As a fitness editor, I have done my fair share of workouts. Videos, classes, personal training — you name it, I’ve probably done it. In all of the workouts I have done, the same seven exercises appear again and again, and for good reason. Not only do these moves tend to form the foundation of more challenging variations, but they are also incredibly functional and work major muscle groups of the body.
If you’re new to fitness or are just looking for a refresher, it’s a good idea to get acquainted with the following exercises. Doing so will help give you the foundation to excel at more complicated moves, while also providing you the health benefits from focusing on exercises that are truly useful in everyday life. Best of all? You won’t need a single piece of equipment to do a single one.
Squat
Stand with your feet shoulder-width distance apart, feet parallel. Place your hands at your head with elbows wide. Bend your knees, lowering your hips deeply, bringing your thighs parallel with the floor,and keeping weight back in your heels.
Then rise back up, straightening the legs completely, and squeezing the glutes at the top of the movement to get the most out of the exercise.
This counts as one rep.
Lunge
Keep your upper body straight, with your shoulders back and relaxed and your chin up (pick a point to stare at in front of you so you don’t keep looking down). Always engage your core.
Step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at about a 90-degree angle. Make sure your front knee is directly above your ankle, not pushed out too far, and make sure your other knee doesn’t touch the floor. Keep the weight in your heels as you push back up to the starting position. This counts as one rep.
Be sure to perform the exercise on both sides of the body.
Plank
Start by resting on all fours.
With your palms flat, raise up off your knees onto your toes. Keep your hands directly below your shoulders. Contract your abs to keep yourself up and prevent your bottom from sticking up. Remember to keep your belly button pulled in.
With your head and spine in line, keep your back flat — don’t let it curve. Picture your body as a long, straight board.
Hold as long as you can. Aim for 20 to 30 seconds in the beginning, and work your way up as you get stronger.
Push-Up
Start in plank position, with your arms and legs straight, shoulders above the wrists.
Take a breath in, and as you exhale, bend your elbows out to the sides and lower your chest toward the ground. Stop as soon as your shoulders are in line with your elbows. Inhale to straighten the arms. This counts as one rep.
Burpees
Lower into a crouching squat, with your hands on the floor.
Do a squat thrust by jumping your feet back into a plank position.
Do one basic push-up, bending the elbows and then straightening back to plank.
Jump the feet forward to the hands and come into a squat.
Do an explosive jump straight up, getting as much height as you can.
Sit-Ups
Lie on your back with bent knees and feet flat on the ground, and place your hands on opposite shoulders.
Keeping your heels on the ground and your toes flat to the ground, engage your abdominal muscles and gently lift your head first, followed by your shoulder blades, coming into a full sit-up position.
Hold the position for a second, and with control, come slowly back down to lying on your back.
This completes one rep.
Bicycle Crunches
Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground (pull your navel in to also target your deep abs).
Put your hands behind your head, then bring your knees in toward your chest and lift your shoulder blades off the ground, but be sure not to pull on your neck.
Straighten your right leg out to about a 45-degree angle to the ground while turning your upper body to the left, bringing your right elbow toward the left knee. Make sure your ribcage is moving and not just your elbows.
Now switch sides and do the same motion on the other side to complete one rep.
