If 2020 has taught us anything, we should always value our health, and bodyweight exercises aren’t just for rookies. In reality, when it comes to growing muscle, bodyweight training and resistance training are indistinguishable from one another.
Still, it goes without saying that not all bodyweight exercises are created equal. There are genuinely superior exercises that yield more results than others. We’ve gathered 10 of the best bodyweight exercises for you to try at home. Grab your gear – and let’s go!
Can You Build Muscle With Bodyweight Workouts?
You’ll be happy to know that bodyweight exercises are just as practical as heavyweight training when it comes to muscle growth. Research published in Physiology & Behavior revealed that muscle growth can occur independently of external weight. All it takes to entice that growth is performing exercises through their full range of motion.
Bodyweight Workout Plan – The Benefits
Bodyweight Exercises Are Convenient
Unlike resistance training, bodyweight training can be adjusted for your current fitness level. It can be both incredibly challenging and beneficial, whether you’re a newbie trying to work your way up or a seasoned athlete.
Bodyweight Exercises May Increase Your Mobility and Stability
Mobility and stability are a fundamental part of the way we move. Weightlifting can have several positive effects on the body, but it can also restrict your mobility. The movements included in bodyweight training can improve mobility and challenge the bodies’ stabilizers.
Bodyweight Exercises Are Excellent for Improving Technique and Preventing Injury
Bodyweight training is an excellent way to sharpen your technique and form. Weightlifting can harm the body, especially your joints. With bodyweight training, the strain on your joints is lowered, so you’re less likely to pick up an injury that could hamper your goals.
Best Bodyweight Exercises
Press-Ups
- Drop with your weight supported on your toes and hands under your shoulders, keeping your body straight.
- Keep your core locked, so a linear line forms between your head, glutes, and heels.
- Lower your body until your chest is an inch from the floor, then push yourself up by extending your arms.
Benefits of Press-ups
Press-ups are convenient exercises when you’re short on time. Perform 15-20 reps of this classic every day. Press-ups are a great exercise movement to help develop upper-body strength. They help build muscle mass, strength, and endurance, depending on how you vary volume, sets, and reps.
Step-Up With Knee Raises
- Set a bench or a crate in front of you and step onto it with one foot.
- Plant your foot firmly and push yourself up, bringing your knee up as high as you can. Lower it back down and return to the original position.
- Repeat on the other side.
Benefits of Knee Raises
If you’re trying to solve a scanty muscle imbalance or merely trying to gain some lower-body strength, add this move to your arsenal. Single leg training can help strengthen stabilizing muscles and can be used to even out inequalities. Give this move a try by dedicating 15 reps daily.
Groiners
- Start the move in a press-up position.
- Jump forward, so both legs meet your hands.
- Return to the original position.
Benefits of Groiners
Groiners are a brilliant warm-up exercise. According to Frost, opening up your hips and thoracic region significantly increases your body’s range of movement. But that’s not all. This comprehensive move pumps blood to almost every muscle in your lower-body, significantly decreasing your risk of injury while improving your heart rate for the next moves.
Spider Crawl
- Start with a press-up position, lift one foot off the ground, and drive your knee up towards your elbow.
- Pause, then return to the original position and repeat with the other elbow.
- Make sure to keep your core engaged and bring your knee as close as possible to your elbow to get more out of your abs.
Benefits of Spider Crawl
This simple movement focuses on your core while also targeting your arms, legs, chest, and shoulders.
Standing Long Jump
- Lower into a squat stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Swing your arms back and thrust yourself forward.
- Drive your legs forward for further momentum.
- Jump as far as you can.
Benefits of Standing Long Jump
If you’re looking for explosive strength, perform the standing long jump as often as possible. This move targets your body’s most crucial fast-twitch muscle fibers.
Burpees
- Begin with your feet shoulder-width apart and lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
- Once you are into the squat position, place your hands on the floor and kick your legs out behind you to enter a press-up position.
- Push up until your arms are straight, and then tuck in your legs at the squat position’s bottom.
- Drive upwards until you are six inches off the ground, and then repeat.
Benefits of Burpees
By activating almost every muscle on your body, the burpee will deliver you a massive calorie burn. Try adding them in between strength sets or part of a primary bodyweight circuit and start burning fat and building some muscle.
Handstand Wall Walk
- Put yourself in a handstand position and plant your feet against a wall.
- Slowly move your hands forward and walk down the wall until you reach the ground.
Benefits of Handstand Wall Walk
This move is a great full-body bodyweight exercise. When performed, a handstand works your shoulders, triceps, upper traps, lats, and serratus.
Wide-Grip Pull-ups
- Grab the bar with your palms facing away from you.
- Your hands should be as apart from each other as possible.
- Press your shoulder blades together and drive your elbows up towards your hips. Make sure your chin reaches above the bar.
- Slowly lower yourself down to the original position.
Benefits of Wide-Grip Pull-Ups
Wide-grip pull-ups are the perfect lat worker, intensifying the effort needed for every rep compared to your regular pull-up. To get the most out of this move, keep tension in your glutes throughout the movement and keep up the excellent form.
Frozen V-Sit
- Lie down on your back with your hands and feet lifted just above the ground.
- Begin the move by raising your torso and legs up to touch your feet simultaneously.
- Hold for 5 to 10 seconds.
Benefits of V-Sit
If getting a six-pack is one of your goals, take your time with this one. Abdominal exercises should not be hurried; you need to perform them with control to maximize the benefits. Do 3 sets of 20 reps daily.
Single-Leg Glute Bridge
- Lie on your back with one leg raised.
- Thrust forward and lift your hips off the ground as high as possible.
- Gradually lower yourself to the ground.
- Squeeze your glutes at the top of the rep to intensify the move and see more significant growth.
Benefits of Single-Leg Glute Bridge
The single-leg glute bridges will work your whole posterior chain (your backside muscles). Beat away back pain by performing 10 reps of this move daily.
Takeaway
Whoever said you needed to go to the gym to get your gains have overlooked bodyweight exercises – use this bodyweight workout plan to grow and meet your goals.
