If you’re getting bored with your typical gym routine, it’s time to mix things up. There are bodyweight exercises that can help you sculpt and strengthen your body even more effectively than traditional gym machines. The great thing about bodyweight training is that it doesn’t require any equipment, so there are no excuses not to do it, says Brooke Bussard, MD, CPT, who owns Brooke’s Balanced Blueprint, a lifestyle medicine health coaching practice in Baltimore, MD.

“Bodyweight exercises engage multiple muscle groups simultaneously, unlike machines that typically focus on just one area,” Brooke explains. “As we get older, working multiple muscles at once is beneficial for maintaining healthy joints, improving balance, and building the strength needed for daily activities.”

Brooke recommends the following bodyweight exercises for better sculpting, strengthening, and functional advantages compared to using machines. You can do these exercises in a circuit, performing 10 to 12 repetitions of each move and resting for 30 seconds between exercises. After completing the circuit, rest for two to three minutes before repeating it for a total of two to four rounds.

“This structure keeps your heart rate up, challenges your muscles, and supports body composition goals with no machines required,” Brooke says.

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Reverse Lunges

“Single-leg moves like reverse lunges and single-leg RDLs activate more muscles and challenge your balance—which fires up your core and stabilizers,” Brooke points out. “They’re also great for spotting and correcting strength imbalances that could lead to injuries.”

1. Stand tall with your feet hip-distance apart and arms at your sides or hands on your hips.
2. Take a controlled, big step back with your right leg, landing on the ball of your foot.
3. Lower into a lunge until your front thigh is parallel to the ground.
4. Press through your front foot’s heel to rise back up.
5. Repeat on the other side.

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Pushups

“Push-ups are a classic for good reason,” Brooke says. “They strengthen the chest, shoulders, triceps, and the core, and they’re super adaptable. You can modify the angle—from knee push-ups to feet-elevated—to match your fitness level.”

1. Begin in a high plank with your hands under your shoulders, keeping your body straight.
2. Bend your elbows and lower your chest toward the floor.
3. Press through your hands to rise back up.

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Single-leg Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs)

1. Begin standing tall, balancing on your right leg.
2. Maintain square hips and a neutral spine.
3. Start to hinge forward at the hips, reaching your arms toward the floor and sending your left leg straight back behind you.
4. Lower until your torso is parallel to the ground.
5. Press through your right heel to reverse the motion and return to the start position.
6. Repeat on the other side.

Spiderman Planks

“Spiderman planks add an extra layer of core and shoulder work,” Brooke tells us. “By pulling one knee toward the same-side elbow while holding the plank, you create a dynamic move that hits multiple muscle groups at once.”

1. Begin in a forearm or high plank.
2. Bring your right knee toward your right elbow, maintaining level hips.
3. Return your right foot and repeat on the other side.

Alexa Mellardo