If you are looking for the best bodyweight exercises for beginners that require little to no equipment, then you came to the right place. Here, I’ll share a complete guide to the full-body bodyweight workouts for beginners that may help you build muscles, boost strength and endurance at home.
I’ll also hand out a beginner bodyweight workout PDF so that you can download and use it.
I did not know about various bodyweight workouts when I started training as a beginner.
However, I learned, gathered, and incorporated a myriad of beginner bodyweight exercises into my workout routine over time. And I’m going to share that in this article so that you can take advantage of it.
Whether you’re a male or female, you can incorporate these beginner-level bodyweight exercises into your daily home workout routine.
Other than the workouts, I’ll also share:
- 7-Day Full Body Bodyweight Beginners Home Workout Routine
- Beginner’s Diet and Nutrition for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain
Related: Bodyweight Workout Plan To Get Ripped (WIth PDF)
Reasons Why Bodyweight Exercises Are Crucial For Beginners
It’s always a good idea to start a workout journey with bodyweight exercises.
Here are the top three reasons why you should do the bodyweight workout as a beginner.
- Bodyweight workouts build up strength, stamina, and power and help you scale up for weight training.
- You’ll learn how to use your body weight efficiently to perform plehora of exercises at home with little to no equipment.
- Bodyweight exercises increases flexibility, explosiveness, and mobility better than weight lifitng workouts.
Related: 10 Important Benefits Of Bodyweight Exercises
Things, you’ll see in this Guide
- Beginners Bodyweight Workouts For Leg
- Bodyweight Chest Workouts For Beginners
- Bodyweight Shoulder Exercises For Beginners
- Beginners Bodyweight Triceps Workouts At Home
- Bodyweight Back Exercises For Beginners
- Biceps Bodyweight Exercises For Beginners At Home
- Bodyweight Core Workouts For Beginners
- Beginner Bodyweight Workout Routine
- Beginner’s Diet Tips for Weight Loss and Muscle Gain
If you work out at the gym, you can do this 4-week beginner workout routine.
Okay, let’s see how to do each bodyweight workout with step-by-step instructions that will help you perform safely and effectively as a beginner.
Beginners Bodyweight Workouts For Leg/Lower Body
Whether you’re a male or female, beginner or intermediate, you can strengthen your lower body muscles with various bodyweight workouts at home.
The lower body has four major muscles, such as hamstrings, quads, calves, and glutes.
- Hamstrings– Hamstrings are three-headed muscle situated on the back of your thighs and attach to the knee joints.
- Quadriceps– Quads are the four-head longest muscle located in front and the sides of your thighs.
- Glutes- Glutes is the three-headed strongest muscles that formed the shape of the buttock.
- Calf- They are located on back your legs between your heels and the knees. Calves are very important because they are responsible for several daily activities such as running, walking, climbing the stairs etc.
Doing the exercises for all of the four muscles helps you build the strongest and the fittest legs.
That’s why I’ve included several bodyweight exercises that will help beginners target each muscle efficiently without equipment.
You may also like: CrossFit Workouts Without Equipment (25 WODs)
1. Normal Squat
Muscles Worked: Quadriceps
The bodyweight squat is one of the great workouts that work well for beginners.
Squats will help you strengthen and tone muscles, enhance muscle coordination and joints health.
You can do plenty of squat variations without equipment that may work wonders for you.
How to do the standard squat
- Stand straight and maintain a hip-width distance between your feet. Bend your elbows and keep your arms together in front of you.
- Brace your abdominal muscles, push your hips backward and bend your knees to squat down until your thighs are parallel to the ground.
- Pause for a moment and then slowly return to the standing position. That is your one rep.
- Keep your spine as straight as possible during the squats.
2. Stationary Lunges
The lunges are a crucial lower body workout that primarily works on the quads, hamstrings, glutes, and lowers back.
They have several variations, such as forward lunges, reverse lunges, lateral lunges, and walking lunges. You can incorporate them all into a beginner bodyweight workout routine.
Let’s see how to do a stationary forward lunge.
- Stand upright, maintain a hip-width distance between your feet and keep your hands on your hips. That’s your starting position.
- 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.
- Bend the right knees to lower your rear knee nearly touches the floor.
- Pause for a moment and then extend your knees until they are straight. This is your one repetition.
3. Lateral Squat
You can target your legs differently through another squat exercise, and that is the lateral squat. That’s why I’ve included this workout into the bodyweight beginner exercises list.
Muscle worked: Quads, Hams, and Glutes
How to do lateral squat
- Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and keep your hands wherever you like.
- Keep you back straight and core tight, take one big step sideward with your right leg and do a squat and make sure to put your weight onto the right heel.
- Do 10 reps with your right leg while keeping your left leg straight and then return to the starting position.
- Repeat the same step with your left leg. 10 reps each leg would be good in the beginning.
4. Sumo Squat
The sumo squat builds up inner thighs and builds strong legs.
The sumo squat stance is wider than the standard squat, so it activates inner thigh muscles.
How to do sumo squat
- Start with standing straight with your feet slightly 2x wider than hip-width apart.
- Keep your back straight, push your hips back and bend your knees to get lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor.
- Hold at the bottom for a second, then get up into the standing position. That’s one rep.
- Do as many reps as you like.
Related: Sumo Deadlift: Form, How-to, Benefits & More
5. Calf Raise
The calf raise is an isolation workout that specifically strengthens and tones calves.
Incorporating calf raises into your bodyweight workout plan will help you build defined legs at home.
The calf raise has many variations, such as machine calf raises, barbell calf raises, standing calf raises, and sitting calf raises.
However, the standing calf raise with wall support is suitable for beginners.
How to do calf raises
- Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart and face towards the wall.
- Keep your hands on the wall and maintain a shoulder-width distance between them.
- Raise your heels as high as possible so you can feel the cotraction.
- Hold for a couple of seconds, and then lower your heels on the ground. That’s one rep.
- Do as many reps as possible.
6. Wall Sit (Glutes and Hamstring)
Wall sit is one of the excellent lower body bodyweight workouts for beginners that strengthens muscles like hamstrings, quads, calves, glutes, and knees at once.
It also improves coordination between muscles and joints and lessens the risk of injuries.
How to do the wall sit
- Stand straight two feet away from the wall with your feet shoulder-width apart, face against the wall.
- Lean back against the wall with your torso and bend your knees until your thighs are parallel with the floor.
- Keep your whole upper body from the lower back to the head rested on the wall and hold in this position for the desired amount of time.
- Do three sets of 10 to 15 reps each with one minute gap between them.
7. Glute Bridge
The glute bridge is one of the essential bodyweight exercises for beginners that build up glutes maximus without equipment.
Here are the steps to do the glute bridge.
- Lie on your back with your hands at your sides and knees bent at 30 degrees.
- Brace your abdominal and thigh muscles and raise your hips to create a straight line from the head to the knees.
- Hold at the top for 5 to 10 seconds, you’l feel the contraction in your glutes.
- Slowly lower your hips on the floor. This is your one rep.
- Do a couple of sets of five to six repetitions.
Bodyweight Chest Workouts For Beginners
The chest is one of the largest muscles of the upper body. It is also known as pectoralis or pecs.
The pec has two different muscle groups, such as pectoralis major and minor. Let’s understand something about them.
- Pectoralis Major- The pectoralis major is the thick and fan-shaped muscle that forms the complete chest. It is the main muscle that you need to target because it is responsible for the different activity such as internal rotation, flexion, adduction and humerus.
- Pectoralis Minor- The pectoralis minor is a thin and triangular muscle located underneath the pectoralis major.
Okay, so how to target pecs major and minor?
The chest is easier to build compared to other muscles. Pushups are the best bodyweight workouts a beginner can do to beef up chest muscles at home without equipment.
Wall pushup, incline pushup, kneeling pushup, and the standard pushup are some of the best exercises to build a chest at home.
If you're a newbie, you can save this: Knee Pushups for beginners (with Video)
Let’s find out how to do various pushups with step-by-step instructions.
1. Wall Pushup
- Stand upright against the wall with one hand distance between you and the wall.
- Place your hands on the wall with your arms straight and keep your back straight. That’s the start.
- 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!
Go for at least 15 reps in the first set. Suggested: 15 reps x 3 sets
2. Kneeling Pushup
- Get on your all fours, with your hands below your shoulder and knees slightly behind so that your chest muscle can contract when you push up.
- Bend your elbows to lower your body toward the floor until your chest nearly touches the floor.
- Hold for a second, then push into the floor until your elbows are extended. That’s one rep!
- Recommend reps and sets: 10 x 3.
3. Incline Pushup
The incline pushup will help you strengthen your upper chest.
You can do Incline pushups on a chair, table, or elevated surface.
How to do an incline pushup using a chair
- Place a chair in front of you, and sit on your knees and place your hands on the chair (maintain shoulder-width distance between your hands).
- Get yourself in an incline plank position. That’s the start.
- Bend your elbows and bring your chest down until it touches the chair.
- Hold for a sec and then slowly push back to complete one rep!
- Do the desired number of reps and sets.
4. Standard Pushup
Once you develop strength with the above three pushups, you’ll be able to perform the standard pushups.
The standard pushup works more effectively than kneeling pushups and will help you build up a solid and toned chest.
How to perform a standard pushup
- Sit on your knees and place your hands underneath your shoulder.
- Extend your legs behind and get into a high plank position. That’s the setup.
- Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor. Go as deep as you can and then push back to return to the start. That’s one rep!
- Do the required number of sets and reps.
5. Slow Motion Push-Up
The steps of slow-motion pushup are pretty similar to a standard pushup, but there is an additional step you need to do.
Like standard pushups, bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the ground. But before pushing up, lower your knees down on the floor and push back until your arms are fully straight. That’s one rep!
Related: 10+ Dumbbell Chest exercises For Home and Gym
Bodyweight Shoulder Exercises For Beginners
Strengthening shoulder with bodyweight exercises isn’t easy, especially for beginners.
However, you can do those exercises which a typical gym-goer does with the dumbbells or barbells. You can do the same exercises but without weight.
But it requires more mental alertness because imagination plays a significant role when it comes to building anything. You need to imagine yourself holding a weight while doing those exercises. Over a while, you’ll realize its benefits. (But rarely increase muscles mass)
Once you gain strength, you can incorporate the best bodyweight shoulder workouts into your home workout routine.
Related: Top 10 Dumbbell Exercises For Shoulders
So quickly take a look at those bodyweight exercises that you can do the strengthening your shoulders.
1. Decline Knee Pushup
- Place your knees on an elevated object and hands on the ground (shoulder-width apart).
- Keep your core tight and maintain a flat back. That’s the start.
- Lower your lower face as close as to the floor and then push back to complete one rep.
- You’ll feel the contraction in your front deltoid during the movement.
- Repeat for the desired number of times.
2. Kneeling Elbows Out Pushup
The elbows out pushup will help you strengthen your lateral delts.
Please do it on your toes, or else do it on your knees.
3. Overhead press
- Stand straight and bend your elbows and hold your arms at your shoulder height (your elbows go out to the sides).
- Press your arms upward toward the floor until your arms are extended straight overhead.
- Pause for a moment at top of the press then slowly lower it down at shoulder height. Repeat this for the desired number of repetitions.
- Recommended: Three sets of 15-20 reps each set with 2 minutes rest between sets.
4. Front Raise
- Stand straight and hold your arms straight in front of your thighs with your palms facing your body.
- Raise your arms in front of you until they reach your shoulder height then slowly lower it down in front of the thighs. Repeat these steps for the desired number of repetitions.
- Recommended: Three sets of 15-20 reps each set with 2 minutes rest between sets.
5. Side Lateral Raise
- Stand straight along with holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip. Hold your arms straight in at your sides with your palms facing your body.
- Raise your arms out to the sides (keep your arms straight) until they reach your shoulder height then slowly lower it down at your sides. Repeat these steps for the desired number of repetitions.
- Recommended: Three sets of 15-20 reps each set with 2 minutes rest between sets.
Beginners Bodyweight Triceps Workouts At Home
It’s challenging to build tricep at home. But some exercises may help you boost your tricep strength.
Whether male or female, you can incorporate the bodyweight triceps exercises into your home workout routine to build strong arms.
Here are the best exercises you can do to strengthen your triceps without equipment.
1. Diamond Pushup
The diamond or triangle pushup is one of the best pushups for developing triceps strength and muscles.
If you want to tone your arms, the diamond pushups can be effective.
How to do the diamond push-ups:
- Get on your all fours, keep your both hand close and make a triangle shape between them. And extend your leg behind. Keep your feet wider or shorter as you feel comfortable.
- Keep your back straight, brace your core and tighten your glutes and bend your elbows to start lowering your chest as close as to the floor.
- Hold for a sec and return to the beginning position. That’s one complete rep!
- Recommend reps and sets: 8 x 3
2. Dips on the chair
A standard chair can work for you like a piece of equipment. You can use a chair to do some essential exercises, especially the dips.
A dip is one of the best workouts you must include in your full-body beginner bodyweight workout routine.
It will help you build arms strength and increase muscles mass to some extent.
You can do several dips workouts at home, such as floor dips, sofa dips, and counter dips.
Here’s how you can do dips on the chair:
- Place both your hands at the end of the chair besides your hips.
- 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.
- 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!
- Do as many reps as you can.
3. Tricep Extension Pushup
The tricep extension pushup is one of the excellent bodyweight workouts that a beginner can do to strengthen tricep muscles.
How to:
- Sit on your knees and place your hands on the floor below your face.
- Keep your arms straight and core tight, that’s the start.
- Bend your elbow until your foreaems in contact with floor.
- Extend your arms until they are entirely straight so your triceps can fully activate. This is your one rep.
- Do as many sets and reps as you like.
Also, Check out: 10 Best Dumbbell Triceps Exercises
Bodyweight Back Exercises For Beginners
Building wider and defined back isn’t possible with no-equipment bodyweight exercises. However, you can strengthen your back with some of the excellent bodyweight beginner level workouts at home.
I’ve already written an article about bodyweight back exercises for beginners where I’ve shared how to do each workout with step-by-step instructions.
That’s why I’m only sharing a list of those exercises here. If you want, you can check out that article.
- Floor IYT Raises
- Superman Pull
- Renegade Row
- Bird Dog
- W Superman Raises
- Good Morning
- Hip Raise
- Push Up Plus
- O circle
- Seated Reverse Fly
You may like: The Best Back Workouts For Mass (17 Exercises)
Beginner Bodyweight Workouts For Biceps
Training biceps isn’t easy for beginners with bodyweight workouts. There are not many exercises that can strengthen your bicep muscles.
However, you can try some of the below workouts.
1. Narrow Wall Pushup
Keeping the hands close to each other in pushup engages more arms muscles. That’s why I’ve included narrow wall pushups in this beginner guide of bodyweight exercises.
How to
- Stand upright in front of the wall and keep one hand distance between you and the wall.
- Place your hands on the wall and keep a shorter width between them.
- Now Keep your arms straight and 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!
- Do as many repetitions as you like.
2. Kneeling Knucle Push-ups
- Get on your all fours.
- Close your fist to make it punch and keep your arms extended just underneath your shoulder.
- Move your knees slightly behind so that your chest muscle can contract when you push-up.
- Now bend your elbows to bring your chest toward the floor. Hold for a second then slowly return your chest up by pushing through your arms. That’s one rep!
- Recommend reps and sets: 10 x 3.
3. Bicep Leg Curl
You can do a lot with your own body because your body is more than a piece of equipment.
The leg bicep curl isn’t as effective as the dumbbell or barbell curl. However, it’s worth trying because something is always better than nothing.
Here’s how you can do the leg curl:
- Start with standing straight with your feet hip-width apart.
- Hold something with your right hand for support.
- Bring your right feet above your left knee and grab with your left hand.
- Now start doing curl as many as you can. Then repeat this with your right hand.
Related: 10 Best Dumbbell Biceps Workouts
Bodyweight Abs Workout for Beginners At Home
As a beginner, you might be surprised to know that everyone has six-pack abs. Some people have visible abs because of their thin skin, while some have hidden under their skin.
Generally, abs are like other muscles group, and to make them thicker or stronger; you need to work on them.
You need to train your abs or core according to your fitness goal.
If you’re a skinny male or female, you first need to build mass instead of working on the core.
On the other hand, if you’re an overhead person, you need to focus on your belly and other muscle groups.
Mountain climbers and planks are some of the best core workouts you can do, irrespective of your body type.
Here are some exercises you can try at home for belly fat and a stronger core.
- Knee Forearm Plank
- High Plank
- High Side Plank
- Mountain Climbers
- Leg Kick Crunches
- Standard Crunches
- Flutter Kicks
- Hip Raise
- Reverse Crunches
- Leg Raises
- Bicycle Crunches
- Flutter Kicks
I’ve already written several articles on abs exercises. If you like, you can check out some of them.
- 10-Minute Abs Workout That Requires No Equipment
- 14+ Lower Ab Workouts For Men & Women At Home
- The Best Plank Variations You Need For Strong Core
- The Best Isometric Ab Exercises To Build Strong Core
Full Body Bodyweight Workouts For Beginners At Home
You have seen various bodyweight exercises for different muscle groups. And now you’ll see the best bodyweight workouts that work on the full body.
Full-body bodyweight exercises are important for beginners. You can do them to strengthen your multiple muscles at once.
Here are a couple of the best exercises you can do:
1. Burpees (Best Bodyweight Workout for Beginners)
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and keep your arms at your sides.
- Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower yourself into a squat position.
- Place your hands on the floor directly in front and below of your feet.
- Shift your weight onto your hands. extend your legs back, softly land on the floor.
- Your body should be in a plank position.
- Now, jump your feet back just outside of your hands.
- Extend your arms fully over your head and jump up into the air. That’s one rep!
- Do as many reps and sets as you like.
2. Man maker
- Start upright in the shoulder-width stance with your arms straight at your sides.
- Go into a pushup position and complete a pushup.
- Now, row your arms at your side simultaneously.
- Bring both legs inwards with your feet wider than your hands; get in a squat position and then press your arms up toward the sky until they are straight. That’s one rep!
- Repeat for the desired number of sets and reps.
7-Day Beginner Bodyweight Workout Routine For Muscle Gain
Summary
- Duration – 30 to 45 minutes
- Number of Sets – Two to three
- No of repetions each set: 10 to 15
- Rest between sets: 45 to 60 seconds
- Workout weekly frequency: 5 times a week
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day-3 | Day 5 | Day-6 |
| Normal Squat | Walking Lunges | Wall Sit | Mountain Climbers | Normal Squat |
| Stationary Lunges | Sumo Squat | Lateral Squat | Leg Kick Crunches | Superman Pull |
| Calf Raise | Floor IYT Raises | Normal Squat | Kneeling Punch Push-ups | Standard Push-ups |
| Wall Push-ups | Overhead press | Incline Push-Ups | Kneeling Diamond Push-ups | Kneeling Narrow Push-ups |
| Burpees | Front Lateral Raise | Bird Dog | Elbow Out Pushup | High Plank |
| Kneeling Diamond Push-ups | Side Lateral Raise | Standard Push-ups | Decline Knee Pushup | High Side Plank |
7-Day Bodyweight Weight Loss Workout Plan For Beginners
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day-3 | Day 5 | Day-6 |
| Normal Squat | High Knees | Half Burpees | Mountain Climbers | Normal Squat |
| Walking Lunges | Stationary Lunges | Jumping Jacks | Floor IYT Raise | Walking Lunges |
| Calf Raise | Glute Bridge | Lateral Squat | Flutter Kicks | High Plank |
| Half Burpees | Sumo Squat | Narrow Wall Push-up | Standard Crunches | Overhead press |
| High Plank | Kneeling Diamond Push-ups | High Plank | Leg Kick Crunches | Front Lateral Raise |
| Wall Push-ups | Pseudo Planche Wall pushups | Mountain Climbers | Kneeling Incline Push-Up | Upright Row |
Related: 4 Week Workout Plan for Weight Loss (With PDF)
Diet & Nutrition For Beginners
Diet 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 |
Diet For Muscle Gain
You have to do the opposite to the person who tries to lose weight, which means eat 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 calorie per cup (244 grams) |
| Almonds | 78 calories per 10 Almonds or 850 calories per 100 grams |
Bodyweight Beginners Workout – Questions and Answers
At what age should I start workout?
There is no fixed age to start working out. The minimum age could be 14, but there’s no maximum age. So whenever you feel you need to get fitter, stronger and healthier, just start doing it.
What’s the best time to workout?
People say do workouts whenever you like, and that’s true, but only if you don’t have time, don’t have any fitness goal, etc.
But if you have time and goals like weight loss or muscle gain, you should choose one time suitable for you according to your goal.
I have researched and found out the best time to work out that helps you achieve your fitness goal faster.
Morning is the best time to work out if your goal is:
- Weight Loss
- Maintain Weight
- Just to keep yourself fit
Afternoon & Evening would be the best time if your goal is;
- Weight Gain
- Muscle Gain
Beginner Bodyweight Workout Pdf
You can download a full-body workout at home bodyweight exercises pdf so that you can use it whenever you like.
Related:
Full Body Workout Routine For Beginners: 2, 3 & 4 Day Split
3 Day Full Body Workout At Home (With PDF)
1 Hour Gym Workout For Beginners To Build Muscle
