Survivalist Fitness: 5 Best Bodyweight Exercises To Keep You Fit and Strong

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By Bryan Rucker •  5 min read

Whether you’re on the move in the woods or just looking to stay fit without any expensive equipment, bodyweight exercises are a great way to keep your body fit and strong without any equipment. And if you find yourself in a survival situation, then your strength (along with your reflexes) might be one of the best advantages that you have when the SHTF.

Instead of waiting until you have a reason to need that strength, why not start working on it today? Below we’ll cover some of the best bodyweight exercises that you can do. No equipment or electricity is required. Of course, you can always use things like canned goods and logs as weights to give yourself even more of a workout.

Burpees

There’s a good chance that you already know what these are, and if you’re like most people, you hate them. That’s cause burpees are hard! Especially if you’re doing a circuit of 30 burpees in sets of 10.  Yeah, that’s some hardcore shit right there, but let me tell you, it will get your ass into shape like nothing else out there. And since burpees work out some many different muscles and parts of your body, you end up seeing gains in other areas as well. For instance, when you run it will seem like it requires less effort and you will run a faster mile. You might not think this matters if you’re not into running, but in a survival situation this gives you a distinct advantage against whoever or whatever you’re running from.

There’s a lot of misinformation out there on the proper way to do a burpee. Fortunately, the people at Bowflex have shared a video on how to do burpees for beginners that gives you instructions on the proper form. You can watch it below.

Mountain Climbers

This is another great exercise that a lot of people love to hate. That’s cause it gives you such a good workout that you feel the burn for quite a while afterwards! What’s great about doing mountain climbers is that they really strengthen your core and your abs. Plus, you can do them pretty much anywhere. And while these require more simple movements than burpees, there are some ways that you can add some variations in to get an even better workout from doing these.

The people over at VAHVA Fitness have shared a video that offers up 20 mountain climber variations for those of you who are looking to absolutely demolish this exercise. Check it out and give it a watch below.

Squats

A great conditioning workout for strengthening the lower body is definitely squats. Plus, you can make these more difficult by adding in some weights, like canned goods or other gear. When you do squats regularly, you end up improving your hip mobility, your thoracic mobility and your ankle mobility. Additionally, they strengthen the muscles in your thighs to give you better overall strength in your legs.

It is important to note that if you’re not using the proper form for squats, then you end up doing more harm than good. Fortunately, this is a pretty simple exercise to master once you know what the proper form is for doing it. If you’re not sure how to do squats correctly, then you’re in the luck. The people over at Bowflex have also recorded a video on how to do squats for beginners. So, take a moment to watch it below and make sure that you’re doing this easy bodyweight exercise correctly.

Lunges

Again, this is something that is super basic, and yet it is very effective at toning your body so that you gain (and keep) muscles. And yes, you can do these pretty much anywhere that the mood strikes you, with absolutely zero equipment required.

When you do lunges, it is mostly your quadriceps that get the bulk of the workout focus. However, your entire lower body is utilized to make these moves. When you do these, it is important that you use the proper lunge technique so that you don’t end up putting extra stress on your knee joints. Not sure what the proper form is? Fortunately, the people over at Bowflex have recorded a helpful video on this as well. Watch below to see the lunges for beginners and learn about the proper form for this exercise.

Planks

Yup, the plank is another one of those exercises that everyone loves to hate because it is such a challenge and it really leaves you sore and feeling like a wimp after the first time that you try it. But don’t let that discourage you because this is one of the best bodyweight exercises out there!

And once you get good at doing the plank, you can add in some variations like the side plank to challenge and tone yourself even more.

Like all exercises, it is important you follow proper form when doing a plank in order to get the most benefits and not injure yourself. As expected, the awesome people over at Bowflex have shared a very helpful video on how to do the plank for beginners that gives you tips on completing this move with the proper form and technique. Take a moment to watch the video below before you attempt your first plank.

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Bryan Rucker

Brian Rucker has spent his entire life participating in essentially all things wildlife. His concern grew astronomically during the previous tensions between the United States and other nations. He also has grown a substantial interest in survival and sustainability due to the current shape of the world over the years. He believes that preparation triumphs all things.