The 10 bodyweight exercises every man should master are the push-up, squat, lunge, plank, glute bridge, dip, back extension, burpee, mountain climber and pull-up (or row). Together they train every major muscle with no equipment.
Mastering them doesn’t mean doing hundreds. It means clean reps, full range and a solid standard you can hit any day.
Why master the basics instead of advanced moves?
Because the basics do almost all of the work. Research shows push-ups build strength comparable to the bench press when effort is matched.(1) Fancy variations add little until the basics are strong.
These moves also show up in military fitness tests and drills for decades.(2) They’ve lasted because they work.
The 10 exercises, with a standard to aim for
| Exercise | What it trains | Solid standard |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Push-up | Chest, shoulders, triceps | 30 strict reps |
| 2. Bodyweight squat | Quads, glutes | 50 reps, full depth |
| 3. Reverse lunge | Legs, balance | 15 per leg |
| 4. Forearm plank | Core | 90 seconds |
| 5. Glute bridge | Glutes, hamstrings | 20 reps with a pause |
| 6. Chair dip | Triceps, chest | 20 reps |
| 7. Back extension | Lower back | 20 slow reps |
| 8. Burpee | Whole body, conditioning | 20 in 2 minutes |
| 9. Mountain climber | Core, conditioning | 60 seconds nonstop |
| 10. Pull-up or table row | Back, biceps | 8 pull-ups or 15 rows |
These standards are practical targets, not official tests. Hitting most of them puts you in very good shape.
1. Push-up
Hands under shoulders, body in one straight line, chest to a fist’s height from the floor. Elbows at about 45°.
Push-ups also say something about health. Men who could do more than 40 had far fewer heart events over 10 years than men who did fewer than 10.(3) Master the military push-up form.
2. Squat and 3. Reverse lunge
Squat as if sitting into a low chair, heels down, knees tracking your toes. For lunges, step back and drop the back knee straight down.
Check your technique with our bodyweight squat form guide.
4. Plank and 5. Glute bridge
Planks train your core to resist movement, which is what it does all day. Squeeze your glutes and push the floor away.
Bridges wake up glutes that sitting turns off. Find out how long you should hold a plank.
6. Dip and 7. Back extension
Dips between two chairs build triceps and chest. Keep shoulders down, away from your ears.
Back extensions balance all that pushing. Lie face down and lift your chest and legs slowly.
8. Burpee and 9. Mountain climber
These are your conditioning tools. Burpees work everything at once; mountain climbers keep your heart rate high while training your core.
Learn the military way to do burpees and the right mountain climber form.
10. Pull-up or row
Pull-ups are the best upper-back exercise, but you need a bar. Without one, use rows under a sturdy table or towel rows on a door.
See back exercises without a pull-up bar.
How do you go from zero to these standards?
Use easier versions first, then progress. Incline push-ups before full ones, squats to a chair before full depth.
A plan that rotates these moves across the week makes it simple. Start with the military calisthenics workout plan, or browse the full exercise list.
Master all ten with a real coach. MLT puts the whole 28-day program on your iPhone, with every session led on video by a real calisthenics instructor. No gym, no equipment, 10–21 minutes a day.
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Frequently asked questions
What bodyweight exercises should every man be able to do?
Push-ups, squats, lunges, planks, glute bridges, dips, back extensions, burpees, mountain climbers and pull-ups or rows. Together they train every major muscle group.
How many push-ups should a man be able to do?
Thirty strict push-ups is a strong practical goal. In one study, men able to do more than 40 had a much lower risk of heart events than those who managed fewer than 10.
Can these exercises build muscle?
Yes, when you progress them over time. Bodyweight exercises taken close to fatigue build muscle comparably to weights for most people.
How often should I train these exercises?
Rotate them across five or six short sessions a week so each muscle group gets trained about twice a week with time to recover.
Sources
- Calatayud J, et al. (2015). Bench press and push-up at comparable levels of muscle activity results in similar strength gains. J Strength Cond Res.
- U.S. Army. (2020). FM 7-22: Holistic Health and Fitness. Department of the Army.
- Yang J, et al. (2019). Association between push-up exercise capacity and future cardiovascular events among active adult men. JAMA Netw Open.
