Everybody seems to be raving about health and fitness these days.
And while many people choose to go down the road of expensive gym memberships, special equipment and magic supplements, there are also those who like to keep it simple — eat less but healthy, and perform bodyweight exercises at home.
And who gets better results?
You guessed it. In general, the people who don’t forget that the focus of their goals is themselves — and who manage to introduce healthier habits into their existing lifestyle without relying too much on outside tools and trends. These are the people who achieve sustainable progress and lead happier lives.
That’s why in this article we’d like to encourage you to stop worrying about whether you should start performing this or that miraculous exercise or try the latest superfood with sensational fat loss properties — and just go back to the basics. The best solutions to the greatest problems are usually right in front of your nose.
If you do these five exercises every day, you’ll start seeing improvements in your waistline and overall body composition in less than a month. You won’t get the body of your dreams in four weeks — especially if you have a lot of excess weight to lose — but you will feel like you’re one solid step closer to a goal that used to feel unattainable.
No gym. No equipment. Just you and the floor.
Here we go.
The 5 Exercises
#1. Plank
The plank is one of the greatest and most underrated exercises there is. It’s a one-move static exercise that builds a core of steel, strengthens the abs, and develops shoulder stability — all without a single piece of equipment.
How to do it: Get into a push-up position on the floor. Bend your elbows 90 degrees and prop yourself on your forearms and forefeet, forming a straight line from head to heels. Hold this position without letting your hips sag or rise.
Muscles worked: Transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques, glutes, shoulders.
The key cue everyone misses: Squeeze your glutes hard throughout the hold. When the glutes engage properly, the lower back pressure most people feel during planks disappears almost immediately.
Progression: Once you can hold a perfect plank for 60 seconds, make it harder — not longer. Elevate your feet, add a weight plate on your back, or move to a one-arm variation. Duration past 60-90 seconds adds fatigue, not additional benefit.
Common mistakes:
- Hips sagging toward the floor — the most common error, kills the core engagement
- Hips piked too high — this is just a rest position, not a plank
- Holding breath — breathe steadily throughout
#2. Push-Ups
The push-up is the ultimate bodyweight exercise — one movement that works the chest, shoulders, triceps, and core simultaneously. Done consistently, push-ups will firm your entire upper body and build more functional strength than most people expect from a bodyweight movement.
How to do it: Get into a plank position with hands directly under the shoulders. Keep your body in a perfectly straight line — legs, back, and glutes all aligned. Lower your body until your chest is just above the floor, then push back up to the starting position. Don’t let your hips sag during the descent.
Muscles worked: Pectoralis major, anterior deltoids, triceps, core stabilizers.
Progression options:
- Too easy: elevate your feet on a chair, add a weighted backpack, or slow the descent to 3-4 seconds
- Too hard: start on your knees or do incline push-ups with hands on a bench until you build strength for the full version
Common mistakes:
- Flaring elbows out to 90 degrees — puts unnecessary stress on the shoulders, keep them at roughly 45 degrees
- Letting hips sag — the same problem as in the plank, usually means your core isn’t braced
- Partial reps — go all the way down and all the way up on every rep
#3. Squats
Squats build the quads, hamstrings, and calves while simultaneously strengthening the core and driving significant overall fat burning — because the legs are the largest muscle group in the body and working them burns more calories than any upper body exercise. The Top 10 Benefits of Doing Squats.
How to do it: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart or slightly wider, toes pointed slightly outward. Extend your arms in front of you for balance. Sit back and down, keeping your head facing forward and your chest up. Your back should stay straight — not rounded. Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor if possible, then press back up through your heels.
Muscles worked: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, calves, core.
The key cue: Think about sitting back onto a chair rather than bending your knees forward. This keeps the shins more vertical, reduces knee stress, and ensures the glutes and hamstrings do their share of the work.
Progression options:
- Add a pause at the bottom (2-3 seconds) for more quad and glute activation
- Hold dumbbells or a backpack for added resistance
- Progress to Bulgarian split squats for single-leg strength
Common mistakes:
- Knees caving inward — push the knees outward in line with the toes throughout
- Heels lifting off the floor — usually caused by tight calves or ankles, work on ankle mobility
- Rounding the lower back — keep the chest up and the spine neutral throughout
#4. Bird-Dog
The bird-dog is the most underrated exercise on this list. It looks deceptively easy — and then you try it and realize how much core stability you actually lack.
From a hands-and-knees position, you simultaneously extend one leg straight back and the opposite arm straight forward, hold briefly, then switch. The anti-rotation demand — keeping your hips level and your spine neutral while your limbs extend — is where all the real core work happens.
How to do it: Start on hands and knees, hands directly under shoulders, knees directly under hips. Simultaneously extend your right leg straight back and your left arm straight forward. Keep both perfectly straight and your hips level — don’t let them rotate or tilt. Hold for 2-3 seconds, return to the starting position, and repeat on the other side.
Muscles worked: Core stabilizers (transverse abdominis, multifidus), glutes, lower back, shoulders.
Why it matters: The bird-dog trains your core to resist rotation and extension — the same demands placed on it during squats, deadlifts, and virtually every other exercise. A stronger bird-dog directly transfers to every other movement on this list and in your training.
Common mistakes:
- Hips rotating — the most common error. Move slowly and keep the hips square to the floor
- Raising the leg too high — the leg should be parallel to the floor, not higher
- Rushing — this is a control exercise, not a speed exercise
#5. Lying Hip Raises (Glute Bridges)
The lying hip raise — also called a glute bridge — is the perfect bodyweight exercise for building powerful glutes and hamstrings while simultaneously strengthening the abs, lower back, and thighs. It’s also one of the most joint-friendly exercises you can do, making it suitable for virtually any fitness level.
How to do it: Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat on the floor, hip-width apart. Extend your arms out to your sides at a 45-degree angle for stability. Squeeze your glutes and drive your hips toward the ceiling, tilting your pelvis as you rise. At the top, your body should form a straight line from knees to shoulders. Hold for a second at the top, squeezing the glutes as hard as possible, then slowly lower back down and repeat.
Muscles worked: Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, core, lower back.
The key cue: Squeeze the glutes at the top — actively contract them, don’t just lift your hips passively. The difference in muscle activation between a passive and an active squeeze at the top is significant.
Progression options:
- Single-leg glute bridge — lift one foot off the floor, dramatically increases the difficulty
- Add a resistance band around the knees for added glute activation
- Place a weight plate on your hips for loaded resistance
The Four-Week Plan
This program uses two distinct workouts that alternate throughout the week. The structure progressively challenges you while giving you enough recovery to adapt.
Workout #1
- 1 minute — Plank
- 1 minute — Push-ups
- 2 minutes — Squats
- 1 minute — Bird-dog
- 1 minute — Lying hip raises
- 1 minute — Plank
- 1 minute — Push-ups
- 2 minutes — Squats
Rest 10 seconds between exercises
Workout #2
- 3 minutes — Plank
- 3 minutes — Bird-dog
- 3 minutes — Lying hip raises
- 1 minute — Push-ups
Rest 15 seconds between exercises
Weekly Schedule:
| Week 1 | Week 2 |
|---|---|
| Day 1 — Workout #1 | Day 1 — Workout #2 |
| Day 2 — Workout #2 | Day 2 — Workout #1 |
| Day 3 — Workout #1 | Day 3 — Workout #2 |
| Day 4 — Workout #2 | Day 4 — Workout #1 |
| Day 5 — Workout #1 | Day 5 — Workout #2 |
| Day 6 — Workout #2 | Day 6 — Workout #1 |
| Day 7 — Rest | Day 7 — Rest |
After completing Week 2, switch back to Week 1 and repeat.
What to Expect Week by Week
Week 1: The first few days will feel manageable. By day 3-4, the accumulated fatigue from daily training will hit. Stick with it — this is normal and exactly what’s supposed to happen.
Week 2: You’ll start to notice exercises feeling slightly easier. Your plank time will feel more controlled, your push-ups more stable. This is adaptation beginning.
Week 3: Visible changes start appearing for most people — a slightly tighter midsection, more definition in the arms and shoulders. Energy levels during workouts improve noticeably.
Week 4: The routine that felt challenging in Week 1 now feels manageable. This is the signal to progress — add resistance, increase duration, or move to harder variations of each exercise.
Important Notes
Pair this with sensible eating. No exercise program compensates for a poor diet. You don’t need to follow a strict meal plan — just reduce processed food, eat more protein, drink more water, and stop eating when you’re full. In other words you need to start eating clean. These basics combined with this program will produce visible results.
Don’t skip the rest day. Six days of training with one full rest day is the schedule for a reason. The rest day is where adaptation happens. Training every single day without rest produces diminishing returns and increases injury risk.
Progress when it gets easy. The four-week plan is a starting point, not a permanent program. When exercises stop feeling challenging, make them harder. Fitness only improves when the body is progressively challenged.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can beginners do this program? Yes — all five exercises are bodyweight only and can be modified for any fitness level. Push-ups can be done on knees, planks can be held for shorter durations, squats can be done to a chair. Start where you are and progress from there.
How much weight can I lose in four weeks? This depends entirely on your diet. The exercises alone won’t produce dramatic weight loss — they build muscle, improve fitness, and increase metabolism. Combined with a modest calorie reduction, most people can expect 2-4 pounds of fat loss in four weeks alongside visible improvements in muscle tone.
Do I need any equipment? No. All five exercises require nothing but a flat surface and your bodyweight. A yoga mat makes floor exercises more comfortable but isn’t necessary.
What if I miss a day? Pick up where you left off. Don’t try to double up and do two workouts in one day to compensate — just continue with the next scheduled session.
Can I do this program more than once? Yes — but progress the difficulty each time. Add resistance, slow the tempo, increase duration of holds, or move to harder exercise variations. The same stimulus repeated indefinitely produces the same result — which eventually means no result.
Related:
8 Bodyweight Exercises That Will Help You Transform Your Body and Burn Fat
The 9 Rules of Getting Super Lean
Sculpt & Burn: A 15 Minute, Intense Bodyweight Routine
Charles Bronson’s Brutal Bodyweight Workout
The Basics of Bodyweight Bodybuilding
Thank you for the great tips
For information, I am young, rather healthy, I’m not fat but looking to lose maybe 8 pounds. I’ve been walking a lot this summer but since I returned home I found myself not moving at all and I think I need to work out a little.
I tried this today. I’ve not been exercising lately and I found this too hard for me. So I think it’s important to state these exercises are for people that already are used to exercising, even a little.
Even more important: it should be reminded that you have to stretch before exercising. I forgot to because I’m not used to it and it could be dangerous.
Also, 6 times per week seems pretty rough for a beginner. I think I could make it but I’m 110% sure I will get sore muscles tomorrow and it will be painful, get worse every day and I will eventualy stop either because of lack of motivation or injury.
This program might be great for “sports people” who don’t die after doing these exercises, do not forget to stretch and are already used to working out every day.
I would suggest to people like me to search another exercice program, with a streching program, more than 10 seconds (!!!) rest in between each exercise in order to help you build a healthy habit, not accomplish the 1 month challenge and give up sports forever and get fat.
Karolina,
Adapt the routine/process to your needs! You’ve already identified what you need to do to make this work for you. Keep it simple!
Michael
Please keep in mind that the pain is lactic acid buildup in your muscles. A proper cool down and stretch after working out is just as important than before working out. Also that if you can do things to increase blood flow into your sore muscles will help rid of lactic acid buildup. Drinking lots and lots of water consistently helps as well. Rest is also just as important but simply moving ypur blood into your muscles can make a difference and you can do that on the couch too.
So many excuses, Start small and build up to the ful routine. Baby steps you know your body better than anyone. I think the idea is to start something to get your body moving. This routine motivated me to get going and do something
Great advice!! I absolutely agree! 😉
Hi Karolina, You can do this! its important to warm up before exercise, not necessarily stretch. Cut your time in half on each exercise to start. Move every day. I have worked out since 20. I am now 71 and exercise w yoga, cardio and weights at least 5 x week. Its harder older but one can still build muscle and strength and be agile. So keep going and know you can! This is my story but I have not had a weight ussue staying active and breezed theu menopause. Sending warm wishes and kind thoughts!
A 3-minute plank on day 2 of a new program? Jeez, Louise! I’m in my second week of this and just that 3- minute plank, alone, has me dreading all workout #2 days! I guess the bright side is that I’m thankful for workout #1 days!
There was a day when I could do these without a problem. Not now. Now that I’m past the 50 year mark I have slowed down and I’m kind of glad. These are great exercises that only take a few minutes and keep me strong. Since I walk 3 miles every day I only do these twice a week and to start only 30 seconds for each one. We’ll see if I make it to the 1 and 3 minute sessions. Hmmm!. I also do Pallof presses. I hope between these and my walking I will be strong enough to take care of myself well into my 80’s. That is my goal.
I’m 73 and race walker . I train 3 times a week over 5-10k but I wanted to add some muscle building into the week . I can’t do the 3 min board do I do one minute at a time and the press ups I do against the kitchen worktop . Hoping I soon be stronger .
The primary fitness focus for senior citizens should be on the following.
1. Balance – many older people’s demise comes because they fell and hit their head. They break a hip or wrench a knee which may result in becoming wheelchair bound. Most homes are not meant to handle a wheelchair. So the elderly are forced to go into assisted living or a nursing home. The ability to remain independent is dependent on staying upright on your two feet.
2. Strength exercises that make sure a person can get up on their own from the floor and a sitting position. One of the more common 911 calls is an elderly person cannot get up on their own. A simple exercise is a chair squat. Sit in a dining room chair and stand up.. Repeat. Another is laying down in your back on a yoga mat. Roll over onto the stomach. Push oneself up to their knees and then fully up to a standing position.
3. Keep the weight off while maintaining muscle. Being overweight contributes massively to making it more difficult to be mobile.
4. The silver generation needs to be cognizant that an exercise that puts them at risk of pulling a muscle or tearing a knee is not the right routine. Be careful using weights. It’s difficult to rehab and recover from injuries in later years.
The ability for older people to retain balance (even if using a cane or walker) and the strength to be mobile is key to physically living independently of others. That should be a concerted effort of the elderly to stay fit in the most basic of ways.
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This is a great exercise routine especially since you can do it at home with no weights and just your body and a mat. I’m one week in and I’m already feeling the result. My muscles are sore here and there but nothing too major. I will say the 3 minute plank is a killer though and it becomes a mental game just to finish it each time. I’m hoping it gets a little easier over the next couple of weeks. Thanks for posting this online!
Great Exercise, just be patient and follow the program !! you will not regret it. Thanks,
I did these two years ago and loved them, except the pkanks really hurt my neck and shoulders.
I started these again this past Monday, but do modified planks off of the armrest on my couch and do push-ups on the wall. If I can’t hold the plank the entire time, I take “microbreaks” for a few seconds until the time is up.
It has only been 4 days and I feel better and tighter. It wakes me up, quickly! With the modifications, **NO PAIN!**
Once I drop more weight and get stronger, I’ll be doing these with no modifications or “microbreaks.”
Thanks for this!
Great routine. Have done it for 5 weeks and noticed a great difference…can do 70 pushups in the one minute bursts!!! Question is; What is the next level for this exercise routine? double up to morning and night???? Really like this. it gives great results. Ready to increase the effort!!! Thanks
Run the routine in cycles and add another cycle
For those commenting on the 3 minute planks. It’s not asking you to hold a plank for the full minute or 2 minutes or 3 minutes.
The description on how to perform the exercise is to get into the proper position and hold it for as long you can and then repeat until you have reached the indicated workout minute duration.
It’s obvious that a workout program is not going to require a 3 minute plank hold. That’s difficult for even a conditioned athlete
.
Really people got to want it stop complaining and just do it .little soreness is always gonna happen it’s good sore not bad sore .no pain no gain sorry but that’s what it takes to be in shape and not fat
👍🏼
Good comment. We have to learn how to harden our bodies and our minds again. Suck it up buttercup! Right?
EXACTLY!!
Love the body weigth excersize plan. I am age 71 and have routine that starts with a 10 min. warm up on a rowing ergometer. Then :-
1. Rollout on a fit ball to 30 push ups
2. Rollout wheel from knees to prone position. 12 number
3. Standard plank for 100 sec.
4. Buterfly plank fro 10 sec.
5. Side plank for 50 sec each side
6. One arm plank 50 secs each side
7. Reverse plan with one leg bent, 50 secs each side
8. Tow legged reverse plank 50 secs
9. lying flat on back, leg raise lifts, 50.
10. half crunch with bent knees, feet off the floor, 500 number
11. Hip raise, 50 number
12. Squats, slow, 50 number
13. Squat press, 50 secs
14, With a rubber sports band held, seated, hold and stretch back for 50
15. With rubber stretch band, held, seated, two hand rowing action. 50 number
16. With rubber stretch band, held, seated, one arm rowing action, 25 each arm
17. With rubber stretch band fixed, two arm bicept curls 25
18. With rubber stretch band fixed, single arm bicept curls. 12 each arm
19. Cool down on rowing ergometer, 10 minutes total, start with 2 minutes light, followed by 10 number max strokes, three sets, finish with light rowing.
This routine takes about an hour. I do this a min. once per week. should do it more often. Because I do this weekly for many years I don’t get sore muscles. On other days during the week I do sessions on the rowing ergometer varying between easy sessions for 40 minutes to HIIT session 20 to 30 minutes.
The secret is to have a routine. Regular exercise is important to feeling good and maintaining health and fitness. If done on a regular basis you will not get sore muscles and will avoid exercising. There is no need to work to your max. Work to what suits you mentally. But do it regularly. I might change my routine to try working out every day for say min. 30 minutes and see how it goes. A change is also good to provide variety to keep your interest.
Just curious…am I supposed to keep my stomach sucked in on all of these? I’m rehabbing a broken back and just got a nerve block a few days ago that has me feeling pretty darn good but I still have to wait a few days before trying to exercise or go to PT again. When I was going to PT and trying to do bird dogs…it was so hard to keep my “core engaged” as it really hurt my back. Hoping it won’t be so bad now that I’ve had the steroid injection.
But just wanted to ask because it wasn’t specified. Not going to jump into this routine but will show it to my physical therapist and see what she thinks. Thanks!
Ahh, so sorry to hear about your injury. To answer your question, no you don’t need to keep your stomach sucked in. Of course your core needs to be tight like on every other exercise.
However, I would skip working out and consult with a doctor first before jumping into any workout program, especially after a broken back.
Simple is best. At 58 and fairly fit, I’m starting my planks 20 secs in form, then drop my knees for secs, rotating back and forth. Push ups can be started on a dresser or counter, gradually lowering. Squats each finish with a good b**t squeeze at the top. Bird-dogs can certainly progress to include knee-to-elbow taps. Hip raises just feel so great! Thank you for this great encouragement that any of us can jump into and safely modify individually. Thanks for keeping strong health simple.
Love all of these suggestions! I can’t wait to try all of them!
Great routine yes, thank you! If you make it your habit, it’s hard to skip, your body will require it! I just wanted to answer about the sucked in stomach. I had a yoga teacher once and she constantly reminded us about it. If you have it in you have more chances to get a flat stomach. If you work on your abs, suck it in!
This routine seems very beneficial. Thanks for sharing!
I’m 80 yrs old and in the last year have lost 80 lbs. I cut back on food. Do aerobic exercise for 20 mins then weight training. For the last 3 months I started planks. My body had changed for the better. I have done squats for the last year. I do push ups but I do them standing pushing against a wall or counter. I work out every day. In better shape than ever before
Thanks! Here’s a timer that will cue through Workout #1. https://youtu.be/CWGro41mjcQ
What is wrong with b*tt! Jeez ppl!
Nothing is wrong TBH. But our advertisers see something wrong, so it’s censored 🙂
I’m a 71 year old has been triathlete and fitness instructor. One of the best things about this is the lack of equipment and minimal time. I decided to do the week one workout for an entire week first. I also went to You Tube to review proper form and modifications for each exercise. Remember the mind trains the body! I’ll be experimenting with the week #2 workout starting tomorrow. While you are having fun with this , Rule #1 is Don’t Hurt Yourself!
Awesome job Jim, keep up the good work. I like you rule #1 and fully agree.
I’m a 62, use to work out a lot. I could at the same time pratique taekwondo (3 times weekly), Vietnamese kung fu (twice weekly) and jogging, at least 4 time weekly, Saturday I could do these 3 activities and very happy!
Since 2018, for no reason (doctors said that I overused my body 🤷🏻♀️), I’ve got a pacemaker. I did keep doing exercises till one day, in a scalding summer, I felt sick while jogging, had to stop and go to the hospital, never could getting back to before. And then, like a evil circle, I now become quite sedentary. I always wanted to start over again though, watching different programs, dreaming of doing this or that. Some time I could start for a few day then things happened, forcing me to stop (like sickness), then , you can guess, things got harder over time.
But, as you’ve mentioned, the mind trained the body 👍👍👍, this time, with all yours so encouraging comments, I’ll be doing this program. I sure can do it 🤞🤞🤞
I can’t thank you enough.
Great article! I have been into fitness for over 35 years, and as a 59 year old female, working out is still the #1 thing I love to do in life. I can’t imagine my life without exercise!
Most people think of crunches to strengthen the abs, but the truth is crunches aren’t really that effective. The exercises you listed are exactly what I do on a regular basis to strengthen my abs, while also working the entire body!
I cannot do push-ups. Between the arthritis in my hands and the tendinitis in my wrist. Mind you I am 72 yr old. The others not a problem. Never could do push-ups.
I got to get going. I’ve gotten so out of shape. Thanks for these tips
I can hardly wait to get started doing these exercises. Thanks a bunch
Sounds like a good home workout….think I can handle everything except the bird-dog. (Will be doing the wall pushups). Due to messed up knee replacements I cannot put any pressure on my kneecaps…any suggestions for a modification or different exercise?
Thanks for sharing this information.
Two weeks in and I can see results! These are the fundamental strength exercises. Thank you!
Glad you like the program Debbie. Keep up the good work.
I love this workout, I’ve been doing it religiously first thing in the morning straight after brushing my teeth, and has now become part of my daily routine.
I’ must have been fitter than I thought because that punishing 3 min plank gets me trembling but I usually manage it.. however 2x two minutes of squats are my least enjoyable parts.
Definitely noticing a big difference after 2 1/2 months! Now I have to do it or I feel like I’m missing out. Crazy.
I love this workout! I am 47 with hypothyroid for more than 20 years. What I love about this workout is it is short and doesn’t need a lot of space and no equipment. I was really surprised and happy to see improvement in my midsection!!! A very noticeable improvement! I can’t do 3 minute straight plank but I’ll keep doing this workout until I can do it straight without taking a break. That’s my goal now 🙂 Thank you for sharing this workout.
Glad you liked it Jinx. Now start eating clean (cut the sugars, alcohol, junk food) and you’ll see even faster improvements. Here is a list of foods you can eat: https://www.fitnessandpower.com/nutrition/clean-eating-diet
Great and simple routine. After a couple of weeks with this routine I feel so much stronger. I am a runner and I can feel this routine is beneficial for my runs. My legs feel so much stronger and I can run faster pace. And the best part is I can do it anywhere. No equipment needed. Thanks for sharing! 💪