The sun is shining, the birds are singing… and the gym is absolutely rammed. The solution is not to sack off your workout and feel sorry for yourself, but take it outside instead.
“You see a park bench, a street sign, a ping pong table – we see training equipment,” says Dr Kianoush Missaghi, training specialist at AI-based fitness and lifestyle coaching app Freeletics.
“The world is a gym, you just have to know how to use it.”
10 Bodyweight Exercises For Park Workouts
With that in mind, here are 10 bodyweight exercises – progressing in difficulty – that can be done with the help of just a small raised platform (a park bench will do nicely) and a set of monkey bars.
Lateral Leg Swing
Why? An excellent warm-up exercise to open up your hips and get blood flowing to your leg muscles.
Recommended reps: 20 each side
- Start standing, holding a secure object at about chest level.
- Swing one leg from side to side, keeping your abs braced.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/TBgVxnCE-0g
Step-Up
Why? Sounds easy, but trains the entire lower body, from the calves to the glutes to the core.
Recommended reps: 10-15 each side
- Start standing in front of the obstacle.
- Step up with one foot, coming to an upright stand – keep the abs braced and upper body upright.
- Step down again.
- (The height of the obstacle and speed of execution can be adjusted for difficulty).
https://youtube.com/shorts/IEBjb8GW0Uw
Box Jump
Why? A simple-looking lower body and core exercise that packs a lung-busting punch.
Recommended reps: 6-8
- Stand just in front of a box with feet shoulder-width apart.
- Swing arms and hinge hips back with a tall chest, flat back, and engaged core.
- Swing arms forward, using momentum to jump up and slightly forward, landing softly with both feet completely on the box.
- Stand up, locking out your knees and extending your hips.
- Carefully step back down to the ground.
https://youtube.com/shorts/GgjmwnJIsgY
Assisted Pistol Squat
Why? Pistol Squats are a full-body workout in their own right. This way you can build up to the full movement.
Recommended reps: 8-10
- Start by standing and holding onto a pole with one hand.
- Lift the foot furthest away from the pole off the ground.
- Now push your hips back and bend at the knee nearest the pole, raising your elevated foot out in front as you do so.
- Descend until your hips are below knee height, then drive through your planted heel to return to standing.
https://youtube.com/shorts/BzrqUFABaUw
Box Pike Press-Up
Why? A good shoulder-focused preliminary exercise for anyone who would like to eventually master the handstand press-up.
Recommended reps: 6-10
- Place your feet on a park bench or something similar and get into a decline press-up position.
- Keep your hips and shoulders in line, and bend at the elbows to lower your body until your head almost touches the ground.
- Push back up to the start.
https://youtube.com/shorts/nw5BrcdZ928
Burpee
Why? The ultimate move for sending your heart rate from steady to soaring in matter of seconds.
Recommended reps: 15-20
- Bend your knees and place your palms flat on the floor about shoulder-width apart.
- Keeping your feet together, thrust them out then back in again.
- From that crouched position, point your fingers to your temples with your elbows wide and drive yourself up through your legs and into the air.
- Bend your knees as you land and go straight into the next rep.
Burpee Box Jump
Why? Like a burpee, but even harder. This exercise is best and most fluid when you are not facing the obstacle head on, but standing at a slight angle or parallel to it
Recommended reps: 10-12
- Standing next fo a knee- to hip-height obstacle, complete a burpee.
- As you come up, jump onto the obstacle, then off the other side.
- Complete another burpee, and jump back on.
- Repeat.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/06b0JYWhnsA
Dragon Flag
Why? Another full-body workout rolled into one exercise, the dragon flag is a real test your core strength and stability.
Recommended reps: 8-10
- Lie flat on the floor, legs side by side, head touching the bar, shoulders and head resting on the floor.
- Reach around the bar and lift your extended legs up into the air, forming a straight line from feet to chest.
- Lower slowly, until your feet are just hovering above the floor, then repeat.
Incline Row
Why? An excellent bodyweight back-builder, and slightly easier than pull-ups if you struggle with those.
Recommended reps: 6-10
- Grip the bar shoulder-width apart, with arms extended.
- Shoulders, hips and knees form a line; legs and hips remain fully extended.
- Now pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar.
- Lower with control.
Chin-Up
Why?
Recommended reps: 6-10
- Grab the bar with an underhand grip so your hands are shoulder-width apart.
- Start from a dead hang with your arms fully extended.
- Pull yourself up by squeezing your lats together.
- Once your chin is higher than your hands, lower yourself back to the start.
https://youtube.com/shorts/P6xpfiqm3wQ
Pistol Squat
Why? Any kind of single-leg squat is going to be hard, but these are exceptionally difficult due to the depth you reach in the squat and the balance required to stabilise.
Recommended reps: 6-8
- Keep lowering the platform on these until you’re free-standing on the floor with your backside reaching your heels.
- To help the upwards part of the movement, squeeze your fists tightly while simultaneously bracing the core. This will give you a surge of power and help you to stand up from the bottom part of the squat.
