels.
Pull your chest up to the edge of the table/bar.
Pause at the top, then slowly lower yourself back down.
Benefits:
Strengthens the upper back
Improves core stability
Enhances arm strength
4. Reverse Snow Angels
Steps:
Lie face down with your arms at your sides.
Lift your chest slightly off the ground.
Sweep your arms out to the side and overhead, like making a snow angel.
Start in a plank position with your hands shoulder-width apart.
Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor.
Keep your body straight throughout the movement.
Push back up to the starting position.
Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Benefits:
Strengthens chest, shoulders, and triceps
Engages the core
Enhances upper body strength and endurance
2. Pike Push-Ups
Steps:
Begin in a downward-facing dog position.
Lower your upper body towards the floor by bending your elbows.
Keep your hips high and head tucked.
Push back up to the starting position.
Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Benefits:
Targets the shoulders
Enhances upper body strength
Improves balance and coordination
3. Dips (using a chair)
Steps:
Sit on the edge of a chair with your hands next to your hips.
Slide your butt off the chair and support your weight with your arms.
Lower your body by bending your elbows to a 90-degree angle.
Push back up to the starting position.
Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Benefits:
Strengthens triceps, chest, and shoulders
Improves arm strength
Enhances upper body stability
4. Plank to Push-Up
Steps:
Start in a forearm plank position.
Press up into a push-up position, one arm at a time.
Keep your core engaged and body straight.
Lower back down to the forearm plank.
Repeat for the desired number of reps, alternating which arm your lead with.
Benefits:
Strengthens arms, chest, and core
Improves coordination
Enhances shoulder stability
5. Decline Push-Ups
Steps:
Place your feet on an elevated surface (like a chair).
Position your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor.
Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor.
Push back up to the starting position.
Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Benefits:
Targets the upper chest and shoulders
Increases difficulty compared to regular push-ups
Enhances upper body strength
6. Shoulder Taps
Steps:
Start in a high plank position.
Lift one hand to touch the opposite shoulder while balancing on the other hand.
Alternate sides with controlled movements.
Keep your core tight to avoid swaying.
Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Benefits:
Builds shoulder and core strength
Enhances balance and stability
Improves coordination
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Day 3: Lower Body Workout
1. Squats
Steps:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Lower your body by bending your knees and hips, keeping your back straight.
Go as low as possible without compromising form.
Push through your heels to return to the starting position.
The answer to whether or not 30 minutes of bodyweight exercise is enough is highly dependent on your goals, intensity level, and exercise programming. Thirty minutes is plenty of time to get an excellent workout assuming you have an exercise selection that contains enough volume and rest for the desired muscle groups or body regions to impose a training stimulus that triggers positive adaptations.
For some individuals, 30 minutes of bodyweight exercise may not provide enough stimulus for significant muscle growth or strength gains. For instance, an advanced athlete would not likely have an adequate training stimulus over 30 minutes if performing the same program as a beginner. On the other hand, a beginner would not be able to connect with the high training stimulus of an advanced athlete’s program if they tried to jump directly into it. Neither scenario would provide a “good workout” for the respective individual.
Is It OK To Do Bodyweight Exercises Every Day?
Doing bodyweight exercises every day can be beneficial, but it’s important to listen to your body and not overdo it. It is important to allow for proper rest and recovery time between workouts to avoid muscle fatigue or injury (10).
A good rule of thumb is to have at least one day of rest in between bodyweight workout days. It’s also advised to vary the intensity and exercises in each workout, rather than doing the same routine every day. This allows time for muscle groups to recover and helps prevent overuse injuries.
Consulting with a fitness professional can also help create a personalized workout plan that considers individual goals, fitness levels, and proper rest periods.
FAQs
Can You Gain Muscle Without Weights?
Certainly! Gaining muscle without weights is entirely possible through bodyweight exercises and other resistance training methods. Here’s a detailed explanation:
Understanding Muscle Growth
Muscle Hypertrophy: This is the process of increasing muscle size through exercise. It requires (9):
Mechanical Tension: Stress on the muscle fibers during contraction.
Metabolic Stress: Build-up of metabolic byproducts like lactic acid during exercise.
Muscle Damage: Microscopic tears in muscle fibers that repair and grow stronger.
Bodyweight exercises can satisfy these requirements effectively, especially for beginners since their bodies are not used to external resistance yet.
Some advanced bodyweight exercises like one-arm push-ups or pistol squats can even be more challenging than many traditional strength training exercises, leading to a training stimulus that is intense enough for many seasoned athletes to experience muscle growth.
Here are some tips for maximizing muscle growth with bodyweight exercises:
High Repetitions: Since bodyweight exercises may be easier at lower reps, increasing the number of repetitions can cause significant metabolic stress. It is a common misconception that hypertrophy can only be achieved with rep ranges between 8 and 12 repetitions. Research has shown rep ranges between 6 and 35 reps can be effective when sets are performed close to failure. Some research has shown even higher rep ranges to be effective for hypertrophy, assuming the sets are performed at an intensity that brings the trainee close to muscular failure by the end of the set.
Short Rest Intervals: Reduce rest periods between sets to keep muscles under continuous stress. With this being said, realize there is a sacrifice between strength and endurance. If your rest times are too short or nonexistent, you will likely be limited by your cardiovascular endurance rather than muscular strength, which may limit your hypertrophic results.
Supersets/Circuits: Perform exercises back-to-back to maintain high metabolic stress levels.
Slow Eccentric Movements: Slowing down the lowering (eccentric) phase of an exercise, like the descent in a push-up or squat, increases muscle damage.
Explosive Movements: Plyometrics (e.g., jump squats, burpees) create rapid, powerful movements that can lead to muscular microdamage and subsequent growth.
To continue gaining muscle, you need to progressively increase the volume and intensity of your workouts:
Increase Exercise Intensity: Gradually increase exercise difficulty, sets, reps, or any combination of these variables to ensure progressive overload.
Change Exercise Angles: Modify the difficulty by changing the angle of the exercise (e.g., elevate feet during push-ups).
Add Pauses and Holds: Introducing pauses at the hardest part of the movement maximizes muscle engagement and time under tension.
Is Bodyweight Better Than Weights?
In some ways, bodyweight exercises can be just as effective, or even better than using weights. When you consider a beginner who cannot lift heavy weights yet, bodyweight exercises are safer (less risk of injury) and more accessible (no equipment needed).
Moreover, bodyweight exercises can be more functional in nature. This means they mimic real-life movements and train multiple muscle groups simultaneously, leading to overall strength gains (8). On the other hand, many weightlifting exercises often require more equipment and space.
That said, using weights is still a great way to build strength and muscle mass (6). It’s the simplest way to progressively overload muscles as you get stronger, i.e., keep adding more weight (2). Additionally, using weights can help break through plateaus and stimulate muscle growth in different ways compared to bodyweight exercises.
Can Home Workouts Build Muscle?
Home workouts, with or without weights, can build muscle. Provided you’re progressively overloading muscles and applying the principles of muscle hypertrophy explained earlier (mechanical tension + metabolic stress + muscle damage), you can see significant muscle growth with home workouts (2) (9).
The Bottom Line
An at-home bodyweight workout could be the difference between staying active and becoming sedentary. Bodyweight exercises are accessible, versatile and can be just as effective as traditional weightlifting for building strength and muscle mass. However, it’s always important to listen to your body, vary the intensity of your workouts, and allow for proper rest and recovery time in order to reap the full benefits of bodyweight training.
DISCLAIMER:
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional advice or help and should not be relied on to make decisions of any kind. Any action you take upon the information presented in this article is strictly at your own risk and responsibility!
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