Training at home without a single weight
A 20-minute bodyweight plan, how to add difficulty with no equipment, and which exercises replace the squat, press and row.
For your first six months of progress you do not need a gym. You need a plan and a way to make exercises harder over time.
Plan A (20 minutes, 3× a week)
- Bodyweight squat — 3 × 15
- Push-ups (on knees or elevated if needed) — 3 × 8–12
- Reverse lunges — 3 × 10 per leg
- Table rows (lie under a sturdy table and pull yourself up by the edge) — 3 × 8
- Plank — 3 × 30 s
How to add load without weights
- Slower lowering: 3 seconds down instead of 1 — same exercise, far harder.
- Pause at the bottom: 2 seconds at the bottom of a squat or push-up.
- Harder variation: feet-elevated push-ups, Bulgarian split squats, assisted single-leg squats.
- Shorter rest: 45 seconds instead of 90.
- A backpack full of books — the cheapest weight in the world.
What replaces the main lifts
- Squat → bodyweight squat → Bulgarian split squat → single-leg squat.
- Press → elevated push-up → standard push-up → feet-elevated push-up.
- Row → table row → band row → pull-up if you have a bar.
- Deadlift → glute bridge → single-leg bridge → Romanian deadlift with a backpack.
What to buy with 25 euros
- Resistance bands (a set) — the most useful thing for a home setup.
- A doorway pull-up bar — unlocks pull-ups, the best back exercise there is.
- A mat — comfort for core work and stretching.
When it is time for a gym
When bodyweight squats are 3 × 25 without effort and push-ups are 3 × 20 — your body is asking for more resistance than a home setup can give.
The short version
- Three 20-minute sessions a week is enough to start.
- Progress by going slower, pausing, using harder variations, resting less.
- Bands and a pull-up bar solve 90 % of the problem.
General information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition or pain, talk to a doctor before changing how you train.
