A 30-Day Bodyweight Challenge To Tone and Tighten Your Entire Body

When it comes to working out, your body weight is all you really need to firm up your entire frame. And when it comes to building a solid foundation, the following moves are key. 

Over 30 days, you can strengthen and tone your chest, arms, legs, butt, and abs with challenging and highly effective total-body exercises. Crush the 30-day challenge, and you'll reap major physical rewards. Plus, you can do the following bodyweight workouts anytime and anywhere.

Benefits of Bodyweight Workouts

Bodyweight workouts are an effective form of resistance training. In particular, bodyweight workouts can help improve the following:

• Strength
• Endurance
• Daily functioning

Bodyweight workouts can be as brief as a few minutes and don't require any equipment. So, you can conveniently incorporate those workouts into your daily routine.  

A study published in 2018 in the Frontiers in Physiology found that six minutes of circuit training with bodyweight exercises, such as push-ups and squats, daily for four weeks can improve functional strength and quality of life. Functional strength helps you easily move in everyday activities.

Try out the following 30-day challenge, which incorporates bodyweight workouts, and see how you feel as you move about your day.

Risks of Bodyweight Workouts

As with any type of exercise, there may be risks of bodyweight workouts. Before starting any new exercise regimen, you should get medical clearance from a healthcare provider, especially if you have a chronic health condition. 

People with chronic health conditions, like arthritis, which impact their physical health, may consult a healthcare provider before performing the following exercises to ensure their safety. For example, you may start with 12 reps of each exercise, slowly working up to 15 reps.

Inchworm to Push-Up

• Stand with feet hip-width apart.
• Fold forward, bringing palms to the ground.
• Walk hands forward to come into a plank.
• Perform one push-up, bending your arms and lowering your chest until it nearly touches the floor, and then push back up to a plank.
• Walk your hands back toward your feet and stand up. 
• That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.

Wall Sit

• Lean against a wall, back flat, and feet shoulder-width apart about two feet from the wall.
• Bend your knees, lowering to 90 degrees, and extend your arms straight out in front of you.
• Hold for 45 seconds, then reverse to return to the start. That's one rep. Rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets

Superman

• Lie facedown with your arms and legs extended straight out.
• Keeping your head in a neutral position, raise your arms, legs, and chest off the floor. Hold for one count, and then slowly lower your back to start.
• That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.

Glute Bridge

• Lie faceup with knees bent, heels under knees, arms at sides, palms facedown, and toes raised.
• Squeeze glutes and lift hips up until the body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. Hold for one count, and then lower your hips back to start.
• That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.

Hollow Hold

• Lie face up with your arms extended overhead and legs straight out.
• Contract your abs, pulling the belly button toward the floor.
• Slowly raise your shoulders and legs off the floor.
• Hold for 45 seconds. That's one rep. Rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.
  

Push-Up

• Get into a straight-arm plank with hands under shoulders, feet hip-width apart, and core tight.
• Lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor. Pause briefly, and then push yourself back up to start.
• That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.

Squat

• Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, chest high, abs tight, and hands clasped in front of the chest.
• Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower down, bringing your hips below parallel.
• Push into heels to rise to stand. That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.

Y-Superman

• Lie facedown with your arms extended diagonally in front of you so your body forms a Y shape.
• Raise your chest and arms off the floor. Hold for one count, then slowly return to the start.
• That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.

Isometric Glute Bridge

• Lie face up with your knees bent, heels under your knees, arms at sides, palms facedown, and toes raised.
• Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips until the body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
• Hold for 45 seconds, then lower your hips back to start. That's one rep. Rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.

V-Up

• Lie face up, your legs and arms extended, palms open, and feet pointed.
• Engage your abs as you bring your legs and arms up toward the midline of your body, trying to touch your toes. Hold for a count of one, and then return to start.
• That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.

Plank Up/Down

• From a straight-arm plank, lower right elbow to the ground, followed by left, coming into a forearm plank.
• Place your right hand on the ground directly beneath your right shoulder and straighten your right elbow.
• Then, place your left hand under your left shoulder and straighten your left elbow, coming back into a straight-arm plank.
• That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.

Squat Walk

• Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
• Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower into a squat with hands clasped in front of your chest.
• Keeping your chest up, your weight in your heels, and your eyes straight ahead, walk forward and backward a few steps. 
• Continue for 45 seconds. That's one rep. Rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.

W-Superman

• Lie facedown with legs extended and palms planted on the floor as if you are about to do a push-up.
• Slide hands forward a bit, bringing them in line with your head.
• Squeeze your lower back and shoulders to raise your chest and arms up. Your arms and head should form a W shape. 
• Hold for one count, then slowly return to the start. That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.

Single-Leg Glute Bridge

• Lie face up with your knees bent, heels under your knees, arms at the sides, palms down, and toes raised.
• Lift your right leg, extending it straight and bringing it in line with your left leg.
• Squeeze glutes and lift hips up until the body forms a straight line from the shoulders to the knee. 
• Hold for one count and then lower back to start, keeping right leg lifted. That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, then switch legs. Rest for 30 seconds, and repeat for two more sets.

Sprinter Abs

• Lie face up with your arms extended overhead and lower back pressed into the floor.
• Sit up explosively, driving your right arm forward with your elbow bent and left knee bent and up as if sprinting while sitting down. Lower back down to start. 
• That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, then switch sides. Rest for 30 seconds, and repeat for two more sets.

Plank to Push-Up

• Start in a forearm plank with elbows under shoulders, feet shoulder-width apart, and back flat. Hold for five seconds.
• Then, place your right hand on the ground directly beneath your right shoulder, and straighten your right elbow.
• Then, with your left hand under your left shoulder, straighten your left elbow, coming back into a straight-arm plank.
• Perform one push-up, lowering your body until your chest nearly touches the floor, then reverse motion to return to a forearm plank.
• That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.

Squat Jump

• Stand with feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly out, arms at sides.
• Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower down as you bring your arms forward.
• At the bottom of the squat, jump up explosively, swinging your arms back, and land softly.
• Immediately sit back down into your squat. That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.

T-Superman

• Lie face down with your legs extended and your arms straight out on either side of your chest. Your body should form a T shape.
• Squeeze your lower back and shoulders to raise your chest and arms up. 
• Hold for one count, then slowly lower back to start. That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.
  

Marching Glute Bridge

• Lie face up with your knees bent, heels under your knees, arms at your sides, palms facedown, and toes raised.
• Squeeze your glutes and lift your hips until the body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.
• Maintain that position as you lift your right knee toward your chest until your hip is 90 degrees.
• Lower your knee back down, and then repeat with your left leg. 
• That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.

Sit-Up With Twist

• Lay face up on the floor with your knees bent, feet flat, and arms extended to the sides.
• Bend your elbows and place your fingertips lightly behind your ears.
• In one fluid movement, sit up and rotate your torso as you bring your left elbow to your right knee.
• Reverse the motion to return to the start, then repeat the move on the opposite side.
• That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.

Eccentric Push-Up

• Get into a straight-arm plank with your hands under your shoulders, feet hip-width apart, and core tight.
• Take three slow counts to lower your body until your chest nearly touches the floor.
• Then, in a single count, push yourself back up to start. That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.

Squat Jump Hold

• Stand with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly out, and arms at your sides.
• Push your hips back, bend your knees, and lower down as you bring your arms forward.
• At the bottom of the squat, jump up explosively, swinging your arms back. Land softly and sink back into the squat. 
• Hold for a count of three, then jump back up explosively. That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.

Superman With 90/90 Retraction

• Lay face down with your arms overhead and legs extended.
• Squeeze your upper back and glutes to lift your arms, chest, feet, and legs.
• Maintaining that position, bend your elbows and glide your arms out and down into 90-degree angles, pulling your elbows in and shoulder blades together.
• Extend your arms back overhead. And then, slowly and with control, lower back down to the start.
• That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.

Frog Pump

• Lay face up with your feet together and knees flaring out so that your legs make a diamond shape.
• Squeezing your glutes, lift your hips so that your body makes a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. 
• Hold for one second, then lower back down to start. That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.
  

Knees-Elevated Bird Dog

• Start on all fours with hands under your shoulders, knees under your hips, and feet flexed with toes tucked.
• Lift your knees a couple of inches off the floor.
• Keeping your back flat and abs tight, raise and straighten your right arm and left leg until they align with your body. Pause, then bring them back in.
• Repeat the movement with your left arm and right leg. That's one rep. Do 12–15 reps, rest for 30 seconds, then repeat for two more sets.

A Quick Review

If you can't get to the gym as much as you'd like or simply don't want to spend money on expensive memberships, bodyweight workouts are a great alternative. Bodyweight workouts can help improve your strength and endurance, helping you easily perform everyday tasks. Consult a healthcare provider before trying these exercises if you have any chronic health conditions that may impact your physical health.