According to Luke Jones, a certified personal trainer, you can achieve a ripped physique using just your body weight. Your nervous system does not differentiate between various types of resistance, whether it’s lifting weights or using your body as a resistance tool. Here, Luke shares five bodyweight exercises that can help you achieve your fitness goals.

“Bodyweight training works the same way as many other form of resistance training: tension, time under load, recovery, and consistency,” Luke explains. “You can create overload by slowing things down, increasing reps, changing the angle, or reducing rest. Combine that with decent nutrition and adequate recovery, and you’ve got all the ingredients to build heroic strength and mobility with little to no kit required.”

Bodyweight training is accessible and scalable. Whether you’re training at the gym, in the park, at home, or in a hotel room, all you need is your body weight.

“While some enjoy chasing heavier loads in the gym, others are drawn to the kind of progression bodyweight training offers—not by adding weight, but by moving toward more advanced skills,” Luke says. “From wall-supported pushups to kneeling, to full reps, then even onto dips or hand-balancing variations—each step builds on the last.”

Let’s dive into the five best bodyweight moves to build muscle and strength. Perform 3 to 5 sets of each exercise, keeping your movements controlled.

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Glute Bridges (Reps: 10–12, per Side if Single-Leg)

1. Lie flat on your back with bent knees and feet on the ground.
2. Lift your hips toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes as you do so.
3. Use control to lower.
4. For a challenge, lift one leg off the floor and perform single-leg reps.

Chin-up or Inverted Row (Reps: 6–10)

1. Stand tall and begin the exercise from a dead hang position.
2. Bend your elbows as you pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar.
3. Use control to lower.

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Clock Lunges (Reps: 6–8 Rounds)

1. Begin standing tall.
2. Step forward with your right leg into a lunge.
3. Return to the center.
4. Step into a side lunge using the same leg.
5. Step into a reverse lunge.
6. Repeat on your left side. That counts as one full round.

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Tempo Pushup (Reps: 8–12)

1. Assume a high plank.
2. Slowly lower your chest toward the floor for a count of 3.
3. Pause for a moment at the bottom.
4. Use control as you press up.

Hollow Body Hold or Plank Reach (Reps: 20–40 Seconds)

1. For the hollow body hold, lie flat on your back.
2. Lengthen your arms and legs.
3. Hold the “banana” shape with a tight core and steady breath.

Optional Finisher: Sprint Repeats (Reps: 2–6 Sprints, 5–20 Seconds Each)

1. Find some space, whether that be a patch of grass or a quiet road.
2. Begin short, sharp sprints, sprinting all-out for 5 to 20 seconds and resting for 1 to 3 minutes.

“As you build up, you can add rounds or stretch the distance slightly. It’s a simple way to tap into power, raise your heart rate, and round things off with a bit of intensity,” Luke explains.

Alexa Mellardo