Bodyweight Workouts You Can Do At Home

Working out at home might seem like a lot of effort, especially if you don’t have home gym equipment. But when you can’t make it to the gym, don't have much time or are travelling, home workouts can help you stay on track with your health and fitness journey.

Bodyweight exercises and calisthenics can make up a quick and effective workout when you want to change up your training, or during times when you need exercise to be more versatile. They require no equipment, meaning you can take your workout anywhere — even to the comfort of your home!

These bodyweight workouts can help you do just that, so it doesn’t matter if you don’t have access to a gym or your usual training gear.

All of these exercises are from Sweat trainer Kayla Itsines’ High Intensity with Kayla (formerly BBG) program and will help to get your muscles working hard.

Keep fit these at-home bodyweight workouts

Complete each of these bodyweight exercises twice through in a circuit-style, to get a complete full-body workout. 

Alternatively, you can focus on a specific area of your body for each workout and spread out the exercises over the course of your week.

For example, for a leg-focused bodyweight workout, complete each leg exercise for the specified number of repetitions, three times through in a circuit format. The next day, you can mix up your training with a LISS session, and on the following day do the same for the bodyweight chest and shoulder exercises. 

Stay on top of your healthy lifestyle and give these 10 bodyweight exercises a try instead of going to the gym.

Full-body bodyweight superset

These two full-body exercises are perfect to superset! Perform four to five rounds for a high-intensity workout. 

Alternatively, you can include both exercises in a larger circuit with some upper-body, lower-body and core exercises.

Burpee

1. Plant both feet on the mat shoulder-width apart. This is your starting position.

2. Bend at both the hips and knees to place your hands on the mat on either side of your feet, ensuring that your spine remains in a neutral position.

3. Jump both of your feet forwards in between your hands, once again, ensuring that your feet remain shoulder-width apart.

4. Exhale. Propel your body upwards into the air. Extend your legs below you and your arms above your head.

5. Inhale. Land in the starting position, ensuring that you maintain ‘soft’ knees to prevent injury.

6. Repeat for 10 repetitions.

Mountain climber

1. Place both hands shoulder-width apart and both feet together behind you, resting on the balls of your feet. This is your starting position.

2. Keeping your left foot on the floor, bend your right knee and bring it in towards your chest.

3. Extend your right leg to return to the starting position.

4. Keeping your right foot on the floor, bend your left knee and bring it in towards your chest.

5. Extend your left leg to return to the starting position.

6. Continue alternating between right and left for 40 repetitions, inhaling for four mountain climbers and exhaling for four mountain climbers.

Bodyweight leg circuit

Level up leg day and complete these bodyweight leg exercises four times through. Add two of these exercises with another two exercises that target your upper body or core to create a full-body workout.

Double-pulse jump squat

1. Plant both feet on the floor slightly further than shoulder-width apart. 

2. Looking straight ahead, bend at both the hips and knees, ensuring that your knees remain in line with your toes. 

3. Continue bending your knees until your upper legs are parallel with the floor. Ensure that your back remains between a 45- to 90-degree angle to your hips. This is called a full squat position.

4. Push through your heels to extend your legs slightly. Bend your knees to return to full squat position. Complete this action, called a pulse, two times.

5. Propel your body upwards into the air. Extend both your legs and your hips before landing back into squat position. 

6. When landing, ensure that you maintain ‘soft’ knees to prevent injury.

7. Repeat for 15 repetitions.

Alternating squat and lunge

1. Plant both feet on the floor shoulder-width apart. This is your starting position.

2. Inhale. Looking straight ahead, bend at both the hips and knees, ensuring that your knees remain in line with your toes. Continue bending your knees until your upper legs are parallel to the floor. Ensure that your back remains between a 45- to 90-degree angle to your hips. This is called squat position.

3. Push through the heels of your feet and extend your legs to return to the starting position.

4. Take a big step forward with your right foot. As you plant your foot on the floor, bend both knees to approximately 90 degrees.

5. Exhale. Extend both knees and transfer your weight completely onto your left foot to return to the starting position.

6. Inhale. Looking straight ahead, bend at both the hips and knees, ensuring that your knees remain in line with your toes. Continue bending your knees until your upper legs are parallel to the floor. Ensure that your back remains between a 45- to 90-degree angle to your hips. This is called squat position.

7. Push through the heels of your feet and extend your legs to return to the starting position.

8. Take a big step forward with your left foot. As you plant your foot on the floor, bend both knees to approximately 90-degrees.

9. Exhale. Extend both knees and transfer your weight completely onto your right foot to return to the starting position.

10. Continue alternating between squat and lunge movements for 20 repetitions. Each movement of the feet is equivalent to one repetition.

Breakdown — the sequence will be squat, lunge right leg forward, squat, lunge left leg forward.

Rebound lunge

1. Plant both feet on the floor slightly further than shoulder width apart. This is your starting position.

2. Carefully take a big step backward with your left foot. As you plant your left foot on the floor, bend both knees to approximately 90 degrees, ensuring that your weight is evenly distributed between both legs. If done correctly, your front knee should be aligned with your ankle and your back knee should be hovering just off of the floor.

3. Extend both knees and transfer your weight completely onto your right foot.

4. Take a big step forward with your left foot. As you plant your foot on the floor, bend both knees at approximately 90 degrees. 

5. Extend both knees and transfer your weight completely onto your right foot. Continue alternating between reverse lunge and forward lunge until you have completed 10 repetitions before completing the remaining 10 repetitions on the other leg.

Upper-body bodyweight circuit

Get an upper-body pump by completing these exercises four times each or combine two of these exercises with two exercises from other focus areas to create a full-body workout.

Spider push-up

Also known as a spiderman push-up, this bodyweight exercise works your abdominal muscles as well as your upper body.

1. Place both hands on the mat slightly further than shoulder-width apart and both feet together behind you, resting on the balls of your feet. This is your starting position.

2. Inhale. While maintaining a straight back and stabilising through your abdominals, bend your elbows and lower your torso towards the mat until your arms form two 90-degree angles. At the same time, bend your right knee and draw it forwards and outwards towards your right elbow.

3. Exhale. Extend your right knee and, at the same time, push through your chest and extend your elbows to lift your body back into the starting position.

4. Inhale. While maintaining a straight back and stabilising through your abdominals, bend your elbows and lower your torso towards the mat until your arms form two 90-degree angles. At the same time, bend your left knee and draw it forwards and outwards towards your left elbow.

5. Exhale. Extend your left knee and, at the same time, push through your chest and extend your elbows to lift your body back into the starting position.

6. Continue alternating between right and left for 12 repetitions.

Commando

1. Start by placing your forearms (wrist to elbow) on a yoga mat and extending both of your legs behind you, resting on the balls of your feet. This is your starting position.

2. Inhale. 

3. Exhale. Release your right forearm to place your hand firmly on the mat directly below your right shoulder and push up onto your right hand. Release your left forearm to place your hand firmly on the mat directly below your left shoulder and push up onto your left hand. Ensure that you keep your core activated to prevent your hips from swaying.

4. Inhale. Release your right hand and lower your forearm to the mat, then release your left hand and lower your forearm to the mat to return to the starting position.

5. Repeat this exercise, starting with your left arm. 

6. Continue alternating between right and left for 16 repetitions.

Caterpillar walk

1. Plant both feet on the floor shoulder-width apart. Looking straight ahead, bend at both the hips and knees, and place your hands on the floor directly in front of your feet. This is your starting position.

2. Inhale. Without moving your feet, walk your hands forward until your body is in one straight line from your head to your heels, resting on the balls of your feet. 

3. Exhale. Jump both of your feet forwards in between your hands, ensuring that your feet remain shoulder-width apart, to return to the starting position.

4. Repeat for 12 repetitions.

Bodyweight ab circuit

Engage your core as you complete these exercises four to five times each, or alternatively mix them up with exercises from other focus areas to create a full-body workout.

Ab bikes

1. Start by lying straight on your back on a yoga mat with your legs extended out in front of you. Bend your elbows and place your hands behind your earlobes. Gently raise both legs and your head and shoulders off the mat. This is your starting position.

2. While keeping your right leg extended, bend your left knee and draw it in towards your chest. At the same time, rotate your torso to the left to bring your right elbow to your knee.

3. Untwist your torso and extend your left knee to return to the starting position. Immediately bend your right knee and draw it in towards your chest and rotate your torso to the right to bring your left elbow to your knee.

4. Untwist your torso and extend your right knee to return to the starting position. Continue alternating between left and right for 40 repetitions, inhaling for four repetitions and exhaling for four repetitions.

In and out plank

1. Start by placing your forearms (wrist to elbow) firmly on the mat, ensuring that your elbows are directly below your shoulders. Extend both legs behind you and elevate your hips off the mat, resting on the balls of your feet, with your feet together. Brace your abdominals and ensure that your spine remains in a neutral position. This is your starting position.

2. While keeping your hips as still as possible, step your left foot outwards slightly, followed by your right foot, so that your feet are hip-width apart.

3. While keeping your hips as still possible, step your left foot inwards, followed by your right foot, to return to the starting position.

4. Repeat for 12 repetitions.

Stay active anywhere with bodyweight exercises

The key to sticking with your health and fitness journey is having a flexible exercise routine that works for you. This includes considering other aspects like how food can help to support your training and fuel you through each day. 

If you are currently completing a workout program that includes equipment, remember that most exercises can easily be modified so that they can be completed with no equipment at all, or you can use household items of a similar weight instead.

Try High Intensity Zero Equipment with Kayla (formerly BBG Zero Equipment), PWR Zero Equipment, FIERCE Zero Equipment or the yoga programs on the Sweat app for more bodyweight-based workouts.

What other at-home training styles are you keen to try? Let us know in the comments!