16 Bodyweight Exercises To Get Shredded
Get Shredded With Bodyweight
On today’s episode of Live Lean TV, I’m sharing 16 bodyweight exercises to get shredded.
16 Bodyweight Exercises To Get Shredded
Every exercise uses only your bodyweight, besides the two jump rope exercises.
1. High Knee Sprints
High Knee Sprints are a great high intensity cardio exercise to really get the heart rate pumping and burn some calories.
To get started:
- With a hip width stance, drive one knee up so your thigh is parallel to the ground while pumping the opposite arm and elbow forward, similar to if your were sprinting.
- Softly land the foot on the ground while immediately driving the opposite knee up with your opposite arm driving forward.
- Repeat as fast as you can for reps.
2. Jump Burpee Push Up
The Jump Burpee Push Up is an advanced variation of the burpee that includes a jump and a push up. This modification makes it an even better calorie burning exercise.
To get started:
- While standing, take a shoulder width stance with your arms down by your sides.
- Bend at your hips, then your knees, as you lower your body towards the floor in a squatting motion, while placing your hands on the floor, directly under your shoulders, and outside of your knees.
- Jump back with both feet to get into a standard push up position with your arms extended then immediately complete the push up by bending your elbows and lowering your body until it’s a few inches off the floor, then press your hands through the floor to raise back to the top of the push up.
- Jump both feet back in and immediately jump straight into the air with your arms over your head.
- Land softly, then immediately complete another jump burpee push up.
- Repeat for reps.
3. Jumping Jacks
Jumping Jacks are a great total body cardio exercise to quickly elevate your heart rate and burn fat.
To get started:
- Stand with your feet together and arms down by your sides.
- In one motion, jump up and out landing your feet just outside hip width, while simultaneously raising your arms out to the side and over your head.
- Try to touch your hands above your head.
- Then immediately return back to the starting position and continue for reps.
4. Jump Lunges
Jump Lunges are a great plyometric exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps, glutes, hamstrings, and calves.
It also improves balance, coordination, power, and explosiveness.
To get started:
- While standing, take one step forward with one leg.
- As you make the descent into the lunge, your front thigh should be parallel to the ground with your back knee at a 90 degree angle hovering just above the floor.
- Ensure your upper body is upright and perpendicular to the ground throughout the movement without allowing your front knee to go past your toes in the lunge position.
- Now explode up into a jump by pressing both of your feet through the ground, bringing your back foot forward and your forward foot back, and driving your arms as if you’re sprinting.
- Cushion your joints by landing softly back into the lunge position and repeat.
5. Alternating Lateral Lunge
The side to side alternating lateral lunge is a great way to warm up and build strength in the legs and flexibility in the hips.
To get started:
- While standing, take a wide stance, approximately double shoulder width apart, with your toes pointing forward.
- Hold your hands in front of your chest as you bend and push your hips back to lower your body while shifting your weight to one leg as you bend that knee.
- Your opposite foot should remain planted into the floor.
- Reverse the movement back to the standing position for a brief moment, then repeat with the opposite side, keeping your feet firmly planted into the floor.
- Keep alternating side to side.
6. Push Up
The push up is one of the classic bodyweight exercises that targets the chest, triceps, and shoulders, and can be done anywhere as it requires no equipment.
To get started:
- Get down on the floor with your arms straight, hands just outside shoulder width and directly below your shoulders.
- Ensure your body maintains a straight line from your feet all the way up to your head.
- To keep your body rigid in a straight line, and reduce any sagging, keep your abs, your glutes, your quadriceps, and hamstrings tight throughout the movement.
- To lower your body to the ground, bend your elbows until your chest hovers just above the ground.
- Contract your chest and triceps to push yourself back up to the beginning position.
- Repeat.
7. Walking Lunge
The Walking Lunge is an excellent exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps, hamstrings, and glutes.
To get started:
- Keeping your chest up, step forward with one leg until your thigh is close to parallel to the ground and your knee is bent at a 90 degree angle.
- Press through the ground with your feet, then lift yourself back up to starting position.
- Take a step forward with your other leg and continue alternating sides while walking forward.
- Repeat for reps.
8. 180 Degree Jump Squat And Turn
The 180 Degree Jump Squat and Turn is an awesome plyometric exercise that can improve performance and agility, build explosive leg power, and burn a lot of calories.
To get started:
- While standing with your feet shoulder width apart, bend your hips and knees as you lower into a ¼ squat in preparation for the jump.
- Extend your hips forward and press your feet through the ground as you jump in the air and initiate the 180 degree turn with your lower body.
- Keep your knees soft as your cushion the landing, then immediately jump and turn again in the opposite direction.
- Repeat for reps.
9. Alternating Pop Lunge
The Alternating Pop Lunge is a great plyometric cardio exercise that targets the legs.
By alternating legs mid set, it requires more coordination.
To get started:
- While standing, take one step backward with one leg.
- As you make the descent into the lunge, your front thigh should be parallel to the ground with your back knee hovering just above the floor.
- Ensure your upper body is upright and perpendicular to the ground throughout the movement without allowing your front knee to go past your toes in the lunge position.
- Now hop up and bring both feet together, then immediately hopping back into a lunge, but this time alternating legs by bringing the back leg forward and the forward leg back.
- Continue alternating legs and repeat for reps.
10. Tuck Jump
The Tuck Jump is a fantastic plyometric exercise that targets the legs and quickly elevates your heart rate.
To get started:
- Stand with a hip width stance, knees slightly bent, and swing both arms back as you hinge at the hips then swing your arms forward as your jump straight up into the air while bringing your knees up as high as you can.
- Tap your knees with your hands, then land softly with slightly bent knees.
- Keep your elbows bent and arms in front of you as you continue tucking your knees up high with every jump.
- Repeat for reps.
11. Speed Jump Rope
Jump rope is one of my favorite cardio style exercises.
There are many ways to jump rope, however here is the speed jump rope exercise.
To get started:
- Hold the ends of the jump rope in each hand.
- With your feet hip width apart, slightly bend your knees, and push the balls of your feet through the ground to jump up, point your toes to the ground, and with your hands by your waist, quickly rotate your wrists to make small circles to revolve the rope around your body.
- Land softly on your toes, and quickly push off again from the balls of your feet.
- The idea is to jump over the rope, as quickly as possible, with a slight hop.
- Don’t think of jumping as high as you can, think about bouncing off the balls of your feet.
- To make it harder, do double unders.
- This is when the rope revolves under your feet twice, within one jump.
- Once again, the idea is not to just jump higher, the speed comes from the quick rotation of your wrists.
12. Mountain Climbers
Mountain climbers are a great exercise to train your core and burn calories.
To get started:
- Get into a push up position with your hands directly below your shoulders, core tight, and your legs straight behind you.
- Drive one knee towards your chest, while maintaining a flat back, then reverse it back to the starting position.
- Repeat with your other leg.
- Alternate back and forth as fast as you can, maintaining good form.
13. Alternating Reverse Lunge
The Alternating Reverse Lunge is a great exercise that primarily targets the quadriceps as well as the hamstrings and glutes.
To get started:
- While standing with your feet hip width apart, perform the reverse lunge by contracting your core, then stepping back with one leg while lowering your body until your back knee hovers just above the floor with your front knee bent at a 90 degree angle.
- Ensure you are keeping your upper torso straight and upright.
- Press your feet through the ground to bring your back foot back up to standing.
- Alternate legs and continue for reps.
14. Prisoner Squat
The prisoner squat is a more advanced bodyweight squat variation, as you place your hands behind your head.
It not only works your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and calves, but it also challenges your mobility.
To get started:
- Place your hands behind your head and interlock your fingers.
- Stick your chest out and pull your elbows back.
- As you lower down into the squat, think about how you would sit in a chair.
- Hips go back first, followed by bending your knees.
- The bottom of your foot should remain firmly pressed against the ground at all times.
- Go down as low as you can while keeping the natural arch in your back.
- To rise up, squeeze your glutes, and press your feet through the ground.
15. Double Unders Jump Rope
Double Unders Jump Rope is a more advanced version of the speed jump rope exercise.
To get started:
- Hold the ends of the jump rope in each hand.
- With your feet hip-width apart, slightly bend your knees, and push the balls of your feet through the ground to jump up, point your toes to the ground, and with your hands by your waist, quickly rotate your wrists to make small circles to revolve the rope under your feet twice within one jump.
- Land softly on your toes, and quickly push off again from the balls of your feet.
- Once again, the idea is not to just jump higher, the speed of the double under comes from the quick rotation of your wrists.
16. Flying Clapping Push Up
The Flying Clapping Push Up is an explosive plyometric exercise that lifts your entire body off the floor, while clapping your hands together.
This primarily targets your chest, however it requires total body strength to elevate your entire body off the floor.
To get started:
- Get into the traditional push up position with your hands planted into the floor below your shoulders.
- Contract your core and glutes to keep your body in a straight line as you bend your elbows and lower yourself to the floor.
- Once your chest is just a few inches off the floor, contract your core hard, then explosively push the floor away from you with your hands and feet, so your hands and feet come off the floor.
- Quickly clap your hands, then land softly by cushioning your elbows, as you immediately lower into another push up.
- Repeat for reps.
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Question For You:
- How many of these bodyweight exercises do you incorporate into your workouts?
- Do you incorporate these bodyweight exercises with with other resistance training exercies?
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Brad Gouthro is the founder of Live Lean TV, a media company focused on helping men and women “Live Lean” 365 days a year. Brad’s programs and content have helped millions of people all over the world learn how to get in shape, and more importantly, sustain it for life.
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