The best bodyweight exercises are the ones that cover the basic ways your body moves: squatting, lunging, hinging at the hips, pushing, holding your trunk steady, and getting your heart rate up. Twelve exercises are enough to do all of that with no equipment: squats, push-ups, reverse lunges, glute bridges, planks, side planks, dead bugs, supermans, pike push-ups, step-ups, mountain climbers and burpees.

Below is what each one does, how to make it easier or harder, and how to put them together so you are not just doing a random list of moves.

How these 12 were chosen

A good bodyweight exercise has to earn its place. Each one here:

  • trains a large amount of muscle or a key movement pattern,
  • can be scaled from beginner to advanced without equipment, and
  • is safe to learn at home from a description and a demonstration.

Notably missing is a true pulling exercise, such as a pull-up or row. Pulling is the one movement that is hard to train well with nothing at all. If you have a pull-up bar or another solid, purpose-built bar, add rows or pull-ups. Without one, supermans and back-focused holds are the best substitute.

Lower body

1. Bodyweight squat

Works: quads, glutes, adductors, core.

Feet about shoulder-width apart, sit your hips back and down, knees tracking over your toes, chest up, then stand by pushing through your whole foot. It is the foundation of almost every leg workout. The squat guide covers depth and knee position in detail.

Easier: squat to a chair and stand back up. Harder: slow three-second lowering, pause squats, or jump squats.

2. Reverse lunge

Works: quads, glutes, balance.

Step one foot back, lower until both knees are bent around 90 degrees, then push through the front foot to return. Stepping backwards is easier on the knees than stepping forward for most beginners, and training one leg at a time exposes imbalances.

Easier: hold a wall or chair back for balance and shorten the step. Harder: add a pause at the bottom, or progress to Bulgarian split squats with the back foot on a sofa.

3. Glute bridge

Works: glutes, hamstrings, lower back muscles.

Lie on your back, knees bent, feet flat. Press through your heels to lift your hips until your body forms a line from shoulders to knees, squeeze your glutes, then lower. It is the hip hinge for people without weights, and very joint-friendly. See the glute bridge guide for cues.

Easier: smaller range. Harder: single-leg bridges, or shoulders on a sofa for hip thrusts.

4. Step-up

Works: quads, glutes, balance.

Use a sturdy, low step or the bottom stair. Put your whole foot on it, drive up through that leg without pushing off the back foot, then step down under control.

Easier: a lower step and a hand on the wall. Harder: a higher step, or a slow lowering phase.

Upper body

5. Push-up

Works: chest, front of the shoulders, triceps, core.

Hands slightly wider than your shoulders, body in a straight line, lower your chest towards the floor with elbows at roughly 45 degrees, press back up. Few exercises give you more upper-body strength for zero equipment. Start with the push-up form guide.

Easier: hands on a counter, table or wall. Harder: feet elevated, slower tempo, or close-grip push-ups.

6. Pike push-up

Works: shoulders, triceps, upper back.

From a push-up position, walk your feet in and lift your hips high so your body forms an upside-down V. Bend your elbows to lower the top of your head towards the floor between your hands, then press up. It shifts the work onto your shoulders and is a stepping stone towards much harder overhead pressing.

Easier: hands on a low step, smaller range. Harder: feet raised on a chair.

7. Superman

Works: lower and upper back, glutes, rear shoulders.

Lie face down, arms stretched overhead. Gently lift your arms, chest and legs a few centimetres off the floor, hold for two to three seconds, and lower. Keep your neck long and look at the floor. It balances out all the pushing exercises above.

Easier: lift only arms or only legs, or alternate opposite arm and leg. Harder: longer holds, or "swimmers" with small alternating flutters.

Core

8. Plank

Works: deep abdominal muscles, glutes, shoulders.

On forearms and toes, body in a straight line, stomach braced, glutes squeezed. The goal is quality: 20 to 45 seconds with perfect position beats two minutes of sagging. The plank guide has more on how long to hold it.

Easier: knees down, or hands on a bench. Harder: shoulder taps, or lift one foot.

9. Side plank

Works: side abdominal muscles, hip muscles.

Lie on one side, elbow under your shoulder, lift your hips so your body is straight from head to feet. It trains your trunk to resist bending sideways, which regular planks do not cover.

Easier: bottom knee on the floor. Harder: top leg raised, or reaching the top arm under your body and back.

10. Dead bug

Works: deep abdominal muscles, coordination.

Lie on your back, arms pointing at the ceiling, knees bent at 90 degrees over your hips. Press your lower back gently into the floor, then slowly lower your opposite arm and leg towards the floor without letting your back arch. Return and switch sides. It is one of the safest and most effective core exercises for beginners.

Easier: move only the legs. Harder: slower reps, or straighter legs.

Conditioning

11. Mountain climbers

Works: core, shoulders, hip flexors, heart and lungs.

From a high plank, drive your knees alternately towards your chest. Slowly, it is a core exercise; fast, it is cardio.

Easier: hands on a chair or bench. Harder: faster pace, or cross-body knee drives.

12. Burpees

Works: almost everything, plus your heart and lungs.

Squat, hands to the floor, jump or step back to a plank, return, stand or jump. Demanding, but scalable down to a no-jump version that suits beginners and apartments.

Easier: step back instead of jumping, or hands on a chair. Harder: add a push-up and a jump.

Putting them together

The simplest way to use this list is a full-body circuit. Pick one exercise from each group and do it two or three times a week on non-consecutive days.

Workout A

  • Bodyweight squats, 3 sets of 10 to 15
  • Push-ups (any version), 3 sets of 6 to 12
  • Glute bridges, 3 sets of 12 to 15
  • Superman, 3 sets of 8 slow reps
  • Plank, 3 holds of 20 to 40 seconds

Workout B

  • Reverse lunges, 3 sets of 8 per leg
  • Pike push-ups, 3 sets of 5 to 10
  • Step-ups, 3 sets of 8 per leg
  • Dead bugs, 3 sets of 6 per side
  • Side plank, 2 holds of 15 to 30 seconds per side
  • Finisher: 4 rounds of 20 seconds burpees or mountain climbers, 40 seconds rest

Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets of strength exercises. Alternate A and B through the week. When you can do the top of the rep range for all sets with good form, move to the harder version.

This combination covers the World Health Organization's recommendation of muscle-strengthening activities on two or more days a week; add walking or other cardio for the aerobic part. If you would rather not plan the sessions yourself, FIThim builds a daily workout from a library of 152 exercises based on your goal and focus areas.

Can these really build muscle?

Yes, especially for beginners and intermediates, as long as you keep making the exercises harder over time: more reps, slower tempo, harder variations, shorter rest. Eating enough protein matters too. The limits and how to work around them are covered in can you build muscle with bodyweight exercises.

FAQ

What is the single best bodyweight exercise?

There is no single best one, because they train different things. If you had to pick two, squats and push-ups cover the most muscle between them. Add a plank and a glute bridge and you have a very solid minimal routine.

How many bodyweight exercises should I do in one workout?

Four to six is plenty for most people: one or two lower-body moves, one or two upper-body moves, and one or two core moves. More exercises usually means less effort on each.

Can I do bodyweight exercises every day?

Light movement every day is fine, but hard strength sessions for the same muscles need recovery. A common pattern is full-body strength two or three times a week with walking, mobility or easy cardio on the other days.

Are bodyweight exercises enough to get fit?

For most people's general health and fitness goals, yes. Combined with regular cardio such as brisk walking, they cover both parts of the WHO activity guidelines. If you later want to build maximal strength, adding external weights becomes more useful.