You don’t need a gym membership, dumbbells, or expensive equipment to get stronger. Since the beginning of time, we’ve had access to the one piece of equipment that is essential for strength training – our own bodies.

Strength training without the use of external forces and equipment is called “bodyweight training”.

From push-ups and squats to planks and chin-ups, bodyweight training has become one of the most popular ways to exercise because it can be done anywhere – and it’s free. So, what is it, why does it work and how do you get started?

Bodyweight training simply means you use your own body weight as resistance, instead of external weights such as barbells and dumbbells. Common exercises include push-ups, squats, lunges and sit-ups.

But bodyweight training can also use static holds that challenge your body without moving, like planks or yoga poses.

Bodyweight training can be used for any muscle group. Typically, we can break down the exercises by movement type and/or body region:

Bodyweight training can also be done with equipment. Calisthenics is a style of bodyweight training that uses bars, rings and outdoor gyms.

Find out more about bodyweight training to improve your fitness (The Conversation).