Bodyweight Exercises
Browse all bodyweight exercises for strength training.
Showing 1–30 of 218 exercises
3/4 Sit-Up
The 3/4 Sit-Up is a core strengthening exercise that focuses on the upper range of motion of a traditional sit-up. By stopping three-quarters of the way down, it maintains constant tension on the abdominal muscles, increasing time under tension for greater muscular endurance. It is a foundational movement for building core stability and anterior trunk strength.
90/90 Hamstring
The 90/90 Hamstring is a dynamic flexibility exercise performed supine, designed to improve hamstring and calf range of motion through controlled, repetitive leg extensions. It's an excellent beginner movement for warming up the posterior chain or developing active flexibility.
90/90 Hip Stretch
A static hip-mobility hold in the 90/90 stance: front leg bent at 90 degrees on the floor (shin parallel to torso), back leg bent at 90 degrees to the side (shin in line with hip). The athlete sits tall with both knees stacked at 90 degrees, leaning slightly forward over the front leg to load the front hip into external rotation, then sitting back to load the trailing hip into internal rotation. Distinct from 90/90 Hip Switch (dynamic switching drill — alternates legs without holding) and 90/90 Hamstring (hamstring-focused supine variant). The static hold trains end-range hip rotation capacity for athletes whose rotation is limited by hip mobility.
90/90 Hip Switch
Dynamic hip internal and external rotation drill. Addresses the hip mobility deficit that causes poor squat depth and lunge instability.
Adductor/Groin
Lie on your back with your feet raised towards the ceiling.
Air Bike
The Air Bike, or Bicycle Crunch, is a dynamic core exercise that combines a crunch with a contralateral leg motion. It primarily strengthens the abdominal muscles and obliques through rotation, while also challenging coordination and endurance. It's an effective bodyweight movement for building core stability.
All Fours Quad Stretch
The All Fours Quad Stretch is a kneeling flexibility exercise that intensively targets the quadriceps and hip flexors. It is particularly useful for improving knee and hip mobility, and counteracting tightness from prolonged sitting or lower-body training.
Alternate Heel Touchers
Alternate Heel Touchers are a beginner-level core exercise performed lying on the floor. It involves a controlled, oblique-focused crunch to alternately touch each heel, effectively targeting the abdominal muscles with minimal equipment.
Alternate Leg Diagonal Bound
Assume a comfortable stance with one foot slightly in front of the other.
Ankle Circles
Use a sturdy object like a squat rack to hold yourself.
Ankle On The Knee
From a lying position, bend your knees and keep your feet on the floor.
Arm Circles
Arm Circles are a dynamic flexibility exercise used to warm up and improve mobility in the shoulder complex. They gently engage the muscles around the shoulder joint and upper back, preparing them for overhead or pushing movements.
Bench Dips
For this exercise you will need to place a bench behind your back. With the bench perpendicular to your body, and while looking away from it, hold on to the bench on its edge with the hands fully extended, separated at shoulder width. The legs will be extended forward, bent at the waist and perpendicular to your torso. This will be your starting position.
Bench Jump
Begin with a box or bench 1-2 feet in front of you. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. This will be your starting position.
Bent-Knee Hip Raise
The Bent-Knee Hip Raise is a beginner-level core exercise that focuses on isolating the abdominal muscles through a controlled pelvic tilt and hip lift. It effectively trains the rectus abdominis while minimizing lower back strain by keeping the knees bent.
Body Tricep Press
Position a bar in a rack at chest height.
Body-Up
The Body-Up is an intermediate bodyweight exercise that transitions from a forearm plank to a high plank position. It primarily develops triceps and shoulder strength while demanding significant core stability to maintain a rigid torso throughout the movement.
Bodyweight Calf Raise
A bodyweight calf isolation exercise that builds gastrocnemius and soleus endurance and tendon resilience. Critical for runners — calves and Achilles absorb each foot strike, and tendinopathy is one of the most common late-cycle running injuries.
Bodyweight Hip Thrust
A bench-supported bodyweight hip-extension exercise that targets the glutes through a longer range of motion than a floor-based glute bridge. The shoulder-on-bench setup lets the hips drop deeper, increasing glute recruitment at the bottom of the lift — a strong climbing-power drill for trail runners.
Bodyweight Squat
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. You can place your hands behind your head. This will be your starting position.
Bodyweight Step-Up
A unilateral step onto a box or bench, driving up through the lead leg. Builds single-leg quad and glute strength with a movement pattern that mirrors running gait — ideal for runners building leg endurance without heavy load.
Bodyweight Walking Lunge
Begin standing with your feet shoulder width apart and your hands on your hips.
Bottoms Up
Begin by lying on your back on the ground. Your legs should be straight and your arms at your side. This will be your starting position.
Bounding
A horizontal-plyometric drill: alternating-leg explosive drives forward, covering distance with each push-off. Trains the elastic-energy storage and reactive strength that translates directly to running stride length and ground reaction force production. A higher-impact progression of running drills like A-skips.
Bulgarian Split Squat
A unilateral lower-body exercise that develops single-leg strength, balance, and stability. Heavily targets the quadriceps with significant glute and adductor engagement. Distinct from a plain Split Squat — the rear foot is elevated, biasing more load to the front leg.
Burpee
A full-body bodyweight conditioning movement combining a squat-thrust, push-up, and jump. Used as a conditioning finisher in calisthenics work because it loads the entire body across multiple planes in one rep. Distinct from Mountain Climbers (no jump, no push-up phase, sustained-tempo plank-position drill) and from Squat Jumps (no upper body component).
Butt Lift (Bridge)
The Glute Bridge is a foundational hip-hinge exercise that isolates and strengthens the posterior chain. It's excellent for building glute and hamstring strength, improving hip stability, and serving as a primer for more advanced lower-body movements.
Butt-Ups
Butt-Ups are a beginner-friendly bodyweight exercise that trains core stability and glute activation through a controlled hip-hinge motion. It builds foundational strength for posterior chain movements and helps improve mind-muscle connection with the glutes and abdominals.
Calf Stretch Elbows Against Wall
The Calf Stretch Elbows Against Wall is a foundational static stretch used to improve flexibility in the posterior lower leg. It primarily targets the gastrocnemius muscle of the calf and is excellent for post-workout cool-downs or addressing lower leg tightness.
Calf Stretch Hands Against Wall
Stand facing a wall from several feet away. Stagger your stance, placing one foot forward.
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