Strength-training machines and free weights help you develop a strong, muscular physique. But you also can develop muscles by using your own body weight as resistance. Target every major muscle group -- your chest, back, arms, shoulders, abdomen and legs -- twice a week, as recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services. Complete two or three sets of eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise.
Reverse Barbell Row
Strengthen your back with reverse barbell rows. Place a barbell on a low weight rack without a weight bench beneath. Lie on the floor under the rack with your legs straight. Grasp the bar with a shoulder-width overhand grip. Pull your chest to the bar by bending your arms. Straighten your arms to lower your upper body to the original position.
Pushup and Pullup
Pushups and pullups are traditional body weight exercises that target multiple muscles of your upper body. A pushup targets your triceps and chest, but this exercise can be modified to create more resistance for these muscles. Instead of placing your feet on the floor, elevate your feet on the edge of a weight bench or chair and place your palms on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Lower your upper body to the floor by bending your elbows.
Target your latissimus dorsi along the sides of your back with pullups. Grasp the pullup bar with a grip wider than hip-width. Pull your body upward by bending your elbows until your chin is above the bar. Keep your legs bent throughout this exercise to prevent your feet from touching the floor.
Hamstring Raise
Use a hyper-extension bench to perform hamstring raises. Secure your ankles between the padded leg bars and rest your hips on the padded abdominal bar. Lower your torso toward the floor so that your lower body forms a 90-degree angle with your upper body, your torso perpendicular to the floor. Raise your upper body 180 degrees while bending your knees so that your torso is upright.
One-Legged Squat
Strengthen multiple lower-body muscles, including your quadriceps, glutes and adductors, with one-legged squats. Stretch your straightened arms out in front of you, parallel with the floor. Balance your body weight on one leg, with your opposite leg raised in the air as high and straight as possible, parallel with the ground. Squat down as far as you can, keeping your back straight.
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