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10 Upper Body Bodyweight Exercises (+2 WORKOUTS!)

10 Upper Body Bodyweight Exercises (+2 WORKOUTS!)

by | May 1, 2022 | Blog, Bodyweight, Exercises, Functional Fitness, Push Ups, Travel Workouts, Workouts

There is always a way to keep moving forward consistently toward our goals working around the challenges life throws our way.

And while it may not be our ideal workout or schedule, doing SOMETHING is always better than nothing and can keep us moving forward toward our goals.

That’s why I wanted to share 10 upper body bodyweight moves to help you build strength even when you don’t have access to a gym or you’re short on time.

These moves will target your arms, shoulders, chest, back and core and can easily be done at home, with a few bonus moves using a towel.

I share quick tips on how to do these moves then 2 amazing workouts you can implement them in! 

 

10 Upper Body Bodyweight Moves:

1: Doorway Row

It can be challenging to target your back and perform pulling movements when we don’t have equipment. But by using a simple doorway or even stair banister, we can really challenge our back using our own bodyweight.

And this move is amazing because you can make it unilateral or bilateral to not only challenge one side at a time but even make it harder by using only one side to pull your weight.

Just make sure to stay in that squat and focus on your shoulder blade moving so you’re really initiating the pull with your back!

To modify, start with both hands instead of a unilateral pull.

2: Downward Dog Pike Push Ups

Push ups are not only a great chest, shoulders and tricep exercise, but also a great core move. And you can adjust how much you activate each of those muscle groups based on the exact variation you use.

If you want to get your shoulders and get in movement to mimic that vertical press or overhead press, the downward dog pike push up is the perfect move to include.

When you do this move, make sure you don’t turn it into a horizontal press but actually lower your head straight down between your hands to mimic that vertical pressing movement.

To advance this move, place your feet up on a bench or stair. The higher the platform, the harder it will be!

3: Scapular Wall Row

When we think about back exercises, we think about pulling movements. But this amazing back move is actually a press.

If you struggle with engaging your back and that scapular movement, and often feel your biceps taking over, this is a key back exercise to include. And all you need is a wall!

When you do this move, focus on driving off your elbows to push away from the wall and feel your shoulder blades move toward your spine to drive your chest out. Focus less on walking further away from the wall and more on that mind-body connection to engage your back.

To vary this move up, you can also do the press lying on the ground as well.

4: Tricep Push Ups

This amazing unilateral push up is a great way to target each arm independently to correct imbalances and really work those triceps.

It is also easier on the shoulders than the bench dip, which can make it a great option especially if you’ve had shoulder aches and pains in the past.

When you do this move, make sure to press through your entire hand. Move your hand up higher to modify or lower down your side to advance. And make sure not to let your legs flop around.

You can further modify this move to start by pressing off a bench or wall over doing the push up off the ground.

5: Lying W Pull Down

Even when we don’t have equipment, we don’t want to ignore the importance of vertical pulling exercises. Moves like the Lying W Pull Down can help us improve our back strength, working our lats while helping us improve our scapular control and stability.

Really focus on your shoulder blades drawing together and down toward your butt as you pull your arms down from extended overhead as you lie on the ground. Even slightly extend your spine to lift your chest and hold as you perform the movement.

If you do feel your neck during moves like this, rest your head on a towel or even modify this move standing.

6: Chest Fly Push Up

The chest fly is a great move to really work your pecs, which is exactly what muscle you’ll work more with the Chest Fly Push Up.

All you need are two small towels to use on a hardwood floor or even paper plates on carpet.

And bonus, you’ll also really work your core.

When you do this move, really focus on sliding out with control then your pecs working to pull your hands back in as you come up out of the push up.

To modify, try sliding one side out at a time or even move to your knees. You can also modify this move off an incline, sliding one hand out at a time while using your stairs to create that incline.

7: Plank Row

This bodyweight exercise is a great way to target your core, especially your obliques, improve your shoulder stability and even work on your scapular control and strengthen your back.

Really focus on avoiding rotation as you row your hand up toward your chest and make sure to initiate the row with your back.

This move is an anti-rotational core exercise so do not rush it but really flex even your quads and glutes to fight opening up as you lift your hand.

To modify, try the plank off an incline, placing your hands up on a bench, couch, table or stair.

8: Climber Plank

Target those arms and shoulders as you work your entire core with this plank variation.

When you do the Climber Plank, really make sure to place your hands under your shoulders over letting your hands sneak out in front of you as you climb up. And as you lower down, place your elbows under your shoulders.

This not only really makes your arms and shoulders work, but it will protect your neck and help you avoid shrugging.

To modify this move, try the plank off an incline.

9: Self Resisted Bicep Curl

You can apply your own resistance when bands or weights aren’t available. And one great way to do this and get in some bonus isolation work for those biceps is using a towel!

To do this curl, loop a towel and hold the ends in one hand to resist your other hand as you curl. You can then make it as easy, or as challenging as you want by pulling against your curl.

Focus on making yourself really fight to curl against the tension. Don’t make it too easy on yourself!

You can even include holds at different points in the move to spend more time under tension.

10: Body Saw

If you want a challenging plank variation that is going to work your triceps and lats, you’ll want to include the Body Saw.

While you can do this move by just walking your feet back, a great way to really make it challenge not only your core to protect your lower back during the extension but also your lats and arms, is to add a towel under your feet.

Instead of walking back, slide back. Do not let your hips sag but focus on lengthening through your arms and shoulders before you pull back in.

Think about pulling back into that plank by feeling the sides of your back working to bring your elbows back under your shoulders.

How Can You Use These Moves In 2 Amazing Workouts?

Workout number 1 is the 1 Minute Max Out. Set a timer for 1 minute and perform as many reps of a move as you can in that time. Move through the 5 exercises, working for 1 minute on each (30 seconds per side) before resting for a minute to repeat for 3-5 rounds through.

1 Minute Max Out

CIRCUIT:
1 minute Doorway Row
1 minute Downward Dog Pike Push Up
1 minute Plank Row
1 minute Tricep Push Up
1 minute Lying W Pull Down
1 minute Rest

The second workout option is the 20-16-12-8 Ladder. You will start with 20 reps per move in the Triset (or per side) then go down to 16 reps the next round, 12 the third round and finally 8 on the last round through the moves. Once all 4 rounds are complete on a Triset, move onto the second set of exercises. Time how long it takes you to beat that time next time through!

20-16-12-8 Ladder

TRISET #1:
20-16-12-8 Doorway Row
20-16-12-8 Chest Fly Push Ups
20-16-12-8 Body Saw

TRISET #2:
20-16-12-8 Scapular Wall Row
20-16-12-8 per side Self Resisted Bicep Curls
20-16-12-8 Climber Plank (perform HALF the reps per side)

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5 Bodyweight Exercises For A Full-Body Workout – Try these 2 Home Workouts!

5 Bodyweight Exercises For A Full-Body Workout – Try these 2 Home Workouts!

by | Apr 10, 2020 | Blog, Bodyweight, Exercises, Workouts

I love giving clients no excuse to skip their workouts. Even if you have very little space and just your own bodyweight, you can get in an amazing full body routine. 

Below are 5 moves that can be combined for a killer full-body workout and I’ll share a few ways to modify each to meet your current fitness level.

So even if you’re working out in your living room, you can build strength and muscle!

The key to challenging yourself with just your own bodyweight is using unilateral moves, a combination of both rotational and ANTI-rotational exercise, increasing the range of motion of basic exercises, creating hybrid exercises and even moving in every plane of motion.

And with these 5 moves, I’ll show you how to use all of those forms of progression!

5 Bodyweight Exercises To Use At Home:

Exercise #1: Airborne Lunge 

bodyweight leg exercise

Want a more glute-focused variation of the pistol squat? Or maybe something just a bit more accessible to use in your routine?

Then you’ll love the Airborne Lunge.

If you find the single leg deadlift easy and want to work your quads and hamstrings while targeting your glutes a bit more, this unilateral move is an amazing way to do just that. 

It’s also a great way to work through a full range of motion and, because it is a unilateral move, it adds in that balance challenge. Also, you now have to support all of your weight on one side, which increases the “load” you have to carry on both legs.

To do this move, you’ll stand on one leg with your other knee bent to pull your heel up toward your butt. Start by hinging at the hips. This isn’t a squat it is a hip hinge movement, so you will lean forward as you sit your butt back.

Then sink down dropping that other knee down toward the ground. Keep your heel pulled up toward your butt so you can’t push off that other foot as you touch your knee down.

Also, avoid reaching that other knee back too far. Focus on loading that standing glute and sinking to touch the knee down then driving back up through your standing heel. Squeeze your glute at the top and only touch the foot down if you need to balance.

To modify, you do not have to sink as low or you can hold on to a doorway or counter or stair rail. 

You could also take a cushion or pillow to give yourself something to lower down to and even do an eccentric only variation. Lowering down using this move, then touching your foot down to stand back up and reset.

And the single leg deadlift is always an option, with a slower tempo, if you do have knee pain with flexion.

To advance the Airborne Lunge, you can also use a slower tempo and even a pause at the bottom. 

Exercise #2: Row Push Ups

push up variation

If you want a push up variation that works not only your chest, shoulders and triceps but also your back, you need to try this hybrid push up variation – the Row Push Up.

This is also a great anti-rotational core move, which will target your obliques and improve your shoulder stability. You’ll even feel your GLUTES working to help you fight the urge to rotate as you row.

While tempting, it is key with this move that you don’t rush the row because you start to lose balance. And unlike the standard push up, where your feet will be together, you want to place your feet about hip-width to shoulder-width apart so you can really focus on fighting rotation. 

When you do this push up, fight to keep your body from rotating as you row your hand up toward your chest. And don’t just simply lift your hand, focus on feeling your back pull your hand up. This is a great way to work on that scapular movement as you stabilize in that plank position.

It will improve your shoulder and scapular stability.

For the full, advanced, variation, you’ll perform a push up in between each row. A great way to modify the movement to start is to first do a row on each side then a push up instead of a push up after each row.

If you can’t yet do a full push up, I recommend modifying off an incline or, if you don’t have an incline, you can do the move completely from your knees.

It’s even possible to do a hybrid of knees and feet, performing the push up on your knees then moving to your toes for the plank row.

To advance the move, play around with tempos, full hand release at the bottom or even do the same but different as a decline variation. 

But do not rush through the row thinking it is a simple hand lift.

Exercise #3: Side Lunge to Curtsy Lunge

side-to-curtsy-lunge

Improve your hip mobility and build leg strength through multiple planes of motion by combining the side lunge and curtsy lunge into a series. 

A great way to progress moves, and create a new challenge for your body, is to slightly alter the plane of motion you are working in and even combine moves so that you are working the same muscle groups but in different ways.

This lunge series is a great way to target not only your entire leg but specifically your glutes and adductors.

If you’re just starting out with this move, you may tap your foot down between reps  as you come center or not sink as deep in the lunge.

As you work to advance the lunge series, perform a bigger range of motion, lunging deeper, and avoid touching your foot down between lunges. This forces you to perform a more powerful push out of each lunge to work your legs while also forcing your core to work to keep you balanced.

If you find you have to do a stutter step to push back up and center, you’ve performed too big a range of motion for your current fitness level.

To advance the move, you could slow down the tempo or add in a pulse to each lunge. You can even combine other lunges into the series or find ways to increase the range of motion even using a stair!

If you struggle to properly load your glutes during these moves, touching your hand back toward your heel in the side lunge or using a slight hip hinge, leaning forward to sit your butt back, can help.

Also watch that you don’t rotate open with the curtsy lunge but instead really focus on crossing your leg behind.

If you have knee pain you can reduce the active knee flexion even doing taps from more of a skater squat position. 

Exercise #4: Mountain Climber Turkish Bridge

great core exercises

This is a killer rotational core move that will work everything down your frontside AND your backside while improving your shoulder stability!

Glutes, abs, obliques, quads, arms, back…it’s all working! This move does require more shoulder stability though to start so please implement it slowly if you’ve had previous shoulder injuries!

To do this move, start in the plank position and pull one knee across toward the opposite elbow. Really think about pulling that knee in with your abs and not just flexing at your hips. Think about rotating your entire torso to engage your core.

Then, as you extend your leg back out, rotate open toward the ceiling to actually kick that leg behind you so you will place that foot flat on the ground. You will keep that knee bent, almost as if doing a donkey kick as you rotate open.

As you rotate, you’ll place the foot of the bent knee down on the ground and really engage your glutes to move into a Turkish Bridge position. Squeeze your glutes to drive your hips up. Make sure to engage your back to support your shoulder as you reach your other hand up toward the ceiling. Focus on keeping that shoulder over your hand.

If you let your hand sneak out beyond your shoulder, it can place more strain on your shoulder and neck.

Pause for a second, squeezing your glutes, then bring that leg back across as your rotate closed to drive your knee back in toward your elbow.

To modify, you can do this off an incline or you can perform it from more of a bulldog, tabletop bridge position.

Exercise #5: Leg Lowers Plus 

leg lowers plus

This is an advanced core move that works your abs in a stabilizing fashion (as you lift and lower your legs), but also through spinal flexion because of that bonus lift at the top.

It is a very advanced variation of the pelvic tilt progression so if you can’t perform the basic straight leg lowers without your hands behind your lower back, you haven’t YET earned this move.

You will want to start with bent knees and perform a bent knee curl at the top.

The key with this exercise is to engage your core to brace and protect your lower back as you lower your legs down. You will do this by posteriorly tilting your pelvic and pressing your lower back into the ground

When you lower your legs toward the ground, flex your glutes even at the bottom. 

Lift your legs back up toward the ceiling and then, as if they are attached by a string, press them straight up toward the ceiling flexing your spine to lift your butt up.

Do not swing or use moment to lift as much as you can avoid it. I know it’s tempting to get a bigger range of motion since the lift can feel really small.

You can have your hands on the ground beside you and even push down into the ground to help you better engage your abs for that little plus lift at the top.

Or you can have your hands behind your head and even lift your head up to work your core more.

If you feel your lower back with basic leg lowers, keep your knees bent as you lower and curl in. And think about curling your knees in toward your head for the plus. Move slowly so that you aren’t using momentum!

2 Full-Body Bodyweight Home Workouts:

Not only can we slightly tweak moves to match our needs and goals, but we can also adjust our IMPLEMENTATION of the same basic moves.

Below are two different ways to use these moves to build full-body strength. One is interval based while the other is a rep ladder. Both will help you increase your training density to build strength using just your own bodyweight!

WORKOUT #1: The Bodyweight Strength Ladder

Start with 10 reps of each move (or per side) on the first round through the circuit. The next round through, perform 9 reps. Then 8,7,6…until you perform one rep on the final round. Rest only as needed. As the reps go down, progress movements as needed so they are still challenging. Time how long it takes you to beat that time next time through!

CIRCUIT:
10-1 rep per side Airborne Lunges
10-1 rep per side Row Push Ups
10-1 rep per side Side to Curtsy Lunge
10-1 rep per side Mountain Climber Turkish Bridge
10-1 rep Leg Lowers Plus

WORKOUT #2: The One-Minute Max Out

Set a timer for 1 minute intervals of work and complete each move back to back without resting. Perform as many reps of each move as you can in that time and record how many you do each round to try and beat it. Rest for 1 minute between rounds. Complete 3-5 rounds through. Beginners can start with just 30 seconds per move.

CIRCUIT:
1 minute Airborne Lunges
1 minute Row Push Ups
1 minute Side to Curtsy Lunge
1 minute Mountain Climber Turkish Bridge
1 minute Leg Lowers Plus
1 minute Rest

Want more amazing workouts you can do anywhere? Check out my Dynamic Strength Program!

The 30/10 Bodyweight Cordio Blast

The 30/10 Bodyweight Cordio Blast

by | Nov 26, 2019 | Blog, Bodyweight, Workouts

Whether you need an amazing workout to do at home or you want to stay on track while traveling, this 30/10 Cordio Workout is a must-do routine!

It’s one of the fun interval workouts in my Bodyweight Blast, included in my Macro Hacks Challenge!

The 30/10 Cordio

WORKOUT:
Set a timer for 30 seconds of work and 10 seconds to rest and transition between moves. Complete 2-4 rounds through each circuit without resting extra between rounds. (You may add an extra 40 seconds between rounds if needed so that you don’t have to pause or rest during the 30 seconds of work.) Rest 1-2 minutes between circuits.

CIRCUIT #1:
30 seconds Switch Stance Burpee
10 seconds Rest
30 seconds Bear to Crab Crawl
10 seconds Rest
30 seconds Oblique Twist High Knees
10 seconds Rest
30 seconds Inchworm Plank
10 seconds Rest
30 seconds C-Sit Rotational Knees
10 seconds Rest

CIRCUIT #2:
30 seconds Tuck Jump to Plank Tucks
10 seconds Rest
30 seconds Half Burpee (with push up)
10 seconds Rest
30 seconds Diagonal Skaters to High Knees
10 seconds Rest
30 seconds Hops To Sit Thru
10 seconds Rest
30 seconds Frog Kicks
10 seconds Rest

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Switch Stance Burpee: To do Switch Stance Burpees, look straight ahead but rotate your body to the right so your feet are angled forward but facing slightly right. Stagger your back foot slightly forward of your front foot. Then squat down to about parallel to the ground. You won’t want to stand up at any time once you start but will just pop back up into this squat. From this squat position, place your hands down in front of you on the ground and jump your feet back into a plank so that you are now in a plank pointing straight ahead. Perform a push up with your body moving as one unit to drop your chest to the ground. Beginners can remove the push up or perform it from their knees. Push back up and as you come up to the top of the plank, jump your feet in so you can come into a staggered stance squat facing to the left. Pause just briefly to sit in the squat. Then jump back into a plank center, do a push up and jump into a staggered stance on the first side. Move quickly alternating staggered stance squats on each side.

Bear to Crab Crawl: To do the Bear to Crab Crawl, start on your hands and the balls of your feet with your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Your knees should be just a few inches off the ground. Begin to crawl forward stepping one hand and the opposite foot forward. Then move the other hand and foot. Keep alternating sides, making sure the opposite arm and leg step at the same time. Crawl a few steps on each side (based on the space you have). Then lift one hand and kick the opposite knee under your body as you rotate your chest open toward the ceiling. Pivot on the foot and hand that is down so you can rotate into a tabletop bridge. You will place both feet flat on the ground with your chest pointing up toward the ceiling and hands on the ground down at about shoulder height. Begin to crab crawl, stepping one foot and the opposite hand forward. Then the other foot and hand. Your hands can be pointed out to the sides to put less stress on your shoulders. Crab crawl back to the start then flip back over, reaching your hand over your body toward the ground as you pivot on your feet to bring one knee back under and through to return to that bulldog position on your hands and the balls of your feet.

crawling exercise

Oblique Twist High Knees: To do Oblique Twist High Knees, bend your elbows and bring your hands together at about chest height with your elbows flaring out to the sides. You want to think of your hands as a target to try and rotate toward your knee as you do a high knee run. Then begin to do a high knee run, tucking your knees up as high as you can. As you bring your knee up, rotate your torso to bring your hands across your body and toward that knee. Then as you straighten that leg out and run the other knee in, twist and bring your hands toward that knee. Keep your hands up at your chest with your elbows flared up and out. Move quickly twisting toward each side as you bring your knees up. To modify, march instead of running.

Inchworm Plank: To do the Inchworm Plank, set up in a forearm plank from your toes with your elbows under your shoulders and your body in a nice straight line down to your heels. Begin to walk your feet in toward your head, keeping your legs straight as you take very small steps forward. Your butt should go up in the air as you walk your feet in to pike up. Walk in as far as you mobility allows. Then jump both feet back out (beginners may walk back out instead). Do not let your hips sag toward the ground as you return to the forearm plank. Then repeat walking back in before jumping back out.

C-Sit Rotational Knees: To do the C-Sit Rotational Knee, sit on the ground with your feet flat and knees bent. Lean back and bring your hands together up at your chest with your elbows out. Engage your abs as you hinge back slightly. Then lift one knee and rotate toward that knee trying to bring your opposite elbow to touch your knee. Keep your elbows out and hands in together as you rotate. Place that foot back down as you lift the other knee to rotate the opposite elbow to touch it. Do not sit up at any time. Stay in that slightly hinged back position, making sure to brace your abs.

Tuck Jump to Plank Tucks: To do Tuck Jump to Plank Tucks, start standing tall before sinking to place your hands on the ground and jump your feet back into a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your feet a few inches apart. Brace your abs and don’t let your hips sag as you jump both feet in to bring your knees close to your elbows. Try to jump in so your knees are at least under your hips if not closer in. Use your abs to try to get them just a few inches from your elbows. Do not jump in so much that you sit back on your heels. Then jump back out into the high plank position. Do not let your butt go up in the air and keep your hands under your shoulders. From the high plank position, jump your feet all the way up to come back up to standing. As you come up to standing, swing your arms back and jump up, tucking your knees up toward your chest. Land with your knees soft and then sink back down to move back into that high plank position before tucking your knees in again. Beginners can do a squat jump or bodyweight squat instead of the tuck jump. They can also step back into the plank position and step one knee in at a time. And then extend one leg back out at a time to keep the move lower impact. You can also modify the plank and tuck by placing your hands up on a bench after the bodyweight squat if you can’t get down to the ground.

burpee

Half Burpee (with push up): To do Half Burpees, you can modify the move by removing the push up or advance the move by adding one in. To start, set up in the high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your feet about shoulder-width apart. Then jump both feet up and outside your hands so your in a squat position. Try to really jump all the way in to your hands. Quickly jump back into plank. Try not to let your butt go way up in the air as you jump from the squat back to plank. From here perform a push up with your body moving as one unit. You can go down to your knees as well to do the push up before moving back to a plank from your feet. Move quickly after the push up, jumping back into the squat position. Then repeat, jumping back out into plank. Do not let your hips sag or your butt go up in the air in the plank position. Again perform another push up then jump back in.

half burpee

Diagonal Skaters to High Knees: To do Diagonal Skaters to High Knees, start to one side and the back of the space you have as you’ll be jumping laterally and forward. Stand and shift your weight onto your outside foot as you swing your arms across your body toward that side. You will lift that inside leg and even let it cross back behind your standing leg. Bend the knee of your standing leg slightly and load that leg and glute, even slightly popping your hip out toward that side. Then jump laterally and forward at an angle to land on your other foot. Swing your arms across your body to help propel you further. Land on that other foot and quickly sink to load so you can jump diagonally forward and across to your starting foot. Do that again to land on the other side. Think about completing 3-5 diagonal skater hops based on your space! Once you’ve completed 3-5 lateral diagonal hops forward, high knee run backward or back pedal back to the start and repeat. To modify, keep your lateral hops smaller while still moving diagonally forward and even march back instead of running back with high knees.

bodyweight cardio exercise

Hops To Sit Thru: To do Hops To Sit Thru, start in the plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your legs together. Your body should be in a nice straight line from your head to your heels. Then, with your legs together, jump your feet in toward your right elbow, rotating so that your knees come outside your elbow. Jump back into the plank position with your feet back center and your body in a nice straight line. Then jump your feet back in, but this time toward your opposite elbow. Rotate to bring your knees toward the outside of your elbow. Jump your feet back out center, but not completely extended. Then rotate open toward the right and kick your left leg under your body and through toward where your right hand is. As you bring your left leg forward and through, lift your right hand. You want to rotate all the way through with your left leg out straight so that you are almost sitting with your left hand down to support you. You want to “sit through.” Then bring the left leg back through so you are back in the starting position position on your hands and the balls of your feet. Next rotate to the left and kick your right leg through and forward as you lift your left hand. Come back into the short plank and then perform the hops toward each elbow. In between the hops, jump fully back into a plank but then don’t jump all the way out after both hops are complete before you do the sit thrus to each side.

plank abs

Frog Kicks: To do Frog Kicks, lie on your back with your hands behind your head and your legs out straight on the ground in front of you. Bring your heels together while turning your toes out. You can then slightly crunch your upper body up to help press your lower back into the ground or you can fully relax your head down. Lift your legs up off the ground so your heels are about a foot off the ground. Keeping your heels together, bring your heels in toward your butt. Your knees will bend out wide as you’ll keep your hips externally rotated. Letting your knees fall open, bring your heels in, keeping your lower back against the ground. Then kick your legs back out straight and repeat. If you feel your lower back, kick out and up higher. If you feel your hip flexors really taking over, play around with how much you let your knees go out wide as you tuck in.

5 Bodyweight Workouts – All Under 15 Minutes

5 Bodyweight Workouts – All Under 15 Minutes

by | Nov 6, 2016 | Blog, Travel Workouts, Workouts

When we get busy, have family obligations, don’t have easy access to a gym, we tend to make an excuse and skip our workouts.

And I get it.

All of these things make fitting in workouts difficult.

They give us an easy out and we take it because most of us really are strapped for time and pulled in a bazillion different directions.

The problem is…Once we skip one workout, it is very easy to start skipping more and before we know it, our routine and health and fitness goals are completely forgotten.

But we need to take care of ourselves!

That is why it is important to have quick bodyweight workouts you can do anywhere on hand. It helps eliminate the excuses and keep you on track even if it isn’t exactly what you’d be doing at the gym.

Remember, something is always better than nothing.

Plus, you don’t need an hour at a gym to get in a great workout.

Honestly, 15 minutes and your bodyweight is all you need to keep moving forward toward your goals!

So when life tries to get in the way and derail your progress, eliminate the excuses and make your fitness a priority with these quick workouts you can do anywhere!

#1: 1 Minute Max Out

Time: 15 minutes

Set a timer for 1 minute intervals. Complete 3 rounds of the circuit below. Do as many reps in that minute as you can. I recommend counting and recording what you do to not only try to beat it in the next round, but also so you have something to shoot for next time you do the workout!

CIRCUIT:
1 minute Bulldog Burpee
1 minute T Push Ups
1 minute Alternating Side Lunges with Hop
1 minute Spiderman Plank with Knee Drive
1 minute Butterfly Sit Up

#2: Bodyweight Quick Cardio Circuit

Time: 15 Minutes

#3: Bodyweight Core Blaster

Time: 15 Minutes

Ok you know I couldn’t resist giving you a glute activation and core stability workout too…

CIRCUIT #1:
30 seconds per side 3-Way Hip Circles
30 seconds Frog Bridges
30 seconds Glute Bridge with March
30 seconds Rest

CIRCUIT #2:
30 seconds per side Side Plank Clams
30 seconds Spiderman Plank
30 seconds Roll to V-Up
30 seconds Rest

#4: 50 Burpee Burnout

Time: As fast as possible, shoot for 5 minutes.

Sometimes a workout can be simple, brutal and under 5 minutes. Here you go! Complete 10 reps of each of these 5 burpee variations. Try not to rest if you can and do them as fast as possible!

BURPEES:
10 reps Basic Burpee or modified without push up
10 reps Jack Burpee
10 reps Mountain Climber Burpees
10 reps Burpee Sit Thru
10 reps Side Arm Balance Burpee

For all these Burpee Variations, click here.

#5: The Isometric Killer

Time: 12 Minutes

Even when you are short on time, you can’t forget about workouts that will improve your mobility while building stability and strength. Honestly, the more you sit, the more workouts like this are key even though we want to skip them in favor of workouts that “destroy” us. Isometric workouts are challenging but in a different and IMPORTANT way!

Complete 3 rounds of the circuit below.

CIRCUIT:
30 seconds per side Warrior III
30 seconds Scapular Wall Hold
30 seconds per side Crescent Pose
30 seconds Handstand Hold (Downward Dog to modify)
30 seconds Banana
30 seconds Glute Bridge

For all the Isometric Moves, click here.

Use these 5 quick workouts over the week to stay on track even on your busiest days!

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