Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
You can do them anywhere, and the best part is that they’re absolutely free!
Building a strong, resilient physique doesn’t require a gym membership or a rack of iron.
By leveraging your own mass against gravity, you can build muscle, improve mobility, and develop functional strength anywhere.
In fact, you only need five exercises to get your body fired up.
Important note: Always speak to your doctor or another health professional when starting a new training regime to decrease risk of injury.
1. The Push-Up
The classic push-up remains the premier upper-body pressing movement, targeting the chest, anterior deltoids, and triceps while requiring active core stabilization.
How to do it
Set up in a high plank with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width. Lower your chest until it hovers an inch off the floor, keeping your elbows tucked at a 45-degree angle. Drive through your palms to return to the top.
2. The Pull-Up
To balance upper-body pushing, vertical pulling is essential. Pull-ups target the upper back, lats, and biceps while demanding significant grip strength.
How to do it
Hang from a bar with an overhand grip. Pull your shoulder blades down and back, then drive your elbows toward your ribs until your chin clears the bar. Lower down under control. (If you don’t have a bar, inverted rows under a sturdy table serve as a great alternative.)
3. The Bulgarian Split Squat
Unilateral leg training fixes strength imbalances while heavily taxing the quads, glutes, and stabilizers without overloading the spine.
How to do it
Rest the top of your rear foot on a chair or couch behind you. Step your front foot forward, then lower your back knee toward the floor until your front thigh is parallel to the ground. Drive through your front heel to stand.
4. The Pike Push-Up
Overhead pressing strength is often overlooked in bodyweight routines. Pike push-ups shift your center of gravity forward to target the shoulders and upper chest.
How to do it
Start in a push-up position, then walk your feet forward and lift your hips until your body forms an inverted V. Bend your elbows to lower the crown of your head toward the floor between your hands, then press back up.
5. The Hollow Body Hold
Borrowed from gymnastics, this isometric hold conditions the entire midsection to act as a unified, stable brace.
How to do it
Lie flat on your back, pressing your lower back firmly into the floor. Extend your arms overhead and legs straight out. Lift your shoulders and feet a few inches off the ground, keeping your spine glued to the floor throughout the hold.
Combine these five movements into a circuit of 3 to 4 rounds—aiming for 8 to 15 reps per exercise and a 30-second hollow hold—three days a week to build comprehensive, gear-free strength.
