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 (opens in new tab)

Although you can put together a routine using some bodyweight arm workout (opens in new tab) moves, or work with a personal trainer directly, this session from fitness coach Tanya Poppett (opens in new tab) 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 (opens in new tab) 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

A post shared by Tanya Poppett (@tanyapoppett) (opens in new tab)

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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 (opens in new tab) 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 (opens in new tab) that hits multiple muscles at once while also providing a solid core workout. If you are still learning how to do a push-up (opens in new tab), 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 (opens in new tab) to promote recovery. 

Harry Bullmore

Harry Bullmore is a fitness writer covering everything from reviews to features for LiveScience, T3, TechRadar, Fit&Well and more. So, whether you’re looking for a new fitness tracker or wondering how to shave seconds off your 5K PB, chances are he’s written something to help you improve your training.


When not writing, he’s most likely to be found experimenting with a wide variety of training methods in his home gym or trying to exhaust his ever-energetic puppy.


Prior to joining Future, Harry wrote health and fitness product reviews for publications including Men’s Health, Women’s Health and Runner’s World. Before this, he spent three years as a news reporter with work in more than 70 national and regional newspapers.