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Bodyweight/low equipment routines for the time-strapped?
(hexbear.net)
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this post was submitted on 01 Aug 2025
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fitness
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Generally speaking, a good program minimum kind of thing is one push, one pull, one legs.
So, something like the push-ups, the inverted rows and some bodyweight squats is a balanced day. Maybe dips, pull-ups and nordic leg curls another day for variety. You want to try and do a vertical pull and push versus horizontal push and pull if you can to really round things out. And then something more quad focused and something more hamstring focused.
I know you're looking purely for bodyweight stuff, so a recommendation for you if you can swing it is to invest in some suspension training straps. TRX is the big name brand on this, but you can find other people making them these days. Really really let you do a wide variety of movements and you can easily change the difficulty by doing stuff closer or further from the anchor point. Can help you work up to pull-ups and dips if those are too difficult for you to start. If you don't want these, or can't install them safely anywhere, some resistance bands can be good. Make sure you spend decent money on bands, you can get some cheap-o ones, but I guarantee you they will snap and break. You do not want that, especially if you're working out around kids.
As a FYI type thing, here's my program minimum. It's what I do on days I need a break from lifting but won't be walking or biking anywhere that day. Even though I have a home gym, I try to keep them to just bands and bodyweight stuff. Though I do have an ab roller in this as well, which is not a bad addition to any routine.
Could you say more plainly what you mean by this? Are you contrasting say, pushup with dips, the orientation of your body while you do the exercise, or something else?
Maybe if we are able to get out of this apartment I can consider straps and hardware installation, but I can look at bands.
Is there a trusted, decent value brand/product that the community generally agrees on?
A lot of strength programs advocate for doing the opposing movement of compound lifts for the sake of strength balance and joint health. I've been doing Wendler 5/3/1 for over a decade and he programs rows in between sets of bench, pullups in between overhead press, hanging leg raises between deadlifts, etc. In your case you're just working with the pushup and inverted row so alternate with those.
You might feel exhausted if you're not used to the workload at first but you'll QUICKLY adapt. Just bang out a set of rows after every set of pushups you do. Try to keep them the same reps but it's no big deal if it's mismatched- and since you're new to rows it may take some time for it to catch up. And with bodyweight you can do them daily. Just be mindful of joint overuse issues if they crop up.
And I second @erik@hexbear.net's recommendations for bands. I would also add a doorway pullup bar- they won't require permanent installation and just hang on your door frame. It will also greatly expand the amount of band exercises you can do even if you can't do a pullup (yet).
For vertical versus horizontal, you got it exactly. It's which way your body is oriented to the direction of the movement. So a pull-up is a vertical pull, you're perpendicular to the ground when you do it. An inverted row is a horizontal pull, since you are (mostly) with your body parallel to the ground. This just works different aspect of the pull/push. For example, your triceps have three heads in them. Different push exercises will hit different heads.
I personally have been using Rogue bands for a while and would stand by them for the most part. Their bands are included in their free shipping program, three ships free. So, save up for three levels of resistance and go for them to save a little cash. The tube bands might be better for your purposes, but go with whatever feels right for what you want to get done. Their "echo" branding is like their budget level stuff, which I've gone with on a variety of things and never felt like it was low quality.