5 Bodyweight Exercises Every Dude Should Know

Lifting weights is great, but it’s worthwhile to learn the basics. Bodyweight exercises are important; you can do them pretty much anywhere, no fancy gear required. They’re good for your muscles and joints, and they can help you perfect your form for when you are lifting heavy. So have a seat and prepare to take notes; here are five bodyweight movements every guy should be able to execute.

Pushups

The pushup is a staple exercise. It engages the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. Not only is it great for your body, but it’s unquestionably manly to be able to bust out a set of pushups in perfect form.

To perform a proper pushup, start in high plank form (more on that below). Your palms should be on the ground directly beneath you, slightly more than shoulder-width apart, and your body should make a straight line from your head to your heels. Your hips should be in line with the rest of your body; you don’t want your ass way up in the air or your hips sagging toward the ground. Your body should maintain that straight line throughout the whole movement. If you need to build up some strength before launching into full pushups, you can set up on your knees rather than your toes. Just keep that back straight.

Once you’re in that proper high plank position, lower your chest toward the ground by bending your elbows, keeping them relatively close to your body — you don’t want them flaring out too much. They should be at no more than a 45-degree angle to your torso. Stop when your chest is just above the ground, then push back up into the high plank.

Bonus: You can modify the standard pushup position to do triceps pushups, which focus more on those muscles. To do so, move your hands inward so that they’re under the top of your chest, rather than your shoulders. Your thumbs and index fingers should almost form a triangle.

Pullups

Yet another exercise that’s particularly manly. Pullups don’t just look badass; they work muscles throughout your back and arms. And you really don’t need a fancy pullup bar for this, though there’s nothing wrong with getting some nice equipment. You can use a simple door-mounted bar, or even just a suitably sized tree branch.

To perform a true pullup, you should use an overhand grip, palms facing away from you, with your hands slightly more than shoulder width apart. This will ensure your lats are doing most of the work, with minimal assistance from your biceps. Pick your feet up off the ground so that you’re at a dead hang. Tighten your core, retract your shoulder blades, and pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar, keeping your arms in close to your body. Lower yourself back to a dead hang with control, and repeat.

Bonus: There are all kinds of modifications you can make to the standard pullup that will change which muscles are doing most of the work. Consider the chinup: Use a supinated grip, palms facing toward you, with your hands about shoulder width apart. This allows your biceps to assist more than they do in a standard pullup. Or you could do a wide-grip pullup, spreading your hands farther apart on the bar; this engages your traps more.

Squats

The classic bodyweight exercise for getting caked up. You can squat with added weight, of course, but you don’t need added weight for squats to be effective. Plus, squatting without weight is a good way to perfect your form. Your quads, glutes, and hammies will all appreciate the gift of a well-executed squat (plus, it improves joint mobility and stability).

Start with your feet a little wider than your hips. You want your core tight and your chest up and forward-facing throughout the movement. Sink your hips back into the squat, keeping your knees from extending forward past your toes. You don’t want your knees to start turning inward, either. At the bottom of your squat, your thighs should be parallel to the ground or lower. Drive back up through your heels, tensing your glutes at the top of the squat, and repeat.

Dips

Triceps dips help work the backs of your upper arms, and all you need to complete them is a stable ledge about seat-high (a bench or a windowsill is perfect).

To perform a proper dip, face away from the ledge, and set the palms of your hands against it, fingers gripping the edge. Extend your legs out in front of you so that you’re at a 45-degree angle to the ground, head in line with your heels, your weight resting on both your feet and your hands. Bend your arms to slowly lower your body, bending at the waist, until your elbows are at right angles. You might nearly be sitting on the ground. Keep your elbows as close to your body as possible, not letting them flare out to the sides. Then push yourself back up until your arms are extended, and repeat.

Planks

Let’s be clear here: When we say you should know how to plank, we do not mean that bullshit trend from the early 2010s in which idiots would lie facedown on cliff edges or traintracks. Don’t do that. What we’re talking about is a core-strengthening exercise that you should practice in a safe location, like a sane person who isn’t chronically online.

There are a couple ways to perform a proper plank, but in all iterations, your body should be basically parallel to the ground, in a straight line from your head to your heels. In a high plank, you should have your palms on the ground directly under your shoulders, your toes on the ground with your heels pointing up; in a low plank, your forearms should be flat on the ground, with your elbows underneath your shoulders. Remember that your body should be in a straight line — that means that your hips should neither be sagging toward the ground nor way up in the air. Your back should be flat, and your butt should be in line with your back and legs.

The high plank engages your shoulders and upper body more; the low plank emphasizes the core. If you need to build up some strength before regularly practicing full planks, you can hold the plank position from your knees rather than your feet; just make sure, as always, that your back is straight. Once you’re in position, you hold it. A good way to improve your planks is to time yourself, and progressively increase the length of time you hold the plank.

Bonus: Side planks. These focus on your obliques, as well as other core muscles. You can do these in either high plank (bottom palm on the ground under your bottom shoulder) or low plank (bottom elbow on the ground under your bottom shoulder) position. These function much the same as a regular plank, except, as the name suggests, you’re on your side rather than facedown. Put your top hand on your top hip to keep that arm out of the way. The side of your bottom foot (or the side of your bottom knee, if you need an easier option to start; keep the top leg straight) should be pressed into the ground with the other foot on top of it, and your body should be in a straight line from head to heels. Don’t let those hips sag!

In Conclusion

With these five bodyweight exercises, you can work all the major muscle groups throughout your body — arms, legs, chest, core, and back — no weights or equipment needed. With knowledge and proper form, you don’t need a gym to get in shape. 

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Train hard. Look sharp. Recover in style.