WORK OUT (ALMOST) ANYWHERE WITH THESE 3 EQUIPMENT-FREE TRAINING PLANS
For many of us, working out is synonymous with going to the gym. The gym is where most people get their first real taste of fitness—the beginning of a lifelong journey.
But you can’t always rely on the gym. For one, as we’ve all learned, sometimes the gym isn’t going to be open when you need it. And other times circumstances like travel and busy schedules can simply make it impossible to get there, despite our best intentions.
Well, as it turns out, you don’t need the gym—at least, not for every workout. In fact, you’d be surprised by just how much your own body weight can do for you. Using nothing but the bones you were born with, you can do things like train to failure, perform drop sets, and all kinds of other techniques you’ve probably come to associate with the weight room, and all you need is the knowledge to know how.
“Body-weight workouts are excellent for building strength,” says Anthony Crouchelli, C.F.S.C., founder of the .1 Method — a holistic approach to fitness and wellness.
They’re also a great way to challenge your body with lower-impact options, says Crouchelli, who played pro soccer before transitioning to fitness and now looks at every workout through the lens of not just progress but also longevity.
A Master Trainer at both Liteboxer and GRT BXNG, Crouchelli spends the better part of each week devising fresh and engaging workouts that require little to no equipment. So, we figured, who better to ask for some go-to workouts for when you’ve got nothing but your body weight?
Below, Crouchelli shares three custom body-weight workouts, created just for you, that you can break out any time, anywhere, and without needing to set foot in a gym, or even leave your home for that matter.
Body-Weight Arm Workout
We know what you’re looking for, and we’ve got you covered: “This arm-focused workout is all about spending time under tension to build up those boulder shoulders and take your biceps and triceps to a whole new level,” Crouchelli says. In this workout you’ll see an emphasis on stabilization, flow, and connecting your grip to the floor. “You are going to feel the burn,” Crouchelli says, “but more important, you’ll find an opportunity for growth in every exercise.”
Directions: Perform each exercise for 40 seconds, followed by 20 seconds of rest, before moving on to the next exercise. Complete 10 rounds.
1. Forearm Triceps Extension
Starting in a high plank position, shift your hands slightly forward so your wrists are directly under your eyes. Maintaining a neutral spine, engage your fingertips to grip the floor. This is your starting position. With control, lower your elbows towards the floor until your forearms are flat on the ground. From here, use your triceps to reverse the movement and press you back up to the starting position. That’s one rep. If this is too difficult, do the exercise with your knees on the floor.
2. Banshee Pushup
Get into a pushup position with your core engaged and shoulders stacked over your wrists. This is your starting position. From here, descend towards the floor as you would for a regular pushup. Instead of pressing back up to the starting position, press with your triceps and move your hips up and back into a downward dog position. Pause for a count in downward dog and then slowly shift your weight forward to return to the starting position. That’s one rep. As you familiarize yourself with this movement, try to make the transitions as fluid as possible.
3. Archer Pushup
From a pushup position, shift your hands further apart—about double shoulder width—and rotate them externally so your fingers are pointing out to the sides. This is your starting position. From here, keep you core tight and descend towards the ground as you would for a regular pushup; except, instead of moving straight down, bring your torso down towards your right hand until your right elbow is tucked closely into your right side. Your right arm should be doing all the work here, while your left arm remains straight. Pause here for a count before pressing back up to the starting position. That’s one rep. Now repeat the movement on the other side, and continue alternating.
4. Negative Pushup
Get into a pushup position with your core engaged and shoulders stacked over your hands. This is your starting position. From here, this movement pattern will be the same as a regular pushup; what sets it apart is the tempo. Instead of lowering your body to the floor in one quick movement, slow down your descent so that it takes six seconds to arrive at the botton of the rep. When your chest reaches an inch above the floor, pause for a count and then press back up to the starting position as you would with a regular pushup. The emphasis of this movement is on the eccentric (or, lowering) phased of the rep. If six seconds is too difficult at first, start with three or four and gradually move up from there as you get stronger.
Body-Weight Leg Workout
Think you can’t train your legs without heavy iron? Think again. “This workout is designed to activate your lower body,” Crouchelli says. “You’ll explore a variety of push and pull patterns, concentrating on tempo, time under tension, and proper form.” By incorporating unilateral movements that work one leg at a time, you’re able to increase the load on each leg to build not only strength but also muscular endurance in various planes of motion.
Directions: Perform each exercise for 40 seconds, followed by 20 seconds of rest, before moving on to the next exercise. Complete 10 rounds.
1. Bulgarian Split Lunge
Standing tall with your chest up and shoulders back, bend your right knee and bring your right foot behind you to rest laces-down on a bench or chair. Take a moment to find your balance, engaging your left glute and quad for stability. This is your starting position. From here, bend your left knee as you lower your body with control towards the floor. As you descend, ensure your left knee does not extend beyond your toes on the same leg. You’ll know you’re at the bottom of the rep when your left thigh is parallel with the floor and your right knee is about an inch above the ground. Pause for a count, then push through your left heel to reverse the movement and return to the staring position. That’s one rep. Switch legs with each new set.
2. Pendulum Lunge
Stand tall and ensure you have some open space behind and in front of you. This is your starting position. Keeping your core engaged and chest up, step your right leg behind you into a reverse lunge. From here, as you press through your left heel to reverse the movement, do not stop at the starting position but rather transition through it and directly into a forward lunge on your right leg. (The right leg that was behind you in the reverse lunge should now be in front of you at the bottom of the forward lunge.) Press through your right heel to return to the starting position. That’s one rep. As you gain confidence with this movement, try to reduce your time between reps until you are able to complete a full set without your right foot touching the floor between lunges. Switch legs with each new set.
3. Prisoner Deadlift To Squat
Begin in a standing position with your feet about hip width apart. Interlace your fingers behind your head with your shoulders pinched together and elbows pointing out to the sides. This is your starting position. From here, just like a regular deadlift, pull your hips back, and lower your chest towards the floor while maintaining a soft bend in your knees. When you feel the stretch in your hamstrings, pause for a count. From here, instead of returning to the starting position, bend your knees and lower your hips into a body-weight squat until your thighs are parallel with the floor. Pause here for a count and then press through your heels to return to the starting position. That’s one rep. Keep your fingers interlaced behind your head throughout the movement.
4. Skater Pogo Hop
Get into an athletic stance, as if you were about to perform a set of lateral skater hops. This is your starting position. As you hop out to your right side, spot your landing where your right foot will touch down on the ground. When you land on your right foot, instead of immediately hopping back to the left, explode off your right leg to launch yourself directly upwards into a jump. Land in a squat position with both feet on the ground and pause here for a count. Press through your heels to return to the starting position. That’s one rep. Alternate legs throughout the set.
Body-Weight Full-Body Workout
This full-body workout is all about unleashing your inner athlete,” Crouchelli says. With a focus on compound exercises, there is more work here than meets the eye—complete with explosive and multidirectional movements to level up your workout “If you ask me, this workout is an absolute necessity to add into your body-weight program arsenal,” Crouchelli says. “Tie those laces tight and get ready to power through this tough but fun circuit!
Directions: Perform each exercise for 40 seconds, followed by 20 seconds of rest, before moving on to the next exercise. Complete 10 rounds.
1. Three-Step Mountain Climber
Set yourself up in a high plank position with your core engaged, shoulders stacked over your wrists, and eyes gazing directly down to the floor. From here, quickly alternate driving each knee up to your chest. The difference between this exercise and a typical mountain climber is you’re going to pause on every third rep. So, you’ll quickly bring your right knee up to your chest, then your left, and then pause on your next rep just as your right knee comes up to your chest. That’s one rep. Hold the pause for a count, and then continue the pattern. You’ll notice the paused rep will alternate from left to right each time. With each pause, focus on crunching your core and stabilizing your balance.
2. Beast Kick-Through
Start in a quadruped position, also known as a bear plank, with your shoulders stacked above your wrists and knees bent at 90 degrees and hovering about an inch off the ground. This is your starting position. In one fluid motion, lift your left hand and right foot off the ground as you rotate your body, plant your left heel on the ground, and kick your right leg “through” to your left side as if you were pointing to the wall on your left with your right heel. As your right leg extends out to the left side, root into the ground through your right arm and tuck your left elbow in tight to your body. (You can also use your left arm to help you maintain balance if needed.) Hold this position for a count, then return to the starting position. That’s one rep. Alternate sides throughout the set.
3. Frog Hop
Lower your body into a squat position. Keep your glutes engaged and chest up. This is your starting position. From here, bring your arms behind you and then swing them forward as you explosively hop two or three feet in from of you. Land softly back into the squat position with control, making sure to absorb the impact with the balls of your feet before sinking down into your heels for the squat hold. That’s one rep.
4. Lateral High Knees to Sprint
Find a spot where your have approximately six feet of free space on either side of you, and 10–20 yards of clearance directly ahead. From a standing position, perform 12 reps of high knees while simultaneously traveling laterally to your left or right. (Regardless of the direction you’re going, your shoulders should be facing directly forwards at all times.) The moment you hit your 12th rep of high knees, take off in an all-out sprint straight ahead for 10–20 yards. That’s one rep. Return to your starting position and repeat on the other side. Don’t hold back on this one!