Seven bodyweight moves (squats, push-ups, table rows, reverse lunges, chair dips, glute bridges and a plank) done for three rounds take about 20 minutes and train the whole body. Do it three times a week and make it a little harder each week.
You do not need a gym membership to get fitter and stronger. Your own bodyweight is enough to build muscle and fitness for months, especially if you are starting out or getting back into it. All you need is a bit of floor space, a sturdy chair, a sturdy table and 20 minutes.
The routine
Do each exercise for the time or reps shown, rest 30 to 45 seconds, then move to the next. After all seven, rest two minutes. That is one round. Do three rounds.
- Squats: 15 reps. Feet shoulder-width apart, sit back and down as if onto a chair, chest up, then stand.
- Push-ups: 8 to 12 reps. Hands a little wider than your shoulders, body in one straight line from head to heels.
- Table rows: 8 to 12 reps. Lie on your back under a sturdy table that cannot tip, grip its edge, and pull your chest up to it with your body straight. Lower slowly. This works your back, the muscles push-ups miss.
- Reverse lunges: 8 per leg. Step back, lower your back knee towards the floor, then push through your front heel to stand.
- Chair dips: 8 to 12 reps. Hands on the edge of a stable chair, lower your body by bending your elbows, then press up.
- Glute bridges: 15 reps. Lie on your back, knees bent, and push your hips up until your body is straight from knees to shoulders. Squeeze at the top.
- Plank: 30 to 45 seconds. Forearms on the floor, body straight, belly tight.
Warm up first with two minutes of marching on the spot, arm circles and a few slow squats.
Make it easier
- Push-ups with your hands on a table or the wall.
- Squats down to a chair, then stand up.
- Table rows with your knees bent and feet flat.
- Hold onto a wall for lunges.
- Plank on your knees.
Make it harder
- Slow the lowering part of each rep to three seconds.
- Push-ups with your feet on a chair.
- Bulgarian split squats, with your back foot on a chair, instead of lunges.
- Table rows with your feet raised on a chair.
- Single-leg glute bridges.
- Add a fourth round, or cut the rest to 20 seconds.
Muscles do not know whether the resistance is a barbell or your bodyweight. They know effort.
How to keep progressing
Bodyweight training works as long as it keeps getting a little harder. Each week, change one thing: one or two more reps, a slower tempo, a harder version of a move, or less rest. Write it down so you know what to beat next time.
When 20 reps of a move feel easy, switch to the harder version. Once you outgrow your bodyweight, a backpack filled with books or water bottles makes a fine weight for squats, lunges and rows.
How often
Three times a week, on days that are not back to back, is a great start. On the days in between, go for a brisk walk. Consistency beats intensity: three steady weeks will do more than one heroic one.
Sources
- World Health Organization, physical activity fact sheet: who.int
- Push-ups and bench press at the same effort give the same strength gains: Calatayud et al., 2015
The takeaway
Seven moves, three rounds, three days a week. Make each week a little harder and you will see real changes in strength and fitness without leaving home. In the Shulah app, every exercise is drawn and moving with the muscles it works, and you can build your own home workout and save it.