5 KILLER BODYWEIGHT EXERCISES FOR STRENGTH

1. Single Leg Squat

Single leg movements are a fantastic way to create a new and challenging stimulus to your training, balance out differences in strength between legs, and improve your balance and flexibility.
Start by standing with one foot forward, and the other foot back. Bend both knees in a modified squat position. The thigh of your front leg and the shin of your rear leg should be parallel to the floor. The knee of your rear leg should be almost touching the floor. If your right leg is in front, then raise your left hand in a 90-degree "L" shape in front of you, as though you had just delivered an uppercut to someone's jaw. Put your right arm behind you, also bent at a 90-degree angle, with the upper arm parallel to the floor. When ready, jump up with an explosive motion, making sure to get both feet off the ground. Switch in mid-air so that your front leg goes to the rear, and the rear leg comes to the front. Switch your arms accordingly.

Before performing a single leg squat, make sure you have a decent level of mobility and can already properly squat with both legs proficiently. A safe way to build your range of motion is to place a target, such as a box or a bench, behind you that you can squat down on and touch (without sitting down).


The points to remember with the single leg squat are to keep your weight on your heels, keep your back straight, look forward, engage your posterior chain (glutes, hamstrings, etc), and lower down in a controlled manner.

2. Jumping Lunges

Start by standing with one foot forward, and the other foot back. Bend both knees in a modified squat position. The thigh of your front leg and the shin of your rear leg should be parallel to the floor. The knee of your rear leg should be almost touching the floor. If your right leg is in front, then raise your left hand in a 90-degree "L" shape in front of you, as though you had just delivered an uppercut to someone's jaw. Put your right arm behind you, also bent at a 90-degree angle, with the upper arm parallel to the floor. When ready, jump up with an explosive motion, making sure to get both feet off the ground. Switch in mid-air so that your front leg goes to the rear, and the rear leg comes to the front. Switch your arms accordingly.

3. One-Arm Push-Up

The push-up is one of the most underutilized and underrated movements in the gym. I don’t understand why. Push-ups are AWESOME! They require no equipment, and there are endless variations – adding weight, adding objects, elevation, or thrusting off the ground and adding a clap.

The Holy Grail of push-ups is the one-arm push-up. It’s a beacon of strength, balance, and just outright manliness.

To perform this movement, start off in a push-up position but with both hands closer to the middle, and with your legs spread wider than usual. Place one hand behind your back and keep your body tight and stable. Just as with the single leg movement, lower down slowly and aim for a target, gradually increasing until you achieve full range of motion.