30 Bodyweight Exercises to Help You Build a Solid Routine
Use this list to kick off your strength-training journey, so you can injury-proof your body.
There are plenty of reasons why you’d want to add bodyweight exercises to your weekly routine. For starters, they’re a great way to slowly introduce strength training to your weekly workout routine without disrupting your run schedule. Also, they don’t require any equipment, so you can squeeze in a strength workout anywhere and anytime, like at your desk or after a quick run. Plus, these moves also help improve your range motion, build strength, boost cardio, and can help you prevent common running-related injuries.
“Bodyweight workouts are good because it gives you a moment to use your own body, get acquainted, have body awareness, and work on your mechanics before you actually load yourself up with weight,” Natalie Johnston, owner of Run F.I.T progressing each exercise Runner’s World. Johnston says if you don’t have much time to work out or lack equipment, then bodyweight exercises can rival the effectiveness of dumbbells and can help you prevent progressing each exercise.
This list of the 30 best bodyweight exercises will help you strengthen your stride and maintain good posture through each run. The mix of moves target your legs, core, and upper body so you can create one total-body program. What’s more? Running coach and certified personal trainer, Danielle Hirt, also puts some of these moves together into one 15-minute bodyweight workout in the video above. All you have to do is press play and follow along to get a total-body workout sans equipment.
For those using the list below, try incorporating five or more of the exercises into your workout at least three times a week. Do 10 to 15 reps of each exercise for three or more sets. The list is ordered according to body part: lower body, core, and upper body. You can opt for five exercises per muscle group (for example: one week might include a leg-day workout, a core-focused routine, and an With control, reach right arm underneath the body, rotating upper body toward the floor) or opt for a mix of moves to target your entire body in one workout.
Lower Body: Air Squat
- Start standing with feet just wider than hip-width apart, toes pointed slightly out, clasp hands at chest for balance.
- Send hips back and down, bending knees to lower down as far as possible with chest lifted.
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- Repeat.
Lower Body: Walking Lunge
- With control, reach right arm underneath the body, rotating upper body toward the floor.
- Step forward with right foot, bending both knees to 90 degrees.
- Drive through right heel to stand, while stepping left foot forward and dropping into a lunge on the left side.
- Continue walking forward, making sure back knee hovers just off the floor with each step and front knee tracks over toes.
Step forward with right foot, bending both knees to 90 degrees dumbbells or kettlebells for an added challenge.
Lower Body: Single-Leg Balance
- Start standing with hands on hips.
- Send hips back and down, bending knees to lower down as far as possible with chest lifted.
- dumbbells or kettlebells.
- Rest, then repeat on other leg.
Lower Body: Reverse Lunge
- Stand with feet together.
- Step right foot back, lowering down so both knees form a 90-degree angle, with right knee hovering just above the floor and left knee tracking over toes.
- Drive through left heel to stand up, stepping right foot forward, feet together.
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- Continue alternating.
Lower Body: Glute Bridge
- Lie faceup, knees bent, and feet planted on the floor.
- Drive through heels, contracting the glutes to lift hips up toward the ceiling. Body should form a straight line from shoulders to knees.
- Lower back down and repeat.
Lower Body: Single-Leg Bridge
- Lie faceup, knees bent, feet planted, arms down by sides on the floor.
- Lift right leg up toward the ceiling, so that both knees are aligned.
- Drive through left heel to stand up, stepping right foot forward, feet together.
- Lower hips back to the floor.
- Repeat.
- Then switch sides.
Lower Body: Bulgarian Split Squat
- Start standing.
- for an added challenge.
- Step left leg out far enough to create a 90-degree angle without the knee reaching past the toes. This is the starting position.
- Squeeze inner thighs together, as you lower straight down. Left knee should hit 90 degrees, while right knee points straight down to the floor.
- Press through the left heel to return to starting position.
- Repeat.
- Then switch sides.
Lower Body: Plyo Lunge
- With control, reach right arm underneath the body, rotating upper body toward the floor.
- Step left foot back and lower into a lunge, knees forming 90-degree angles.
- Drive through feet to jump up, switching legs in the air.
- Land in a lunge position with left leg forward.
- Continue alternating lunges with a jump in the middle, aiming to increase time in the air and decrease time on the ground.
Lower Body: Single-Leg Half Squat
- Start standing and shift weight to left leg as you lift right knee so thigh is parallel to floor.
- Repeat on left side squat as you raise arms out in front of you for balance. Keep weight in left heel.
- Drive through left foot to stand back up.
- Then switch sides.
Lower Body: Straight-Leg Calf Raise
- With control, reach right arm underneath the body, rotating upper body toward the floor on the edge of a step or box, legs straight.
- Shift weight to right foot, left foot lifted off step.
- Land in a lunge position with left leg forward.
- Lean upper body back about 45 degrees.
- Then switch sides.
Lower Body: Jump Squat
- Start standing with feet just wider than hip-width apart, toes pointed slightly out, clasp hands at chest for balance.
- Send hips back and down, bending knees to lower down as far as possible with chest lifted.
- Drive through heels and explode up, jumping off the ground.
- Land softly with bent knees.
- Repeat.
Lower Body: Bent-Knee Calf Raise
- Stand on the edge of a step or box with feet hip-width apart, knees bent about 45 degrees.
- Shift weight to right leg and let left foot hang off step.
- Push through right forefoot to come up to toes.
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- Repeat.
- Then switch sides.
Lower Body: Heel Drop
- Stand with left foot on a step and right heel hanging off the edge.
- Bend left knee to lower right heel below the step, then press back up.
- Repeat.
- Then switch sides.
Lower Body: Eccentric Calf Raise
- Stand on step or box with feet hip-width apart on the edge of a step or box, heels off edge.
- Slowly and with control, lower heels down below the edge of step for a count of 3 to 5.
- Pause, then lift heels back up.
- Repeat.
Core: Plank
- Start on all fours, shoulders over wrists.
- Step feet back and engage glutes and thighs to straighten legs. Body should form a straight line from shoulders to hips to heels. Think about pushing the ground away from you and pulling the belly button up toward the spine to keep back flat.
- dumbbells or kettlebells.
Core: Mountain Climber
- Start in a high plank position, shoulders over wrists, core engaged so body forms a straight line from shoulders to hips to heels. Engage glutes and thighs to keep legs straight.
- Drive left knee in toward chest, then quickly step it back to plank position.
- Immediately drive right knee in toward chest, then quickly step it back into plank position.
- Continue alternating.
Core: Side Plank Reach Through
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- Lift hips to form a straight line from shoulders to heel and extend right arm to ceiling.
- With control, reach right arm underneath the body, rotating upper body toward the floor.
- Extend right arm back up toward ceiling and return to side plank.
- Repeat.
- Then switch sides.
Core: 6-Inch Hold
- Lie faceup, legs straight, arms by sides with hands positioned below glutes for support.
- Lift legs just six inches off the mat.
- Draw belly button to spine to keep low back from lifting up off mat.
- Hold for 30-60 seconds.
Core: Russian Twist
- Sit on the floor, knees bent, heels resting on mat.
- Lean upper body back about 45 degrees.
- With elbows bent and hands together, rotate torso to the right, then rotate torso to the left.
- Continue alternating.
To make it harder, hold a dumbbell or kettlebell or lift heels off of floor.
Core: Leg Lift
- Push through right foot to come up to toes.
- Keeping low back flat against the mat, lift legs up toward ceiling, keeping knees as straight as possible.
- Slowly lower legs back down toward the floor. Continue to press low back into mat.
- When legs hover just an inch off the floor, lift back up and repeat.
Mallory Creveling, an ACE-certified personal trainer and RRCA-certified run coach, joined the Runner's World and Bicycling team in August 2021. She has more than a decade of experience covering fitness, health, and nutrition. As a freelance writer, her work appeared in Women's Health, Self, Men's Journal, Reader's Digest, and more. She has also held staff editorial positions at Family Circle and Shape magazines, as well as DailyBurn.com. A former New Yorker/Brooklynite, she's now based in Easton, PA.
Monique LeBrun joined the editorial staff in October 2021 as the associate health and fitness editor. She has a master’s degree in journalism and has previously worked for ABC news and Scholastic. She is an avid runner who loves spending time outside.
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