Beginner Bodyweight Home Workout — No Equipment Needed!

Warm Up – Try your best to complete one minute of each exercise. Each exercise has controlled movements to help you focus on your form.

Boxer Shuffle

Body Weight Squats

Alternating Butt Kickers

Front Lunges

Opposite Toe Touches

Workout – Complete each round one to three times.

Round 1 (Complete 10 to 15 repetitions (reps) of each exercise.)

Bodyweight Squats

Incline Pushups (You can modify this move by dropping to your knees, if needed.)

Donkey Kicks

Triceps Dips (using a chair or table)

Mountain Climbers

Round 2 (Complete 10 to 15 reps of each exercise.)

Reverse Lunge With Overhead Press (To add weight, use dumbbells, milk jugs or water bottles.)

Lying Hip Raise

Alternating Leg Raises

Plank Jacks

30- to 60-Second Plank Hold

How to Complete Each Exercise Safely

Boxer Shuffle:

To perform this low impact cardio exercise, just shift your weight from one leg to the other while alternating your feet rhythmically and switching from one foot to the other.

Bodyweight Squats:

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. You can place your hands behind your head. This will be your starting position.

Begin this move by flexing your knees and hips, sitting back with your hips, and keeping your weight in your heels.

Lower your buttocks as far down as you can go while keeping proper form, and quickly reverse the motion until you return to your starting position. As you squat, keep your head and chest up and push your knees out.

Alternating Butt Kickers:

Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart. Your arms should be bent at your sides.

Flex your right knee and kick your right heel up and back toward your gluteus maximus muscles (“glutes” for short), or your buttocks. Bring your right foot back down.

As the right leg comes down, flex your left knee and kick your left foot up and back toward your glutes. Swing your arms as if you were jogging.

Repeat. To increase the intensity, pick up the pace.

Front Lunges:

Stand with your feet about 6 inches apart from each other and keep your toes pointed forward.

As you INHALE: Step forward with one leg and lower your body to 90 degrees at both knees. Don’t step out too far. There should be 2 to 2.5 feet between your feet at this point. Keep your weight on your heels and don’t allow your knees to cross the plane of your toes.

As you EXHALE: Push up and back to the starting position to complete one rep. Repeat all reps on one leg, then switch to complete one set.

Note: Keep your back upright. The further you step, the more you work your gluteus maximus muscles (“glutes” for short, or your buttocks) and hamstrings. The closer you step, the more you work your quadriceps muscles (“quads”) on the top of your thighs. Place your hand on a chair or wall for balance if necessary.

Opposite Toe Touches:

Start in a standing position with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms held out to your sides at shoulder-height.

Then, bend forward at the waist while twisting your body so you can touch the fingertips of your right hand to the toes of your left foot.

Lift your torso back up, returning to the starting position, and repeat the move but twist to the right to touch your left fingertips to your right foot.

Stand upright once more and repeat the movement, alternating sides as you go.

Incline Pushups:

Stand facing a bench or sturdy, elevated platform. Place your hands on the edge of a bench or platform, slightly wider than your shoulder width.

Walk your feet back so your body is in a straight line and your hands are directly below your shoulders. Your arms should be perpendicular to your body. Keeping your body straight, lower your chest to the edge of a box or platform by bending your elbows.

Push your body up until your arms are extended. Repeat this move.

Donkey Kicks:

Get on all fours on a mat or the floor. Make sure your hands are under your shoulders and your knees are under your hips.

Keeping your right knee bent at 90 degrees, flex your right foot and lift your knee up and back to hip level.

Lower your right knee without touching the floor and lift it back up again. Do 10 to 15 reps on each side.

Switch legs and repeat this move.

Triceps Dips:

Position your hands shoulder-width apart on a secured bench, table or a stable chair.

Slide your buttocks off the front of the bench or chair with your legs extended out in front of you.

Straighten your arms, keeping them slightly bent in the elbows to keep tension on your triceps and off your elbow joints.

Slowly bend your elbows to lower your body toward the floor until your elbows are at about a 90-degree angle. Be sure to keep your back close to the bench.

Once you reach the bottom of the movement, press down into the bench to straighten your elbows, returning you to the starting position. This completes one rep.

Keep your shoulders down as you lower and raise your body. You can bend your legs to modify this exercise.

Mountain Climbers:

Start in a plank position with arms extended. Your upper body stays in position (getting the benefits of a plank), while the motion of your legs is like you are running in place.

For beginners, this exercise can be done slowly with each foot touching the floor at the same time as you bring one knee to your chest and then the other.

For a more advanced workout this exercise can be done quickly with your front foot staying off of the floor like you’re running in place.

Note: Be sure to keep your buttocks down and your spine straight. Mountain Climbers can be performed either for a certain number of repetitions or for a length of time.

Reverse Lunge with Overhead Press:

Start standing with your feet hip-width apart and the dumbbells to each side of your shoulders with your elbows bent and below your wrists with your palms facing forward.

Step back with your left foot and bend both knees to lower your body until your right knee is bent at least 90 degrees into a lunge position.

At the same time, press the dumbbells upward until your arms are extended overhead.

Reverse the movement by lowering the weights back to shoulder height, then returning to a standing position. That’s one rep.

Finish 10 to 15 reps on one leg, then switch to the other leg.

Lying Hip Raise:

Lie on your back on the floor with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground.

Place your arms out to your sides at a 45-degree angle.

Brace your core. Imagine you’re about to be punched in the stomach. Then, squeeze your glutes tightly.

Then, raise your hips up so your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.

Pause for five seconds while you keep your core braced and continue to squeeze your glutes.

Then lower body back to the starting position.

Repeat and don’t forget to breathe!

Note: Your torso and hips should move as one unit. The arch in your lower back should remain the same from start to finish. This way, you’re primarily doing the work with your glutes, not your lower back and hamstrings.

Alternating Leg Raises:

Lie supine (face up) on a bench or mat. Place your hands under your buttocks on each side to support your pelvis. Raise one leg up vertically with your knee nearly straight. If you are lying on the floor, raise your other leg slightly off the floor.

Keeping your knees nearly straight, simultaneously change positions of your legs so you’re your vertical leg is lowered while your lower leg is raised vertically.

Continue alternating your legs.

Note: To decrease the intensity of this exercise, flex your knees along with your hips. Alternatively, perform this exercise on the floor and allow alternating heels to make contact with the floor for each repetition.

Plank Jacks:

Start in a plank position with your elbows bent and your weight resting on your forearms.

Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.

Engage your core by contracting your abs and holding them in place.

Jump your feet out to the sides as if you were performing a jumping jack, but keep your upper body still.

Return to your feet to the starting position and repeat.

Note: If the jump is too much, then step one foot out to each side at a time, then step them both back in one foot at a time.

Plank Hold:

Start by getting into a pushup position.

Bend your elbows into a 90-degree angle and rest your weight on your forearms. Make sure to not use your hands to support your weight.

Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.

Engage your core by sucking your belly button in toward your spine.

Hold this position for 30 seconds or if you can, longer!

Note: Alternatively, if this exercise is too advanced, you can perform the plank hold on bent knees instead.

This advice is not meant to replace the advice of your primary care physician. Your primary care physician is your most trusted health advisor. This information has been reviewed by the Asset Health Medical Advisory Board. This information was last updated on March 18, 2020. Your health is your most valuable asset!®