Intermediate Bodyweight Workout at Home: Level 5
SYP Home Workouts: Level 5 of 10. < Level 4 | All 10 levels | Level 6 >
This intermediate bodyweight workout is where home training stops feeling like a warm-up and starts feeling like real strength work. You have built the base over the first four levels, and now you get the moves that most people associate with being properly fit: full push-ups, rows under a table and a single-leg hinge that challenges your balance as much as your hamstrings.
Level 5 is for you if you have passed the Level 4 move-up test, or if you already train a little and can do a few clean push-ups. A session takes about 30 minutes including the warm-up, and you do it 3 times a week. It works your legs, chest, back, core and conditioning in one go.
It is part of my 10-level bodyweight ladder that you can do at home with no equipment. Each level has its own workout, demonstrations and a clear test, so you always know when you have earned the next step.
Is Level 5 right for you?
Before you start, check you can already do the Level 4 move-up test:
- 10 reverse lunges on each leg with good balance.
- 15 knee push-ups with a straight line from knees to head.
- 3 full push-ups, even if they are slow.
- A 30-second side plank from the knees on each side.
If any of those are a struggle, spend another week or two on the Level 4 bodyweight workout plan. There is no prize for skipping a level, and the work you do there makes everything here safer and faster.
Safety first: if you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, recent surgery, are pregnant or have joint pain, check with your GP first. Stop if you feel chest pain, dizziness or sharp joint pain.
What you need
A space about the size of a yoga mat with room to step backwards, plus:
- A sturdy table you can lie under for rows (test it first, it must not tip or slide).
- A mat or folded towel for push-ups and bear crawls.
- A wall or chair nearby for balance during single-leg work if you need it.
Warm-up (5 minutes)
Do each movement for 40 seconds, moving straight from one to the next.
- March into a light jog on the spot.
- Arm circles, forwards then backwards.
- Bodyweight squats.
- Hip hinges.
- Walk-outs (inchworms).
- Alternating reverse lunges with a reach.
The Level 5 intermediate bodyweight workout
Do 3-4 rounds of the circuit below. Rest 30 seconds between exercises and 90 seconds between rounds. With the warm-up it takes about 30 minutes. Train 3 times a week on non-consecutive days, for example Monday, Wednesday and Friday, and stay on this level for 2-3 weeks.
- Split squat: 10 each leg
- Push-up: 6-10 reps
- Single-leg Romanian deadlift (bodyweight): 8 each leg
- Table row (under a sturdy table) or prone pull-down: 6-8 reps
- Bear crawl forwards and back: 20 seconds
- Step-back burpee: 6-8 reps
Exercise demonstrations
Each animation shows one rep with good form, so watch it a couple of times before you try the exercise.
1. Split squat
How to do it: Stand in a long stride, front foot flat and back heel lifted, feet about hip-width apart so you are not on a tightrope. Breathe in and lower straight down until your back knee hovers just above the floor. Breathe out and push through the whole front foot to rise. Finish all reps on one leg, then switch.
Coach's tip: think "elevator, not escalator". Your body moves down and up, not forwards. If your front heel lifts, lengthen your stance.
Easier: hold a wall or chair and shorten the range. Harder: add a 3-second lowering on every rep.
More detail: split squat benefits and technique
2. Push-up
How to do it: Hands just wider than your shoulders, legs straight, body in one line from head to heels. Squeeze your glutes and brace your stomach as if someone is about to poke it. Breathe in as you lower your chest to a fist's height from the floor, elbows angled back at about 45 degrees, then breathe out and press the floor away.
Coach's tip: the most common fault is the hips sagging first. Keep your glutes squeezed and your chest and hips should arrive at the bottom together.
Easier: hands on a sofa or do the first reps full and finish on your knees. Harder: pause for 2 seconds at the bottom.
More detail: push-up benefits and technique
3. Single-leg Romanian deadlift (bodyweight)
How to do it: Stand on one leg with a soft knee. Push your hips back and let your chest come forward while your free leg reaches straight behind you, like a see-saw. Go until you feel a stretch in the back of the standing leg, then drive your hips forward to stand tall. Breathe out on the way up.
Coach's tip: keep both hips pointing at the floor. If your raised hip twists open, point the toes of your back foot down.
Easier: lightly touch a wall with one hand, or keep the back toe on the floor. Harder: slow the lowering to 3 seconds and pause at the bottom.
More detail: single-leg Romanian deadlift benefits and technique
4. Table row (or prone pull-down)
How to do it: Lie on your back under a sturdy table, grip the edge with both hands about shoulder-width apart and bend your knees with feet flat. Lift your hips so your body forms a straight line from knees to shoulders. Breathe out and pull your chest towards the table edge, then lower slowly with control. If you have no safe table, do prone pull-downs on the floor instead: lie face down, arms overhead, and pull your elbows down to your sides while lifting your chest slightly.
Coach's tip: start every rep by pulling your shoulder blades back and down, then bend the arms. That puts the work into your back rather than your biceps.
Easier: walk your feet further back so you are more upright. Harder: straighten your legs and pause at the top.
More detail: inverted row benefits and technique
5. Bear crawl forwards and back
How to do it: Start on hands and knees, hands under shoulders and knees under hips, then lift your knees a couple of centimetres off the floor. Move opposite hand and foot together in small steps, a few forwards then a few back, for 20 seconds. Breathe steadily throughout.
Coach's tip: imagine a cup of tea on your lower back. Small steps and a level back keep the cup from spilling and keep your core doing the work.
Easier: hold the bear position still for 20 seconds without crawling. Harder: crawl for 30 seconds or add side-to-side steps.
More detail: bear crawl benefits and technique
6. Step-back burpee
How to do it: From standing, squat down and place your hands on the floor. Step one foot back, then the other, into a strong plank. Step the feet back in one at a time, stand up tall and reach your arms overhead. Keep a steady rhythm and breathe out each time you stand.
Coach's tip: land in a proper plank every rep, not a sagging banana shape. Quality first, speed later at Level 6.
Easier: put your hands on a chair seat instead of the floor. Harder: add a push-up at the bottom, or jump the feet back and in.
More detail: burpee benefits and technique
Your 2-3 week plan
- Week 1: 3 rounds. Aim for the bottom of each rep range with perfect form, for example 6 push-ups and 6 rows. Finish each session feeling you had 2-3 reps left in the tank.
- Week 2: 3 rounds, adding 1-2 reps per exercise wherever form stays clean. Slow the lowering phase of the split squat and single-leg deadlift to 3 seconds.
- Week 3: 4 rounds. Keep the 30-second rests honest and push towards the top of each rep range, such as 10 push-ups and 8 rows.
A simple week looks like this:
- Monday: Level 5 workout
- Tuesday: 30-minute brisk walk
- Wednesday: Level 5 workout
- Thursday: 30-minute brisk walk
- Friday: Level 5 workout
- Saturday: longer walk or something active you enjoy
- Sunday: rest
Three strength sessions plus regular walking covers the UK guideline of strengthening work on at least 2 days a week and helps you build towards 150 minutes of moderate activity.
When to move up to Level 6
You are ready for the next step when you can do all of this with good form:
- 12 push-ups in a row.
- 12 split squats on each leg.
- A 45-second plank.
- 8 table rows (or 15 prone pull-downs).
If you can't yet, stay at Level 5 for another week and focus on your weakest test. Short on push-ups? Do one extra set of push-ups at the end of each session, stopping 2 reps short of failure. Once you pass, move on to the Level 6 bodyweight HIIT workout, where the focus shifts to timed 40/20 circuits and conditioning.
Common mistakes
- Rushing push-ups to hit a number. Six full-range reps beat ten half reps. Chest to a fist's height every time.
- Standing too narrow in the split squat. Feet in one line makes you wobble. Keep them hip-width apart.
- Rounding the back on the single-leg deadlift. The movement comes from the hips. Keep your chest proud and only go as low as your hamstrings allow.
- Using an unstable table. Always test the table with a firm pull before you lie under it. If in doubt, do prone pull-downs.
- Cutting rests short and losing form. At this level, 30 seconds is enough. Less than that and your technique falls apart by round 3.
Frequently asked questions
How many times a week should I do this intermediate bodyweight workout?
Three times a week on non-consecutive days is ideal. Your muscles need a day in between to recover and get stronger. On the other days, walk or do light activity rather than another hard session.
Will this help me lose weight?
It will help you build muscle, burn more energy and feel fitter, but weight loss mainly depends on a calorie deficit, which means eating slightly less energy than you use. Use my free calorie calculator to find a sensible starting point, and pair it with this workout and your daily walks.
Can I do this if I'm over 40 or 50?
Yes. I specialise in coaching busy professionals over 30, and age is not a reason to avoid strength work. Earn your way here through the earlier levels, use the easier options when you need them and check with your GP first if any of the safety points apply to you.
What if I don't have a table I can row under?
Use the prone pull-down on the floor. It is a little easier, so do more reps, and the move-up test reflects that with 15 prone pull-downs instead of 8 table rows. Never use a table that wobbles, tips or has a glass top.
Want a coach to take you further?
Level 5 is the point where small details in your push-up, row and hinge make a big difference to progress, and that is exactly what I fix in 1-to-1 sessions. On the 12-Week Body Transformation, clients lose 6-16kg in 12 weeks (average, results vary) and build 1.2-3kg of lean muscle measured on InBody. If you live outside London, my online coaching lets you train with my guidance wherever you are.
SYP Fitness is a private 1-to-1 personal training studio at 2-4 Navigator Square, Archway, London N19 3UB, 2 minutes from Archway tube. Rated 5.0 from 106 Google reviews.
Book a free consultation | WhatsApp Artem | Call 07301 512215 | See prices
SYP Home Workouts: Level 5 of 10. < Level 4 | All 10 levels | Level 6 >
