BODYWEIGHT EXERCISES TO BUILD MUSCLE AT HOME

PUSH-UP: 3–6 SETS OF 6–12 REPS. ...

BURPEE: 6 PER MINUTE FOR 15 MINUTES. ...

PLANK-UP: 3 SETS OF 5–10 REPS. ...

TRICEPS DIP: 2 SETS OF 10–12 REPS. ...

INCHWORM: 3 SETS OF 4–6 REPS. ...

STEP-UP: 3 SETS OF 15 REPS (EACH SIDE) ...

LUNGE: 3 SETS OF 15 REPS (EACH SIDE) ...

SQUAT: 3–5 SETS OF 8–12 REPS.

2. LUNGE: 3 SETS OF 15 REPS (EACH SIDE)

THERE ARE DOZENS OF LUNGE VARIATIONS YOU CAN DO, BUT EVEN JUST A CLASSIC LUNGE BUILDS UP YOUR
QUADS AND GLUTES . P LUS , IT STRENGTHENS YOUR HAMSTRINGS .

HOW-TO: FROM A STANDING POSITION, TAKE A BIG STEP FORWARD WITH ONE LEG. LOWER YOUR BODY
TOWARD THE FLOOR UNTIL UPPER THIGH OF FRONT LEG IS NEARLY PARALLEL TO THE FLOOR AND BACK KNEE IS
JUST ABOVE THE FLOOR . RAISE UP BY PUTTING PRESSURE ON THE HEEL OF YOUR FRONT LEG. REPEAT BY TAKING
THAT BIG FIRST STEP WITH THE OPPOSITE LEG .

3. SQUAT: 3–5 SETS OF 8–12 REPS

SQUATS ARE POPULAR WITH WEIGHTLIFTERS , WHICH CAN LEAD TO THE MISPERCEPTION THAT THEY CAN BE
DONE ONLY WITH WEIGHTS . B UT EVEN SQUATTING WITH YOUR BODYWEIGHT ALONE CAN GIVE YOU STRONG LEG
MUSCLES IF YOU DO IT WITH GOOD FORM .

HOW-TO: STAND WITH FEET SLIGHTLY WIDER THAN SHOULDER WIDTH. EXTEND ARMS STRAIGHT WITH PALMS
FACING DOWN . I NHALE AND PUSH HIPS BACK SLIGHTLY AS YOU BEND YOUR KNEES . L OOK STRAIGHT AHEAD AND
KEEP CHIN UP , SHOULDERS UPRIGHT , AND BACK STRAIGHT . S QUAT AS LOW AS YOU COMFORTABLY CAN , AIMING
TO HAVE YOUR HIPS SINK BELOW YOUR KNEES . E NGAGE YOUR CORE TO PUSH UPWARD EXPLOSIVELY FROM
YOUR HEELS .

LEGS
1. STEP-UP: 3 SETS OF 15 REPS (EACH SIDE)

GOT A STAIRCASE ? OR A BOX? THEN YOU CAN DO THIS LEG WORKOUT. STEP-UPS ARE A SIMPLE BEGINNER
EXERCISE THAT CAN GIVE YOU STRONGER QUADS , GLUTES , AND HAMSTRINGS . JUST TAKE ONE STEP AT A TIME .

HOW-TO: GO TO THE STAIRS IN YOUR HOME OR, IF YOU DON’T HAVE A STAIRCASE , PLACE A STURDY BOX IN
FRONT OF YOU. S TEP UP ONTO THE BOX OR THE FIRST STAIR WITH YOUR RIGHT FOOT , THEN YOUR LEFT.
REVERSE, STEPPING BACK DOWN WITH RIGHT FOOT, THEN LEFT. REPEAT, SWITCHING THE LEG YOU START WITH
EACH TIME .

PRO TIP: FOR ADDED DIFFICULTY , RAISE YOUR KNEE TOWARD YOUR CHEST WHEN YOU TAKE THE SECOND STEP
ONTO THE BOX OR STAIR .

ARMS

1. PLANK-UP: 3 SETS OF 5–10 REPS

DOING ANY TYPE OF PLANK EXERCISE WILL MAKE YOUR ARMS STRONGER, BUT DOING PLANK-UPS IS ESPECIALLY
EFFECTIVE FOR STRENGTHENING THE TRICEPS AND BICEPS MUSCLES IN YOUR ARMS .

HOW-TO: START IN PLANK POSITION, WITH ELBOWS AND TOES ON THE FLOOR, CORE ENGAGED, AND TORSO
ELEVATED . R AISE YOURSELF INTO A PUSH -UP POSITION BY EXTENDING ONE ARM AT A TIME , KEEPING YOUR
BODY STRAIGHT . L OWER ONTO YOUR ELBOWS ONE ARM AT A TIME . R EPEAT .

2. TRICEPS DIP: 2 SETS OF 10–12 REPS

YOU’LL NEED A CHAIR, BOX, LEDGE, BENCH, OR STAIRCASE TO DO TRICEPS DIPS. THIS MOVE WILL QUICKLY
STRENGTHEN YOUR TRICEPS (AND YOUR PECS !), WHICH TEND TO NEED A TARGETED WORKOUT TO GROW .

HOW-TO: START SEATED IN A CHAIR (OR ON A STEP, ETC.). GRAB THE EDGE OF THE CHAIR WITH HANDS ON
EITHER SIDE OF HIPS . L IFT UP AND OUT INTO A HOVERING POSITION BEYOND THE CHAIR EDGE . E XTEND LEGS
UNTIL MOSTLY STRAIGHT . S LOWLY LOWER YOURSELF TOWARD THE FLOOR UNTIL ELBOWS ARE ROUGHLY
PARALLEL WITH SHOULDERS . PUSH DOWN INTO YOUR HANDS TO RAISE BACK UP UNTIL YOUR ARMS ARE
STRAIGHT AGAIN . REPEAT.

2. BURPEE: 6 PER MINUTE FOR 15 MINUTES

NEED A MORE EXPLOSIVE EXERCISE? THE BURPEE MAY BE THE ULTIMATE BODYWEIGHT EXERCISE MASH-UP,
WORKING YOUR CHEST , CORE , ARMS , BACK , GLUTES , AND LEGS FOR A FULL -BODY CARDIO WORKOUT .

HOW-TO: FROM A STANDING POSITION, LOWER YOURSELF INTO A SQUAT AND PUT BOTH HANDS ON THE
FLOOR , JUST WIDER THAN YOUR FEET . JUMP FEET BACK INTO A PLANK POSITION . D O A PUSH -UP , RETURNING
TO THE PLANK POSITION . D RAW YOUR LEGS BACK UP INTO A SQUAT , THEN JUMP UP EXPLOSIVELY WITH YOUR
HANDS ABOVE YOUR HEAD . R EPEAT .

3. PULL-UP: 3 SETS OF 2–5 REPS

THE PULL-UP CAN BE INTIMIDATING , ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’RE JUST STARTING OUT. BUT IT’S A GREAT
BODYWEIGHT EXERCISE TO WORK YOUR SHOULDERS , UPPER BACK , AND BICEPS . S TART WITH JUST A FEW REPS
AND WORK YOUR WAY UP AS YOU GET STRONGER .

HOW-TO: GRAB THE PULL-UP BAR WITH AN OVERHAND GRIP, WRAPPING YOUR THUMBS AROUND THE BAR.
“PLAY DEAD” — START IN A DEAD HANG FROM THE BAR. SQUEEZE THE BAR WITH YOUR HANDS AND ENGAGE
THE MUSCLES OF YOUR UPPER BODY AND CORE . P ULL UP UNTIL CHIN CLEARS THE BAR . S LOWLY LOWER
YOURSELF BACK INTO THE DEAD -HANG POSITION . R EPEAT .

PRO TIP: FOR PULL-UPS AT HOME, YOU CAN BUY A PORTABLE PULL-UP BAR THAT FITS IN A DOORFRAME .

CHEST

1. PUSH-UP: 3–6 SETS OF 6–12 REPS

THE PUSH-UP IS ONE OF THE MOST EFFICIENT BODYWEIGHT EXERCISES YOU CAN DO TO BUILD STRENGTH IN
YOUR CHEST AND TRICEPS . B UT IT ALSO GIVES YOUR SHOULDERS , CORE MUSCLES , LOWER BACK , AND LOWER
BODY A WORKOUT .
HOW-TO: LIE FACEDOWN AND PLACE HANDS ON THE FLOOR, SLIGHTLY WIDER THAN SHOULDERS . PUSH UP TO
LIFT SHOULDERS , TORSO , AND LEGS UNTIL ARMS ARE FULLY EXTENDED . O NLY YOUR HANDS AND TOES SHOULD
BE TOUCHING THE FLOOR . S LOWLY LOWER YOUR BODY UNTIL CHEST ALMOST TOUCHES THE FLOOR , THEN
REPEAT .

PRO TIP: PUSH-UP VARIATIONS ARE NEARLY ENDLESS. IF YOU’RE A BEGINNER , YOU CAN START WITH WALL
PUSH -UPS OR KNEE PUSH -UPS . F EELING ADVANCED ? G IVE PIKE PUSH -UPS A TRY .