No gym, no dumbbells
Bodyweight Strength
Real strength work with a loaded backpack, a bath towel and a sturdy chair.
- Length
- 12 weeks
- Frequency
- 6 days a week
- Sessions
- 40 minutes (35 to 45)
- Phases
- 3
Free to download. Eligible new subscribers get 14 days free, then $89.99 a year or $14.99 a month.
The short version
Bodyweight Strength is a 12-week program that needs no dumbbells, bands or bar. A backpack you load with books, a bath towel and a sturdy chair cover four strength days a week, plus a Zone 2 cardio day and an interval day. Three phases make the work harder through reps, leverage and range. Strength sessions run about 40 minutes.
A good fit if
You want to get stronger without a gym or a rack of dumbbells: at home, in a hotel room, or anywhere with a bit of floor.
Look elsewhere if
You have dumbbells or a gym and want to load your lifts with them. The 3-Day Full-Body or Barbell Powerbuilding will move you further.
How it's built
- Phase 1 · Weeks 1 to 4
Foundation
Learn the movements. Full range, controlled tempo, one or two reps left in the tank.
- Phase 2 · Weeks 5 to 8
Leverage
Make it harder without weights: more reps, harder leverage, fuller range.
- Phase 3 · Weeks 9 to 12
Intensity
Slow three-second lowering and a tough top-end set on the first move each day.
Deloads. Week 8. The same movements with fewer sets.
A typical week
Four strength days plus a Zone 2 cardio day and an interval day each week. Miss one and the next session waits for you.
- 01 Quads and Calves 35 min
- 02 Push and Pull 40 to 45 min
- 03 Zone 2 Cardio 25 to 35 min
- 04 Posterior Chain 40 min
- 05 Overhead and Back 35 to 40 min
- 06 Tempo Cardio (HIIT from phase 2) 15 to 20 min
Session times are the app's own estimates, including the guided warm-up and cool-down.
A sample session
Push and Pull
- Push-Up with Backpack Row
- Wide Push-Up with Prone Reverse Fly
- Towel Curl with Dead Bug
- Scapular Shrug
Measured sets the weight and reps for every set from your starting weights, then adjusts them from what you lift and how many reps you had left. The movements change to fit your equipment.
Gym, home or bodyweight
Written around A backpack you can load with books, a bath towel, a smooth floor or mat, and a sturdy chair, step or couch edge.
Gym
Runs as written anywhere. It does not need gym equipment.
Home
Runs as written. This is what it is built for.
Bodyweight
Runs as written. The backpack is the only load.
Why run it in Measured
You could follow a program from a PDF. Here is what changes when the app runs it.
How to start
- Download Measured and answer a few setup questions: your experience, your goal, your days, your time and where you train.
- See what it suggests. Setup recommends up to three programs that fit, with one marked as its pick. Take it, or choose Bodyweight Strength from the full library.
- Set your starting weights, or tell it to start you light. Then start your subscription (14 days free for eligible new subscribers) and your first session is ready.
Questions
Do I really need no equipment?
You need a backpack you can load with books, a bath towel, a sturdy chair or step, and some floor space. No dumbbells, bands or bar.
How does it get harder without weights?
Reps climb within each range, the backpack gets heavier as you add to it, and the later phases use slower lowering and harder positions.
Can I switch to dumbbells later?
Yes. Switch programs in the app any time. Your history stays.