An Advanced Bodyweight Workout: Five Rounds, No Equipment

Intermediate & advanced · 3 min read

This is Day 75 of CaliStart 84, the advanced level, exactly as it appears in the guide: four moves, five rounds, 20 seconds between exercises. It takes about 25 minutes including the warm-up.

Is this the right level for you?

It is written for people who can do 15 clean floor push-ups, hold a plank for 60 seconds and land a jump quietly. If you are not sure, take the 10-minute self-test, or start with the intermediate workout.

Warm-up (2 minutes)

Add ten slow Split Squats per side before the first round: this session has jumps in it.

The workout: 5 rounds

Go down the list once, then repeat. Rest 20 sec between exercises, 60 sec between rounds.

Note for the day: Five rounds of four moves. Keep round 5 looking like round 1, even if that means the easier version.

How to do each exercise

Start · Finish

Push-Up

1. Start in a high plank: hands under your shoulders, legs straight, feet together.
2. Brace your abs and keep your body in one straight line.
3. Lower your chest until it is just above the floor, elbows about 45° from your sides.
4. Push the floor away until your arms are straight.

Form cue: Chest and hips move together — no worming up.

Easier: Do the Incline Push-Up, or keep your knees on the floor.

Start · Finish

Split Jump

1. Stand in a split stance: one foot forward, one back, both knees slightly bent.
2. Lower into a shallow lunge.
3. Jump straight up, driving through both feet.
4. Land softly in the same stance with bent knees. Finish the reps, then switch the front leg.

Form cue: Quiet landings. If you can hear it, bend your knees more.

Easier: No jump: do Split Squats and rise onto your toes at the top.

Start · Finish

Mountain Climbers

1. Start in a high plank with your hands under your shoulders.
2. Drive one knee toward your chest.
3. Switch legs, keeping your hips low and your shoulders over your hands.
4. Each knee drive counts as one rep.

Form cue: Hips stay level — don’t bounce them up.

Easier: Step the feet in and out slowly, or put your hands on a chair.

Start · Finish

Side Jackknife

1. Lie on your left side with your legs straight and stacked.
2. Place your left hand on the floor in front of you and your right hand behind your head.
3. Lift your top leg and your upper body toward each other.
4. Lower with control. Finish the reps, then switch sides.

Form cue: Stay on your side. Don’t roll back onto your hips.

Easier: Lift only your top leg and keep your upper body down.

The two rules for this session

• Quiet landings. When a Split Jump lands loudly, switch to Split Squats for the rest of the session.
• Round 5 looks like round 1. If it does not, you started too fast. Take the easier version and finish with good form.

What “advanced” means here

Advanced for a no-equipment home plan: more rounds, less rest and explosive moves. There are no handstands, bars or rings. If those are what you are after, a coach or a class is the right place to learn them.

General fitness information for healthy adults, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before starting an exercise program, and stop if you feel pain, dizziness or chest discomfort. Results vary. The people in the photos are models.