Bodyweight Exercises That Can Help You Lose Weight

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5 min

Mann und Frau machen Ausfallschritte zu hause

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By Kristina Lauer
December 30, 2021

Why trust us?

Too pressed on time to get to the gym? Not to worry, you can get your money’s worth at home! Bodyweight exercises are a holy grail in the fitness world, especially if you want to work powerfully and efficiently.

A big advantage: bodyweight exercises can be taken anywhere, so you aren’t bound to a certain time or place, and you can integrate your workouts more easily into your everyday life. And that’s a crucial point. To hit your goals, exercise should become a habit.

Another crucial point besides a regular workout is your diet. If you want to lose a few kilos for your feel-good weight, you need a moderate calorie deficit of about 300 to 500 calories. Also, make sure you eat a balanced diet so that even with a calorie deficit, your body isn’t missing out on any nutrients. Supplement your nutrition plan with our Shape Shake 2.0 to reduce calories while still getting the best ingredients*.

But back to the action! Are you wondering which bodyweight exercises are best for losing weight? Mainly, these exercises are multi-joint movements that work several muscle groups at the same time. The more muscles involved in a movement, the more calories you burn. In this way, your bodyweight training becomes a full-body functional workout.

High-impact exercises that involve jumping are also useful. They usually train a whole muscle chain, increase your heart rate, and up the intensity of the workout. You can combine them for a classic HIIT workout, alternating between intense work intervals and short breaks. Afterburn effect guaranteed! If you’re looking for a short and snappy HIIT workout without equipment, check out our free workouts.

We won’t keep you in suspense any longer. Here are the best bodyweight exercises for toning up. It’s best to combine them into a complete workout and remember to warm up for at least 10 minutes before you begin.

#1 Squats

Squats are a classic, and for good reason. They primarily work your quads, hamstrings, and glutes, but your entire core gets a burn in, too.

For beginners: Air Squats

Air squats are a great variation for beginners. Stand feet hip-width apart with your arms down beside you. Turn your feet slightly outward and keep your knees bent slightly. Keeping your back straight and your chest up, inhale as you bend your knees and bring your arms forward. Your knees should track toward the tips of your toes. Your torso should lean slightly forward as you lower. At your lowest point, push up from the strength of your legs and exhale, bringing your arms back next to your body. Do a total of 3 rounds of 15 reps with a 60 second rest in between.

More advanced: Squat Jumps

Wanna increase the intensity? Then Jump squats are just the thing for you. Start in a deep squat position with your knees pointing slightly outward. Bend your upper body forward slightly with your arms extended. Push off the ground as hard as you can and gain momentum with your arms. Jump up! Extend your hips forward in the air and your arms back, firing up the whole body.

Land gently on the ground after the jump. Slowly lower yourself down over your knees and ankles, and move smoothly into the next squat after landing. Do a total of 3 rounds of 10 to 15 reps with a 60-second rest in between.

#2 Push-Ups

Push-ups target your chest, shoulders, and triceps in particular, but your entire body must be engaged and stabilized.

For beginners: Knee Push-Ups

For these push-ups, keep your knees on the floor. Place your hands below your shoulders, with your elbows angled slightly backward. Keep your whole body engaged as you lower and push yourself back up. Keep a straight line with your body. Do a total of 3 rounds of 10 to 15 reps with 60 seconds rest in between.

More advanced: Full Push-Ups

For the classic push-up variation, extend your feet backwards one after the other and stand up. Slowly bend your arms, pulling your shoulders back and bringing your chest towards the floor in a controlled manner. The elbows point slightly obliquely backward. Head is in extension of the spine. Go deep and inhale. At the lowest point, press up in a controlled manner while exhaling. Do a total of 3 rounds for 10 to 15 reps with 60 seconds rest in between.

#3 Lunges

Lunges effectively work your legs and glutes. In addition, a strong core and abs are important to avoid arching your back when lunging and to help keep your balance.

Start in an upright stance and take a wide step backward. Bend your legs and go as deep as you can while maintaining connection and control in your upper body. Turn your knee slightly outward to prevent it from falling inward unintentionally. Keep your torso and abs tight to avoid arching your back. Don’t drop your back knee completely down to the floor and keep the back heel in the air. Use the strength of your legs to push yourself up and come back to the starting position. Switch legs. You can also move your arms overhead. Do a total of 3 rounds of 10 to 15 reps per leg with 60 seconds rest in between.

#4 Mountain Climbers

Mountain Climbers are an intense bodyweight workout that positively melts calories. In addition, this bodyweight exercise works your core and shoulder stability.

Come into a plank position and engage your entire body. Keep your hands right under your shoulders. Your body should form a straight line and your neck should be an extension of your spine. Pull one knee toward your chest as you exhale. Extend the leg again and put it back down. Now do the same with the other leg. You can do this movement slowly at first. Technique always comes before speed. The more experienced you are, the faster you can switch legs and increase your speed. As a beginner, try to keep going for about 30 seconds. With time, you can even increase to a minute. Do a total of 3 rounds with a break of 30 seconds.

#5 Floor Hyperextension

Hyperextensions primarily train your back extensor muscles and work your glutes and hamstrings. They can easily be done in your own living room on the floor and are well suited for beginners.

Lie on the floor on your stomach, stretching your body out long. Place your arms in front of you with your elbows pointing out and your hands are on top of each other. Rest your forehead on your hands, gazing directly toward the floor. Lift your upper body up. Exhale. Hold for a few seconds then lower your upper body down slowly and with control, inhaling. Do a total of 3 rounds of 10 to 15 reps per leg with 60 seconds rest in between.

More things to know from foodspring:

* Replacing two of your main daily meals with Shape Shake 2.0 as part of a low-calorie diet contributes to weight loss. The Shape Shake 2.0 can only fulfill this purpose if it is used as part of a low-calorie diet, which necessarily includes other foods. It is also necessary to ensure sufficient daily fluid intake. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, care must be taken to eat a balanced and varied diet.

Sources for this article

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