Before there were dumbells, barbells, weight machines, balls, bands and benches, there was another piece of equipment that often went unnoticed: the body. When it comes to exercise, the weight of the body is all you really need to maintain strength and even get into really good shape, as well. Some of the exercises are easy and some are hard, but they are all effective.
Step 1
Work your chest. Push-ups are one of the most popular body-weight routines to work your chest muscles. To do them, come into a plank position with your hands directly under your shoulders and your arms straight. Slowly lower yourself down toward the floor until you are about the width of your fist away, then push back up. Make sure to keep your abs engaged the whole time and your back straight. To put more emphasis on your upper chest, place your feet on a chair or bed. To put more emphasis on you lower chest, place your hands on the chair or bed. You can also do these in a wide or close grip.
Step 2
Put more emphasis on your back. Pike push-ups are another variation that can also target your shoulders and back muscles. To do these, start in a plank position, then shift your weight back toward your heels and lift your hips up in the air. Your body should now be in about a 90-degree angle. From here, lower your upper body straight down toward the floor until your nose is about a fist width away. Push yourself up and back and repeat the movement.
Step 3
Flip your feet up on a wall. Handstand push-ups are one of the hardest exercises there is. They target the shoulders, chest, back and core all at the same time. To perform them, stand about an arm's reach away from a wall. Estimate the half-way point between you and the wall and place your hands on the floor at this location. Squat down, lean forward and pick up one leg. Bend the knee of this leg and swing it back and forth a few times for some momentum. Forcefully flip your leg, hips and lower body over and place your feet against the wall. Straighten your legs and then perform push-ups. Your body will be at a slight angle throughout the exercise.
Step 4
Work your triceps. All of the push-up exercises will work your triceps by default, but dips can isolate them. To perform dips, sit on the floor with your arms straight down at your sides and your hands flat with your fingers pointing forward. Place your feet flat on the ground and lift your hips up in the air slightly. Lower your body down toward the floor by bending your elbows. Slightly hit the floor with your butt, then lift yourself back up by contracting your triceps. To make this exercise more challenging, alternate lifting each leg up in the air as you are pushing yourself up.
Step 5
Work your abdominals. To perform crunches, lie on your back with your hands placed against the sides of your head and your knees bent about 90 degrees. Lift your upper body slightly by curling up and contracting your abs. Slowly lower yourself back down until your head and shoulders are just above the floor, then repeat.
Step 6
Do some lunges to work your legs. Take a big step forward and lower your body down until your front knee is at 90 degrees and your back knee is just above the ground. Lift your back foot off the ground and take another step forward and do the same as with the other foot. Then walk across the room by taking lunge steps. If you have access to a chair and you feel adventurous, place the chair behind you and put the top of your right foot on it. Do a set of lunges from this stationary position, then switch legs.
Step 7
Work your whole body with one exercise. A burpee is a high-intensity exercise that recruits muscle fibers from every square inch of your body. To do a burpee, start with your hands at your sides and your feet together. Squat down, place your hands on the floor next to your feet and kick your legs straight behind you. As soon as you land, do a push-up, then snap your feet back to the starting point and explosively jump in the air with your arms extended above you as if you were signaling a touchdown. Land, and repeat the whole movement.
Things You'll Need
- Chair
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