A 20-Minute Intermediate Bodyweight Workout (No Equipment)
This is Day 47 of CaliStart 63, the intermediate level, exactly as it appears in the guide: four exercises, four rounds, short rests. It takes about 20 minutes including the warm-up.
Is this the right level for you?
It is written for people who can do 10 clean floor push-ups and hold a plank for 45 seconds. If that is not you yet, try the 15-minute beginner workout first.
Warm-up (2 minutes)
| Exercise | Do |
|---|---|
| Arm Circles | 10 each direction |
| Standing Hip Circles | 8 each leg |
| Inchworm | 4 slow reps |
| Bodyweight Squat | 8 slow reps |
The workout: 4 rounds
Go down the list once, then repeat. Rest 20 sec between exercises, 60 sec between rounds.
| Exercise | Do |
|---|---|
| Push-Up | 10 reps |
| Bodyweight Squat | 20 reps |
| Mountain Climbers | 24 reps total |
| Sit-Up | 12 reps |
Note for the day: Four exercises, four rounds. Pick a pace in round 1 that you can still hold in round 4.
How to do each exercise
Push-Up
- Start in a high plank: hands under your shoulders, legs straight, feet together.
- Brace your abs and keep your body in one straight line.
- Lower your chest until it is just above the floor, elbows about 45° from your sides.
- 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.
Bodyweight Squat
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned slightly out.
- Push your hips back and bend your knees as if sitting into a chair.
- Go as low as you can while your heels stay down and your chest stays up.
- Drive through your whole foot to stand tall.
Form cue: Knees track over your toes; don’t let them cave in.
Easier: Squat down to a chair, touch it lightly and stand back up.
Mountain Climbers
- Start in a high plank with your hands under your shoulders.
- Drive one knee toward your chest.
- Switch legs, keeping your hips low and your shoulders over your hands.
- 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.
Sit-Up
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
- Rest your fingertips lightly behind your ears.
- Curl up one segment at a time until your chest is near your thighs.
- Lower back down with control.
Form cue: Lead with your chest, not your chin. Hands never pull on your head.
Easier: Cross your arms over your chest and stop halfway up.
Make it easier or harder
- Easier: do three rounds, or use the easier version listed under each move.
- Harder: take 3 seconds to lower every push-up and squat. Change one thing at a time.
How often
In the guide, sessions like this alternate with leg days, push days and two recovery days a week. Doing the same hard session every day is not the plan.
The CaliStart bundle is 84 days of sessions like this, from beginner to advanced, one page a day, with photos of every move. Seven PDFs, pay once.
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.