Muscle-building program without equipment

Posted on: 02/08/2025

Even if you don't have any equipment, it's still possible to get a good workout, make progress and build a great physique. Yes, you don't need any equipment - bars, weights and machines - to build muscle! Bodyweight exercises can help you build strength and muscle mass without the need for home equipment or gym membership. All you need is to choose the right exercises and set up a good training program without equipment. That's what this article is all about. To offer you several home training programs, without equipment, depending on your level and your goals. Let's take a closer look.

Why train at home?

When you train at home, you don't have to worry about the gym's opening hours or closing days, your clothes, the way people look at you or the validity of your membership. Nothing can disrupt your training program but yourself.

For people with busy schedules and little time to go to the gym, home training sessions are a liberation. No transport, no time in the changing room, no waiting at the machines etc. So you save real time. What's more, you save yourself a lot of expense, as gym membership can be expensive, not to mention the associated transport costs. If you want to get back into shape but have a limited budget, home training is for you.

Of course, there are also disadvantages to doing workouts at home, especially if you don't have any equipment and lack space. You'll have to find your own way to work your muscles with intensity, and adapt your workout program accordingly. It's not always easy. Also, you won't have anyone to help you. Without a coach, advisor or training partner, it can be difficult to check your technique during exercise, to push yourself and to stay motivated. Yes, solitude requires more self-discipline. And some may find it difficult to maintain their routine under these conditions. They need the presence of a coach, a group, an atmosphere and to get out of the house to motivate themselves and stay motivated.

To help you, set aside time for your workouts and give yourself a moment before each session to get into the mood. Put on your workout outfit, play some upbeat music, and have a drink or snack before your workout if you're feeling low on energy. In the early stages, practice exercises you enjoy without pushing yourself too hard or going to your limits; this helps you stick with your sessions and keep coming back for more. Be progressive! Do half workouts if you don't have the time to do full sessions that are too long or intense, but don't skip the session. Limit distractions too, to stay mentally engaged.

What exercises are possible without equipment?

There are a large number of exercises that can be performed without equipment. There are several training methods offering complete programs for people who can't afford to go to a gym or buy bodybuilding equipment. In terms of exercises, push-ups are often used for the pectoral muscles, but also work the shoulders and triceps. Raised-foot push-ups can help to train the upper pectoral muscles and the shoulders a little more. Single- or double-leg squats and lunges work the thighs and glutes. The various pull-ups work the back at different angles, as well as the biceps, depending on the technique you use. And of course all the abdominal exercises often performed on the floor.

After that, it's possible to make do with a bit of equipment, such as chairs to do dips (an excellent exercise for the pectoral muscles which is much more difficult than push-ups), or to do your push-ups with more amplitude to make them more effective. Likewise, with a little trickery, you can transform exercises and turn push-ups into a movement for the triceps (simply by tightening the width of the grip and keeping your elbows alongside your body). A simple wall or the corner of a table can also be used to perform triceps exercises such as "bodyweight front bar", or "horizontal pull-ups" for the back or arms.

It is therefore possible to progress without equipment. However, this requires meticulous planning and well thought-out combinations of exercises and rest periods. Because it's not possible to increase the workload, to succeed in increasing the intensity of training and therefore its effectiveness, you'll need to play on the overall volume of work and rest time. This means reducing rest time to make exercises more difficult, and increasing the number of repetitions, sets and exercises, to achieve a greater overall volume of work. Several methods exist using this type of principle, and it's probably the best solution for effective training.

What equipment-free bodybuilding program should I follow?

As we've seen, with the right training techniques, you can dramatically increase the intensity and effectiveness of your bodyweight exercises. Let's take a look at some effective programs to do at home, depending on your level.

1 - Don't skip the warm-up!

Whatever home training program you choose, you need to warm up.

If you're just starting out, take about five minutes to activate your muscles and get your heart rate up, and practice a few easier variations of the movements you're about to do. For example, if your workout includes squats and push-ups, you can do a few minutes of basic blood-circulating movements, such as walking on the spot, swinging your arms and legs (Jumping Jack), then follow up with "assisted" squats and "easy" push-ups against a wall or table. This will help you do the exercises correctly and prevent pain or injury. The aim is not to tire yourself out, but rather to warm you up.

For an advanced warm-up routine, do an overall low-intensity warm-up, then some stretching and a little mobility (stick, elastic). Move on to a specific warm-up with lighter sets to build up power.

2 - Beginner home training program - Circuit Training

This program is designed for beginners and uses bodyweight. It's a circuit training-type program, a training method that consists in performing a series of muscle-building exercises one after the other, with little or no recovery time. Once you've completed the sequence of movements, you start again from the beginning. The complete circuit can be performed 2 to 3 times or more. This method is ideal for building total-body muscle, improving overall fitness and gaining strength and endurance.

Perform 3 circuits of :

- Bodyweight squat: 20 repetitions

- Push-ups: 10 repetitions

- Walking lunges: 10 repetitions

- Australian pull-ups: 10 reps

- Plank: 20 seconds

3 - Intermediate home training program - Circuit Training

This program is designed for athletes who already have a certain level of fitness, and is performed using bodyweight alone. It's also a circuit training program.

Do 3 circuits of :- Single-leg squats: 10 each side- Bodyweight squats: 20 repetitions- Walking lunges: 20 repetitions (10 per leg) - Bodyweight pull-ups: 10 reps- Australian pull-ups: 10 repetitions- Dips (between 2 chairs): 10 reps- Push-ups: 10 reps- Plank: 45 seconds

4 - Advanced home bodybuilding program - Bodybuilding

This full-body home program is designed for athletes at a good level, or for beginners who want to take up weight training. It uses bodyweight only.

- Floor push-ups: 6*6

- Barbell or Australian pull-ups: 6*6

- 1-leg squat: 6*6 - Right leg 6 sets, then left leg.

- 1-leg standing calf raises: 4*8 (1 min)

- Floor crunch: 4*10

Rest time between sets is 30 seconds and 2 minutes between each exercise.

To progress with this bodyweight program, simply add repetitions from one session to the next. For example, for push-ups, if you validate the 6*6 (6 sets of 6 repetitions) at bodyweight with 30 seconds rest between sets, try the 6*7 at the next session. Continue like this until you reach 6*20. If you get stuck, retry the format until it's validated. Once you've validated the 6*20, repeat the cycle, going back to 6*6 - and going to 6*20 - but using ballast.

How do I add ballast?

Adding weight is the most obvious way to make a bodyweight exercise more challenging. The most common variations are those that include a weight belt (dips, pull-ups), but think creatively. You can do push-ups, pull-ups or squats with a weighted backpack, for example. It's up to you to play up the resistance! All you need to do is carry a backpack with water, sand, stones or books to make your exercise that much harder. Small equipment can help. Elastic resistance bands can be used to spice up your bodyweight exercise! And don't forget the weighted vest, which is less awkward and more comfortable than the backpack.

FAQ Bodybuilding program without equipment

1) Can I really gain muscle by exercising at home?

Yes, you can build muscle mass with home training, with or without equipment. The trick is to follow a strategy of progressive overload, making workouts increasingly difficult, to force muscles to grow. How do you do this? By increasing repetitions, getting closer to failure, doing more difficult variations and going slower. Of course, loads, weights and some basic equipment are an undeniable plus and make life easier once you've reached a certain level.

2) Can exercising at home help me lose weight?

Yes, you can work out at home as part of your weight-loss strategy. The trick here is to couple your home sessions with cardio-training, and above all diet (healthier) nutrition. Sport will remuscle you, and the right diet will help you burn fat.

3) How often should I train?

That depends on your objective. For maintenance and fitness, 2 or 3 short sessions are sufficient. To make a real difference to your physique, 3 or 4 longer, more complete sessions are required, with additional cardio and the right nutrition: mass gain, muscle gain or weight loss.

4) Is soreness after training a good sign?

It doesn't mean that you've worked well or badly. Aches and pains are caused by microtrauma to the muscle fibres, as your muscles are not used to the new effort. This eventually passes, as your body gets used to it. But it can come back with an unusual effort (if you force yourself or do a different exercise) or if you resume sport after a break.