I'm a huge fan of weightlifting, but I also know the importance of giving your body a rest. Some days, that means doing nothing. Other days, it's trading in the barbell for a fun, upbeat cycling class, or going to yoga and stretching out your tight hips, hamstrings, and shoulders [1].
If you're feeling like you need to give your muscles a break from the heavy weights, but want to fit a quick sweat sesh in, I've got exactly what you're looking for: this total-body bodyweight workout. It won't take long to do, and it's guaranteed to make your muscles quiver. Give it a shot the next time you're in a time crunch or not in the mood to get out of your pajamas and head to the gym.
The Total-Body Bodyweight Workout
Before every workout, you've got to warm up your muscles so that you don't get injured. Here's a dynamic warmup [3] I like. Once you're nice and warm, it's time to get started. You don't need any equipment, but if you're doing this workout on a hard floor, you may want a yoga mat to cushion your hands and knees.
Directions:
This workout should be performed as a circuit: complete one set of each exercise before moving to the next exercise, taking little to no rest in between moves. Once you've finished one round, take one minute of rest. Repeat for a total of three rounds.
- Plyo lunge: 10 reps
- Push-up: 12 reps
- Single-leg deadlift: 12 reps on each leg
- Crab walk: 10 reps
- Mountain climber: 15 reps
- Bicycle crunch: 15 reps
For a detailed explanation of each exercise, just keep on reading.
Plyo Lunge
- Stand with your feet together and your knees soft. Jump and come into a lunge with your left leg forward.
- Push off with both feet, jumping them together, then hopping into a lunge with your right leg in front.
- Jump your feet back together to complete one rep.
- Complete 10 reps.
If you find plyo lunges hard on your knees, do alternating back lunges instead.
Push-Up
- Start in a plank position with your arms and legs straight, shoulders above your wrists.
- Take a breath in, and as you exhale, bend your elbows out to the sides and lower your chest toward the ground. Stop as soon as your shoulders are in line with your elbows. Inhale to straighten the arms. This counts as one rep.
- If this is too difficult, do this exercise with your knees on the floor.
- Complete 12 reps.
Single-Leg Deadlift
- Stand with all your weight on your right foot, abs engaged and chest lifted.
- Reach your torso forward as you lift your left leg behind you. Reach your arms out to the sides for balance as your torso and leg come parallel to the floor.
- Hold this position for a moment, and reach through your left heel to engage the back of the left leg.
- Moving in one piece, lower your left leg toward the floor as you return to standing upright, resting the left foot lightly on the ground. This completes one rep.
- Do 12 reps on each side to complete a set.
Crab Walk
- Sit on the ground with your knees bent, your hands two inches behind you, and your fingers pointing away from your body. If this is too much weight on your wrists, slightly turn your fingers out to the sides of your body. Lift your hips two to three inches off the ground.
- Step your right foot forward as you simultaneously move your left hand forward. Then repeat on the opposite side. This completes one rep. Focus on perfecting the contralateral movement (moving opposite body parts at the same time).
- Complete 10 reps.
Mountain Climber
- Start in a traditional plank — shoulders over hands and weight on just your toes.
- With your core engaged, bring your right knee forward under your chest, with the toes just off the ground. Return to your basic plank. Switch legs, bringing the left knee forward.
- Keep switching legs and begin to pick up the pace until it feels a little like running in place in a plank position.
- Complete 15 reps.
Bicycle Crunch
- Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground (pull your abs down to also target your deep abs). Interlace your fingers, and put your hands behind your head.
- Bring your knees in toward your chest, and lift your shoulder blades off the ground.
- Straighten your right leg out to about a 45-degree angle to the ground while turning your upper body to the left, bringing your right elbow toward the left knee. Make sure your rib cage is moving and not just your elbows.
- Now switch sides and do the same motion on the other side to complete one rep (and to create the "pedaling" motion).
- Complete 15 reps.