Although there are numerous fitness plans available, establishing an exercise foundation with bodyweight workout is a good place to start. Before graduating to more advanced levels, it’s always a good idea to execute an exercise with your own body weight.
Daily exercise is essential for getting in shape and leading a healthy lifestyle. Finding the right activities for your body and daily routine, on the other hand, might be difficult. This is especially true for inexperienced exercisers, but it can also be difficult for persons who exercise on a regular basis.
Utilizing Your Bodyweight to Workout
There are several workout programs that use bodyweight to increase strength and stability, such as TRX suspension training, as well as high-intensity interval training (HIIT) regimens that include bodyweight exercises in most routines.
Bodyweight workout should be introduced into an exercise program to address performance gaps, enhance movement quality, and maintain/accelerate improvement,
The ACSM suggests dedicating entire training days to bodyweight exercises. Among the advantages are:
- improved program compliance and convenience
- enhanced movement quality
- improved body exercise awareness, exercise variety
- lower exercise costs
- enhanced workout happiness and enjoyment
- easier to exercise while traveling or working long hours
We created the 30-Day Bodyweight Workout Challenge to demonstrate that learning one new exercise daily is simple and can be readily customized to your fitness level. Let’s get this party started!
Squat on Day 1 for Bodyweight Workout Challenge
Targets the glutes, thighs, hips, quadriceps, and hamstrings
Begin Here: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, sit your buttocks back, keep your body weight over your heels, face straight ahead, and avoid curving your back. While the knees are over the toes, the body should not be moved forward.
Employ a chair or a flat bench for aid or support.
Prisoner Squat Jumps on Day 2
Goals: This plyometric move strengthens, powers, and stabilizes the legs, glutes, and hips. During the exercise, your core and back muscles are also stimulated.
Begin Here: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, place your hands behind your head, and your elbows and shoulders back.
Squat back, engage your core, and explode upward with your lower body, completely extending your ankles, feet, and hips in one motion.
Return to the starting squat position with weight equally distributed between the heels.
Change: Make the jump less forceful, barely lifting off the ground.
Push-Ups on Day 3 Bodyweight Workout Challenge
Targets chest, arms, shoulders, and core
Begin by placing your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor in a plank position, keeping your core engaged, hips straight, and head neutral.
Bend your elbows and drop yourself to a 45-degree angle. Return to the starting position by pushing up.
Modification: Do the exercise from the knees, supported by an exercise mat.
Mountain Climber on Day 4
Targets core, quads, hamstrings, hips, chest, shoulders, and arms
Begin in a plank position with your back and body straight and your core strong for this full-body workout.
Raise your right leg to your chest and rapidly switch to dragging your left leg to your chest in a plank running action.
Switch back and forth while maintaining good body mechanics.
Alteration: Do the workout on an incline rather than on the floor. Alternatively, instead of running throughout the movement, take a modest step back.
Lunge on Day 5 Bodyweight Workout Challenge
Targets hips, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, inner thigh, and core
Begin by standing with your feet a foot apart and engaging your core.
Step forward with your right leg.
Landing on your heel first, then lower your body until your left knee touches the floor.
The knee will be bent at a 90-degree angle. To return to the starting posture, keep your core tight and press back through your heel.
Rep on the opposite side.
Modification: Make a standstill lunge instead of a forward motion. You might also consider gripping a counter or a chair for support.
Split Lunge Jump on Day 6 Bodyweight Workout Challenge
Targets glutes, quads, hamstrings, calves, and core
Begin with one leg forward and one leg back for this plyometric action. E
ngage your core, sit in a lunge position, and jump up with one explosive action, switching legs and maintaining a balanced foot position.
Repeat alternating lunge jumps for a certain number of reps or times.
Modification: Instead of powerful jumps, practice walking lunges or small hops.
Lunge Around the World on Day 7 Bodyweight Workout Challenge
Targets the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and core
Begin by standing with your feet a foot apart.
Engage your core, then lunge forward with your right leg, returning to the beginning posture.
Then, lunge to the side and sit back with your buttocks, maintaining your body upright.
Glance ahead and return to the starting place. Lastly, add a reverse lunge and push back to the starting position. T
o complete one repetition, repeat the lunge series on the left leg.
Modification: Eliminate any lunge(s) from the set and replace them with walking lunges.
Plank on Day 8 Bodyweight Workout Challenge
Targets entire core muscles, hips, back, and shoulders
Begin Here: Begin on a mat in a tabletop position.
While keeping your upper body motionless, stretch your left leg and then your right leg behind your body until you are balanced on your toes and hands.
Your elbows are squarely beneath your shoulders, with your forearms facing front.
From your head to the heels, everything should be extended in one long, strong line.
Maintain core engagement and avoid allowing your shoulders to creep up towards your ears.
Maintain this position for 15 seconds at first, gradually increasing to 30, 45, or 60 seconds.
Modification: A forearm plank, which is significantly easier than a conventional plank, is also an option. Begin on your hands and knees on an exercise mat. Drop your forearms to the floor, keeping your hands shoulder-width apart, palms down, and elbows under your shoulders. Your arms should be bent. Stride back one foot at a time, balancing on the balls and toes of your feet. Maintain a firm core and a straight body from head to toe.
If the forearm plank is too difficult, try it from your knees rather than your toes. To reduce the difficulty or duration of this bodyweight workout, you can also hold a plank at an angle or even against a wall.
Side Plank on Day 9 Bodyweight Workout Challenge
Targets core, abductors (outer thigh/glutes), obliques (side abs), and adductors muscle (inner thigh)
Begin Here: Lay on your right side with your legs extended on an exercise mat (the right leg will be placed directly on the left leg, feet stacked).
Maintain a neutral spine and head by placing your right elbow directly under your shoulder.
Your right hip and knee should be in contact with the floor at all times.
Engage your core and straighten your arm as you lift your hips and knees off the floor. Maintain this position for a set period of time. Rep on the opposite side.
This stance is also accessible via the plank position (see Day 8).
Modification: Do the exercise with your legs slightly bent and your knees on the floor.
Side Plank to Push-Up on Day 10 Bodyweight Workout Challenge
Targets chest, back, arms, and core
Begin in a push-up position with your arms shoulder-width apart from your toes.
Do a push-up while maintaining your body straight (see Day 3).
Shift your weight to the right side as you push-up while maintaining your core tight and stretching your left hand toward the sky for a brief side plank position.
Drop the right arm back to the starting position and repeat the exercise on the opposite side.
Modification: Use an exercise mat to perform exercises separately from the knees.
Side Plank with Leg Lift on Day 11 Bodyweight Workout Challenge
Targets core, obliques, shoulders, back, and hip abductors (outer thighs/glutes)
Begin Here: Begin on your right side (using an exercise mat) and support your upper body on the forearm for this full-body toning technique.
Your elbow should be bent and directly under your shoulder. Legs are straight, and feet are stacked.
Lift your body off the floor, keeping your back straight and your core tight, with your left hand on your hip or extended to the ceiling.
Raise your left leg above your hip, keeping your foot flexed. Lower your right leg slowly.
Do the exercise for the specified number of reps.
Rep on the opposite side.
Modification: Do the exercise with the lower leg bent and the knee on the floor (as pictured). Keep one hand on your hip.
Squat Kick on Day 12
Targets glutes, hips, quads, and hamstrings
Begin Here: Place your feet shoulder-width apart.
Form a fist with your hands (boxing position to protect your face).
Squat back with your weight on your heels, elevate your right knee, and kick forward through your heel.
Return to the beginning position and do the opposite side.
This exercise can be done on one side for a set before switching to the other.
Modification: Do front kicks without squatting.
Plyo Jack on Day 13 Bodyweight Workout Challenge
Targets outer thigh, inner thigh, shoulders, glutes, core, and calves
Begin Here: Stand with your feet hip-distance apart and your buttocks slightly back.
Bend at the knees, preparing your body to explode off the ground by extending your legs to the sides, arms up overhead, and returning to the starting position in a single motion.
Perform without extending your arms overhead.
Bent Over Leg Lift on Day 14
Targets glutes, hips, thighs, and core
Begin by standing with your legs with a foot apart, bending over slightly,
Keeping your core tight and your back straight, placing your hands behind your back, bearing your weight on the left leg, and extending your right leg to the side, resting on your toes.
Sit in a modest squat and lift your right leg to the side with a flexed foot in one smooth motion.
Return the right leg to its resting position.
Do the exercise for a set number of reps.
Rep on the opposite side.
Modification: For an assisted spot, perform the exercise utilizing a chair or counter.
Abdominal Crunch on Day 15 Bodyweight Workout Challenge
Targets the pair of ab muscles in the front/sides of your body—your six-pack (rectus abdominis)
Begin Here: Begin on the floor, lying on your back with your knees bent, and imagine your navel sucked toward your spine.
Put your hands across your chest or behind your head.
Avoid dragging your chin toward your chest by pulling on your neck.
Tighten your core and lift your shoulder blades a few inches off the floor, exhaling as you do so.
Return to the original and repeat for a set number of reps.
Modification: If your neck feels strained, keep one or both hands behind your head.