Strengthen your entire body with just five equipment-free moves

Bodyweight workouts shouldn’t be boring. Using variations of classic moves like squats, lunges, and push-ups, you can keep your sessions fun by challenging yourself to learn new skills and build a stronger body at the same time. 

This five-move workout from personal trainer Tanya Poppett (opens in new tab) is a great example of how creative exercise selection can make for an effective, enjoyable workout. It takes just 20 minutes, works your whole body, and you don’t need any equipment to try it.

You may want a yoga mat (opens in new tab) for some extra grip and cushioning, but it’s optional. To give this workout a go, perform the first exercise for 40 seconds, rest for 20 seconds, then move on to the second exercise .

Continue with this format for all five moves, then repeat this sequence for three further rounds to complete the workout. If you’ve not tried these exercises before, watch Poppett’s demonstrations to practice your technique before starting.

Watch Tanya Poppett’s five-move bodyweight workout

These moves offer an alternative to some workout staples. For example, the squat pulse rotation is a twist on the classic bodyweight squat (opens in new tab), while the hand-release climber push-ups add an extra core workout (opens in new tab) element to the standard push-up (opens in new tab). 

This way, the exercises offer the same strength-building benefits as their base forms, while also activating your mind and improving your coordination by testing your ability to learn new movement patterns. 

And, by implementing short rest times and putting muscles across your entire body to work, this session will spike your heart rate, burn calories and boost your metabolism. 

This is a training technique known as high-intensity resistance training (opens in new tab) (HIRT). The aim is to exercise in short bursts to work your muscles and keep your heart rate high for a muscle-building, fat-burning workout you can do from anywhere.

If you want to try more bodyweight workouts like this one, why not take this quick four-move session (opens in new tab) for a spin? Or, if you’re feeling a little sore after a hard workout yesterday, take a look at these recovery day workout (opens in new tab) ideas. 

Plus, you can help your muscles recover after a workout using the best protein powders for weight loss (opens in new tab). These give your body the nutrients it needs to repair, especially if you blend them into a tasty post-workout smoothie (opens in new tab). 

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