Bodyweight Foundation
Eight weeks. Three sessions per week. No equipment. Designed for total beginners, people returning after time off, and anyone who wants to build a solid foundation before adding load or intensity.
This is where everyone starts. Whether you are 18 or 60+, returning after years away, or starting from zero — this programme rebuilds your body properly.
Where you can do it: This programme requires no equipment and no gym membership. A chair is used in the early weeks as a guide for squat depth — but it is not essential. The sessions can be done at home, in a park, in a garden, or anywhere with a flat surface. That said, there is nothing wrong with a gym membership if you prefer that environment — use whatever gets you through the door consistently.
This warm-up is the same before every session across all 8 weeks. It does not change. Learn it, own it, and never skip it. A proper warm-up is not optional — it is the first exercise of every session.
- March on the spot — 1 minute. Easy pace, arms swinging naturally.
- Neck rotations — slow and controlled, left and right — 10 each side. Never fast, never forced.
- Arm circles — 15 each direction. Start small, gradually increase the range.
- Sit-to-stand from a chair — 10 repetitions. Stand fully upright each time.
- Knee raises on the spot — 10 each leg. Drive the knee to roughly hip height. Hold onto something if balance is a concern.
- Wall push-ups — 10 repetitions. Hands on the wall, body in a straight line, lower and push back.
Purpose: raise the heart rate gently, loosen the joints, mobilise the spine, and prepare the body for the work ahead. Every injury I have seen in a gym could have been reduced or prevented with a thorough warm-up. Do not be the person who skips it.
Focus: rebuild movement patterns. Everything in these two weeks should feel comfortable, not exhausting. If it feels too easy — good. That is the point at this stage.
Stand directly in front of a chair with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart. Lower yourself slowly as if you are about to sit down — then stop just before you make contact with the seat and push back up. Keep your chest up throughout and let your knees track naturally over your toes. Use the chair fully if you need to at first. There is no shame in it — the chair is there to give you confidence and a depth reference, not as a crutch.
These can be performed against a wall, a kitchen worktop, a sturdy table, or on the floor — use whatever allows you to complete the reps with good form. The floor is the goal, but start where you can do them properly. Hands flat and slightly wider than shoulder-width. Lower your chest towards the surface with control, then push back up without locking the elbows at the top. Body stays in a straight line throughout — do not let the hips sag or the lower back arch.
Lie on your back with your feet flat on the floor, knees bent, arms resting at your sides. Drive your hips upwards until your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Squeeze your glutes firmly at the top and hold for a brief moment before lowering back down with control. Do not let the hips drop to one side. A strong posterior chain protects the lower back and the knees.
Stand tall and drive one knee up to roughly hip height, then lower and repeat on the other side in a slow, alternating march. This is not a speed exercise — slow and controlled is the goal. If your balance is poor, hold lightly onto a wall, the back of a chair, or a worktop. Balance improves over time.
Start on your knees if needed. Place your hands flat on the floor directly below your shoulders. Keep your body in a straight line from your head to your knees. The single most important cue: do not let your hips sag downwards. If your hips drop, stop, rest, and go again. Fifteen seconds of a correctly held plank is worth far more than a minute of a poor one.
Rest 60–90 seconds between all sets. Recovery between sets is part of the session, not wasted time.
Focus: more control and slightly more work. Smooth repetitions only — no rushing, no compensating. Quality remains the priority over quantity.
Same movement, two extra reps. Use the chair as a depth guide only — hover just above the seat rather than making full contact. Two to three seconds down, then drive back up. Chest up, knees tracking over the toes throughout.
A step forward from the wall version. Use a sturdy bench, table, or worktop. The most common error when moving lower than a wall is the hips dropping — do not let this happen. Keep the body rigid throughout. Lower with control and push back up without locking the elbows.
Same movement, two extra reps. The focus this phase is the squeeze at the top — hold for a full two seconds before lowering. That pause under tension is where the work happens. Hips level throughout.
Use a low step — bottom stair, aerobic step, or solid low box. Place the whole foot on the step and drive up by pressing the heel firmly into the step surface. This activates the glute correctly and protects the knee. Drive until standing fully upright, feet together on the step. Step back down with control. Complete all 8 reps on one leg before switching. Hold a wall or banister if needed.
Moving to the full plank this phase. If not yet ready, continue on your knees — it is better than a collapsed full plank. Hands directly below the shoulders, body rigid from head to heels. Hips must not sag or push upwards. Breathe steadily. Twenty seconds of a good plank is a solid achievement at this stage.
Rest 60–90 seconds between sets. The work is in the quality of the repetitions, not the speed of the session.
Focus: stronger and more stable. The chair comes away from the squat, lunges are introduced, and the plank hold increases. The body should be moving with genuine control by now.
The chair is removed — but only if you are ready. If you still need it, use it without hesitation. For those moving to a free squat: feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly. Lower until your thighs are parallel to the floor. If parallel is not yet achievable with good form, go only as low as you can without the chest collapsing or the heels lifting. Two seconds down, strong drive back up through the heels.
Use whichever surface allows you to complete all 10 reps with good form. The floor is the goal — but an incline push-up done correctly is always better than a floor push-up done badly. Same cues as previous phases throughout.
A new movement. Stand tall, feet hip-width apart. Step one foot directly back, landing on the ball of that foot. Lower the back knee towards the floor with control. The front shin stays as vertical as possible and the front heel stays flat on the floor. Lower to a comfortable depth — back knee just above the floor for most people. Drive back up through the front heel to return to standing. All 8 reps on one leg before switching. Hold a wall or chair with one hand if balance is a concern.
Up to 15 reps this phase. Keep the two-second squeeze at the top — do not drop it as the reps increase. Feet flat, knees bent, drive the hips up to a straight line from shoulders to knees. Squeeze, hold two seconds, lower with control. Hips level throughout.
Full plank expected by this phase. Thirty seconds — but only in a position you can genuinely hold with good form. If the hips begin to drop before the time is up, stop, rest, and go again. Breathe steadily throughout. The knee option remains available if genuinely needed.
Rest 60–90 seconds between sets. The reverse lunge is a new movement — take the full rest, particularly in the first week of this phase.
Focus: controlled strength. The final two weeks are not about adding more exercises or chasing higher reps. They are about doing everything you have built with greater control, greater awareness, and a slower tempo. Slow the repetitions down — three seconds on the way down on every exercise. That single change will make familiar movements feel significantly more demanding and productive.
Free squat — no chair. Feet shoulder-width apart, toes turned out slightly. Three seconds on the way down — count it. Lower to parallel, then drive back up with control. Do not rush the descent to get the reps done faster. The tempo is the progression in this phase, not the number of repetitions. Chest up, knees tracking over the toes, drive through the heels on the way up.
Full floor push-up is the target by this phase. If you are not yet there, continue with the incline — form always takes priority over surface. For those on the floor: hands flat, slightly wider than shoulder-width, body in a rigid straight line from head to heels. Apply the same three-second tempo on the way down. Lower your chest slowly to the floor, pause briefly, then push back up with control. Do not let the hips sag at any point — if they drop, stop and reset.
Your choice of movement — or alternate between sessions. Forward lunge: step directly forward, lower the back knee towards the floor, front shin stays vertical, front heel stays flat. Drive back up through the front heel to return to standing. The forward lunge places more demand on the front knee than the reverse — if it causes any knee discomfort, revert to the reverse lunge. Step-ups: progress to a higher step this phase — roughly knee to waist height. Same cues as before: whole foot on the step, drive through the heel, stand fully upright at the top, step back down with control. Hold onto a wall if needed. Apply the slower tempo — three seconds on the way down on both movements.
Same movement you have been building since Week 1. By now it should feel strong and controlled. Keep the two-second squeeze at the top — it stays throughout the programme. Apply the slower tempo on the way down as well — lower the hips with a three-second count rather than dropping. Feet flat, hips level, body in a straight line from shoulders to knees at the top of every repetition.
Sixty seconds is the target — and by Week 8 it should be achievable with good form. This is not a test of endurance — it is a test of control. Hands directly below the shoulders, body in a straight line from head to heels, hips level throughout. Breathe steadily — do not hold your breath. If the hips begin to drop before sixty seconds, stop, rest, and go again. A strong, controlled 40-second plank is preferable to a collapsed 60-second one. By the final session of Week 8, aim to hold the full 60 seconds with no compromise in position.
Rest 60–90 seconds between sets. The slower tempo will make sets feel harder than the rep count suggests — take the full rest period.