The 21 Best Bodyweight Exercises to Lose Weight and Burn Fat
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Any fit guy will tell you that abs are made in the kitchen. But while burning fat will always be a function of eating right—opt for these ultra-fit foods, for example—making those love handles go away also requires a dedicated gym routine of high-intensity, calorie-incinerating exercises.
And when it comes to getting shredded, sometimes the best thing you can do is set down the heavy iron and go for all-out, bare-bones bodyweight exercises.
To get the skinny on doing exactly that, we talked to Mike Donavanik, C.S.C.S., a Los Angeles-based trainer and the creator of the Extreme Burn workout series. He put together a quick cheat sheet of his top seven bodyweight exercises in three different categories: strength, cardio, and core.
You can do a handful (or more, if you’re feeling intense) of these moves en masse—and that means revving up your heart rate in quick, efficient workouts. They’re pretty much equipment-free, which means you can do them just about anytime, anywhere. The best part? You can switch these up with almost endless variations, to make sure you’re always challenging your muscles in new ways.
1. Bar muscle-ups
Best for: strength | Challenge: high
Hang from a pullup bar and then swing your body forward a bit, pulling your shoulder blades together so your head and chest move forward. Swing your legs behind you as your chest comes forward. You may need to practice the motion. Now drive your legs forward while you pull up to the bar. The momentum of your entire body will help you up, and you’ll rise to the bar in an arc rather than straight up. You’ll feel as if you’re cheating a regular pullup. Once up, try to get the upper part of your abs touching the bar, then straighten your hips and push down on the bar so you suspend yourself over it (as in a dip). Lower yourself back down and reset for the next rep.
2. Pullups
Best for: strength | Challenge: medium
Grab onto a bar and hang so that your arms are straight and your feet aren’t touching the ground. Pull yourself up so that your chest touches the bar, then slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position. That’s one rep.
3. Chinups
Best for: strength | Challenge: medium
Grab a pullup bar underhand at shoulder-width. Hang from the bar, and then pull yourself up until your chin is over it.
4. Burpees
Best for: strength and cardio | Challenge: medium
Stand with feet outside shoulder-width, and bend down and place your hands on the floor. Now shoot your legs behind you fast so you end up in the top of a pushup position. Jump your legs back up so they land to the outside of your hands. Then jump up quickly.
5. Pushups
Best for: strength | Challenge: basic
Place your hands on the floor at shoulder-width, keeping your abs braced and your body in a straight line, squeeze your shoulder blades together. Lower your body until your chest is an inch above the floor.
6. Lunge
Best for: strength | Challenge: basic
Stand with your feet hip-width, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Step forward with one leg, and lower your body until your rear knee nearly touches the floor and your front thigh is parallel to the floor. Step forward with your rear leg to perform the next rep.
7. Squat
Best for: strength | Challenge: basic
Stand with feet shoulder-width and toes turned out slightly. Sit back with your hips and lower your body as far as you can without rounding your lower back. Push your knees out as you descend, and keep your chest up.
8. Mountain climber
Best for: cardio | Challenge: basic
Hold a medicine ball with both hands and get into pushup position on the floor. Drive one knee up to your chest and then quickly drive it back while you raise the opposite knee. If you have trouble maintaining your balance on the medicine ball, just put your hands on the floor.
9. Squat thrusts
Best for: cardio | Challenge: medium
Squat thrusts are essentially burpees without the pushup: From a standing position, drop into a squat and kick your legs out behind you into a plank position. Bring your legs back toward you, then jump back to your feet.
10. Bird-dogs
Best for: cardio | Challenge: basic
Get into a plank position. Slowly raise one arm and the opposite leg until they’re both extended out. Bring the arm and leg back, and switch sides.
11. High knees
Best for: cardio | Challenge: basic
The classic high-step drill. Make sure to pump your arms to get your knees at maximum height.
12. Drop squat
Best for: cardio | Challenge: medium
Stand with feet hip-width apart. Explosively jump up, then bend your knees and lower into a squat. Touch your right hand to the floor, then explode back up. When you lower back into the squat, touch your left hand to the floor. Alternate which hand you drop down each time you jump.
13. 3-step lateral bound
Best for: cardio | Challenge: high
These are like high knees, except you’ll also step side-to-side with each step. Start by moving to the right. Lift your right leg into a high-knee step, then take three quick steps to the right, and pause with your left foot raised. Repeat the steps back to your left. Make sure to land on the midfoot, and try to land with quick, soft steps. (Here’s a video reference.)
14. Speed skaters
Best for: cardio | Challenge: medium
Start in a ready position. Jump to your left with your left leg, and bring your right leg behind your left leg, mimicking the motion of a speed skater. Then jump to your right, and bring your left leg behind your right leg.
15. V-Up
Best for: core | Challenge: medium
Lie on the floor with arms extended overhead and legs straight in front of you. Tuck your chin to your chest and raise your upper body off the floor while you raise your legs. Your body should form a V shape in the top position. Slowly lower your torso and arms before you begin the next rep.
16. Hollow hold to rock
Best for: core | Challenge: medium
Lie on your back on the floor and reach your arms overhead while extending your legs in front of you. Point your toes and pull your ankles together so they touch. Engage your abs so your midsection hollows and your lower back rounds a bit. Lift your legs off the floor while you raise your shoulders at the same time. Now rock yourself back and forth. Make sure you maintain the hollow-body position.
17. Glute/Quad-contracted plank
Best for: core | Challenge: medium
Start in a plank position, except with your arms placed further away from your body, so your elbows are vertically even with your ears. Put your elbows close together. Contract your quads as intensely as possible, and then contract your glutes as intensely as possible. Hold this position for time.
18. Plank reach-under
Best for: core | Challenge: medium
Start in a plank position, with your arms placed directly beneath your shoulders. Starting with your left arm, maintain the plank position as you touch your left arm to your right knee. Alternate sides.
19. Side-plank
Best for: core | Challenge: medium
Lie on your side on the ground, posting on the same side elbow. Stack your legs, then lift your hips off the ground so your body forms a straight line.
20. Butterfly situp
Best for: core | Challenge: medium
Sit with the soles of your feet together and your knees close to the ground, making sure to bring your torso up as tall as you can. Perform situps, making sure to touch the ground in front of your feet at the top of each rep.
21. Bicycle crunches
Best for: core | Challenge: medium
Lie on the ground with your legs raised and your knees bent at 90°. Cycle your legs back and forth. Don’t twist your neck as you do the reps—let your head stay neutral, in line with your torso as it moves back and forth.
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