Bodyweight Workout: Benefits and the 7 Best Exercises | FITNESSKIT

Why bodyweight training?

Bodyweight workouts – exercises using your own body weight – are among the most effective and simplest ways to stay fit. You don't need expensive equipment or a gym, and you can train practically anywhere: at home, in the park, or even while traveling.

Boost your fitness and ensure effective muscle building - healthy and natural.

Benefits of bodyweight workouts:

• Location independent : Train anywhere, whether living room, hotel room or outdoors.

• Free : No equipment, no memberships – your body is the gym.

• Functional training : Movements engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously.

• Scalable : From beginner to advanced – every exercise can be adapted.

• Improves mobility & stability : Promotes balance, flexibility and body control.

• Time-efficient : Short workouts (e.g., HIIT) are often enough to achieve visible results.

The 7 best bodyweight exercises for fitness and strength training

For your bodyweight training (= functional training), you'll find 7 effective exercises for your bodyweight workout here – for beginners and advanced trainees! The great thing is that the difficulty level can be quickly and easily increased by adding repetitions or extra weight (e.g., using weight vests) to create new stimuli for the muscles.

1. Push-ups

👉 Trains chest, shoulders, arms and torso.
Here's how: Place your hands shoulder-width apart on the floor, keep your body straight, bend your arms and straighten them again.
Tip: Beginners should start on their knees.

 

2. Squats

👉 Strengthens legs and buttocks.
Here's how: Stand with your feet hip-width apart, lower your buttocks backward and downward until your thighs are parallel to the floor, then stand up again.
Tip: Make sure your knees don't extend beyond your toes.

3. Lunges

👉 Trains legs, glutes and balance.
Here's how: Take a large step forward, lower your back knee towards the ground, keeping your front leg stable. Then step back and switch sides.
Tip: Keep your upper body upright.

4. Plank (forearm support)

👉 Perfect for the abdomen and core stability.
Here's how: Forearms on the floor, legs stretched back, body forms a straight line.
Tip: Don't let your hips sag.

5. Burpees

👉 Full-body exercise for strength and endurance.
Here's how: Squat down, place your hands on the floor, jump into a push-up position, do a push-up, return to a squat position and then jump explosively upwards.
Tip: Start slowly, then increase the intensity.

6. Mountain climbers

👉 It trains abs, legs and gets the heart rate up.
Here's how: Assume a push-up position, alternately pull your knees quickly towards your chest.
Tip: Keep your core stable and maintain a steady pace.

7. Glute Bridge (Hip Bridge)

👉 Strengthens buttocks and lower back.
Here's how: Lie on your back, place your feet hip-width apart, push your hips upwards, hold briefly and slowly lower them.
Tip: Avoid arching your back.

These exercises cover all the important muscle groups – and you need nothing but your own body.

🟢 20-minute bodyweight workout for beginners

👉 Focus: Technique, full-body workout, moderate intensity

Process:

• Each exercise 30 seconds

• 15-second pause

• 3 rounds total (approx. 18–20 minutes including breaks)

Exercises:

1. Squats

2. Push-ups on your knees

3. Lunges

4. Glute Bridge

5. Plank (forearm support)

6. Mountain Climbers (slow pace)

Tip: If 30 seconds is too long, shorten it to 20 seconds.

🔴 20-minute bodyweight workout for advanced users

👉 Focus: Intensity, strength + endurance

Process:

• Each exercise 45 seconds

• 15-second pause

• 4 rounds total (approx. 20 minutes)

Exercises:

1. Jump Squats

2. Classic push-ups (or variations such as narrow/wide)

3. Jumping lunges

4. Burpees

5. Side Plank (side plank, change sides per round)

6. Mountain Climbers (fast pace)

Tip: For those who want even more power, you can do 30 seconds of burpees "on top" at the end of each round.

✅ Both workouts are designed to provide an effective full-body workout in 20 minutes – focusing on strength, endurance and core.

Functional bodyweight training vs. classic gym training

criterion	Bodyweight Training 🟢	Classic training in the gym 🔴
Location	Possible anywhere (at home, outdoors, while traveling)	Gym or home gym with equipment
Cost	Free, no equipment needed	Membership or purchase of equipment
Training goal	Strength endurance, functional strength, mobility	Muscle building (hypertrophy), maximum strength
Exercise variety	Basic exercises with variations	Very large selection thanks to machines & free weights
progression	More difficult: via variations, repetitions or tempo	Simply by increasing weight
Risk of injury	Low (with proper technique)	Higher, especially with heavy weights without supervision
Time required	Short & flexible, 15–30 minutes is enough	Often more time is needed due to equipment changes and training sessions.
Mobility & Stability	High, because many exercises engage the whole body.	Possible, but often the focus is on isolated muscles.
motivation	Easy to install, but less variety	More variety, but requires regular visits to the studio.
Suitable for	Beginners, busy people, outdoor enthusiasts	Advanced, ambitious muscle builders, strength athletes

Conclusion: Your body is the best gym

Bodyweight training shows that you need nothing more than yourself for effective workouts. With the right exercises, you can train anywhere, build muscle, and noticeably improve your fitness – whether you're a beginner or advanced.

👉 Start today, use your own body weight and get in top shape!

And if you want to take your training to the next level: At FITNESSKIT you will find high-quality training equipment for calisthenics and bodyweight training – perfect for making your workouts more varied and even more effective.

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