12 Best Bodyweight Exercises for Beginners (With Easier Options)

The best bodyweight exercises for beginners are simple movements that train large muscle groups and are easy to scale: squats, push-up variations, glute bridges, lunges, planks, and a few others listed below. You can do all of them at home with no equipment. Each one here comes with an easier version for day one and a harder version to work toward.

How we chose these exercises

Every exercise on this list meets three criteria:

• Works a major movement pattern (squat, push, hinge, lunge, pull, core, or cardio)
• Can be made easier or harder without equipment
• Is low risk when done with good form

Together they cover your whole body, so you can build complete home workouts from this list alone.

Lower body

1. Bodyweight squat

Stand with feet about shoulder-width apart. Push your hips back and bend your knees as if sitting into a chair, keeping your chest up. Stand back up.

• Easier: squat down to touch a chair, then stand
• Harder: pause at the bottom, or try jump squats

2. Glute bridge

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat. Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips until your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.

• Harder: single-leg bridge, or hold the top for 3 seconds

3. Reverse lunge

Step one foot back and lower until both knees are bent, then push through your front heel to return. Reverse lunges are usually easier on the knees than forward lunges.

• Easier: hold a wall or chair for balance
• Harder: add a knee drive at the top

4. Step-up

Step onto a sturdy, low step or the bottom stair, stand tall, then step down with control.

• Harder: use a higher step, or step up more slowly

5. Calf raise

Rise onto the balls of your feet, pause, and lower slowly. Hold a wall for balance.

• Harder: single-leg calf raises

Upper body

6. Push-up progression

Hands slightly wider than your shoulders, body in a straight line, lower your chest toward your hands and push back up.

• Easiest: wall push-up
• Easier: incline push-up on a counter or table
• Standard: knees or toes on the floor

7. Prone Y-T-W raises

Lie face down and lift your arms slightly off the floor in Y, T, and W shapes. This trains the upper back and shoulders, which are hard to reach without equipment.

8. Chair triceps dip

Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair, hands beside your hips, and slide forward. Bend your elbows to lower a few inches, then press back up. Keep the range small at first, and skip this one if it bothers your shoulders.

Core

9. Forearm plank

Elbows under shoulders, body in a straight line from head to heels. Breathe normally.

• Easier: plank on your knees or with forearms on a bench
• Harder: lift one foot at a time

10. Dead bug

Lie on your back, arms toward the ceiling, knees bent at 90 degrees. Slowly lower the opposite arm and leg while keeping your lower back on the floor.

11. Bird dog

On hands and knees, extend one arm and the opposite leg, pause, and return. Great for balance and lower-back-friendly core strength.

Cardio

12. Low-impact jacks or marching

Step one foot out to the side while raising your arms, then return and switch sides. When you're ready, progress to regular jumping jacks or high knees.

How to combine them into a workout

Pick one exercise from each group and do them as a circuit:

1. Squat – 10 reps
2. Push-up variation – 8 reps
3. Glute bridge – 12 reps
4. Bird dog – 6 per side
5. Low-impact jacks – 30 seconds

Rest a minute after each round and do 2–3 rounds. Rotate in other exercises from the list on different days for variety. For a fully timed version, try our 20 minute full body workout at home.

Seeing an exercise done correctly is often more useful than reading about it. Fitro has 2,500+ workout videos covering home exercises like these, and its AI workout plans can combine them into sessions matched to your level.

Tip: Film yourself from the side for one set. Many form issues, like a sagging plank or knees caving in on squats, are obvious on video.

Form tips that apply to every exercise

• Move slowly and with control, especially when lowering.
• Breathe. Exhale on the effort, inhale on the return. Don't hold your breath.
• Stop at a comfortable range. Depth and range improve with practice.
• Pain is a stop sign. Muscle effort is normal; sharp or joint pain is not.

Frequently asked questions

Can bodyweight exercises build muscle?

Yes, especially for beginners. As long as you keep making exercises harder over time through more reps, slower tempo, or tougher variations, bodyweight training can build strength and muscle.

How many reps should a beginner do?

Start with a number you can do with good form while leaving a couple of reps in reserve, often 8 to 15 for most exercises. Increase gradually as it feels easier.

What is the easiest exercise for complete beginners?

Wall push-ups, chair squats, glute bridges, and marching in place are some of the gentlest ways to start. They build a base for the harder variations.

How do I train my back without equipment?

Prone Y-T-W raises, bird dogs, and glute bridges all work the back side of your body. A resistance band later on opens up rowing and pulling movements.

Ready to put these moves together? Download Fitro free on Google Play to follow guided videos and build your first routine.