The best bodyweight exercises you can do at home

Squats

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There’s no escaping the bread-and-butter of all leg workouts, according to Faz. Squats strengthen your thighs and glutes, the largest muscle groups in your body, and are favoured by anyone (celebs included!) looking for a firmer butt and shapelier thighs.

Scale it up: “If you want to make it harder, try box squats or chair squats before progressing to squat jumps or pistol squats.”

Bear crawl

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Awkward as it looks, the dreaded bear crawl is Faz’s go-to move for good reason. “The bear crawl strengthens your core and works your entire body, especially your shoulders, arms and glutes,” says Faz.

“When you crawl, your hips go from fully flexed to fully extended, taking the joint through its entire range of motion. It’s a no-brainer conditioning tool as this exercise increases your muscular endurance and improves overall conditioning.”

Scale it up: If the bear crawl (eventually) proves to be too easy, Faz recommends doing them with Hindu push-ups, a push-up variation that starts from a downward dog position, before transitioning into an upward facing dog pose.

Push-ups

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However you choose to do push-ups – knees on the ground, against a wall or with your hands in a diamond shape – the compound exercise, when done properly, engages multiple muscle groups. “It is amazing for your core, helps to improve posture and prevent lower back injuries. And you can do it pretty much anywhere, anytime,” says Natalie.

Scale it up: When full push-ups (with knees off the ground) start to feel more effortless, add resistance by propping your feet on a stable raised surface (eg a step, stool or block). Or try plyometric push-ups, where you push off explosively with enough force for your hands to leave the ground, for more challenge.

Burpees

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While burpees are no one’s favourite bodyweight exercise, according to Natalie, the burpee is great for burning fat and getting a full-body workout. “The correct version is to have your chest to the ground, but you can scale it without your chest hitting the ground.” She adds that burpees are more explosive than hill sprints, and they help to improve your coordination.

Scale it up: To add even more power to the move, add a tuck jump to your jump at the last step. You'll definitely feel the burn.

Tricep dips

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Trying to tone that tricky tricep area? Natalie recommends doing dips to work those hard-to-firm places on the back of the arms. “Try dips with your legs bent for beginners, and straighten legs out for a challenge.”