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How To Build A Bodyweight Training Program

Here it is. Your Personal (nearly) Everlasting Bodyweight Training Program.

100% free, 100% adaptable. 

Why am I doing this? Ask Gary Vee.

I read Crush It a year ago (the audio version is awesome), recommended by Mark Bell and I’ve been trying to give as much as I could. But I’ve realised I’ve actually been holding back. Why couldn’t my website become a 100% free platform for training, meditation, nutrition and mindset advice?

I enjoy writing, I enjoy personal training, I enjoy creating content. So here is me passing Gear Second, and giving more. I’m sure I’ll be passing a few other gears I’m not aware of.

How To Create A Bodyweight Training Program

What you should achieve at the end of this program :

It mostly depends on where you are starting from. So all I’ll answer is PROGRESS. Enjoy the ride instead of hoping for a goal in 6 weeks. If you are consistent, you should be amazed by how fast you get strong.

I’ll give you all the exercises, then I’ll explain how you build the program, sets, reps, rest, number of days per week etc.

1. WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO

Mobility :

Here are four stretching videos. they are my favourite best bang for your buck stretches that come from Yoga and the Gymnasticbodies program.

You should try and do these as often as you can.

Animal walks :

Use these as warmups.

Exercices :

Upper Body Push :

Lower Body :

Core 1:

Core 2:

*Bonus : Why bonus? These next exercises require a pull-up bar, or rings, or something to pull on. So it means you have to buy it. You don’t have to do this one, but having a strong back is important. So I think you should invest.

Upper Body Pull (Pullup Bar / Rings needed) :

2. How to use this program :

In a training program you want the number of sets, the number of reps, and the rest time for each movement.

  • Reps are the number of times you will consecutively repeat a movement without rest
  • Sets are the number of times you will do the Reps.
  • Rest is the time you have between Sets.

It will me described thus :

Movement : Sets x Reps, Rest

i.e. :  Pushups : 3×5, 1 min R

You are going to be following a magical (not really…) progression sequence throughout the whole program. The sequence goes in waves, and are either Reps Or a Time.

If the exercise is asymetrical, such as pendulums, or side planks, the reps are for EACH SIDE.

The progression sequence goes in 3 week waves. In each Wave yo increase the number of sets, but the reps stay the same. The following wave, the sets decrease, and the reps increase for a second wave, until you get to wave number 6. Then you change exercise

Formula :

Exercise Level 1 (Reps) :

  • Wave 1 : 3×3 – 4×3 – 5×3
  • Wave 2 : 3×5 – 4×5 – 5×5
  • Wave 3 : 3×8 – 4×8 – 5×8
  • Wave 4 : 3×10 – 4×10 – 5×10
  • Wave 5 : 3×12 – 4×12 – 5×12
  • Wave 6 : 3×15 – 4×15 – 5×15 -> if achieved, progress to Exercise Level 2. 

Exercise Level 1 (Time) :

  • Wave 1 : 3x15s – 4x15s – 5x15s
  • Wave 2 : 3x30s – 4x30s – 5x30s
  • Wave 3 : 3x45s – 4x45s – 5x45s
  • Wave 4 : 3x1min – 4x1min – 5x1min
  • Wave 5 : 3x1min15s – 4x1min15s – 5x1min15s
  • Wave 6 : 3x1min30s – 4x1min30s – 5x1min30s -> if achieved, progress to Exercise Level 2. 

If things are too easy, skip to the next Set x Rep. Don’t skip 2.

Lets use an example :

Session 1 :

Pushups : 3×3, 1 min R

I try 3 pushups and realise it is very easy. So I decide to do 5 sets of 3 reps instead of 3 sets of 3 reps.

Session 2 :

I start off at 3×5 as it is the next Sets x Rep scheme. Still too easy, I skip to 5×5

Session 3 :

I start off at 3×8. Not so easy this time. I stick to the program.

If one of the exercises gets harder than the rest, and is slower to progress, keep the program stagnant on ALL EXERCISES until you have made progress in the lagging program.

Again, lets look at an example :

  • 3 x 3 Incline pushups (ok)
  • you only manage 3x12s on knee plank,
  • and you do 3 x 3 assisted squats

The following week, you do :

  • 3×3 incline pushups
  • This time you should manage 15s planks
  • and 3 x 3 assisted squats.

And then you can let the program follow its course. You must let the weak group catch up to the rest, or suffer imbalances in the long run.

Weekly Frequency :

Then you have to determine how many days a weeks you are going to workout. You have the choice between 1, 2 or 3. If you want to do more, you’ll have to send me a message. But don’t do so before having tried the 3 times per week for 3 months. If you’ve maxed out the program, then I’ll help you out.

1 day a weak program :

The simplest, you do a circuit training with the exercices. A circuit means you so the reps of each different movement one after the other, and only rest when you have done the first Set of every exercise.

Warmup :

3 sets of each one of the 4 animal walks

Mobility :

Do sequences 1,2,3, and 4 in that order.

Program :

  • Level 1 lower body
  • Level 1 core 1
  • Level 1 upper body Push
  • Level 1 core 2
  • Level 1 upper body Pull*

Full example of a session :

  • 1 ape walk,1 crab, 1 frog, 1 boardwalk, 1 ape walk, 1 crab, 1 frog, 1 bear, 1 ape, 1 crab, 1 frog, 1 bear.
  • Stretch sequence 1
  • Stretch Sequence 2
  • Stretch sequence 3
  • Stretch sequence 4
  • Set 1 : 3 assisted parallel squats, then 15s knee plank, then 3 pushups, then 15s Side Knee Plank, rest 1 minute
  • Set 2 : 3 assisted parallel squats, then 15s knee plank, then 3 pushups, then 15s Side Knee Plank, rest 1 minute
  • Set 3 : 3 assisted parallel squats, then 15s knee plank, then 3 pushups, then 15s Side Knee Plank, rest 1 minute

You’re done

2 sessions a Week :

Option A :

If you aren’t sore after the sessions, you can repeat the 1 session a week program for both sessions, but make sure you have 72 hours between sessions.

Option B :

If things are getting difficult, you can cut the program in half :

Session 1 :

Warmup : 3 sets of each one of the 4 animal walks

Stretching : Do sequences 1 and 2

Program :

  • Level 1 lower body
  • Level 1 upper body Push
  • Level 1 core 1

Session 2 :

Warmup : 3 sets of each one of the 4 animal walks

Stretching : Do sequences 3, and 4.

  • Level 1 upper body Pull*
  • Level 1 core 2

Full example of the sessions :

Session 1 :

  • 1 ape walk,1 crab, 1 frog, 1 boardwalk, 1 ape walk, 1 crab, 1 frog, 1 bear, 1 ape, 1 crab, 1 frog, 1 bear.
  • Stretch sequence 1
  • Stretch Sequence 2
  • Set 1 : 3 assisted parallel squats, then 3 incline pushups, 15s Side knee plank, rest 1 minute
  • Set 2 : 3 assisted parallel squats, then 3 incline pushups,15s Side knee plank, rest 1 minute
  • Set 3 : 3 assisted parallel squats, then 3 incline pushups, 15s Side knee plank, rest 1 minute

Session 2 :

  • 1 ape walk,1 crab, 1 frog, 1 boardwalk, 1 ape walk, 1 crab, 1 frog, 1 bear, 1 ape, 1 crab, 1 frog, 1 bear.
  • Stretch sequence 3
  • Stretch Sequence 4
  • Set 1 : 15s knee plank, then 3 incline pulls*, rest 1 minute
  • Set 2 : 15s knee plank, then 3 incline pulls*, rest 1 minute
  • Set 3 : 15s knee plank, then 3 incline pulls*, rest 1 minute

3 sessions a Week :

Option A

It gets a little more complicated. First, try to follow the plan for 1 day a week, but instead of increasing weekly, you increase every exercise by one step. Every session, you do every exercise in sequence, until you can’t recover enough because the exercises make you too sore.

Option B

In that case, here’s what you do :

Session 1 :

  • Warmup : 3 sets of each one of the 4 animal walks
  • Mobility : Do sequences 1 and 2
  • Program :
  • Level 1 lower body
  • Level 1 upper body Push

Session 2 :

  • Warmup : 3 sets of each one of the 4 animal walks
  • Mobility : No mobility
  • Level 1 core 1

Session 3 :

  • Warmup : 3 sets of each one of the 4 animal walks
  • Mobility : Do sequences 3 and 4
  • Level 1 upper body Pull*
  • Level 1 core 2

Full example of the sessions :

Session 1 :

  • 1 ape walk,1 crab, 1 frog, 1 boardwalk, 1 ape walk, 1 crab, 1 frog, 1 bear, 1 ape, 1 crab, 1 frog, 1 bear.
  • Stretch sequence 1
  • Stretch Sequence 2
  • Set 1 : 3 assisted parallel squats, then 3 incline pushups, rest 1 minute
  • Set 2 : 3 assisted parallel squats, then 3 incline pushups, rest 1 minute
  • Set 3 : 3 assisted parallel squats, then 3 incline pushups, rest 1 minute

Session 2 :

  • 1 ape walk,1 crab, 1 frog, 1 boardwalk, 1 ape walk, 1 crab, 1 frog, 1 bear, 1 ape, 1 crab, 1 frog, 1 bear.
  • Set 1 : 15s knee plank, rest 1 minute
  • Set 2 : 15s knee plank rest 1 minute
  • Set 3 : 15s knee plank, rest 1 minute

Session 3 :

  • 1 ape walk,1 crab, 1 frog, 1 boardwalk, 1 ape walk, 1 crab, 1 frog, 1 bear, 1 ape, 1 crab, 1 frog, 1 bear.
  • Stretch sequence 3
  • Stretch Sequence 4
  • Set 1 : 3 incline pulls, 15s Side knee Plank, rest 1 minute
  • Set 2 : 3 incline pulls, 15s Side knee Plank, rest 1 minute
  • Set 3 : 3 incline pulls, 15s Side knee Plank, rest 1 minute

WARNINGS :

1) You are going to feel like you are going slow because we all have lagging muscles. The truth is as you are building things holistically, you will be preventing future injuries. And therefore you will probably be going faster than everyone you know in the long run. Injuries are the bane of exercise. Printing their appearance is the greatest investment you can do.

2) If you are skipping on the warmup and on mobility, I cannot guarantee you won’t be tight, injured, or feel something is wrong in the movement you are doing.

3) If you want me to correct your movement, you can post your video on instagram and tag @theslowmethod, or add it in the caption. I’ll correct you ASAP. Plus you should be able to see if anything is wrong in the movement you are doing by simply taking video. Details are important. So a side view AND a front view will be necessary.

4) If you have any issue with the youtube videos posted, please let me know and I’ll help you understand them as well as i can. I’ll be glad to answer your questions. And if you have any suggestions for improvement, I’ll be very happy to hear them.

Take it easy,

Morgan.

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