The Best Beginner Bodyweight Workout Routine with PDF

Whether you’re a male or female, it is best to begin your workout journey with bodyweight exercises.

Bodyweight workout training helps develop fundamental strength, build lean mass, improve cardiovascular fitness, and scale your fitness to the next level.

You can perform myriad exercises to train your entire muscle group at home using your body weight only. However, you need a well-crafted workout plan to train in an organized manner and level up your fitness.

That’s why I’ve decided to hand out an ultimate beginner bodyweight workout routine that will help you gradually build strength and mass and shape your physique.

I’ve also shared how to perform each exercise step-by-step so that you don’t have to search on the Internet.

So, if you’re looking for a comprehensive, easy-to-follow, and effective bodyweight workout routine for beginners, you can explore this guide.

The Best Beginner Bodyweight Workout Routine at Home (No Equipment)

This program is suitable for every male and female who wants to bolster their foundational strength, shape their physique, and level up their fitness for resistance exercises.

Here’s a brief summary of this beginner body weight routine:

• Program Duration: 4 Weeks
• Routine Type: Bodyweight
• Sessions/Week: Three
• Duration/Session: 15-30 minutes
• Suitable for: Men and Women
• Equipment Needed: No Equipment, Bodyweight Exercises only
• Goal: Develop fundamental strength, build lean mass, and improve body composition
• Best time to work out: Any time of the day that suits you the most
• Plank to follow next: 90-Day Home Workout Routine

Okay! So, here’s a four-week full body bodyweight workout for beginners.

Start your workout with 2-3 minutes of quick warm-up. A warm-up helps increase body temperature and prepares your muscles for strength exercises. You can do jumping jacks, leg swings, ankle hops, squat jumps, mountain climbing, etc.

Instruction:

• Perform each exercise 10-12 reps and isometric exercises 10-15 seconds.
• Aim for as many rounds as possible in each training session.
• Take shorter rest between exercises and rounds.

Week 1

Monday	Wednesday	Friday
Basic Squats	Lunges	Squat Thrust
Kneeling Pushups	Incline Pushup	Kneeling Diamond Pushup
Superman Pull	Floor IYT Raises	Superman Pull
Shoulder Taps	Bear Crawl	Sumo Squat
Glute Bridge	Calf Raise	High/Forearm Plank

Week 2

Monday	Wednesday	Friday
Lateral Squat	Wall Sit	Sumo Squat
Wall Pushup	Kneeling Pushup	Incline Pushup
Superman Pull	Prone IYT Raises	Superman Pull
Shoulder Tap	Bear Crawl	Wall Sit
Glute Bridge	Lunges	Plank Triceps Extension

Week 3

Monday	Wednesday	Friday
Basic Squat	Lunges	Sumo Squat
Kneeling Pushup	Incline Pushup	Standard Pushup
Prone IYT Raises	Lateral Squat	Prone IYT Raises
Chair Dips	Bear Crawl	Chair Dips
Glute Bridge	Superman Pull	Calf Raises

Week 4

Monday	Wednesday	Friday
Basic Squat	Lunges	Sumo Squat
Dive Bomber Pushup	Diamond Pushup	Negative Pushup
Decline Knee Pushups	Prone IYT Raises	Superman Pull
Superman Pull	Bear Crawl	Chair Dips
Shoulder Taps	Forearm Plank	Side Plank

Note: You can adjust this program based on your fitness level.

The Ultimate Bodyweight Exercises for Beginners

1. Basic Squat

The bodyweight squat strengthens the quad and helps build firm legs.

Steps to do it:

1. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and toes pointing slightly out.
2. Bend your elbows and keep your arms together in front of you.
3. Brace your abdominal muscles, push your hips backward, and bend your knees to squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
4. Pause for a moment, then slowly return to the standing position. That is your one rep.
5. Keep your spine as straight as possible during the squats.

You can also explore multiple squat variations that will allow you to train your lower body from all angles.

2. Stationary Front Lunges

The lunges primarily work on the quads, hamstrings, and glutes and help form athletic legs.

Steps to do it:

1. Stand upright, maintain a hip-width distance between your feet, and keep your hands on your hips. That’s your starting position.
2. Keeping your back straight and chest up, take one big step forward with your right leg and make sure to put your weight onto the right heel.
3. Bend the right knee to lower your rear knee nearly touches the floor.
4. Pause for a moment and then extend your knees until they are straight. This is your one repetition.

3. Lateral Squat

The lateral squat improves lower body flexibility, bolsters the lateral thighs, and builds solid legs.

Steps to do it:

1. Standing upright in the wider stance, squat down to your right side until your right knee is bent and your left leg extended.
2. Pushing through your foot, return to the standing position.
3. Repeat on the opposite side to complete one rep.

4. Sumo Squat

The sumo squat reinforces the inner thighs and builds up strong legs.

Steps to do it:

1. Stand upright with your feet 2x wider than hip-width apart and toes pointing out.
2. Keep your back straight, push your hips back, and bend your knees to get lower into a squat.
3. Hold at the bottom for a second, then return to the standing position. That’s one rep.

5. Calf Raise

The calf raise isolates the gastrocnemius muscles and helps build solid lower legs.

How to do it:

1. Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart and face towards the wall.
2. Keep your hands on the wall and maintain a shoulder-width distance between them.
3. Raise your heels as high as possible so you can feel the contraction.
4. Hold for a few seconds, then return your heels to the ground. That’s one rep.

6. Wall Sit

Wall sit is an isometric exercise that keeps lower body muscles under constant tension, increases muscular endurance, and helps develop brawny legs.

Steps to do it:

1. Stand two feet away from the wall with your feet shoulder-width apart, back facing the wall.
2. Lean back on the wall and bend your knees until your thighs parallel the floor.
3. Lower into a squat and stay in that position for as long as possible.

7. Glute Bridge

The glute bridge is an incredible exercise to hit the glutes Maximus and shape the booty at home without equipment.

Steps to do it:

1. Lie on your back with your hands at your sides, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor.
2. Brace your core and lift your hips off the floor until your knees and chest are in a straight line.
3. Squeezing your glutes, pause for two seconds, then lower your hips back on the floor. That’s one rep.

8. Wall Pushup

The wall pushup is a beginner-level bodyweight exercise that engages the chest and shoulder and level-up the upper body strength.

Steps to do it:

1. Stand upright against the wall with one hand distance between you and the wall.
2. Place your hands on the wall with your arms straight, and keep your back straight. That’s the start.
3. Bring your chest forward until your nose touches the wall. And then, push the wall with your hands to get back into starting position. That’s one rep!

9. Kneeling Pushup

The kneeling pushup targets the pectoral muscles and scales up strength for performing standard pushups.

Steps to do it:

1. Sit on your knees, extend your torso, and place your palms on the floor (arms straight below your shoulders).
2. Bend your elbows to lower your body toward the floor until your chest nearly touches the floor.
3. Hold for a second, then push into the floor until your elbows are extended. That’s one rep!

10. Incline Pushup

The incline pushup primarily hits the upper pecs and improves overall chest development.

You can do incline pushups on a chair, table, or elevated surface.

Steps to do it:

1. Position a chair in front of you, place your hands on it (maintain shoulder-width distance between your hands), and get yourself in an incline plank position. That’s the start.
2. Bend your elbows and lower your chest down until it touches the chair.
3. Hold for a second, then slowly push back unit your arms are straight. That’s one rep.

11. Standard Pushup

Once you develop strength with the above three pushups, you can perform the standard pushups.

The standard pushup targets the chest muscles more effectively and helps build a solid, toned upper body.

Steps to perform a standard pushup:

1. Sit on your knees and place your hands underneath your shoulder.
2. Extend your legs behind and get into a high plank position. That’s the setup.
3. Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor.
4. Go as deep as you can and then push back to return to the start. That’s one rep.

12. Negative Pushup

The negative pushup is a great way to stimulate the multiple upper body muscles, including the chest, shoulder, triceps, and core.

It requires you to lower your chest, then your knees on the floor. This exercise puts stress on the muscle for a longer time and helps increase muscular strength and endurance.

Steps to do it:

• Start in a high plank position, arms straight below your shoulders and body straight from top to bottom.
• Lower your torso slowly until your chest and knees are on the floor.
• Return to the start again and repeat.

13. Decline Knee Pushups

The decline pushup can be challenging for beginners as it requires decent upper body strength and mobility. However, if you can do it, it can help you build sturdy and sculpted shoulders without weights.

Steps to do it:

1. Place your knees on an elevated object and hands on the ground (shoulder-width apart).
2. Keep your core tight and maintain a flat back. That’s the start.
3. Lower your face as close to the floor as possible, then push back to complete one rep.
4. You’ll feel the contraction in your front deltoid during the movement.

14. Diamond Pushup

The diamond pushups highly activate the triceps head and help develop burly arms.

Steps to do it:

1. Get on all fours, keep your hands close, and make a triangle between them. And extend your leg behind. Keep your feet wider or shorter as you feel comfortable.
2. Brace your core and glutes, maintain a neutral spine position, and lower your chest.
3. Hold for a second, then push through your arms to return to the start. That’s one rep.

15. Chair Dips

The chair dips reinforce the triceps muscles and help build chiseled arms at home without the use of any special equipment.

Steps to do it:

1. Place both your hands at the end of the chair beside your hips.
2. Keep your legs in front of you with your knees slightly bent. Make sure to keep your chest elevated and your head up. That’s the starting position.
3. Bend your elbows and slowly lower down, hold for a moment, and extend your arms, raising your body upward and supporting your weight with your arms. That’s one rep!

You can also perform dips at home in various ways to hit the back of your upper arms.

16. Plank Triceps Extension

The plank triceps extension is an incredible exercise to stimulate the triceps muscles, increase wrist mobility, and sculpt forearms at home without weights.

Steps to do it:

1. Sit on your knees, extend your torso, and place your palms on the floor in front of your face.
2. Keep your arms straight and bend your knees so your heels pointing toward the ceiling.
3. Lower your elbows on the floor and extend them back until your arms are straight. That’s one rep.

17. Prone IYT Raises

The lying IYT raises is a bodyweight compound exercise that targets the back and shoulder simultaneously.

It involves three movements, I raise, Y raise, and T raise, making it an excellent bodyweight exercise for beginners.

Steps to do it:

• Lie prone on the mat, face downward with your arms straight in front of you and legs extended behind.
• Raise your arms straight overhead, pause for a moment, then lower them on the floor. That’s I raise.
• Slightly widen your arms and lift them off the floor until your back muscles are activated. That’s Y raise.
• Now, take your arms out to the sides and lift them off the ground as high as possible, hold for a second, then return to the start. That’s T raise.

18. Superman Pull

The Superman pull engages the latissimus dorsi and lower back muscles and helps develop a strong and flexible rear torso.

Steps to do it:

1. Lie on your stomach, face downward with your arms extended in front of you, palms facing the floor, and legs straight behind.
2. Lift your arms off the floor and pull them toward your chest until you feel the full contraction in your back.
3. Pause for a second, then return to the start. That’s one rep.

19. Narrow Wall Pushup

Keeping the hands close to each other during the pushup engages more arms muscles than the chest. So, if your goal is to put stress on biceps heads, you can do the narrow wall pushups.

Steps to do it:

1. Stand upright in front of the wall and keep one hand distance between you and the wall.
2. Lean toward the wall and place your palms on it. Keep the distance between your hands shorter than hip-width.
3. Perform as many pushups as you like.

20. Bicep Leg Curl

The leg bicep curl isn’t as effective as the dumbbell or bands. However, it’s worth trying if you have no equipment at home.

Steps to do it:

1. Start with standing straight with your feet hip-width apart.
2. Hold something with your right hand for support.
3. Bring your right foot above your left knee and grab it with your left hand.
4. Perform as many curls as possible. Then repeat on the opposite side.

21. Squat Thrust

The squat thrust is a cardio exercise that works throughout the body, enhances endurance, burns calories, and shapes your physique.

Steps to do it:

1. Standing upright in the shoulder-width stance, lower into a squat and place your hands on the floor.
2. Kick your legs backward to get into the high plank position.
3. Jump your feet forward to get into the squat position and extend your knees to stand upright.

22. Shoulder Tap

The shoulder tap is an awesome exercise to engage multiple muscles throughout the =body, especially the arms, shoulder, and core. It requires you to hold your body in a plank position on one arm and tap the shoulder with the opposite arm.

23. Bear Crawl

The bear crawl is a full-body cardio exercise that primarily engages the abs, shoulders, and arms. It elevates your heart rate, improves balance and coordination, and helps improve body composition.

Steps to do it:

1. Lean forward and place your hands on the floor.
2. Brace your core and walk as far as possible.

24. Dive Bomber Pushup

The dive bomber pushup is a solid exercise for developing upper body strength, balance, and flexibility.

How to do it: Start in an inverted V position and lower your head and glide forward until your chest is pointing forward and your torso forms an arch shape.

25. Mountain Climber

Mountain climbing is an aerobic exercise that strengthens the core, builds a firm upper body, and enhances cardiovascular fitness.

Steps to do it:

• Start in a high plank position with your arms straight below your shoulder and feet hip-width apart.
• Bring your knees alternatively toward your chest in a running motion. Do it as longer as possible.

Additional Beginner Bodyweight Exercises:

• Arm Circles
• Cat-Cow
• Reverse Lunges
• Step-ups
• Clamshells
• Hamstring Stretch
• Quad Stretch
• Flutter Kicks
• Reverse Crunches
• Deadbug
• Front Plank
• Side Plank
• High Knees
• Half Burpees
• Inchworm

Weight Loss and Muscle Gain Foods for Beginners

A physical training program is incomplete without nutrition. Consuming the right food helps enhance your results and shape your body. Here are some examples of weight loss and muscle gain foods.

Foods for Weight Loss

A calorie deficit is the best way to lose weight, which means you need to burn more calories than you eat or consume. For that reason, you should eat those foods which are low in calories.

So, here is the list of low-calorie foods you can consume: These foods also contain protein but are low in calories and carbs.

Foods	Calories
Celery	17 Cal per 100g
Oatmeal	68 calories per 100 grams
spinach	100-calorie/5 cups
Soup Broth	Five calories per 100g or 1 cup contains 11 calories
Mushrooms	22 calories per 100g
Strawberries	32 calories per 100g
Vegetable Soup	67 calories per cup
Whole Grain Toast	69 calories per slice or 84 calories per 100g
Eggs	A large egg contains 72 calories (17 in the white and 55 in the yolk)
Low-Fat Cottage Cheese	72 calories per 100g
Okra or Lady Finger	22 calories per 100 grams
Broccoli	35 calories per 100 grams
Roasted Boneless Chicken breast	165 Calories per 100gm
Salmon Fish	280 Calories per 154 grams

Foods for Muscle Gain

You have to do the opposite to the person who tries to lose weight, which means eating more calories than you burn.

Here we take a look at the list of foods that can help you increase weight. (These foods also contain a good amount of protein and carbs.)

Foods	Calories
Egg	A large egg contains 72 calories (17 in the white and 55 in the yolk)
Roasted Chicken breast with bone	200 Calories per 100gm
Banana	89 calories per 100 grams
Salmon or any other fish	Approximately 300 Calories per 150 grams
Rice	100 grams of boiled rice contains 130 calories
White Bread	265 calories per 100 grams
Greek Yogurt	59 calories per 100 grams
Beef	275 calories per 100 grams
Soybeans	446 calories per 100 grams
Cottage Cheese	98 calories per 100 grams
Beans	347 calories per 100 grams
Peanuts	567 calories per 100 grams
Milk	103 calories per cup (244 grams)
Almonds	78 calories per 10 Almonds or 850 calories per 100 grams

Full-Body Beginner Bodyweight Home Workout PDF

Download this program and start your training today.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

References

• 1
  The effects of a calisthenics training intervention on posture, strength, and body composition – Isokinetics and Exercise Science