Maybe you just dominated the beginner bodyweight routine. Or maybe you’re already a beast and need something a bit more challenging. Today, I’ve got the Incredible Hulk intermediate bodyweight workout routine for you.
The following intermediate bodyweight workout routine can be done with little to no equipment at home. I always recommend picking up a pull-up bar. But if you don’t have one I’ve got you covered.
I also included some notes for intermediate lifters.
Table of Contents
The Intermediate Bodyweight Workout Routine
Warm-up:
5-10 minutes of jogging, running in place, push-ups, pull-ups, jump rope, mountain climbers, jumping jacks. Anything to get your blood flowing that might work up a quick sweat.
The workout:
- 5-10 stair runs or walks (up and down your stairs 5 to 10 times)
- 20 walking lunges (10 per leg without DB) or reverse lunges
- 8-15 push-ups
- 2-8 door pull-ups (or regular pull-ups, or inverted rows)
- 20 walking lunges (10 per leg without DB) or reverse lunges
- 8-15 push-ups
- 2-8 door pull-ups (or regular pull-ups, or inverted rows)
How To Do The Intermediate Bodyweight Workout Routine
There’s not much to it. It is as simple as they come.
- Complete all seven exercises in a row
- There will be no rest after each exercise. You move from one to the other as quickly as possible.
- Once you finish the seventh exercise and have completed your first circuit rest 60-120 seconds and then begin round number 2.
- Perform 2-5 full circuits depending on the amount of time you can commit or level of fitness
- You can complete this workout 1 to 3 times per week
Take detailed notes. How fast did it take you to do each round? Try and beat your time each attempt or calculate the total time for all rounds and try to beat that the next time.
How To Make This Routine Easier And Harder
To make the routine harder you can add more reps, reduce rest time after each round, or apply tempo to the exercises. You could also add dumbbells, kettlebells, or other pieces of equipment. For the workout to feel easier you can add rest between exercises, decrease the reps, or do fewer exercises.
What Are The General Guidelines Of An Intermediate Workout Routine?
The guidelines below are for intermediate lifting routines. But, the general principles can be applied to bodyweight workouts to help provide structure and guidance.
Keep in mind that one of the most important things for progressing with workouts is applying progressive overload. Learn more about how to do that with bodyweight workouts here.
There are no real guidelines for beginner, intermediate, or advanced workout routines because there are way too many individual factors that come into play. But, here are some personal insights that may help establish some guidelines around an intermediate workout routine after years of training and coaching.
- Each muscle group is trained every 3 to 5 days.
- Large muscle groups get trained with 60-120 reps per week
- Small muscle groups ger trained with 30-60 reps per week
- A mix of free weights, bodyweight, and machine exercises can be used
- Instead of linear progressions, other types of progressions are used. For example, reverse pyramid training
- Great variety in rep ranges used
Most importantly, with a beginner, the goal should be to find something you enjoy and do it consistently. An intermediate lifter will now be focusing on doing more challenging things. Maybe even things they don’t enjoy. A large emphasis is now on progressions, rather than showing up.
When Should A Beginner Move To An Intermediate Routine?
Each person will progress at their own rate so it’s hard to put a time stamp on this. But, assuming a beginner workout routine is done correctly, a large and sustained drop off in progress is a sign to move on. This could be 30 days, 3 months, 6 months, or even a year.
If you think you’re a beginner, grab our FREE beginner workout routine.
When Am I Considered A Intermediate Lifter?
This is very subjective. We will progress at whatever rate we progress at. Some will move faster than others, some slower, and this is ok. As mentioned above, if you’re progressing with a workout, whether it’s a “beginner” or “intermediate” workout routine – stay with it. Who cares what it’s called.
But generally speaking here are some time tables most people will experience in their lifting or workout career:
- Beginners lifters: Less than six months of consistent training or those that have taken an extended break.
- Intermediate lifters: A person that has been lifting consistently for 6-months to 2 years.
- Advanced lifters: A person that has been lifting consistently for 2+ years
These are my observations from years of coaching people online and in-person.
Learn more about starting strength training with our FREE getting started with a strength training guide.
What Is The Best Intermediate Bodyweight Workout Routine?
I mean, I’m pretty biased here.
But honestly, there isn’t one. And I believe this is one of the problems in the fitness industry. We’re constantly searching for the best workout and diet to ‘optimize” our results. We spend so much time searching or jumping from plan to plan that we sacrifice long-term progress. The best plan is always the one you enjoy and will do consistently and has some sort of progressive overload.
Cheers,
Justin