Recovery Insights Blog | Foundational Rehab

The Power of Bodyweight Training

You don't need equipment to get strong. Bodyweight exercises:

Work anywhere (home, hotel, park)

Cost nothing

Build functional strength

Improve body control and coordination

Can be progressed from beginner to advanced

Reduce injury risk (self-limiting)

Many elite athletes use bodyweight training as their foundation.

Lower Body Exercises

Squats

Basic Squat

1. Feet shoulder-width apart

2. Sit back and down

3. Keep chest up, knees over toes

4. Lower until thighs parallel (or as low as comfortable)

5. Stand back up

Progressions:

Chair squat (touch chair, stand up)

Half squat

Full squat

Pause squat (hold at bottom)

Jump squat

Lunges

Forward Lunge

1. Step forward

2. Lower back knee toward floor

3. Front knee stays over ankle

4. Push back to start

Variations:

Reverse lunge (step backward)

Walking lunge

Lateral lunge (side)

Curtsy lunge

Hip Hinges

Glute Bridge

1. Lie on back, knees bent

2. Push through heels, lift hips

3. Squeeze glutes at top

4. Lower with control

Single-Leg Glute Bridge

1. Same as above, one leg extended

2. Much more challenging

Hip Hinge

1. Stand tall

2. Push hips back, slight knee bend

3. Keep back straight

4. Feel hamstring stretch

5. Return to standing

Single-Leg Work

Step-Up

1. Step onto sturdy surface

2. Stand tall at top

3. Step down with control

Single-Leg Deadlift

1. Balance on one leg

2. Hinge forward, other leg goes back

3. Touch floor if able

4. Return to standing

Bulgarian Split Squat

1. Rear foot on elevated surface

2. Lower into lunge

3. Challenging for quads and glutes

Calf Exercises

Calf Raise

1. Stand on edge of step

2. Rise onto toes

3. Lower below step level

4. Repeat

Single-Leg Calf Raise

1. Same movement, one leg at a time

Upper Body Exercises

Push Exercises

Push-Up Progression:

Wall Push-Up

1. Hands on wall, lean in

2. Easiest variation

Incline Push-Up

1. Hands on elevated surface (bench, stairs)

2. Easier than floor

Knee Push-Up

1. On knees instead of toes

2. Keep body straight from knees to shoulders

Full Push-Up

1. Hands under shoulders

2. Body straight from head to heels

3. Lower chest to floor

4. Push back up

Advanced:

Diamond push-up (hands close)

Wide push-up

Decline push-up (feet elevated)

Archer push-up

One-arm push-up (advanced)

Pike Push-Up (Shoulders)

1. Hips high, body in inverted V

2. Lower head toward floor

3. Targets shoulders more than chest

Pull Exercises

Pull exercises are harder without equipment, but possible:

Doorframe Rows

1. Hold doorframe edges

2. Lean back, arms straight

3. Pull chest toward door

4. Control return

Table Rows (Australian Pull-Up)

1. Lie under sturdy table

2. Grip table edge

3. Pull chest up toward table

4. Lower with control

Towel Curls

1. Stand on towel, hold ends

2. Curl towel up, creating resistance

If you have a bar:

Inverted rows

Pull-ups (assisted to full)

Chin-ups

Core Exercises

Plank

1. Forearms and toes on ground

2. Body straight

3. Hold

Progressions:

Knee plank

Full plank

Side plank

Plank with arm/leg lift

Dead Bug

1. Lie on back, arms up, knees at 90°

2. Lower opposite arm and leg

3. Keep back flat

4. Alternate sides

Bird Dog

1. On hands and knees

2. Extend opposite arm and leg

3. Hold, return

4. Alternate

Mountain Climbers

1. Push-up position

2. Drive knees toward chest alternately

3. Keep hips level

Hollow Body Hold

1. Lie on back

2. Arms overhead, legs extended

3. Lift shoulders and legs off floor

4. Lower back pressed into floor

5. Hold

Sample Workouts

Beginner Full-Body

Circuit (3 rounds):

1. Chair squats — 10 reps

2. Incline push-ups — 8 reps

3. Glute bridges — 12 reps

4. Dead bugs — 10 each side

5. Wall sit — 20 seconds

Rest 60 seconds between rounds

Intermediate Full-Body

Circuit (3-4 rounds):

1. Squats — 15 reps

2. Push-ups — 10-12 reps

3. Reverse lunges — 10 each leg

4. Plank — 30 seconds

5. Single-leg glute bridge — 10 each

6. Mountain climbers — 20 total

Rest 45-60 seconds between rounds

Advanced Full-Body

Circuit (4 rounds):

1. Jump squats — 12 reps

2. Diamond push-ups — 10 reps

3. Bulgarian split squats — 10 each leg

4. Pike push-ups — 8 reps

5. Single-leg deadlift — 8 each leg

6. Hollow body hold — 20 seconds

7. Burpees — 8 reps

Rest 45 seconds between rounds

Lower Body Focus

1. Squats — 3x15

2. Reverse lunges — 3x12 each leg

3. Glute bridges — 3x15

4. Single-leg deadlift — 3x10 each

5. Calf raises — 3x20

6. Wall sit — 3x30 seconds

Upper Body Focus

1. Push-ups — 3x max (stop 2 before failure)

2. Pike push-ups — 3x8-10

3. Table rows — 3x10-12

4. Plank shoulder taps — 3x10 each side

5. Tricep dips (on chair) — 3x10-12

6. Plank — 3x30 seconds

Progressing Bodyweight Exercises

When exercises get easy:

1. Add reps (up to 15-20)

2. Add sets (up to 4-5)

3. Slow down (3 seconds down, pause, 3 seconds up)

4. Add pauses (hold at hardest point)

5. Progress to harder variation

6. Reduce rest time

7. Add plyometrics (jumps)

Common Mistakes

1. Going too fast — Control the movement

2. Partial range of motion — Use full range when possible

3. Poor form — Quality over quantity

4. Skipping warm-up — 5-10 minutes of movement first

5. Neglecting progression — Increase challenge over time

The Bottom Line

Bodyweight training is:

1. Accessible anywhere, anytime

2. Effective for building strength

3. Progressable from beginner to advanced

4. Functional and transferable to daily life

5. A complete training system on its own

No excuses—your body is your gym.

Foundational Rehab incorporates bodyweight exercises into many programs for accessibility and effectiveness.

Bodyweight Exercises: Complete No-Equipment Workout Guide