Lifting weights isn’t the only way to build strength and muscle. Experts say bodyweight exercises can go a long way and are a great way to get started if you don’t feel like going to the gym.

JUANA SUMMERS, HOST:

You might assume that you have to lift heavy weight to get stronger, but research shows that’s not necessarily the case. You can make real strides using just your own body weight. NPR’s Will Stone dives into the evidence for us.

WILL STONE, BYLINE: Body-weight exercises can be a great entry point into strength training. Just ask Christopher Kotarsky, an exercise scientist at the University of Cincinnati.

CHRISTOPHER KOTARSKY: When I got into exercise, I started exercising at home because I didn’t feel comfortable working out in a gym.

STONE: Some years back, Kotarsky wanted to figure out how a classic body-weight exercise, the push-up, compared to lifting weights. So he designed a small study where everyone worked out three times a week. One group used the bench press, gradually increasing the weight as they got stronger. The other group only did push-ups. But instead of adding more and more over time, Kotarsky had them upgrade to harder versions.

KOTARSKY: Maybe they did push-ups on their knees, and then, from their knees, they did full push-ups. From their push-ups, maybe they brought their hands closer together, changing the leverage, making it more challenging, recruiting different muscles.

STONE: At the end of the study, he had both groups test their strength on the bench press.

KOTARSKY: What we found is there was no difference in strength improvement between the push-up group and the bench press group.

STONE: In other words, push-ups translated into meaningful strength while lifting weights. Now, the study was only a month, and differences could have emerged over time, but it underscores that body-weight exercise can be very effective. James Steele is an exercise scientist in the U.K.

JAMES STEELE: I personally as well have been predominantly doing body-weight training for the last, like, 10, 15 years.

STONE: Steele says there aren’t many studies like the push-up one, but…

STEELE: What studies we do have that have compared some sort of body-weight exercise to the equivalent of a free weight or a machine exercise all essentially show no difference between the two.

STONE: That makes sense because evidence shows people can develop similar muscle with light or heavy weights as long as they’re pushing themselves hard enough, and using your own weight is fundamentally no different. Most adults in the U.S. aren’t doing any regular muscle-strengthening exercise, and Steele says if everyone did just a handful of body-weight exercises consistently – squats, planks, push-ups, a wall sit, those types of things – that would go a long way.

STEELE: You can do this workout at home with zero equipment, and it will be, compared to doing nothing, incredibly effective.

STONE: And it’s not just about your muscles. Research from Keith Baar’s lab at UC Davis finds you can also build healthier and stronger tendons through very simple body-weight exercise. This is the connective tissue that attaches your muscle to the bone. Instead of doing a full push-up or a lunge, you simply hold that position without moving for 10 to 30 seconds – what’s known as an isometric contraction.

KEITH BAAR: When we’re doing that, we’re getting this really nice signal through the tendon.

STONE: Baar says this is why activities like yoga or Pilates can be helpful for mobility and strength.

BAAR: These types of movements that are very slow movements that allow us to load the tendons with low amounts of weight are really beneficial.

STONE: No gym, no weights required. Will Stone, NPR News.

SUMMERS: And if you’re looking to get stronger in 2026 – and who isn’t? – Life – NPR’s Life Kit has a whole newsletter series to help you start your own strength routine. You can sign up at npr.org/stronger.

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