r/Bodyweightfitness Recommended Routine
This article is verified by 2 studies/publications.
Plan overview
Muscle focus
See how the planned working sets are spread across muscle groups.
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Contributing exercises
How are these percentages calculated?
Each working set counts once for every distinct muscle group listed for that exercise in the training.fit library. Two muscles in the same group still count as one. Warm-up sets are excluded; optional exercises count only when selected.
The percentage is a group’s set count divided by the total of all group counts. One exercise can contribute to several groups. This describes planned sets, rather than measured muscle activation, effort or expected growth.
“All listed sessions” counts each session once. A group with no counted sets may still work during an exercise. Muscle groups without a separate area on the body map appear in the list only.
Exercises included in this view
The r/Bodyweightfitness Recommended Routine is a three-day full-body calisthenics plan. Instead of adding plates to every exercise, you choose a suitable movement progression and make it harder as you improve. Strength exercises are arranged in pairs, followed by a core triplet.
Who this plan suits
It suits beginners who want structured bodyweight training and can provide equipment for pulling, rowing and dip progressions. It is not an equipment-free floor workout. The source allows barbell lower-body work when bodyweight progressions no longer meet your needs.
Schedule and workout structure
This example selects the routine’s barbell lower-body option: squats, with Romanian deadlifts on Monday/Friday and conventional deadlifts on Wednesday. Pair pull-ups with squats, dips with the hinge, then rows with push-ups. Finish with ab-wheel rollouts, Pallof presses and reverse hyperextensions. Use three non-consecutive days. These are specific choices from the available progressions; easier versions change the movements and the resulting muscle focus.
Monday
| Exercise | Sets | Repetitions |
|---|---|---|
| Pull-Ups | 3 | 5–8 |
| Barbell Squats | 3 | 5 |
| Dips | 3 | 5–8 |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 8 |
| Inverted Row | 3 | 5–8 |
| Push-Ups | 3 | 5–8 |
| Ab Wheel Rollout | 3 | 8–12 |
| Cable Horizontal Pallof Press | 3 | 8–12 per side |
| Reverse hyperextension | 3 | 8–12 |
Wednesday
| Exercise | Sets | Repetitions |
|---|---|---|
| Pull-Ups | 3 | 5–8 |
| Barbell Squats | 3 | 5 |
| Dips | 3 | 5–8 |
| Deadlift | 3 | 5 |
| Inverted Row | 3 | 5–8 |
| Push-Ups | 3 | 5–8 |
| Ab Wheel Rollout | 3 | 8–12 |
| Cable Horizontal Pallof Press | 3 | 8–12 per side |
| Reverse hyperextension | 3 | 8–12 |
Friday
| Exercise | Sets | Repetitions |
|---|---|---|
| Pull-Ups | 3 | 5–8 |
| Barbell Squats | 3 | 5 |
| Dips | 3 | 5–8 |
| Romanian Deadlift | 3 | 8 |
| Inverted Row | 3 | 5–8 |
| Push-Ups | 3 | 5–8 |
| Ab Wheel Rollout | 3 | 8–12 |
| Cable Horizontal Pallof Press | 3 | 8–12 per side |
| Reverse hyperextension | 3 | 8–12 |
How progression works
Choose a progression you can perform for three sets of five to eight good repetitions. Once you achieve 3 × 8, move to the next progression and begin again near 3 × 5. For applicable static holds, the source uses 10–30 seconds. Learn one suitable variation from each progression rather than doing every listed version in one workout.
What the science says
A narrative review discusses pairing exercises to make resistance training more time-efficient. That supports the practical role of pairs, while the routine’s actual session length still depends on rests, transitions and your equipment. [1]
A meta-analysis found no clear hypertrophy advantage for reaching momentary failure. Leaving some capacity for later sets is compatible with the routine’s emphasis on repeatable, controlled work. [2]
These papers examine training principles and prescriptions. They do not establish that r/Bodyweightfitness Recommended Routine is superior to other well-designed programmes.
Programme source and version
This follows the current community routine with three strength pairs and a core triplet, rather than the older 2017 version. r/Bodyweightfitness: programme source.
r/Bodyweightfitness Recommended Routine alternative exercises
You can perform the following exercises as alternatives to r/Bodyweightfitness Recommended Routine.
Filter the exercises below by muscle group and difficulty.
| Exercise | Main muscle group | Difficulty | Type of training |
| Ab Wheel Rollout | Abs workout |
Medium |
Isolation exercise |
| Band Assisted Dips | Upper chest |
Easy |
Compound exercise |
| Barbell Squats | Thigh training |
Hard |
Compound exercise |
| Cable Horizontal Pallof Press | Abs workout |
Medium |
Compound exercise |
| Deadlift | Thigh training |
Hard |
Compound exercise |
| Dips | Upper chest |
Hard |
Compound exercise |
| Feet-Elevated Ring Row | Shoulder training |
Hard |
Compound exercise |
| Inverted Row | Shoulder training |
Easy |
Compound exercise |
| Narrow Grip Push-Ups | Triceps training |
Medium |
Compound exercise |
| Pull-Ups | Upper back |
Medium |
Compound exercise |
| Push-Ups | Triceps training |
Easy |
Compound exercise |
| Resistance Band Push-Up | Triceps training |
Medium |
Compound exercise |
| Ring Dips | Upper chest |
Hard |
Compound exercise |
| Romanian Deadlift | Lower back |
Hard |
Compound exercise |
| Squats | Thigh training |
Medium |
Compound exercise |
Sources
- No Time to Lift? Designing Time-Efficient Training Programs for Strength and Hypertrophy: A Narrative Review. Iversen VM et al. Sports Medicine. 2021; 51(10):2079-2095. doi: 10.1007/s40279-021-01490-1.
- Influence of Resistance Training Proximity-to-Failure on Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review with Meta-analysis. Refalo MC et al. Sports Medicine. 2023; 53(3):649-665. doi: 10.1007/s40279-022-01784-y.