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Exercises

Bodyweight exercises for men: push-ups, pull-ups, dips and single-leg squats

Published October 29, 2026

The best bodyweight exercises for men are push-ups (then decline, pike and archer push-ups), pull-ups and chin-ups, dips, inverted rows, squats and reverse lunges (then skater squats), Nordic hamstring curls, hanging knee raises and planks. You can build muscle with body weight alone if each set ends within 1 to 3 reps of failure and you keep moving to harder versions: once you can do 15 to 20 clean reps of something, switch to the next progression rather than adding more reps. Train full body three times a week; a pull-up bar is the one piece of equipment worth buying.

  1. Push-Up Chest
  2. Pull-Up Lats
  3. Chest Dip Chest, Triceps
  4. Skater Squat Quads, Glutes
  5. Inverted Row Upper Back, Lats
  6. Pike Push-Up Shoulders
  7. Nordic Hamstring Curl Hamstrings
  8. Hanging Knee Raise Abs

Push-ups, pike push-ups and dips

Pushing is the easiest pattern to load with body weight. Start with the push-up, raise your feet to make it harder, shift your weight to one arm with the archer push-up, and use the pike push-up and dips for shoulders and triceps.

Chest, shoulders and triceps, floor press

Push-Up

Chest

The base of every bodyweight program. Lower until your chest nearly touches the floor; once you can do 20 clean reps, move to the decline or archer push-up.

How to do it

  1. Set your hands slightly wider than your shoulders with your body straight from head to heels.
  2. Lower until your chest nearly touches the floor, elbows at about 45 degrees.
  3. Press back up to straight arms.

Cues

  • One straight line
  • Elbows angled back

Common mistakes

  • Flaring the elbows straight out: tuck them toward your ribs.

Swap for: Kneeling Push-Up, Incline Push-Up, Push-Up Plus

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Upper chest and shoulders, feet-raised push-up

Decline Push-Up

Chest

Putting your feet on a bench or bed shifts more of your weight onto your hands. It is the first progression after regular push-ups get easy.

How to do it

  1. Put your feet on a chair or bench and your hands on the floor under your shoulders.
  2. Brace so your body is straight from heels to head, no sag at the hips.
  3. Lower until your forehead is just above the floor, elbows about 45 degrees from your sides.
  4. Press back to locked arms, keeping your hips from rising first.

Cues

  • Higher feet, harder rep
  • Forehead toward the floor
  • Press the floor away

Common mistakes

  • Piking your hips to make the press easier: if the straight line goes, use a lower chair.
  • Letting your shoulders ride up to your ears at the bottom: keep them pulled down and back.

Swap for: Push-Up, Archer Push-Up, Weighted Push-Up

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Chest and triceps, one-side push-up

Archer Push-Up

Chest

Moving your weight over one arm while the other stays straight makes each side press most of your body weight. A step toward the one-arm push-up.

How to do it

  1. Set your hands about twice shoulder width apart in a plank, fingers turned slightly out.
  2. Lower toward your right hand, bending the right elbow while the left arm stays straight.
  3. Bring your chest close to your right hand, then press back to the middle.
  4. Repeat to the left and keep alternating, or finish one side first.

Cues

  • Bent arm does the work
  • Straight arm only balances
  • Hips stay square

Common mistakes

  • Bending both arms equally, which makes it a wide push-up: keep the helping arm straight.
  • Twisting your hips toward the floor: hold the plank level as you shift.

Swap for: One-Arm Push-Up, Decline Push-Up, Push-Up

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Shoulders and triceps, overhead press pattern

Pike Push-Up

Shoulders

With your hips high, you press your body weight nearly overhead. It is the bodyweight shoulder press, and raising your feet makes it harder.

How to do it

  1. Start in a push-up position with your hands a bit wider than your shoulders and fingers spread.
  2. Walk your feet toward your hands and raise your hips until your body forms an upside-down V, with your weight leaning over your hands.
  3. Bend your elbows and lower the top of your head toward a point a few inches in front of your hands, so your head and hands form a triangle.
  4. Bend your elbows out to the sides and stop when your head lightly touches the floor or just above it.
  5. Press the floor away and straighten your arms, pushing your hips back up to the V.

Cues

  • Hips stay high
  • Head forward of hands
  • Push the floor away

Common mistakes

  • Letting the hips drop as you lower: that turns it back into a regular push-up; keep the hips stacked over your shoulders as much as you can.
  • Lowering your head straight between your hands: aim slightly forward so your forearms stay close to vertical.
  • Cutting the range short: lower until your head is near the floor, using a yoga block or book as a target if you need one.

Swap for: Handstand Push-Up, Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Decline Push-Up

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Chest and triceps, parallel-bar dip

Chest Dip

Chest, Triceps

Dips load your full body weight on chest and triceps, more than push-ups do. If you have parallel bars or a dip station, it is the main pushing exercise.

How to do it

  1. Grip parallel bars and step or jump up until your arms are straight and you are holding yourself above the bars.
  2. Lean your chest slightly forward with your legs under you or a little behind.
  3. Bend your elbows to sink down until your upper arms are about level with the bars.
  4. Press back up to straight arms and lock out.

Cues

  • Shoulders down, chest proud
  • Slight forward lean
  • Lock out every rep

Common mistakes

  • Sinking so deep your shoulders ache: stop when your upper arms reach the level of the bars.
  • Swinging your legs to get up: keep them still and end the set when you need momentum.

Swap for: Machine Triceps Dip, Bench Dip, Close-Grip Bench Press

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Pull-ups, chin-ups and rows

Body weight is already heavy for pulling, which is why most men can do far fewer pull-ups than push-ups. The inverted row is the starting point; pull-ups and chin-ups follow.

Upper back and lats, horizontal pull

Inverted Row

Upper Back, Lats

Pulling your chest to a bar at hip height trains the back with part of your body weight. The row to master before pull-ups, and still useful after.

How to do it

  1. Set a bar at about hip height, lie under it, and grip it with your hands a little wider than your shoulders.
  2. Straighten your body from heels to head, or bend your knees with feet flat for an easier version.
  3. Pull your chest up to the bar, leading with your elbows, and keep your hips in line.
  4. Lower until your arms are straight, then pull again.

Cues

  • Body stays a straight plank
  • Chest touches the bar
  • Bend your knees to make it easier

Common mistakes

  • Letting your hips sag so only your chest rises: squeeze your glutes and move as one piece.
  • Pulling the bar to your neck: aim for the bottom of your chest.

Swap for: TRX Row, One-Arm Dumbbell Row, Seated Cable Row

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Lats and biceps, underhand pull

Chin-Up

Lats

Palms facing you, the biceps help more than in a pull-up, so most men get more reps. Start here if pull-ups are not there yet.

How to do it

  1. Hang from the bar with your palms toward you and hands shoulder-width.
  2. Pull your elbows down and back until your chin is over the bar.
  3. Lower to a full hang with straight arms.
  4. Keep your legs quiet and your body still between reps.

Cues

  • Palms toward you
  • Chin over the bar
  • Dead hang at the bottom

Common mistakes

  • Kipping or kicking to finish: stop the set when you cannot pull cleanly.
  • Half reps at the top: straighten your arms fully every time.

Swap for: Close-Grip Chin-Up, Assisted Pull-Up

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Lats and upper back, overhand pull

Pull-Up

Lats

The best bodyweight back builder. Five strict reps is a good first goal, and ten is when it starts to count as easy.

How to do it

  1. Grab the bar overhand, hands a little wider than your shoulders, and hang from fully straight arms.
  2. Pull your shoulders down away from your ears before your elbows start to bend.
  3. Drive the elbows toward your ribs until your chin passes over the bar.
  4. Lower slowly to a dead hang and pull again.

Cues

  • Shoulders down, then pull
  • Legs still and together
  • Two seconds on the way down

Common mistakes

  • Swinging the legs to cheat reps: cross your ankles and brace the abs.
  • Half reps from a bent-arm start: finish each rep at a full hang.

Swap for: Chin-Up, Lat Pulldown, Band-Assisted Pull-Up

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Squats, lunges and Nordic curls

Two-leg squats get easy fast. Single-leg work like the skater squat puts all your weight on one leg, and the Nordic curl gives the hamstrings a load that is hard to match even in a gym.

Quads and glutes, two-leg squat

Bodyweight Squat

Quads

Builds the squat pattern and leg endurance. It gets easy within weeks, so use it to warm up or as a beginner's main leg exercise.

How to do it

  1. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly, arms out in front for balance.
  2. Push your hips back and bend your knees, keeping your heels flat and your chest up.
  3. Lower until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor, deeper if your heels stay down.
  4. Drive through your whole foot to stand tall, then go straight into the next rep.

Cues

  • Heels glued to the floor
  • Knees over toes
  • Thighs to parallel or lower

Common mistakes

  • Knees caving in on the way up: push them out over your little toes.
  • Quarter squats to hit a rep count: a full-depth set of 12 beats a shallow set of 30.

Swap for: Reverse Lunge, Wall Sit, Jump Squat

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Quads and glutes, stepping lunge

Reverse Lunge

Quads, Glutes

Stepping back loads one leg at a time and is easy to control. Start with body weight; holding a weight in each hand, as in the demo, is the step after. It bridges the gap between squats and the skater squat.

How to do it

  1. Stand tall holding a kettlebell in each hand at your sides.
  2. Step one foot back and lower until the back knee nearly touches the floor.
  3. Keep most of your weight on the front foot.
  4. Push through the front foot to step back up, then alternate or finish one side.

Cues

  • Step long, drop straight down
  • Front foot does the work
  • Tall chest

Common mistakes

  • Short steps that push the front knee far over the toes: step back further.
  • Wobbling side to side: narrow the load or slow down.

Swap for: Bulgarian Split Squat, Dumbbell Reverse Lunge, Step-Up

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Quads and glutes, single-leg squat

Skater Squat

Quads, Glutes

Squatting on one leg with the back knee lowering behind you puts your whole body weight on one leg. It is the hardest leg exercise you can do with no equipment, short of the pistol squat.

How to do it

  1. Stand on one foot and bend the other knee so that foot is behind you, arms straight out in front as a counterweight.
  2. Push your hips back and lean your chest forward as you bend the standing knee.
  3. Lower until the back knee is just above the floor.
  4. Drive through your standing foot to stand tall; sets are per leg.

Cues

  • Arms forward as the counterweight
  • Chest leans, back stays flat
  • Back knee to a folded towel

Common mistakes

  • Only going down a few inches: put a folded towel or cushion where your knee should land and touch it every rep.
  • Letting the standing knee collapse inward: track it over your toes, and slow the lowering if it wobbles.

Swap for: Pistol Squat, Reverse Lunge, Cossack Squat

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Hamstrings, slow lowering

Nordic Hamstring Curl

Hamstrings

Lowering your body forward from your knees overloads the hamstrings as they lengthen. Even advanced lifters manage only a few reps, so it is enough load with zero equipment.

How to do it

  1. Kneel on a cushion with your ankles pinned under a couch, or held by a partner, and your body upright from knees to head.
  2. Squeeze your glutes and lower your torso forward as slowly as you can, bending only at the knees.
  3. When your hamstrings can't hold you, catch yourself with your hands on the floor.
  4. Push off the floor lightly and pull with your hamstrings to come back up to kneeling.

Cues

  • Hips stay open, no folding
  • Lower as slowly as possible
  • Hands catch, then help up

Common mistakes

  • Bending at the hips to make the lowering easier: keep a straight line from knees to shoulders.
  • Flopping to the floor after a few inches: fight it the whole way down; the slow lowering is the rep.

Swap for: Single-Leg RDL, Band Good Morning, Superman

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Hanging raises and planks

Your trunk works in every push-up and pull-up. Add one hanging and one plank exercise per week to train it directly.

Abs and hip flexors, hanging raise

Hanging Knee Raise

Abs

Hanging from the bar trains grip while your abs curl the pelvis up. Once 15 reps are easy, straighten your legs.

How to do it

  1. Hang from the bar with straight arms and your legs together.
  2. Draw your knees up toward your chest and curl your pelvis up at the top.
  3. Lower your legs slowly until they hang straight and still.

Cues

  • Curl the pelvis
  • Stop the swing
  • Slow down

Common mistakes

  • Swinging into each rep: pause at the bottom until you are still.
  • Lifting the knees only to hip height, which works the hip flexors more than the abs.

Swap for: Captain's Chair Knee Raise, Reverse Crunch

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Abs and trunk, hold

Plank

Abs

Holding a straight line from head to heel trains the trunk to resist sagging, the same job it does in every push-up.

How to do it

  1. Set your forearms under your shoulders and your feet behind you, body in a straight line.
  2. Squeeze your glutes and pull your ribs down toward your hips.
  3. Hold, breathing normally, without letting your hips sag or rise.
  4. For the harder version, reach one arm forward and lift the opposite foot, hold, then switch sides.

Cues

  • Ribs down
  • Glutes tight
  • Straight line

Common mistakes

  • Hips sagging toward the floor: that hangs on your lower back.
  • Holding for minutes at an easy level: make it harder instead.

Swap for: Long Lever Plank, Plank Shoulder Tap

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Put them together: example sessions

Each session below picks from the exercises above for one situation, with the sets, reps, rest and RIR filled in.

Session 1

New to training, at home with a doorway pull-up bar

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets45 a week
  • Per workout~35 min
  • EquipmentPull-Up Bar

You are starting out or coming back after years off, you train at home, and you have a pull-up bar but nothing else.

One full-body session that covers push, pull, legs and trunk, 15 sets, three times a week. Each muscle gets 9 to 12 hard sets weekly, which is plenty while the movements are new.

Full Body
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Bodyweight Squat 3 × 12–25 2 1 min
Push-Up 3 × 5–15 2 90 s
Chin-UpSlow 3-second lowering. Jump to the top if you cannot pull yet. 3 × 3–8 2 2 min
Reverse LungePer leg. 3 × 8–12 2 1 min
PlankSeconds per hold. 3 × 20–45 2 1 min
How to run it
Monday, Wednesday and Friday, or any three days with a rest day between.
How to progress
Add reps each session. When you hit the top of a range on every set, move to the next version: push-up to decline push-up, squat to reverse lunge, slow chin-up negatives to full chin-ups.
Open in the session builder

Session 2

Calisthenics at a park or with a pull-up bar and dip bars

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts3× a week
  • Working sets41 a week
  • Per workout~40 min
  • EquipmentPull-Up Bar, Dip Bar, Barbells

You can already do a few pull-ups and 20 push-ups, and you have a pull-up bar, dip bars and a low bar for rows.

Two sessions that each lead with a hard push and pull, then single-leg and trunk work. Day A has 14 sets and Day B has 13; run three times a week, each muscle gets 12 to 16 hard sets.

Day A: Pull-up and dip
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Pull-Up 4 × 5–10 1 2:30 min
Chest Dip 4 × 6–12 1 2 min
Skater SquatPer leg. 3 × 5–10 2 90 s
Hanging Knee Raise 3 × 8–15 1 75 s

Open Day A: Pull-up and dip in the session builder

Day B: Row and pike
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Inverted Row 3 × 8–15 1 90 s
Pike Push-Up 3 × 6–12 1 2 min
Archer Push-UpPer side. 3 × 5–8 2 90 s
Nordic Hamstring Curl 2 × 3–6 2 2:30 min
Chin-Up 2 × 5–10 1 2 min

Open Day B: Row and pike in the session builder

How to run it
Alternate A and B three times a week: A, B, A, then B, A, B.
How to progress
Once all sets reach the top of a range, move to the harder variation or add load: a backpack with books on pull-ups and dips, feet raised on pike push-ups, a deeper skater squat.
Open in the session builder

Session 3

Traveling, in a hotel room for 30 minutes

Open in the session builder
  • Workouts2× a week
  • Working sets24 a week
  • Per workout~25 min
  • EquipmentBodyweight

You are away for a few days or weeks with no gym, just a bed, a chair and floor space, and you want to keep your progress.

A short session two or three times a week holds your muscle while you are away. 12 sets of the hardest floor exercises you can do, close to failure, keeps the effort up without equipment.

Hotel Room
ExerciseSets × repsRIRRest
Decline Push-Up 3 × 8–20 1 75 s
Skater SquatPer leg. 3 × 5–12 2 75 s
Pike Push-Up 3 × 6–12 1 75 s
PlankSeconds per hold. 3 × 30–60 2 45 s
How to run it
Two or three times a week while away, for example the morning after arriving and every second day after that.
How to progress
Pick the variation you can do for the bottom of the rep range and go to 1 to 2 reps short of failure each set. Add reps through the trip; the weights at home will be waiting.
Open in the session builder

Make it fit you

Questions

Can I build muscle with bodyweight only?

Yes, as long as the exercises keep getting harder. Sets of 5 to 20 taken close to failure build muscle whether the load is a barbell or your own body. Most men find legs are the first to outgrow it.

What are the best 5 bodyweight exercises?

Push-ups, pull-ups, dips, skater squats and Nordic hamstring curls. Together they train chest, back, shoulders, arms, quads and hamstrings.

What age is hardest to gain muscle?

Muscle gain gets slower as you get older, most noticeably from your 50s onward, but men in their 60s and 70s still build muscle with regular training. Hard sets and enough protein matter at every age.

How many days a week should men do bodyweight workouts?

Three full-body sessions a week, with a rest day between, is the standard. Bodyweight work recovers a little faster than heavy lifting, so a fourth short session is possible.

Are bodyweight exercises enough to stay strong?

For upper body pushing and pulling, yes, for years with the right progressions. For leg strength, single-leg work and Nordic curls go a long way, but heavy squats and deadlifts eventually build more.