Best Full Body Bodyweight Exercises and Workouts For At Home or The Gym
What Is Bodyweight Training | Bodyweight Vs Resistance Training | Benefits | How It Works | Effectiveness | Building Muscle | How Often | Circuits | Kettlebells | Full Body Workout | FAQs
Page last updated: 26th March 2026
Whether you want to change up your fitness routine or are looking for a way to stay fit at home, bodyweight training is a great way to build fitness and strength without any gym equipment.
Read on to learn more about the benefits of bodyweight workouts and how they work, and a 25 minute full body, bodyweight strength workout you can try. Jump straight to the bodyweight workout here.
What is bodyweight strength training?
As the name suggests, bodyweight strength training is a type of strength training with bodyweight used to create the resistance against gravity, rather than external weight like dumbbells or barbells.
These workouts typically focus on compound bodyweight exercises that involve multiple muscle groups, such as squats, push ups, pull ups, and lunges, or plyometric exercises like box jumps.
Bodyweight workouts can look very different depending on your fitness level and goals. It could be as simple as doing a quick circuit at home on your lunch break, through to a challenging calisthenics workout focused on skills like handstands, pull ups, and front levers.
Bodyweight vs resistance training: what's the difference?
Resistance training is any type of exercise or activity where your muscles contract against resistance. This places stress on the muscles and causes microscopic tears, with the muscles becoming bigger and stronger once these tears are repaired.
While many gym goers use weights or machines to provide external resistance, strength training with bodyweight can also provide the resistance needed to grow the muscles. Bodyweight resistance training has been documented as far back as Ancient Greece and it is still a great way to train today.
What are the benefits of a bodyweight workout?
Bodyweight strength training is often overlooked, with many believing that bodyweight workouts are only good for goals like fat loss or endurance, rather than building strength. While progressing with weights can be simpler than bodyweight training, bodyweight exercises and workouts have many benefits.
They are accessible. As there is no kit involved, bodyweight workouts can be done anywhere at any time, and for any budget. And because you don't need to spend time setting up equipment, you can spend more time working out in a shorter space of time.
They build strength and stability. Bodyweight workouts typically focus on compound exercises which are great for building strength and stability. As you get stronger, you can progress to unilateral exercise variations which further challenge stability, balance, and coordination too.
They are adaptable. Bodyweight training is easy to adapt to any fitness level, and any goal. Changing the reps, tempo, rest time, or exercise variation can make workouts harder or easier, while changing the workout format (e.g. from sets and reps to circuit based) makes your workouts more suitable for different fitness outcomes like endurance or strength.
They improve movement quality. Bodyweight exercises can have a greater focus on movement range than weightlifting, meaning more mobility and better movement. Many bodyweight exercises also require coordination and stability which further helps.
They boost bone and joint health. Bodyweight workouts strengthen the muscles and tendons that support the joints and help to increase bone density. Bodyweight exercises can be lower impact than weightlifting, making them a great option for beginners, those with injuries, or seniors.
They provide cardio benefits. Bodyweight workouts can be performed fast paced with less risk of injury than when lifting weights. This makes them ideal for interval and HIIT workouts which have additional cardio benefits.
How does bodyweight resistance training work?
Resistance training with bodyweight works in the same way as any resistance training: by forcing the muscles to contract against resistance. Instead of using external resistance like weights, bodyweight strength training uses the weight of your body against gravity to create resistance. For example, the chest and triceps have to push against the weight of your body during a push up to extend the arms.
Contracting against resistance places tension and stress on the muscles. When this stress is enough to challenge the muscles, it causes tiny tears in the muscles. When the body repairs these muscle fibres, it makes them bigger and stronger, which over time improves strength and muscle mass.
Are bodyweight exercises effective?
Bodyweight workouts get a bad rap when it comes to building strength, and it isn't entirely unfounded. As you get stronger, it is harder to challenge the muscles through bodyweight alone than it is through weight training, as you can't simply add an extra plate or lift a heavier dumbbell.
Despite this, bodyweight exercises can build strength -- even if you're already strong. Exercises can be progressed by slowing down the tempo, altering the exercise (for example by doing it on an uneven surface), choosing a harder variation, or increasing the reps. Once you know how to make bodyweight and calisthenics workouts more challenging, it can be fun to find new ways of challenging yourself.
One of the reasons why are bodyweight exercises good is that they enhance full body coordination, balance, mobility and stability. As you get stronger and progress to harder exercises, the core and smaller stabilising muscles have to work harder, particularly in unilateral exercises or calisthenics exercises like handstands and L sits. Many advanced bodyweight exercises require high levels of mobility and flexibility which can be achieved by using full range of movement, something that is harder to do when lifting heavy weights.
Removing the weights also make it easier to focus on technique and mind-muscle connection, ensuring that you engage the intended muscles rather than allowing your stronger muscles to take over. Bodyweight exercises help to address muscle imbalances and improve how your body moves and functions day to day, not just in the gym.
Even if you prefer strength training with weights, bodyweight exercises are important and including these in your training can help you to move better in and out of the gym.
Can you build muscle with bodyweight training?
Bodyweight workouts can be a great way to build strength and stability, but are bodyweight exercises good for building muscle?
To build muscle, your training needs to have:
Mechanical tension: This is the force exerted on the muscles when they contract against resistance. High levels of tension triggers the body to produce more muscle cells.
Progressive overload: The difficulty of workouts and therefore amount of tension needs to be continually increased as the body adapts to the load.
Volume: Studies show that each muscle group should be worked 2-3 times a week for optimal hypertrophy gains.
Training close to failure is the best way to ensure you are reaching the levels of mechanical tension needed to build muscle. Lifting heavy weights is one of the easiest ways to do this, which is why it's usually recommended to lift weights if hypertrophy is a goal. However, this is about bodyweight workouts - so what about if you don't have access to free weights or workout equipment? Can you get ripped with just bodyweight? It's challenging, but not impossible.
Bodyweight exercises build muscle the same way any exercise builds muscle. The main challenge with bodyweight muscle building is that your body weight doesn't usually increase at the rate you need to progressively overload your workouts -- you can't simply add a 2.5kg plate each week.
However, there are other ways to adapt your training if you want to try:
Increase volume: Increasing the number of reps and sets can help to progressive overload in bodyweight bodybuilding.
Make the exercise harder: For every bodyweight exercise out there, there are dozens of ways to make them harder. This can be as simple as choosing a more challenging variation, like decline push ups instead of standard push ups, or split squats instead of squats, or you can play around with doing it on uneven surfaces, increasing range of motion, trying a plyometric version, and more.
Increase the time under tension: Slowing down the exercise, especially the eccentric (lowering) portion, adds significant muscle tension and helps to build muscle.
Can you do bodyweight exercises every day?
You may be wondering how often to do bodyweight exercises. The answer depends on your goals and your workouts. It's important to leave at least a full day's rest between working the same muscle group twice, so you shouldn't do a full body, bodyweight workout every day.
If you want to work out every day, you can alternate working different muscle groups so that they can recover, for example upper body on Monday and lower body on Tuesday.
Remember to take at least one full rest day each week to aid recovery.
Bodyweight circuit exercises for strength and endurance
Circuits are a great way to boost your cardio fitness, burn calories, and build full body strength, even when you only have a short amount of time to work out.
Bodyweight exercises are ideal for interval training like circuits and HIIT for a few reasons: they require little space and no equipment, so you can switch between exercises easily, and they can be performed at high intensity or speed with less risk of injury.
Some good bodyweight circuit exercises to include in your interval workouts are:
Up and down planks
Combining bodyweight and kettlebell workouts
If you're looking to upgrade your bodyweight workout but don't want to invest in or store lots of equipment, a kettlebell is a versatile piece of kit that can benefit your training in multiple ways:
Adding load to your lower body exercises to make them more challenging, like squats and lunges.
Allowing you to train muscle groups that are hard to target with bodyweight alone, like the hamstrings (kettlebell deadlifts) and back (bent over rows).
Adding dynamic kettlebell lifts which pair cardio and strength, such as kettlebell swings and cleans.
A bodyweight and kettlebell workout is great for building muscle and functional body strength, while still requiring minimal space and just one piece of equipment. You can adapt your existing bodyweight workouts or give this full body, bodyweight kettlebell workout a go.
Warm up
Jump squats - 10 reps
Turkish get up - 5 reps per side
Up and down planks - 5 reps per side
Mountain climbers - 10 reps per side
Workout
Kettlebell deadlifts - 3 x 10-12 reps
Push ups - 3 x 8-10 reps
Kettlebell goblet squats - 3 x 10-12 reps
Pike push ups - 3 x 8-10 reps
Kettlebell bent over rows - 3 x 10-12 reps
Get more kettlebell workout ideas here.
25 minute bodyweight strength workout
Want to give bodyweight exercises a try but not sure where to start? You can do this 25 minute full body bodyweight workout at home or in the gym. This works well as part of a bodyweight only workout plan or combined with weight training.
Begin with a 5 minute warm up, then complete 60 seconds of the following 8 exercises and repeat each exercise three times before moving to the next, Alternatively, you can perform this as a circuit by doing each exercise one after the other and repeating three times.
Push ups: place your hands on the floor shoulder-width apart, with feet hip-width apart. Keep your body straight with your core engaged and then bend your elbows until your chest brushes the floor, before slowly returning to the start position. For an easier alternative, put your hands on a chair or the wall rather than the floor, or if you're feeling adventurous, try an elevated push up with your feet on a bench or chair.
Wall sit: stand with your back against the wall then slowly bend your knees until your thighs are parallel with the ground and your knees are directly above your feet. Hold this position.
Plank: start in a press up position, then drop to your elbows so you're supporting your body weight on your lower arms. Your body should be straight as you clasp your hands together, tuck in your tummy and hold that position for 60 seconds. Sounds easy? Give it a go!
Bear crawl: You guessed it, this exercise involves walking like a bear, using your hands and feet simultaneously. Set off with the right foot and hand and crawl to the end of the room or a clear turning point before returning to the start point.
Squats: Stand with your feet roughly hip-width apart then slowly bend down using your knees and hips until your thighs are parallel with the ground. As you bend down bring your arms up in front of you so they are parallel with your shoulders. Make sure your heels remain flat on the ground.
Sprint: Pick a turning point about 50 feet in the distance and sprint towards it. Walk or jog back to the start, turn, and sprint off again.
Burpees: There's a reason these have a reputation for being tough! From a standing position, drop into a press up pose and perform one press up. Then pull your legs up to the squat position, spring up so both feet leave the ground, and clap your hands above your head. And that's just one rep!
Glute bridge: Great for targeting your lower body, back and core, the glute bridge is particularly helpful for combatting sitting at a desk for most of the day. Lie on your back with your knees bent and lift your hips until your body is in a straight line from knees to shoulders. Hold for a couple of seconds before for returning to starting position.
At the end of your workout, make sure you cool down and stretch to prevent injuries and allow your muscles to recover.
FAQs on bodyweight strength training:
Can you get ripped using only bodyweight workouts?
You can build muscle using only bodyweight workouts but it can be more challenging than using weights. Train each muscle group close to failure 2-3 times a week by using challenging bodyweight compound exercises such as push ups, pull ups and pistol squats, increasing the challenge each week by adding volume, time under tension, or choosing harder variations.
How often should you do bodyweight workouts?
Aim to train each muscle group 2-3 times a week through bodyweight workouts or a combination of bodyweight training and weightlifting.
What bodyweight exercises build muscle most effectively?
Compound exercises that work multiple muscle groups like squats, push ups, and pulls ups are the most best bodyweight exercises to build muscle.
Who should avoid advanced bodyweight training?
Advanced bodyweight training requires high levels of strength, stability, and flexibility. It's important to work your way up to this level over time to avoid injury. Perfect foundational exercises like push ups, pull ups, and single leg squats before training advanced bodyweight exercises.
Is calisthenics the same as bodyweight training?
Yes -- calisthenics is a style of strength training using only bodyweight. Learn more about calisthenics here.
Can bodyweight exercises build strength?
Bodyweight exercises can build strength, stability, balance, and mobility. Choose exercises that are challenging and train close to failure, adding volume or changing to more advanced variations as you get stronger.
If you've tried bodyweight workouts and want to explore this route further, check out our guide to calisthenics. Calisthenics is a practice that uses bodyweight movements to really challenge the mind and body.
For specific workout ideas, download the free PureGym app, and create a customised training plan for your fitness goals or get involved with our on-demand classes and workouts. Still not sure where to start? Our Starting at the Gym hub has plenty of ideas for workouts to try. Or, you could consider booking a session with a dedicated Personal Trainer at PureGym - they're able to offer a wealth of advice and fitness plans.
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