The two most common reasons people fail to commit to regular exercise is due to minimal free time and limited or no access to a gym or exercise equipment. Let’s face it, we all live extremely busy lives, and exercise quickly loses priority among other commitments.

It is extremely easy to rationalize an excuse to avoid exercising. Whether you are incredibly busy or don’t have immediate access to fitness equipment, there is still no excuse to abandon exercise.

Plan Ahead To Succeed

By planning ahead you are making success inevitable. You know your schedule best, and it is your responsibility to manage that schedule efficiently. With free time and access to exercise equipment being our two sticking points, we can circumvent both of these issues simultaneously by incorporating bodyweight workout routines.

Introducing Bodyweight Workouts

Bodyweight workouts are a phenomenal means of exercise. Not only are they extremely quick, but they can literally be performed anywhere.

No gym or exercise equipment? No problem!

Let’s cover some of the pros of bodyweight workouts...

Pros

• Require no exercise equipment
• Require minimal time investment
• Perfect for beginners or anyone who is exercising again
• Less prone to injury (versus weight bearing exercises)
• Benchmark of your fitness baseline
• Easily modified to match current fitness level

The pros list goes on while there are hardly any cons to a bodyweight workout. Below, we will introduce two sample workouts as well as a guide to create your own bodyweight workout.

Sample Bodyweight Workout Routine 1

Perform the following exercises in order, allowing 1-2 minutes rest between each exercise. Repeat the cycle 1-2 more times (depending on your current fitness level).

1. Pushups [Max reps]
2. Full Squats [Max reps]
3. Inverted Pushups [5-10 reps]
4. Lunges [5-10 reps per leg]
5. Plank [30-60 seconds]

Sample Bodyweight Workout Routine 2

Perform each of the following exercises as a modified superset for a total of 3 sets with 1-2 minutes rest between each set. For example, you will complete the Bulgarian split squats, rest 1-2 minutes, perform the inverted shoulder press, rest, and repeat that process two more times.

1. Bulgarian Split Squat [12-15 reps per leg]
2. Inverted Shoulder Press [8-10 reps]
3. Single-leg Deadlift [5-6 reps per leg]
4. Diamond Pushups [6-12 reps]
5. Prisoner Squats [10-15 reps]
6. Plank [30-60 seconds]

Creating Your Own Bodyweight Workout

As you can see in the examples above, bodyweight workouts aren’t too complex. They can be easily manipulated to increase or decrease their difficulty as well.

If you find the above workouts too easy, decrease your rest time and/or increase the number of repetitions. You can even complete the workouts as a circuit by completing each exercise for the prescribed repetitions without rest in between. If you find the above workouts too difficult, decrease the number of reps, and/or increase your rest time. If you find a specific exercise troubling, modify it to make it easier (i.e. do knee pushups instead of regular pushups).

A Word of Warning

Always focus on executing each exercise with perfect technique. Don’t let your ego get in the way! It is much safer and effective to complete less repetitions but perform the exercise in perfect form. Not only will you reduce the risk of injury, but you will also maximize the results from your exercise.

If you are constantly on the road or tapped for time, incorporate bodyweight workouts into your schedule. They are incredibly quick and easily modifiable, making them one of the best workout plans available.