Workout plan
Bodyweight Workout Plan: A Progressive 3-Day Routine
Build a repeatable week from squat, push, hinge, pull, and trunk patterns, then progress by changing repetitions, range, leverage, or assistance instead of adding random exercises.
Reviewed by Dorsi editorial teamUpdated September 1, 2026
Plan details
- Level
- Beginner to intermediate
- Frequency
- 3 days per week
- Session length
- 30–45 minutes
- Equipment
- Floor space plus a sturdy table, low bar, or resistance band for pulling; a stable chair is optional
Base version
Your starting week
Day 1 — Squat, push, and row
Foundational knee-dominant, horizontal push, and horizontal pull practice| Exercise | Sets | Reps | First-week guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chair squat or bodyweight squat | 3 | 8–15 | Use a chair target until every repetition reaches the same depth under control. |
| Incline or floor push-up | 3 | 6–15 | Choose a hand height that leaves two good repetitions available. |
| Inverted row or band row | 3 | 6–12 | Use only a table, bar, or anchor that is stable enough for your full bodyweight and intended pull direction. |
| Dead bug | 2 | 6–10 each side | Shorten the reach before the lower back loses its stable position. |
Day 2 — Hinge, vertical push, and single-leg work
Posterior-chain control plus shoulder and unilateral leg strength| Exercise | Sets | Reps | First-week guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single-leg hip bridge | 3 | 8–15 each side | Keep the pelvis level and use two legs if the range changes. |
| Pike push-up or elevated pike push-up | 3 | 5–10 | Raise the hands to reduce difficulty and keep the head path controlled. |
| Reverse lunge or supported split squat | 3 | 8–12 each side | Hold a wall or chair so balance does not hide leg capacity. |
| Side plank | 2 | 20–40 seconds each side | End the hold when breathing or trunk position changes. |
Day 3 — Full-body progression
Harder leverage choices without turning the session into a speed circuit| Exercise | Sets | Reps | First-week guidance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Split squat or Bulgarian split squat (rear foot elevated) | 3 | 6–12 each side | Elevate the rear foot only after the basic split squat is stable. |
| Push-up progression | 3 | 6–12 | Lower the hand position or add a pause before choosing an unstable variation. |
| Pull-up, inverted row, or band pulldown | 3 | 6–12 | Choose the version you can perform smoothly, then progress assistance, body angle, or band tension. |
| Slow mountain climber | 2 | 8–12 each side | Move one leg at a time without letting the hips rotate. |
Progression
How the plan moves forward
- 1Start with a version that allows the listed range and two to three repetitions in reserve; an easier regression is the correct starting exercise when it keeps the movement repeatable.
- 2Add repetitions to the top of the range, then change one variable at a time by increasing range, slowing the lowering phase, reducing assistance, or using a harder leverage.
- 3If the next leverage step is too large, add a pause or one set to the current version instead of accepting incomplete repetitions.
When conditions change
Three ways to adjust without starting over
You have no safe place to row or pull
Floor-only pushing and leg work do not replace loaded pulling for the back.
- Use a securely anchored resistance band, a playground bar, or gym access for the pulling slots rather than improvising with unstable furniture.
- Until then, keep low-load prone arm raises as shoulder practice but do not count them as equivalent back-strength work.
You have only 20 minutes
The plan should preserve movement coverage before adding pace or fatigue.
- Perform the first three exercises for two work sets each and omit the trunk finisher.
- Rest long enough to keep repetitions controlled instead of converting the session into a breathless circuit.
Wrist or shoulder discomfort appears during push-ups
Hand position, incline, range, and weekly pressing dose can change the demand substantially.
- Raise the hands, use stable handles or fists if comfortable, and shorten the range to one that remains controlled.
- Stop the aggravating version and seek appropriate assessment when pain is sharp, persistent, or affects normal daily movement.
Exercise demonstrations
See the main movement patterns
Pull-Up
Lats + upper back + arms · vertical pull
See substitutionsBulgarian Split Squat
Quads + glutes · unilateral
See substitutionsBodyweight does not mean progression-free
A useful bodyweight plan has the same job as a gym plan: expose the major movement patterns to a repeatable challenge and make that challenge increase over time. The progression is simply expressed through repetitions, range of motion, leverage, assistance, tempo, or unilateral work before it is expressed through plates.
Keep the sessions as strength practice rather than racing the clock. Fast circuits can be conditioning, but speed makes it harder to tell whether a push-up or split squat is actually getting stronger. Use the listed ranges, stop before technique changes, and record which exercise version you performed.
Pulling is the honest equipment constraint
Floor space provides many useful squat, lunge, bridge, push-up, and trunk options. It does not provide a strong horizontal or vertical pull. A secure table, low bar, anchored band, or pull-up station solves that gap. If none is available, the plan should say so instead of labeling a light prone shoulder drill as equivalent back training.
This distinction also separates this routine from the calisthenics workout plan, which assumes more equipment and includes skill practice. Dorsi can use the equipment and time you actually have when planning future sessions; the personalized planning page shows how those details shape the next plan.
This plan is for generally healthy adults. Sharp pain, fainting, chest pain, unusual shortness of breath, or persistent loss of normal function needs appropriate medical guidance rather than another exercise regression.
Sources we drew from
The schedule is a practical template for generally healthy adults. Evidence statements are tied to the sources below; the exact exercise order is an editorial programming choice, not a clinical prescription.
- 1Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd editionOfficial guideline
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services · 2018 · Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
Bodyweight exercise can count as muscle-strengthening activity when it works the major muscle groups at moderate or greater effort.
- 2
Brad S Currier et al. · 2026 · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise
The position stand supports progressive resistance training across equipment choices when effort, volume, and progression match the goal.
Frequently asked questions
Can a bodyweight workout plan build muscle?
It can when the exercises become progressively more demanding and the working sets are hard enough to challenge the target muscles. Repetitions, range, leverage, assistance, tempo, and unilateral versions can all provide progression before external load is necessary.
Is this the same as a calisthenics program?
No. This plan prioritizes basic strength with minimal equipment and no skill goals. The calisthenics plan includes dedicated pull-up, dip, and skill progressions and assumes access to bars or stable equivalents.
Can I train my whole body with no equipment at all?
You can train legs, pushing muscles, and the trunk with floor space, but meaningful pulling is the limitation. A stable row or pulldown setup, a resistance band, or occasional gym access makes the plan more balanced than pretending prone arm movements are equivalent.