No gym? No machine? No problem! Body weight exercise routines for men has become the fitness trend since last year and it’s not stopping anytime soon. This type of training provides your body with amazing results with minimal to zero help from exercise equipment. Convenience is one of the primary reasons why body weight exercises has a huge appeal in the fitness community. Now, you won’t have to waste time waiting for that guy to finish using the bench press. With these exercises, you can have a productive workout anytime, anywhere.
The pistol squat is the one-legged variation of the squat. It is one of the most powerful body weight exercises for your legs. It may look advanced in terms of form, but you can also modify it to suit your level, even if you are still starting with your bodybuilding routines. This means that you can already do the pistol squat even as a beginner. Of course, you need to already have a mastery of the basic body weight squats prior to doing the pistol. And it can be quite easy, given that you are fit, able and committed in working hard to achieve your goals.
From the basic squats, you can ease your way into the pistol squat by doing box pistols first, where you have a box that will provide stability for your bottom. Go progressively lower until you won’t need a box anymore and you can do the full pistol squat routine.

Doing a back bridge can be very good for your entire posterior chain as well as the entire front of your body. Which means you will be strengthening not only your glutes, spinal erectors, upper backs and hamstrings, but you are also emphasizing your abs, chest and your hips. As a starter, you can do a basic bridge with your head on the ground. Work your way towards lifting an arm or a leg off the ground. In time, you will be able to lift your back and develop enviable glutes in the process.
Handstands are challenging and intense, but as you progress through it, you will be able to improve your balance, develop your shoulders and increase your mobility. Yes, it is intimidating to do at first. As a beginner, you can start off by doing brief holds on the wall and then progress with freestanding handstands. Later on, maybe you can even do a single-armed variation if the basic one already bores you.
Using bars for body weight training has been done by many for ages. To do pull-ups, you will need a sturdy bar where you can safely hang from. With an overhand grip, grab the bar and move your trunk up while tightening your legs and glutes. Pull yourself up as your chin touches the bar while maintaining the balance on your shoulders. Slowly lower yourself back to do another rep. Another variation that you can do after the basic pull-up is the single arm pull-up.
You can get the same results as the bench press with the classic body weight exercise which is the pushup. With regular push ups and its many variations, you will surely have enviable chest, delts and triceps, without the need for any gym equipment.
The inverse row is the opposite variation of the push up and provides a versatile exercise for the back. You will need a sturdy bar for this workout. For the inverse row, your grip will be holding the bar underhand. This exercise is great for improving your biceps, arms and shoulders.
The plank and its variations have been considered to be an impressive exercise and show of fitness, especially if you can hold it for more than a minute. This type of body weight exercise requires balance, core control and stability. It also needs endurance from your legs, neck, shoulders, lower back and abs. With constant tension doing the plank, you will have to-die-for abs that everyone is aiming for.
The burpee is a constant favorite among fat-burning exercises and is a staple in almost all exercise routine. This explosive workout gives your body with a full range of motion, making it a very powerful cardio exercise. It also requires coordination since you will be utilizing almost all of your joints to perform an accurate rep and set. With the burpee, you will be able to torch your calories faster, giving you that toned physique you’ve been aiming for.
Dips have the reputation of primarily being an exercise for triceps developments. But aside from that, your shoulders and chest will also greatly improve with this exercise. It is an excellent workout that helps develop your upper body strength and give you impressive pecs as a result.
Although you won’t be using any machines and weights, these exercises are as challenging as your deadlifts and bench presses. The better part of it is that you can get the same results without the risk of injury or getting yourself stuck in an equipment when it fails to function.
Body weight exercises, in general, are safe. Your resistance will depend on your weight and the possibility of injuring yourself is lesser compared when working with machines and heavy objects. Of course, you still need to exercise precaution when performing the more advanced routines.
If you feel uncomfortable working out in the gym or you would like to take advantage of any free space, be it at home, in the park or during peak hours in the facility, you can already do a lot of exercises with body weight routines. With proper form, you can increase your strength and develop your body with lesser chances of cheating. Moreover, once you mastered your body weight routine, you are also building up on your strength.
With the many variations and progressions, there is no room for boredom. At the same time, you are getting more opportunity to become stronger without having to rely on gym equipment. With body weight exercises, you’ll do with what you have. By being resourceful and creative, you can create tons of new skills which adds to the element of fun to your workout routine, something that might not be entirely practical when you are following the strict rules of machine use and of the gym.