No equipment - just training with your own body weight. We show you the best exercises for bodyweight training. Your full body workout for the living room!
Dumbbells, medicine balls, weight benches, ab trainers and co - if you train at home, you need a lot of equipment.
Fitness training at home with equipment costs a lot. Even the basics can be quite expensive.
First it's just small dumbbells, then a pull-up bar for the door frame, then an exercise ball, later a barbell and a weight bench and there's no more room in the living room.
But that doesn't have to be the case. Because today more and more people are relying on Training with your own body weight. Especially those who love to work out at home and get fit in the living room.
Exercises without equipment are good for beginners. They are the introduction to the Strength training and muscle building.
This is what women need to know about muscle building!
17 exercises for training with your own body weight
And let's go! :) Don't worry if you only manage a few repetitions or seconds at the beginning. Stay on the ball!
Optimally, you train 3 days per week and combine the workout with a few outdoor units such as a small round of running as a balance.
We present you here a whole range of exercises to build muscle without equipment. Decide for yourself which exercises you want to do.
We have deliberately chosen a mix of pure physical strength and lighter loosening up exercises. It's just more fun that way :)
Squats (Squats)
Bodyweight training for: Legs and buttocks
The classic among the bodyweight exercises provides a crisp butt, toned legs and strengthens the lower back.
- You start with your legs slightly open. Now you go into the squat position.
- Lower the buttocks until they are at the level of the knees.
- Tilt the upper body slightly forward.
- Make sure your knees don't rise above the tips of your toes and that you squat properly.
As a beginner, do at least 20 reps and 2 passes. As an advanced you do 30 reps and 2 passes.
Lung (lunges)
Bodyweight training for: Legs, torso
What must not be missing when training with your own body weight, of course, are lunges.
- Take a big step forward with your right leg.
- Now lower your butt until your front leg forms a 90° angle.
- The left knee does not touch the mat.
- Push yourself back up to the starting position with the front leg.
- You can choose to continue lunges with the same leg or the other.
As a beginner you do 20 repetitions per leg. And as an advanced 30. For both applies: 2 rounds!
Revealed! The most effective abdominal exercises!
Planks (forearm support)
Training with your own body weight for: Arms, body center, legs
Planks provide a firm and trained body center. If you don't have any abdominal muscles, you can really start to shake.
- Lie on your stomach and push your body away from the mat.
- The elbows are under the shoulders.
- Tighten the abdomen and buttocks. Your body forms a line.
As a beginner, hold this position for at least 30 seconds. As an advanced you can do the exercise with body weight for 1 minute. Shake your body well and do a second pass.
Mountain Climber
Body weight exercise for: Buttocks, abdomen and arms
With the Mountain Climber you can train your entire body. Above all, build abdominal muscles and ensure a stable torso. The faster you perform the exercise with your own body weight, the more body fat you can melt.
- You start in full plank. This means that the hands are under the shoulders.
- The arms and legs are stretched and the back is straight.
- Now alternately pull the right and left knee to the chest.
As a beginner, you can safely do 20 repetitions. 1 repetition = 1x right and 1x left leg to the chest. As an advanced must be at least 30 pieces and 2 passes in it.
The ultimate abdominal legs butt workout plan
Single leg bridge
Bodyweight training for: Legs, back and core
The one-legged bridge is a bit more complicated and strenuous. But it's worth it: your core will thank you for it.
- Lie on your back and bend your legs. The arms are parallel to the body.
- Lift the pelvis off the floor. From the knees to the shoulders your body forms a line.
- Now lift your right leg in the air and bob your pelvis up and down. And so far until you almost touch the floor.
As a beginner you can do 20 repetitions (10x the left leg in the air and 10x the right). As an advanced you do at least 30.
Dog looking up
Exercise with body weight for: Arms and back
You may know this exercise from our yoga workout. But asanas are not out of place in bodyweight training either. You strengthen and stretch your body with them.
- Lie on your stomach. The hands are at the level of the shoulders.
- Now push your upper body away from the mat. Do this so that your pelvis is also in the air.
Breathe deeply in and out and hold the position for at least 20 seconds as a beginner (that's 4-5 deep breaths) and at least 30 seconds as an advanced practitioner.
Squat & Jump
Training for: Legs and buttocks
This exercise will make you sweat a lot. Promised :)
- You start with a squat. Touch your right toes with your left hand.
- Push yourself off the ground as hard as you can with the balls of your feet and jump into the air.
- When you jump, you stretch your body through and try to hop as high as possible.
- When landing, touch your left toes with your right hand.
Hop, Hop! This exercise is meant to be done very quickly. It should really make you sweat.
As a beginner you can easily do 20 jumps. And as an advanced skier, 30.
Why you should do jumping jacks every day!
Scissors
Strength training for: Belly and legs
Those who have no or very weak abdominal muscles will find this bodyweight exercise particularly difficult.
- Lie on your back with your hands parallel to your body.
- Take both legs in the air and stretch them straight up.
- Now alternately bring the right and left leg to the mat. Start with the left leg and lower it until it almost touches the floor - but do not put it down.
- Then pull the left leg back up to the starting position and do the same with the right leg.
Do this bodyweight exercise for the abdomen especially slowly. As a beginner, you should manage at least 10 repetitions. That means 5x right and 5x left leg lift.
Sit ups
Exercise without equipment for: Belly
Yes, we all hate them. But when training with your own body weight, they simply can't be missing.
- Lie down on the mat and bend your legs.
- The easiest way to do this is to place your palms on the back of your head.
- Now straighten up with the strength of your abdominal muscles. And slowly lower again.
You can also stretch your arms in front of your body. However, in this case you will most likely not use your abdominal muscles to straighten up, but instead gain momentum with your arms. This is easier, but has less training effect.
As a beginner, you can safely do 10 repetitions. As an advanced bodyweight exercise you can do double that.
Side Planks
Exercise with your own body weight for: Abdomen, arms, legs and buttocks
The variation of side planks in the photo is suitable for advanced users. Beginners simply abandon the leg lift.
- Lie sideways on the exercise mat and place the elbow at shoulder level.
- Lift your entire body off the floor. Now only your leg and elbow (+hand) touch the mat.
As a beginner, you should be able to hold this position for 30 seconds. Advanced users can do it much longer, or make the exercise more difficult by lifting the upper leg (as in the photo).
Pushups for beginners
Bodyweight exercise for: Upper body
Even though push-ups are almost the supreme discipline, you can do them easily even as a beginner. With a little trick you can slowly approach normal push ups.
- Get on your knees and support yourself with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width.
- The hands are in the starting position at about the level of the chest.
- The body forms a straight line. That is, do not push the buttocks up too far and do not let the hips and abdomen sag.
- Now bend your arms until the tip of your nose reaches the floor. Then press up again.
- If you don't manage to go that far down with the tip of your nose - don't worry. Just try as far as you can. Soon you will succeed better.
We do not specify an exact number here. Just do as many push ups as you can. If that's too easy for you, stretch your legs and rest them on your toes.
11 ingenious exercises to lose weight
Pushups and twist
Bodyweight exercise for: Torso and arms
This exercise shows that training with your own body weight is very strenuous. As a beginner you do without the push-up and only do the lateral rotation.
- Start in full plank, which means your arms are under your shoulders, your body forms a line and touches the mat only with your hands and toes.
- Now lift your right hand off the mat and stretch it towards the ceiling.
- Put your hand down again and do the same movement with your left hand.
- Both legs remain stretched and on the training mat during this time.
Professionals do a push-up in the starting position before stretching the other hand in the air. Beginners do without it.
Lift up
Exercise with own weight for: Back, abdomen and legs
As with the single leg bridge, the lift up is a variation of the simple bridge.
- Lie on your back and bend your legs. You can put your arms behind your head or to the side of your body.
- Lift the pelvis off the yoga mat.
- And now the right leg as shown in the photo. Now pull the leg as far as possible to your upper body.
- Make sure that the angle of the leg always remains approximately the same. And that your body forms a line and does not begin to sag.
As a beginner you do 10 repetitions with the right leg and 10 with the left leg. As an advanced you can certainly do 20.
Wall sitting
Exercise with body weight for: Legs
In addition to your weight, you now need a wall or a door. Caution: If you decide to use the door, be sure to lock it. You don't want to get uninvited visitors and hurt yourself.
- Take a step away from the wall with your feet. Lean back against the wall.
- Make sure your legs form a right angle.
Now stay in this position for at least 30 seconds. As an advanced user, you can safely do the exercise without equipment for 1 minute.
Plank up
Bodyweight training for: Arms and torso
As you can see there are many Plank variations. A mix of full and simple planks make up this bodyweight exercise.
- You start in a full plank. Make sure your body is nice and straight.
- Now go first with the right elbow to the mat and then with the left. You are now in a normal plank.
- Straighten up again. Now start with the left hand.
As a beginner you should do this exercise 10 times. As an advanced you can do 20 repetitions. 1x straighten up is one repetition.
Triceps Dips
Body weight exercise for: the arms
For this exercise you need a tool for once. You can take a couch table, the sofa itself or an armchair.
- Place your palms on the table. The fingers point toward you. The legs are bent.
- Now lift and lower your body until you almost come to the floor with your butt.
- And up again until your arms are stretched through and your butt is level with the table surface.
Perform the exercise with the strength of your arms. Getting momentum with your legs is forbidden :)
Side lunge
Training with your own body weight for: Legs and buttocks
Just like the normal lunge, of course, the lateral variant must not be missing from our bodyweight training.
- Take a big step to the right side. Lean your upper body to the right. You can support yourself with your arms on your leg.
- It is important that your knee does not protrude above the tips of your toes.
- The left leg is extended. Lower the buttocks until they are level with the right knee.
- Hold this position for 5 seconds and then lean your upper body to the other side.
1x right and 1x left = 1 repetition. As a beginner you should manage 10 pieces.
What you should know about bodyweight training
You don't need any equipment to work out, but you still need to keep a few things in mind.
Plan enough time for training without equipment
As I said, quality comes first. For you, this means that you perform the exercises slowly and consciously listen to your body. Especially to your body tension.
Even if an exercise says "10 repetitions," it's crucial that you rely on your body's feeling. If you only manage 5, then it will certainly be more the next time. So don't try to do 10 reps by hook or by crook and overexert yourself too much.
But that doesn't mean that you have to stop after 2, even though you could do at least 5 more. Go to your limits but with caution and pay attention to a clean execution until the last bodyweight exercise.
Bodyweight workout body tension
To achieve really good results, you need to build up body tension when training with your own body weight. Of course, planks are easier when your stomach is hanging down or your butt is stretched out in the air.
But the training effect is also lost with the wrong execution. So there is no point in doing the exercises incorrectly.
As a beginner in bodyweight training, this means that you will most likely do very few repetitions. However, it is better to do less and pay attention to the quality.
Slowly but strongly to the goal
Of course, those who work out in the gym have a lot of equipment to help them. This helps the muscles to grow quickly.
Because equipment can be used to emphasize very specific muscle groups. But is that really your goal? Or do you want to become slim and toned all around?
The advantage for those who train with the weight of the body is clear: each exercise involves many muscles. In addition, coordination and balance are also strengthened with many bodyweight exercises.
Avoid distractions during bodyweight training
Many people find it difficult to concentrate only on the workout at home. Your partner is distracting you, there's something exciting on TV and you wanted to talk to your girlfriend on the phone.
Attention: Set your priorities!
And don't let your husband or partner stop you from working out. The best way to do this is to set up a small workout room.
This can be the office, the bedroom or the living room. It is important that you do not train when he wants to watch TV. This only brings stress and no success for both.
Our tip: Since you only need one mat anyway, pack your things in a separate room. Here you have peace and quiet and can fully concentrate on yourself.
Having a hard time getting started? Don't make the sofa mistake. Once you sit down, the probability drops rapidly.
If you train in the evening, you can simply get everything ready in the morning. When you get home, the workout is already waiting for you.
The right equipment for your workout
Yes, even here you need at least a basic equipment. That is: a non-slip mat, a sports bra, shoes, workout pants and a sports shirt. You can move much more comfortably and you won't sweat so much.
The non-slip mat ensures that your feet and elbows stay where you want them when planking.
Do not forget the warm up
Warm up well before each workout with your own body weight. Otherwise you risk injury. We recommend the jumping jack and a few stretching exercises. This prepares your body and also your head for the existing bodyweight training.
- Start in an upright stance. The hands are parallel to the body and the legs are slightly open.
- Now jump slightly into the straddle and at the same time clap your hands together above your head.
- Jump right back to the starting position and start again.
Do the jumping jack for at least 1 minute to get really nice and warm.
Stretching exercises should also be included in your Warm up not be missing. You can stretch the muscles with it and then you're ready to go.
Better than gym: muscle building without equipment
What are the advantages of training with your own body weight
Whether bodyweight training, strength exercises without equipment, bodyweight exercises or exercises with bodyweight - call it what you want. Behind every single term hides one and the same goal: to get fit without equipment and preferably in the living room.
You already have everything you need for your workout at home. Because the most important "training equipment" is your body.
Because you are No devices the excuses for training become much smaller :) Expensive equipment does not have to be purchased for the time being. But you can save even more.
Since you're training in the living room, you'll also need No gym membership. And that makes you very flexible in terms of time. Sometimes train in the morning, sometimes in the evening. You can arrange it as it fits into your daily routine.
Also the Intensity of the workout is up to you. It's up to you how many repetitions you do.
The exciting thing about bodyweight workouts is that you see results quickly. As a beginner, you might only manage 1 push-up. But after only 14 days, you'll do 3. That doesn't sound like much. But it is a wonderful increase for beginners.
Those who train only with body weight, learns his Know body better. You realize where your weak points are.
Do you have weak abdominal muscles? Do you lack strength in your arms? Or do you feel the most tremors in your legs? If you know this, you can do specific exercises against it.
When the sun is shining and you feel ready, you can also go outdoors. Because when you train with your own body weight, you're at the not bound to any place.
You are planning a longer vacation? No problem! You can also do many wonderful bodyweight exercises in your hotel room.
With strength training without equipment, you can strengthen selected body parts. You want a crisp butt? You want to train your thighs? Or you wish you could finally do push-ups? Exercises without equipment can tone your entire body.
Most classic bodyweight exercises don't target a single muscle, but instead work many muscle groups at the same time. Like the lunge. It trains the buttocks, thighs and lower legs.
In addition, the Risk of injury for exercises that you do without equipment. This is especially important for beginners who are not yet so well versed.
A dumbbell quickly slips out of your hand and in the worst case lands on your foot. Or you overestimate yourself and the weight is too heavy. That can bring bad surprises.
Can you do these 44 abdominal exercises?
Our conclusion
With bodyweight training you can easily get fit at home. Especially for beginners, this is the ideal choice to build muscle slowly but steadily.
Those who rely on training with their own body weight can save a lot and are very flexible in their time management. However, it also takes a little more self-motivation to really pull off the workout without equipment. But you can do it for sure. We believe in you!
To browse further:
* Advertising & affiliate links: Our website is financed by advertising and affiliate links. As a partner of linked stores (e.g. Amazon) we earn from qualified sales.
Read more