The 21-Day Bodyweight Fitness Plan: Squat Series

Welcome back to the 21-Day Bodyweight Fitness Plan, your spark that will ignite a fitness habit. No equipment is needed, and there’s no guess work about what you should do on a given day. Just follow the plan outlined below for each day of the week for 21 consecutive days, and enjoy the progress as you discover the edge you’ve been looking for and your fitness habit grows.

Benefits: The squat progressions will strengthen and tone your hips/backside.

How to modify: If just thinking about squats makes you cringe because of knee pain or inability to get low, you’re not alone. I find that for folks who are squat-resistant, the bench bridge progressions tend to be a perfect alternative.

How to:

1. Start by standing with your feet outside shoulder-width apart
2. Sit your butt down and back
3. Return back to the top position and repeat 7 more times
4. Complete 2 more sets.

How to:

1. Start by standing with your feet outside shoulder-width apart
2. Take a step and open up your hips behind you
3. Sit down into the retro squat and return back to the forward facing start position
4. Repeat 5 more times
5. Complete 2 more sets.

How to:

1. Start by standing with feet together
2. Take a large step to your side and sit down into the lateral squat
3. Take a full step and stand up
4. Hop back to where you came from and repeat 9 more times
5. Complete 2 more sets.

Complete this support move between each set of squats.

How to:

1. Stand with feet together
2. Lift one knee toward your chest as you balance on the opposite leg
3. Cradle or hug the non-stance knee across your chest to your opposite shoulder and hold for 15 seconds.