Bodyweight Foundation

A 3-day-per-week full-body bodyweight programme that progresses users from absolute beginner through intermediate bodyweight strength via exercise progressions (not load). Requires minimal equipment — a pull-up bar is the only non-furniture requirement.

Absolute beginners starting fitness training; lifters without barbell access; travellers and parents who need a programme that runs anywhere.

Three sessions per week. Each session hits push, pull, squat, hinge, and core with prescribed rep ranges (3×5 to 3×8). Graduate to the next harder progression when a rung's top reps are reached.

Progression is by exercise variation — not by adding weight. When 3×8 reps are clean, move to the next harder rung. Resets if reps drop below 3×5 on the new rung.

The Recommended Routine has been refined by the r/bodyweightfitness community over a decade of iteration. Widely considered the canonical starting point for someone new to calisthenics. The current version is maintained by the subreddit moderators as a living document.