Develop muscle all over in less than 10 minutes with these four no-equipment moves

Develop muscle all over, challenge your core, and improve your push-up strength without weights using this short session

A woman performing mountain climbers on a yoga mat outside
(Image credit: Getty)

The gym isn't the only place you can build muscle. With the right mix of bodyweight exercises, you can get a great workout pretty much anywhere, whether that's a quick abs challenge in your living room or an outdoor park workout

Although you can put together a routine using some bodyweight arm workout moves, or work with a personal trainer directly, this session from fitness coach Tanya Poppett is a great place to start and practice your technique. 

This circuit blends four bodyweight moves for an accessible session that will work your chest, shoulders, legs, arms, and core. The only equipment you might want is a yoga mat to provide a grippy foundation for your hands and feet. 

You'll do each exercise for 30 seconds, take a 10-second rest, then start on the next move. Once you've done all four, repeat for three rounds in total for a muscle-building workout you can do in less than 10 minutes with no equipment. 

If you're new to any of the exercises, watch Poppett's video below for a demonstration of how to perform each one. This will help you perfect your form to get the most from your training and avoid injury.

Watch Tanya Poppett's full-body bodyweight workout

The prisoner step-ups Poppett programs are a great way to work your legs without weights, while the Cossack squat is a testing exercise that can boost your hip, knee, and ankle mobility, 

We're also big fans of the bear plank box taps. These may not look like you're typical core strengthening exercise as, unlike sit-ups and crunches, there is no need to bend your spine. However, by challenging your midsection to help you stay balanced, it hits core muscles like the stabilizing transverse abdominis. 

This leaves the push-up climber; a compound exercise that hits multiple muscles at once while also providing a solid core workout. If you are still learning how to do a push-up, you can drop your knees to the ground to make this exercise slightly easier. 

This will still help you build pushing power by working your chest, shoulders and triceps, which are the key players when performing a full push-up. After your training, you might feel a little sore, so it's also worth giving your muscles a quick massage with one of the best foam rollers to promote recovery. 

Harry Bullmore
Fitness Writer

Harry Bullmore is a Fitness Writer for Fit&Well and its sister site Coach, covering accessible home workouts, strength training session, and yoga routines. He joined the team from Hearst, where he reviewed products for Men's Health, Women's Health, and Runner's World. He is passionate about the physical and mental benefits of exercise, and splits his time between weightlifting, CrossFit, and gymnastics, which he does to build strength, boost his wellbeing, and have fun.


Harry is a NCTJ-qualified journalist, and has written for Vice, Learning Disability Today, and The Argus, where he was a crime, politics, and sports reporter for several UK regional and national newspapers.