5 Bodyweight Exercises You Can Do Anywhere

28 May 2024 Strength · Training Tips

Travelling? Working from home? Can’t make it to a session? None of these are reasons to skip training. Your body is the most versatile piece of equipment you own, and you carry it everywhere.

Here are five bodyweight exercises that, done properly, will give you a solid full-body workout anywhere. Hotel room, backyard, park, office car park. Wherever.

1. Push-Ups

The king of bodyweight exercises, and one that most people do badly. A proper push-up works your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core all at once.

How to do them right:

Hands slightly wider than shoulder-width, fingers pointing forward
Body in a straight line from head to heels. No sagging hips, no piked bum
Lower your chest to the ground, elbows at roughly 45 degrees (not flared out to 90)
Push back up, fully extending your arms
Core tight throughout. If your lower back drops, you’ve lost it

Can’t do full push-ups yet? Do them on your knees or against a wall. There’s no shame in scaling. Bad push-ups on your toes are worse than perfect push-ups on your knees.

Pro Tip: Slow down. Most people rush push-ups. Try a 3-second lower, 1-second pause at the bottom, then push up. Five of those will humble you.

2. Squats

The most fundamental lower body movement. If you can only do one leg exercise for the rest of your life, make it a squat.

How to do them right:

Feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly
Sit your hips back and down like you’re sitting into a chair
Keep your chest up and your weight through your heels
Go as low as your mobility allows while keeping your back straight
Drive through your feet to stand up

Make them harder: Pause at the bottom for 3 seconds. Or try jump squats if you want to add power.

3. Lunges

Single-leg work is crucial. It builds balance, exposes imbalances between your left and right side, and mimics how you actually move in real life (walking, running, climbing stairs).

How to do them right:

Step forward with one leg, lowering your back knee toward the ground
Front knee tracks over your toes, doesn’t collapse inward
Torso stays upright, not leaning forward
Push off your front foot to return to standing
Alternate legs

Variations: Reverse lunges (stepping back) are easier on the knees. Walking lunges cover more ground. Lateral lunges hit different muscles. Mix them up.

Did You Know? Most people have a strength imbalance between their left and right leg of up to 15%. Single-leg exercises like lunges help identify and correct these imbalances before they cause problems.

4. Plank

Forget crunches. The plank trains your core the way it’s meant to work: as a stabiliser, not a mover. A strong plank means a strong foundation for everything else.

How to do it right:

Forearms on the ground, elbows under shoulders
Body in a straight line from head to heels
Squeeze your glutes, brace your abs like someone’s about to poke you in the stomach
Don’t hold your breath. Breathe normally
Hold for time. Start with 20 seconds and build up

Common mistake: Hips too high or too low. Get someone to check you from the side, or film yourself. You want a straight line, not a tent or a hammock.

5. Burpees

Love them or hate them (most people hate them), burpees are the most efficient full-body exercise you can do without equipment. They hit everything: legs, chest, shoulders, core, and cardiovascular system.

How to do them:

From standing, drop your hands to the floor
Jump or step your feet back to a push-up position
Do a push-up (optional but recommended)
Jump or step your feet back to your hands
Stand up or jump
That’s one rep

Scale it down: Step back instead of jumping. Skip the push-up. Don’t jump at the top. A modified burpee done with control beats a sloppy full burpee every time.