Whether you’re new to fitness, have taken a break from working out, or just want a simple yet effective exercise program you can do anywhere, get back to basics with the Women’s Health+ Ultimate 4-Week Bodyweight Challenge. Over the next four weeks, you’ll follow an alternating schedule of strength training and cardio sweat seshes—no equipment needed—to master each move’s proper form rather than adding more sets, reps, and weight.
After all, “bodyweight movements are the foundation to being able to load heavier,” says Lauren Kanski, CPT, the creator of the Body & Bell program on the Ladder app and a WH advisor who created this plan. “Balance and stability with proper form is more important than how heavy our equipment is.” Plus, bodyweight exercises have major mental benefits because they allow you to strengthen your mind-body connection. “When we focus on components of the skill itself, the brain has to adapt” by learning something new, which will help you in the long-run, Kanski says.
Women’s Health+ members, you get exclusive access to free PDFs of all of our fitness challenges. Head to WomensHealthMag.com/Challenges for more!
Each week, you’ll do a different bodyweight workout consisting of 5 exercises and learn how to do each move with proper form, and for how long or how many reps. This total-body training program alternates between 1 day of strength training for just under 20 minutes, then 1 day of low- or moderate-intensity, low-impact cardio lasting 30 to 45 minutes to let your joints and muscles recover while improving cardiovascular health. “It hits almost all of our biggest movement patterns and incorporates balance, strength, and power,” says Kanski. Nothing gets left out!
The Workouts
Equipment: none
Time: 20 minutes or less
Instructions: Do each week’s Women’s Health+ workout 3 times per week, alternating each one with a day of cardio. Perform 3 sets of each exercise (either the prescribed number of reps or for time), with 30 seconds of rest between each set. Then, continue on to the next move.
Grace Martinez
Join the Women’s Health+ 30-Day Bodyweight Challenge:
Week 1Hearst Owned
Week 2Hearst Owned
Week 3Hearst Owned
Week 4Hearst Owned
Want to access a PDF version of this challenge? Become a WH+ member to access it below.
Download this challenge as a PDF
Why Bodyweight Workouts Are Effective
Mastering bodyweight movements is the key to lifting heavier, and getting even stronger, Kanski says. Once you nail a move and its proper form, you’ll be reaping the maximum amount of benefits, and preventing injuries that could happen if you do a move improperly. Of course, you’ll see mental benefits too: Each time you zero in on a move’s form from start to finish, you’ll strengthen your mind-body connection. This makes bodyweight workouts a great option for beginners, or anyone who’s taken a break from working out and wants to get back into a strength training routine.
With no weights required, what are you waiting for? You’re about to become your strongest self.
Addison Aloian is the associate health & fitness editor at Women’s Health, where she writes and edits across the health, weight loss, and fitness verticals. She’s also a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). In her free time, you can find her lifting weights at the gym, running on the West Side Highway in New York City—she recently completed her first half-marathon—and watching (and critiquing!) the latest movies that have garnered Oscars buzz. In addition to Women’s Health, her work has also appeared in Allure, StyleCaster, L’Officiel USA, V Magazine, VMAN, and more.