Full-body workouts allow you to effectively and efficiently exercise all your major muscle groups for complete body-conditioning in a relatively short space of time.

Great for those seeking a time-efficient way to build strength and keep fit.

While the options are limitless you really don’t need to make it complicated. Outlined below is a simple framework you can use to build your own collection of full body workouts using bodyweight exercises which you can perform at home, outside or on your travels.

Happy training!

Pick one exercise from each Category

1) Lower Body Exercise

Targets your calves, quads, hamstrings and glutes (to varying degrees)

2) Pushing Exercise

Targets your chest, shoulders and triceps (to varying degrees)

3) Pulling Exercise

Targets your back, shoulders and biceps (to varying degrees)

4) Hip Exercise

Targets your glutes, hamstrings and spinal extensors (to varying degrees)

5) Core Exercise

Targets your hip flexors, abs and obliques (to varying degrees)

Sample Bodyweight Exercises For each category

Lower Body Exercises

Air Squats
Bulgarian Split Squats
Step Ups

Pushing Exercises

Incline Push Ups
Classic Push Ups
Pike Press

Pulling Exercises

Bodyweight Rows
Archer Rows
Pull Ups

Hip Exercises

Bridges
Single Leg Bridges
Swiss Ball Curls

Core Exercises

Planks
Side Planks
Mountain Climbers

Choose Your Workout Format

Max Effort Rounds

Perform the exercises in a circuit-like format for 1, 2 or 3 rounds. Rest for as long as you need between exercises. Your goal is to accumulate as many reps or seconds per exercise as possible over the specified number of rounds. Next time out try to beat these scores.

Timed Circuits

Set a timer for 10, 20 or 30 minutes and perform each exercise back-to-back until time runs out. Rest at any point throughout the workout. Record your total accumulated score for each exercise and next time out try to beat this total.

Track Your Progress

As I’ve written about recently, there is no magic to any individual workout. The good stuff happens when you consistently string workouts and performance improvements together over an extended period of time. To make this work you need to track your progress and the best way to do this is with an old fashioned pen and notebook. Write down your scores from each training session and use them as mini-targets to try and beat next time round. It’s amazing how powerful this simple habit can be for enhancing your physical capabilities!

Conclusion

So there you go. A super-simple framework for building your own full-body workouts with bodyweight exercises which you can use to stay in shape… anytime, anywhere!