These 9 bodyweight exercises are all you need to build full-body muscle at home

This bodyweight workout can help burn calories and build muscle in well under half an hour

A woman practises yoga / pilates in a sunny room. She holds a difficult plank position, toning the muscles in her abdomen
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Full-body workouts are popular for a good reason: they can help you lose weight and build muscle definition all over your body by targeting all major muscle groups. They are also time efficient; most don't last longer than half an hour, like this 24-minute full-body session that uses nothing but bodyweight exercises.

We reported on the Turner twins' experiment in which the identical twins compared bodyweight exercises with weight training to see which is better for muscle building. The results spoke for themselves, but after 10 weeks, both Ross and Hugo reported an increase in muscle mass and improved performance in various exercises, such as deadlift, bench press, and so on. 

There are 10 exercises in this full-body workout that target all the major muscle groups. Each move should be performed for 40-60 seconds (depending on your fitness level) with up to 20 seconds of rest between exercises. Do the 9-move set twice over, with a 60-90 second break between sets; the whole workout should be over and done with in under 25 minutes. The exercises featured in this workout are:

  • Pendulum lunges (left)
  • Pendulum lunges (right)
  • Chair squat to balance (alternating legs)
  • Commandos
  • Butt kickers
  • Superman push-ups
  • Oblique knee crunch (left)
  • Oblique knee crunch (right)
  • Single-arm tricep press (left)
  • Single-arm tricep press (right)
  • Single-leg bridge (left)
  • Single-leg bridge (right)

If you liked the workout, you'd love this 8-min beginner full-body cardio workout. Speaking of short sessions: if you really haven't got any time to exercise, try this 7-move bodyweight ladder workout, which is intense but very effective. Finally, you can build full-body strength with this T3-exclusive 15-minute bodyweight workout. If you need proper training footwear – the only thing you might need for this workout – check out T3's best workout shoe and best cross-training shoe guides.

Matt Kollat
Section Editor | Active

Matt Kollat is a journalist and content creator who works for T3.com and its magazine counterpart as an Active Editor. His areas of expertise include wearables, drones, fitness equipment, nutrition and outdoor gear. He joined T3 in 2019. His byline appears in several publications, including Techradar and Fit&Well, and more. Matt also collaborated with other content creators (e.g. Garage Gym Reviews) and judged many awards, such as the European Specialist Sports Nutrition Alliance's ESSNawards. When he isn't working out, running or cycling, you'll find him roaming the countryside and trying out new podcasting and content creation equipment.