Best Examples of Sample Workout Plans for Gaining Muscle Without Weights

Real examples of sample workout plans for gaining muscle without weights

Let’s start with what you actually came here for: real examples of sample workout plans for gaining muscle without weights that you can follow today. No equipment, no gym membership, just structured routines built around proven bodyweight movements.

Each plan below focuses on three things that matter for muscle gain:

• Training your major muscle groups at least twice per week
• Pushing close to muscle fatigue with higher reps or harder variations
• Progressing over time (more reps, slower tempo, harder moves)

Research from organizations like the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and NIH shows that muscles grow when they’re challenged near fatigue, even with lighter resistance, as long as volume is high enough and effort is serious.¹ So yes, bodyweight absolutely works—if you work.

Example of a 3-day full-body plan without weights

This is a great starting point if you want simple structure and you’re training three days per week, such as Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Each workout hits your legs, chest, back, core, and shoulders. That frequency lines up with research suggesting that training a muscle group around 2–3 times per week is effective for hypertrophy (muscle gain).²

Workout A – Full Body (Day 1)
You’ll move from one exercise to the next with short rests. Aim for 3 rounds total.

• Squats (air squats or sit-to-stand from a chair) – 10–20 reps
• Incline push-ups (hands on counter or sturdy table) – 8–15 reps
• Glute bridges – 12–20 reps
• Bent-over towel rows (towel looped around a sturdy post, pull your chest toward it) – 10–15 reps
• Dead bugs or basic crunches – 10–15 reps per side

Workout B – Full Body (Day 2)
Again, aim for 3 rounds, resting 60–90 seconds between rounds.

• Reverse lunges (alternating legs, or walking lunges if space allows) – 8–12 reps per leg
• Regular push-ups (or knees on floor if needed) – 6–12 reps
• Hip thrusts using couch edge – 10–15 reps
• Inverted bodyweight rows under a sturdy table – 6–10 reps
• Side plank holds – 20–30 seconds per side

Workout C – Full Body (Day 3)
For this day, you’ll use more tempo (slower lowering) to increase tension.

• Tempo squats (3 seconds down, 1 second up) – 8–12 reps
• Decline push-ups (feet on step or couch) – 6–10 reps
• Single-leg Romanian deadlifts (bodyweight) – 8–10 reps per leg
• Superman holds for lower back – 20–30 seconds
• Hollow body hold or plank – 20–40 seconds

This full-body routine is one of the best examples of sample workout plans for gaining muscle without weights because it’s simple, progressive, and repeatable. You can run this for 6–8 weeks, gradually adding reps or harder variations.

Push/pull/legs: advanced examples of sample workout plans for gaining muscle without weights

If you want a bit more volume and you’re ready to train 4–6 days per week, a push/pull/legs setup works beautifully, even without equipment. These examples include slightly tougher variations and higher total sets.

Push day (chest, shoulders, triceps)

Focus on pushing movements:

• Push-ups – 4 sets of 8–15 reps (regular, incline, or decline depending on your level)
• Pike push-ups (hips high, targeting shoulders) – 3 sets of 6–10 reps
• Close-grip push-ups (hands closer, triceps focus) – 3 sets of 8–12 reps
• Plank to push-up transitions – 3 sets of 6–10 reps

Pull day (back, biceps)

Pulling is trickier without equipment, but still doable.

• Inverted rows under a sturdy table – 4 sets of 6–10 reps
• Towel rows anchored around a post or door (careful with setup) – 3 sets of 10–15 reps
• Doorframe isometric holds (pulling on frame, holding tension) – 3 holds of 15–30 seconds
• Reverse snow angels on floor (face down, lift arms and sweep) – 3 sets of 10–15 reps

Leg day (quads, hamstrings, glutes, calves)

• Split squats (rear foot on floor or low step) – 3 sets of 8–12 reps per leg
• Single-leg glute bridges – 3 sets of 10–15 reps per leg
• Step-ups onto a stable chair or step – 3 sets of 8–12 reps per leg
• Calf raises on a step – 4 sets of 15–25 reps

This push/pull/legs split is another example of a sample workout plan for gaining muscle without weights that works well for people who love training more often and want to specialize a bit.

Time-crunched? Here are examples of 20-minute muscle-focused circuits

If you’re busy, you can still grow muscle with short, intense sessions. These examples of sample workout plans for gaining muscle without weights use 20-minute circuits you can drop into a lunch break.

20-minute upper-body circuit

Set a timer for 20 minutes and cycle through:

• Push-ups – 10–15 reps
• Inverted rows or towel rows – 8–12 reps
• Shoulder taps in plank position – 12–20 taps
• Diamond push-ups (or closer grip) – 6–10 reps

Rest only as needed. The goal is to keep moving and rack up total reps.

20-minute lower-body circuit

Again, 20 minutes on the clock:

• Squats – 15–20 reps
• Reverse lunges – 10–12 reps per leg
• Glute bridges or hip thrusts – 15–20 reps
• Calf raises – 20–25 reps

These short sessions are great real examples of how you can organize muscle-building workouts around your life instead of the other way around.

Examples include beginner, intermediate, and advanced progressions

The best examples of sample workout plans for gaining muscle without weights don’t lock you into one difficulty level. They give you progressions so you can scale up or down.

Beginner-friendly variations

If you’re newer to exercise or coming back after a break, start with:

• Wall push-ups instead of floor push-ups
• Chair-assisted squats (sit and stand) instead of full-depth squats
• Shorter planks (10–15 seconds) instead of long holds
• Partial range lunges holding a wall or chair for balance

You can follow the 3-day full-body plan above but plug in these easier variations. This is a gentle example of a workout plan for gaining muscle without weights that respects where your body is right now.

Intermediate progressions

Once standard push-ups and squats feel manageable, increase challenge by:

• Slowing the lowering phase (3–4 seconds down)
• Adding pause reps at the bottom of squats or push-ups
• Moving from incline to regular to decline push-ups
• Using single-leg versions of glute bridges or Romanian deadlifts

This is also where you can move from 2–3 sets to 3–4 sets per exercise.

Advanced bodyweight challenges

If you’ve been training a while, you can still grow with bodyweight by using harder moves:

• Archer push-ups or pseudo–planche push-ups
• Pistol squat progressions (box-supported pistols, assisted pistols)
• Handstand push-up progressions against a wall
• Explosive push-ups (clap or power push-ups) and jump squats

These advanced variations turn even simple routines into best examples of sample workout plans for gaining muscle without weights for people who like to push themselves.

How to structure your week: real examples of weekly schedules

To make this even more practical, here are real examples of how you could plug these workouts into a weekly schedule.

Example weekly schedule – 3 days

• Monday: Full Body Workout A
• Wednesday: Full Body Workout B
• Friday: Full Body Workout C

This schedule works well if you’re balancing work, family, and training, and it’s a solid example of a plan for gaining muscle without weights for beginners and intermediates.

Example weekly schedule – 4 days

• Monday: Upper-body circuit (push/pull mix)
• Tuesday: Lower-body circuit
• Thursday: Push-focused day
• Saturday: Pull + legs mix

Example weekly schedule – 5–6 days (push/pull/legs)

• Monday: Push
• Tuesday: Pull
• Wednesday: Legs
• Thursday: Rest or light walking
• Friday: Push
• Saturday: Pull or Legs (alternate each week)
• Sunday: Rest

These schedules show that examples of sample workout plans for gaining muscle without weights can be adapted to almost any routine, whether you have three days or six.

2024–2025 trends: why bodyweight muscle plans are more popular than ever

Over the last few years, at-home and minimalist training has exploded. Even as gyms reopened, many people kept some form of home workout routine because it’s:

• Convenient – no commute, no waiting for equipment
• Cost-effective – no membership, no gear needed
• Flexible – easy to fit around work-from-home life

Recent guidance from authorities like the CDC emphasizes that adults should aim for muscle-strengthening activities at least 2 days per week, and it does not say you must use weights.³ That lines up perfectly with all the examples of sample workout plans for gaining muscle without weights you’ve seen here.

Online, you’ll also see more people pairing bodyweight strength work with walking or light cardio for overall health, which matches research showing that combining resistance training with aerobic activity supports heart health, blood sugar control, and mood.⁴

How to progress these examples of sample workout plans for gaining muscle without weights

A plan only works if it progresses. Here’s how to keep all these examples working for you beyond the first month.

Add reps: When you can hit the top of a rep range with good form for all sets (say 3 sets of 15 push-ups), bump the range up (to 12–18) or move to a harder variation.

Slow it down: Extend the lowering phase of each rep to 3–4 seconds. More time under tension means more stimulus for growth.

Add sets: Start with 2–3 sets per exercise. After 3–4 weeks, bump one or two key moves to 4 sets.

Shorten rest: If you’re resting 90 seconds between sets, try 60 seconds. This can increase the challenge without changing the exercise.

By cycling these methods, you can run the same basic structure for months while still gaining muscle.

FAQ: common questions about bodyweight muscle-building plans

What are some simple examples of workout plans for gaining muscle without weights?

A very simple example is a 3-day full-body plan: squats, push-ups, glute bridges, rows under a table, and planks, done for 2–3 sets of moderate-to-high reps. Rotate slight variations each day (incline vs. regular push-ups, lunges vs. squats) and aim to train each major muscle group at least twice per week.

Can I really build muscle without weights, or do I need a gym?

You can absolutely build muscle without a gym. Studies show that training close to failure with lighter loads or bodyweight can still stimulate hypertrophy, as long as volume and effort are high. The examples of sample workout plans for gaining muscle without weights in this article use that principle: higher reps, slower tempo, and harder variations instead of heavier weights.

How long will it take to see results from these plans?

If your nutrition and sleep are decent, many people start noticing changes in 4–6 weeks—slightly more definition, better posture, and moves that feel easier. Clear muscle growth is more obvious around the 8–12 week mark. Consistency with any example of a bodyweight workout plan matters more than chasing the “perfect” routine.

Do I need extra protein if I’m doing these bodyweight workouts?

Protein helps your muscles repair and grow after training. Many guidelines suggest around 0.7–1.0 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day for people focused on muscle gain, though needs vary.⁵ You don’t need fancy supplements; regular food works. But if your diet is low in protein, a simple protein shake can help you hit your targets.

How do I know if an example of a workout plan is too hard or too easy?

If you breeze through all sets without feeling challenged and could easily do 10–15 more reps, it’s probably too easy—add reps, sets, or a harder variation. If you can’t complete even the first set with decent form, it’s too hard—scale back to easier variations or fewer reps. A good guideline: the last 2–3 reps of each set should feel tough but still controlled.

If you pick any of these examples of sample workout plans for gaining muscle without weights, commit to it for at least a month, and keep nudging the difficulty up, you’ll be surprised how far bodyweight alone can take you.