Push-ups and calisthenics over 40
Bodyweight strength you can scale: the push-up from the wall to the floor, plus rows, squats and core work, each with steps and pictures.
Calisthenics means strength work with your own bodyweight: push-ups, squats, rows, planks. Over 40 it has a practical edge: you need no gym, you choose the difficulty, and every move has an easier and a harder version, so you can always find the right one for today.
The pages below start with the push-up, because it is the move most men want and the one most easily done wrong. After that come the pull, the squat and the core. Every page uses the same moves as the calisthenics plan, so you can try them here and follow them there.
Choose a page
- The push-up progressionWall, incline, knee, floor
- Wall push-upsThe gentlest push-up
- Incline push-upsHands on a counter
- Knee push-upsThe floor, with a shorter lever
- How to do a push-upForm, breathing and scaling
- Bodyweight workout at homeSix moves, no gear
- Pull-up alternativesRows and back moves with no bar
- Squats without weightsFour leg moves, no weights
- Core without crunchesFive floor moves that hold still
Build strength with a 28-day calisthenics plan
Short daily sessions at home, a step harder as you get stronger.
More to read and try
What the guidelines say
Activities that strengthen muscles: at least 2 days a week.
Too much? Be as active as your abilities and conditions allow.
Any amount of activity is better than none, and all activity counts.
World Health Organization, Physical activity, fact sheet
Stop if anything hurts, or if you feel dizzy, short of breath or chest pressure.
General information, not medical advice.