About this workout
You don't need a gym membership to build muscle, you need a plan that pushes you close to failure and adds difficulty every week. This 8-week program uses push-ups, pull-ups and single-leg work to do exactly that with a pull-up bar and floor space.
Who This Program Is For
- You train at home, outside, or while traveling with no weights available
- You already have some training experience and can do at least a few strict pull-ups and a set of push-ups
- You're willing to progress difficulty (tempo, leverage, single-limb) instead of adding weight
This program is not the right fit if:
- You're an absolute beginner who can't yet do a pull-up or 10 clean push-ups (build that base first)
- You have access to weights and want faster strength gains, a loaded program will get you there quicker
What You'll Need
Just your bodyweight and a pull-up bar. A doorframe bar, a park bar or a rack at a playground all work.
The Program
| DAY 1 — PUSH | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| Push Ups | 4 | 12-15 | 60 sec |
| Decline Push Ups | 3 | 10-12 | 60 sec |
| Pike Push Up | 3 | 8-10 | 90 sec |
| Chest Dips | 3 | 10-12 | 90 sec |
| Bench Dips | 3 | 12-15 | 60 sec |
| DAY 2 — PULL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| Pull Up | 4 | 6-10 | 90 sec |
| Chin Up | 3 | 6-10 | 90 sec |
| Inverted Row | 3 | 10-12 | 60 sec |
| Negative Pull Up | 3 | 5 | 90 sec |
| Dead Hang | 3 | 30-45 sec | 60 sec |
| DAY 3 — LEGS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| Body Squat | 4 | 15-20 | 60 sec |
| Bulgarian Split Squat | 3 | 10-12/leg | 90 sec |
| Walking Lunge | 3 | 12/leg | 60 sec |
| Box Pistol Squat | 3 | 8/leg | 90 sec |
| Glute Bridge | 3 | 15-20 | 60 sec |
| DAY 4 — FULL BODY AND CORE | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest |
| Burpees | 4 | 10-15 | 60 sec |
| Mountain Climbers | 3 | 30 sec | 45 sec |
| Hanging Leg Raise | 3 | 10-15 | 60 sec |
| Plank | 3 | 45-60 sec | 45 sec |
| Superman | 3 | 12-15 | 45 sec |
How to Progress
Progress by making each move harder, not by adding weight. Push-ups: flat to decline to single-arm-assisted. Pull-ups: full reps to slow negatives to archer progressions. Squats: two-leg to Bulgarian split to pistol. Once you can complete every set at the top rep number with a controlled 2-second lowering phase, move to the next progression.
Warm-Up and Recovery Notes
Warm up joints before load: arm circles, leg swings, 10 bodyweight squats, and a slow set of the day's first movement at half effort. Bodyweight training is still real training, don't skip the warm-up because there's no bar to load. Take a lighter week every 4 weeks (half the sets) if joints feel beat up.
Nutrition and Supplementation
Muscle growth without weights still needs a calorie surplus and enough protein, roughly a gram per pound of bodyweight daily. A whey or plant protein shake helps close that gap on busy days, and creatine monohydrate works the same whether the resistance is a barbell or your own bodyweight.
FAQ
Can I really build muscle with just bodyweight training?
Yes, as long as you keep making the exercises harder. Muscle responds to effort and progressive overload, not specifically to barbells.
I can't do a single pull-up yet, what do I do?
Start with negative pull-ups (jump to the top, lower slowly) and inverted rows until you build the strength for a full rep.
How do I make push-ups harder without weight?
Elevate your feet, slow the tempo, or move to single-arm-assisted variations before adding external weight is even necessary.
Related Programs
- 4-Week Dumbbell Only Home Workout Plan
- Bodyweight Fat-Loss Program, No Equipment Needed
- 3-Day Full Body Workout for Beginners
Questions and results
Ask a coach
Running this program? Tell us what week you are on and how the progression is going. A coach answers every question here.