Beth Bischoff1 / 30

1. Pushup

This one’s a timeless classic. The pushup is essential for building a big chest, cannonball delts, and triceps that look like the
wishbone you pulled out of the turkey on Thanksgiving. Master this move and it will yield the same benefits as the bench
press.
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2. Pullup

Another classic move. The pullup hits every muscle in the body and is underrated in terms of arm and abs development. It
stands alone as the original biceps curl, and it’s definitely one of the best things you can do for your arms—not to mention
the muscles in your back.
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3. Plank

Plenty of fitness experts think holding a plank for a minute-plus is a very impressive measure of fitness. The plank requires
excellent shoulder stability and top-notch muscle endurance of the abs, lower back, shoulders, neck, and legs. Not only
that, but it works well to develop an impressive six-pack (more time under tension = more muscle).
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5. Glute Bridge

Yeah, not exactly the prettiest exercise (it’s downright awkward, like these moves) but any trainer will tell you that having
strong, mobile glutes is essential for good back health—and other experts agree that having a set of glutes does wonders
for your sex appeal.
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7. Close-Grip Pushup

This pushup variation specifically targets your triceps—and big triceps make your arms look that much bigger. Plus: Since
all your muscles (including biceps and triceps) grow in pairs, bigger triceps means bigger biceps. Add this move to your arm
workout and watch your progress soar.
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8. Star Plank

This advanced variation of the plank not only creates a greater challenge for your core, but also forces your chest and
shoulders to pick up some of the load. It also proves you can work your chest, shoulders, and abs at the same time.
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9. Burpee

The No. 1 favorite exercise of any trainer who wants to help their clients burn fat, the burpee has become a staple in
programs from bootcamps to CrossFit and everything in between (in fact, it was made popular by CrossFit). A full-body
explosive motion that requires better cardio than hill sprints and more coordination than nearly any exercise, there’s no
doubt that a steady diet of burpees will accelerate your progress toward a leaner, shredded body.
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11. Bulgarian Split Squat

The challenge of a single-leg squatting motion is tough enough. Add to that the stretch and activation of your rear leg’s hip
flexor, and you have the makings of an ultra-effective bodyweight exercise that improves strength and mobility at the
same time. Use the Bulgarian split squat in place of a squat for a few weeks, and see if your regular squat numbers don’t
improve. (Spoiler alert: They will).
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13. Prone Back Extension

Sure, anyone can do a reverse hyper on a machine, but the tension is most times inadequate for serious muscle
development. One thing trainers won’t tell you: the higher amount of tension a muscle is put under, the stronger it
responds (So harder contractions mean more muscle).

The prone back extension certainly creates a huge, deep contraction more in line with your natural back motion, helping
you forge a strong, healthy lower back.
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14. Pike Pushup

If you’ve reached a plateau with your standard pushup routine, it might be time to try the pike pushup. This variation
directly targets the shoulders and can help improve weak areas, leading to muscle development all over.
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16. Jump Squats

A necessary precursor to the box jump, jump squats are perfect exercises for athletes or bodybuilders looking to improve
their explosive lower-body power, and for adventure-race types who want to improve their ability to clamber over
obstacles and keep moving fast. Make sure to land softly as you go into your next rep, forcing your muscles to handle a
workload in both the concentric and eccentric motions of the exercise. Who says plyos can’t build muscle?
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17. Reverse Lunge From Deficit

Start by standing on a box about 6 to 8 inches high. Lower yourself backwards into a lunge, and then power yourself back
upwards into standing position. It’s a perfect way to improve lower-body strength, while lunging back up from a deficit will
force your muscles to operate at the ends of your range of motion—building not only strength but also flexibility.
Beth Bischoff19 / 30

19. Bodyweight Squat

A fitness essential, the basic bodyweight squat (or “air squat”) is a vital exercise for maintaining lower-body strength
throughout your life. Situate your feet about shoulder-width apart, and make sure you maintain a natural arc in your back
and spread your weight through your feet as you hinge your hips and knees into the squat. When you raise yourself back
up, make sure your knees are in line with your feet—not drawn inward—so the force hits your knees in their natural
hinge.
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21. Overhead Lunge

The overhead lunge—basically just a lunge performed with your arms raised above your head—is a good way to
strengthen your lower body and build up your balance. It might seem like an easy variation, but try enough of them and
watch as that perfect touchdown signal becomes a flailing mess.
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24. Plank to Pushup

Take your plank work to the next level with this difficult variation that targets your upper body and your core at the same
time.

Here’s how to do it: Start in a plank position, resting on your forearms. Press yourself up away from the ground one arm at
a time into a pushup, while maintaining perfect plank position. Press first with your left forearm, keeping your right palm
on the ground. Then return to prone position. Press with your right forearm while your left palm remains on the ground.

Ready to make it even more difficult? Lift a leg while you do it, extending your hip muscles and forcing your upper body to
account for an even greater imbalance.
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25. Side Plank

Like the standard plank, a side plank is simple but challenging way to isometrically target your core strength—particularly
your obliques and transversus abdominis—not to mention your balance. Form is key with the side plank: Try to keep your
hips in line with your body as shown here, or you won’t hit your muscles as intensely.
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26. Clap Pushup

Whether you’re looking to improve your explosive power or you just got done watching the Rocky training montage, the
clap pushup is a demanding (and, yeah, showy) way to build up your tricep and chest strength. (If you’re doing these to
failure, just make sure you don’t smash your face up when your arms give out.)
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28. "Spiderman" Plank Crunch

Simply holding a plank crunch (often called a “Spiderman” crunch) challenges your core, legs, and chest just by virtue of
stabilizing your body. Bringing each knee to an elbow will tax your obliques and core, and bringing them back to the
starting position forces your chest, shoulders, and arms to compensate for the weight shift. Combine this move with a
pushup to make it even tougher.
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29. Bicycle Crunch

A notoriously tough core and cardio exercise, the bicycle crunch targets three major components of your core: Your main
abdominus muscles (targeted by the main crunching motion), your obliques (the side-to-side rocking), and your lower abs
(the “reverse crunch” motion). It’s also a good way to target muscles like hip flexors and even your shoulders as you work
to stabilize your body.
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30. Handstand Pushup

It’s a deceptively simple exercise, but the handstand pushup is also a supreme test of your upper-body strength and core
stability. You’ll feel this most in your shoulders and triceps—the primary muscles in this move—while also working your
core (read: six-pack) as you balance your legs. Get into a handstand, stabilizing your feet against a wall if you need to.
Lower yourself toward the floor while keeping your elbows in front of your shoulders. Go as low as you can and push
straight up.