Bodyweight Basics

Goal: This is a full-body strength training circuit for anyone who is new to strength training, or for more experienced athletes that want to focus on basic movements. 

Equipment: No equipment = No excuses

Time: 20+ minutes

Warm-Up 

(5-8 minutes)

• Pelvic Circles - 10 circles each direction
• Runner's Lunge with a twist - hold 30 seconds, then raise the outside arm and hold for another 30 sec. Switch legs and repeat

• Walking quad stretch - 8-10 reps each leg

• Walking knee-to-chest - 8-10 reps each leg. Pull your knee to your chest, take a step forward. Repeat with the other leg.

• Caterpillar - 10 reps

Core Set

(5 minutes)

Do the time or reps indicated for each exercise. Rest 30-45 seconds between exercises. Repeat this set 2-3x's.

• Crunches - 10 reps. Pull your shoulders off the ground by using your core. Imagine someone is pulling your chest straight up to the ceiling with a string. Don't pull your chin in toward your chest and yank your neck off the ground.
• Advanced variations: (1) Increase reps to 15-20, (2) Raise feet off the ground so toes are point up toward the ceiling.

• Supported Side Plank with side dip - Hold for 30 seconds. Rest for 30 seconds. Hold the other side for 30 seconds. Once this gets comfortable (after a few weeks of consistent work), lift your supporting leg so that you stack your legs on top of each other. 
• Advanced variations: (1) Remove the supporting knee so you are planking on both of your feet, (2) Dip the hip, (3) Raise the top leg (very advanced!)

• Bird Dog (with crunch) - 10 reps on one side. Rest 30 sec. 10 reps on the other side. Make it slow and controlled. The goal is balance. Instead of doing the crunches sometime, see if you can hold each side for 10-15 seconds. 

 

Lower/Upper Body Set

(10 minutes)
Repeat this set 1-2 x's

• Knee Push-ups - 5-10 reps. Once the knee push-ups are feeling comfortable, do regular push-ups. You can start slowly by adding in 1 regular push-up to your routine each week. Rest 1 min.
• Advanced variation: Regular push-ups
• Full Body Squats - 10 reps. For a more advanced version of Body Squats, try it with your arms extended over your head. Rest 1 min.
• Advanced variations: (1) Increase reps, (2) Add weight by holding a dumbbell in each hand. 

Body Squats

• Single-leg Balance - 15-30 seconds on each leg. Stand in a tall mountain pose. Slowly lift one foot off the ground ~6 inches. Bend the supporting leg ever so slightly. Balance on one leg for 15-30 seconds. Rest for 30 seconds, then switch legs. Repeat 2x's.
• Advanced variation: (1) try closing your eyes while balancing, (2) Single leg squat - squat the leg that you are standing on

• Glute Bridge - 10 reps. Rest for 30 seconds. 
• Advanced variations: (1) Single-leg glute brige - raise one foot ~1 ft. off the ground so you are bridging with just one leg, (2) Rest your feet on a foam roller or a stability ball
  
  

25-min Strength Workouts

Goal: There are two quick workouts here, each 25 minutes. One focuses on core and upper-body, the other focuses on core and lower body. You can do both in a week, add some foam-rolling and stretching, and you have your hour of strength training done for the week. 

Equipment: No equipment = No excuses

Time:  25 min per workout

Workout #1: Core and Upper

Warm-Up

Do a 5-minute warm up - bike, treadmill, rowing machine, or just high kicks, butt kicks, and running in place. Or, do the warm-up from this workout.

Main Set

Repeat this set 2x's. It should be a continuous effort, with 15-20" rest between each exercise. Rest for 1 min. after the first set. To make this more advanced, you can decrease your rest time, increase your reps, or add a set. Just don't do all of these at once! Be patient and work up to it over several weeks or months.

• 30" plank
• 10x push-ups
• 30" side plank with dip
• 10x push-ups
• 30" side plank with dip (other side)
• 10x bird dog on each side
• 30" high-to-low plank
• 10x alternate pikes

Cool down with a few minutes of stretching and/or foam rolling.

Workout #2: Core and Lower

Warm-Up 

Same as Workout #1 (above)
Do a 5-minute warm up - bike, treadmill, rowing machine, or just high kicks, butt kicks, and running in place. Or, do the warm-up from this workout.

Main Set

Same as Workout #1 (above)
Repeat this set 2x's. It should be a continuous effort, with 15-20" rest between each exercise. Rest for 1 min. after the first set. To make this more advanced, you can decrease your rest time, increase your reps, or add a set. Just don't do all of these at once! Be patient and work up to it over several weeks or months.

• 30" plank
• 10x reverse lunge, each side
• 30" side plank with dip
• 10x full body squats
• 30" side plank with dip (other side)
• 10x curtsy lunge each side
• 30" high-to-low plank
• 10x burpees

Cool down with a few minutes of stretching and/or foam rolling.

Endurance Circuit

Goal: This circuit mixes upper body, core, and lower body. The upper/lower body strength sets are a little longer than usual (1:40), so this one is geared toward building muscular endurance. There's a little bit of HIIT (burpees!) added in there to keep your heart rate up. There are variations of each exercises depending on skill level and equipment available. It is written as a 45 minute workout, repeating the core set 2x's and the lower/upper set 2x's, but you can do more or less. 

Equipment: (optional) TRX, dumbbells (5-20 lbs.)

Time: 45 minutes

Warm-Up 

(5-8 minutes)

• Pelvic Circles - 10 circles each direction
• Runner's Lunge with a twist - hold 30 seconds, then raise the outside arm and hold for another 30 sec. Switch legs and repeat

• Walking quad stretch - 8-10 reps each leg

• Walking knee-to-chest stretch - 8-10 reps each leg. Pull your knee to your chest, take a step forward. Repeat with the other leg.

• Caterpillar - 10 reps

Core Set

(10 minutes)

Hold each exercise below for 45 seconds. Take 15 seconds to rest and/or move to the next exercise.

Repeat this set 2x's.

• Plank with front arm reach - Get in a low plank position (elbows on the ground). Reach one arm out in front of you, tap your fingers on the ground, then return it to its starting position. Repeat on the other side. Alternate taps as quickly as possible. If you can't do the taps, just hold the plank.

• Plank with side dip - Dip on one side for 45 sec. Rest 15 sec. Repeat on the other side. For an easier version, rest your lower leg on the ground and bend the leg at a 90-degree angle. For a more advanced version, reach your un-rested arm up and then twist it in front of your body and under your waist.

• Bird Dog (with crunch) - Do as many reps as you can on one side for 45 sec. Rest 15 sec. Repeat on the other side. Make it slow and controlled. The goal is balance. Instead of doing the crunches sometime, see if you can hold each side for 10-15 seconds. 

 

Lower/Upper Body Set

(25 minutes)

Do each exercise below for 1:40. Rest for 20 seconds while you get set up for the next one. 

Repeat the set 2x's. Rest for 1-2 minutes between sets.

• Push-ups - You can do regular push-ups or with your knees on the ground. Whatever you can sustain strong for 1:40.
• Squats - If you have access to a TRX, do TRX Single-leg squats. If not, do Body Squats. See pictures below. For a more advanced version of Body Squats, try it with your arms extended over your head.

Body Squats

TRX Single-Leg Squats (1 minute per leg)

• Renegade Row - The video below shows the Renegade Row with a push-up. The push-up is optional for this workout, as you're already doing push-ups on their own.
  
  

• Reaching Single-Leg Deadlifts - We're calling this a deadlift, but it's really a deadlift with no weights. For a more advanced version, you can do this one with 5-20 lbs dumbbells.
  

• Burpees - Everyone's favorite :-)
  
  

• Single-Leg Glute Bridge - 50 seconds per leg. Start with both legs on the ground if you need to.
  
   

Rest 1-2 minutes and repeat the Lower/Upper set.