If you are trying to build muscle, this bodyweight workout for teens can help you burn some body fat, build some muscle, and improve your overall health. Building muscle as a teen can be hard due to lack of gym equipment, no way to get a consistent ride to the gym, or you may not have enough money for a gym membership.
Fortunately, there are exercises you can do at home to build lean muscle and burn some body fat without any weights.
If you can get your hands on some dumbbells, the added resistance can improve your gains.
Protip: Grab some plastic grocery bags or fill your backpack full of bottled waters for weight. A 16.9 ounce bottle of water is around 1 pound. A couple of cases and some creativity and you have yourself a decent cheap home gym.
Full Body Bodyweight Workout for Teens
The CDC recommends children aged 6 to 17 years to perform 60 minutes or more of moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity each day. Along with your 60 minutes each day, the CDC recommends 3 days of activities that build muscle, and 3 days of activities that strengthen bones.
In short, you should get 60 minutes of running, jumping, playing, jogging, shooting hoops, playing a sport, or otherwise sweaty activities every day and three days a week of climbing, doing pushups, bodyweight exercises, and other strength-focused activities.
This bodyweight workout is designed to be used daily — alternate between Workout A and Workout B. Take a day off if you need to or if you plan on getting some other form of exercise in.
Consistency is key, so find a schedule that you can hold yourself to.
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Push Ups | 4 | 20 |
| Bodyweight Squats | 4 | 20 |
| Pushup Position Planks | 3 | As Long As Possible |
| Sit Ups | 4 | 20 |
| Mountain Climbers | 4 | 20 |
| Jumping Jacks | 3 | 30 |
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Burpees | 2 | 10 |
| Dips | 4 | 20 |
| Elevated Pike Pushups | 3 | 20 |
| Side Planks | 3 | As Long As Possible |
| Russian Twists | 4 | 20 |
| Pull Ups | 3 | As Many As Possible |
Workout Tips
If you’re willing to use objects as dumbbells, you can substitute the elevated pike pushups for traditional exercises like front and side lateral raises.
Exercises Using Objects as Dumbbells
- Overhead press
- Arnold Press
- Skull Crushers
- One Arm Tricep Extensions
- Curls
- Hammer Curls
- One Arm Bent Over Rows
- Shrugs
- Goblet Squats
Pull Ups – This is a great exercise to build a solid back and nice biceps. Save up some money and get yourself a decent pull up bar. You’ll be able to train in a doorway and remove the pull up bar without any damage to the door frame.
Nutrition
It can be hard to control everything that you eat. You don’t always have the choice of eating home cooked meals full of fresh vegetables and lean protein.
Do your best to eat all of the vegetables, fruit, and whole foods you can. Instead of eating a drumstick ice cream cone, grab a couple of apples and a salad. You’ll feel fuller longer and replenish vital nutrients your body needs.
Weigh yourself around the same time on the same day each week and log your food.
You’ll be able to control your bodyweight, build muscle, and get healthier. After a few weeks, you’ll know exactly how many calories you need to eat to maintain your weight. If you need to lose weight, eat 300 fewer calories per day. If you want to build muscle, eat 300 extra calories per day.
Be consistent, push yourself, and strive to do better every workout.
I started thinking about strength training mostly because I was bored this summer. I’ve been doing nerd fitness’ beginner bodyweight workout, but I’ve been looking around more to make sure I’m not doing something wrong. What would you say?
Steve is great and he writes some great stuff. If you are making progress with the bodyweight workouts then keep with them. Bodyweight/calisthenics are great and will get you into shape but lifting weights is a completely different feeling.
Is a warm up required or are these exercises good without one?
The traditional way of warming up (like on bench) isn’t necessary here. I would say that doing 5 minutes of exercise like jumping jacks and mobility work to warm the body and muscles up would be beneficial.
I’m 17 years old skinny
Weight-56kg height-6.2ft
Will this workout help me to gain weight and who much time will it take to gain 5 to 10 kgs or if possible can you send me before and after pictures of doing this workout for 2-3 months
You’re going to have to start eating a bit but you’ll gain 5-10 kilo in about 5-6 months solid. Bodyweight workouts aren’t the best for building muscle but they work.
Im 14 years old im let’s say i was skinny im avarage now i watched some workouts and im doing it for like 6-7 weeks i did’t have any diet and i still got alot of muscles and i didn’t use a pull up bar i was lifting my bag and done alot of pushups and know it’s all preety easy for me so should i get the pull bar and try your metod and should i start eating more?
Eat a little more, either get some weights or a weighted vest so you can push yourself harder on body weight exercises and being able to do pull ups will definitely build a pretty nice back.
I’m 16 years old, I weigh 90 kg and I’m 5ft 11. I’ve been looking for something to help me loss the fat especially around my stomach area. I used to do sports even tho i was still on the heavy side. Would this work for me?
Yes, doing this routine, possibly adding some weight (like a weighted vest or using bands) you will be able to get some work in. Clean up your diet and keep up on your cardio and you should start to see your stomach get smaller.
If you are interested in getting some equipment, let me know – I own Strength Junkies and I will get you a good deal on some equipment.
Dear Cutty,
First off thank you for creating this workout!
Second. I am 14 years old, 175 cm (5 ft 8 or 9?) and I am 62 kilos. I am looking to get a visible core and more strength in my arms, do you think this routine will help me with my goal?
Third. I am a bit confused. Say I do chest and triceps, do I perform all 5 exercises in a circuit, do I do one exercise, rest, do that exercise again till I have completed 4 sets or do I do one exercise, rest, do a different one from the list and repeat that till I have done 4 sets for every exercise?
Again thank you very much, I hope to hear from you soon!
Greetings,
Kieran
Kieran,
Thank you for the kind words. I think you will start to develop abs with a bit of work. Do you have much/any definition currently? If you do, tightening up your diet a little should help with the bloat/body fat you have. You are pretty light so becoming defined won’t be that hard. With bodyweight stuff you could do either a circuit or like you would in the gym, all sets and reps for that exercise at once before you go to the next. Doing it in a circuit may be funner and help with some conditioning so I would try it as circuit training first.
Let me know how you progress!
Dear Cutty,
Thank you for the quick and informative response even though this thread is so old!
I was wondering if I could replace the pullups with inverted rows with a grip that has your palms facing towards you?
I have taken my before picture today as motivation and hopefully I will stick around with it to the end!
I hope to hear from you soon!
Cheers,
Kieran
Not a problem. I look forward to hearing about your progress. Those would work for pull ups, yes :).
Cutty
How much should I rest between each set?
You can basically go by feel but I imagine 30-60 seconds between sets would be good.
Do you know what diet is best for me? I’m 15 yrs old, and I don’t want to overeat.
Eating foods that you or your parents have to actually cook and prepare will be your best bet. Taking raw ingredients and making something. You can eat in moderation other stuff, but everyone is designed different.
Log what you eat, watch the scale and mirror, and go from there.
How should I workout if I’m underweight like 110 pounds and 14 years old? Is it bad to do workouts if you are underweight?
Working out adds mass and will increase your strength and athleticism. Eating more while you workout and exercise will help you add lean mass.
Hey Cutty I was just wanting to know if you had anything that would improve pull-ups. I can’t do anything although I’m above average fit and athletic. I don’t have any shoulder muscle hardly, though. And my chest needs some improvement. So whatever you have would be appreciated. Thanks
Unfortunately, the only way to get stronger at pull ups is to do them. I would suggest buying some resistance bands and using them to help assist you. Essentially you would be lifting “less weight”. I would link you to some good bands that I sell but I have the site down for some upgrades. You can get a pack or buy them individually and basically stair step your way to not needing them.