Forget weights – build full-body strength with this five-move bodyweight workout
Yes, you can get stronger without lifting weights
Another day, another full-body workout brought to you by team T3 team. However, while many of our full-body workouts usually incorporate weights, like a pair of dumbbells or a single kettlebell, for this one you just need your bodyweight, so it’s perfect for beginners. You’ll be glad to know it’ll only take you around 20 minutes too. All you need is an exercise mat, your workout shoes and a chair.
Bodyweight workouts are a great way to build up your overall strength, before moving on to something more challenging, like weights. They're ideal for perfecting your form too, as you have less chance of injury. Bodyweight workouts can build muscle too as, according to the American Council on Exercise, using your bodyweight puts your muscles under tension, which then leads to muscle growth. However, the moment bodyweight exercises get too easy you need to add in weights, as your muscles constantly need to be challenged in order to grow!
For this workout you've got five exercises to get through that'll target your lower body and arms. You'll also need a chair for a couple of the exercises, so make sure you have one close by. You'll do each exercise for the set reps below with a 30 second rest in between each one. Once you've completed the entire workout, rest for a 90 seconds and then repeat two more times. Here's your workout:
- Pop squats - 15 reps
- Tricep dips with a chair - 12 reps
- Glute kickbacks - 24 reps (12 each side)
- Incline push-up with a chair - 10 reps
- Decline push-up with feet on chair (or do knee push-ups) - 10 reps
If you liked this workout then we've got plenty more! Here's a full-body strength workout that has no jumping involved (just in case you weren't a fan of those pop squats!), it'll take you around 25 minutes. We do have workouts targeting just your lower body too, like this leg and glute bodyweight workout, or this 15 minute bodyweight upper body workout. If that workout just wasn't challenging enough for you, it's time to add in some weights. This is five-move, full-body dumbbell workout is just what you need to get started, plus it only takes 15 minutes, perfect!
