5 ways to level up your bodyweight workout 🙌

5 ways to level up your bodyweight workout 🙌

  March 06, 2026    Pratik Bandagale

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One of the most popular workouts we’ve ever published at Nerd Fitness is our Beginner Bodyweight Workout.

(Even though Steve filmed ​the original video​ with his shorts inside out and backwards. True story!)

But after a few weeks or months, you may wonder:

“Cool, this works. But what should I do next? Do I just keep doing the same thing?”

Good news: you have lots of options!

If the workout is starting to feel easier, here are five ways to level it up.

Note: these tips work for ANY type of bodyweight workout.

LEVEL 1: Add More Reps

This is the simplest progression.

Try to add 1 rep each week.

Maybe you start with 10 pushups, then you try 11, then 12.

As long as your technique stays solid, gradually increasing reps is a great way to get stronger.

There is no “magic” number of reps.

The reps we suggest in the workout are there to help you find the right level of challenge.

Over time, you’ll be able to do more, and that’s great!

LEVEL 2: Slow Things Down (Tempo + Pauses)

This is one of the most underrated progressions.

Slow the movement down.

For example, when doing a squat:

• Lower yourself for 3 seconds
• Pause at the bottom for 1-2 seconds
• Stand back up normally.

The same works for push-ups, rows, lunges, and more.

Slower reps mean your muscles stay under tension longer = more challenge!

LEVEL 3: Choose a Harder Variation

Instead of doing more reps, you can also make the exercise itself harder.

Here are a few examples:

Pushups

​Wall pushups​ -> ​Incline pushups​ -> ​Floor pushups​ -> ​Decline pushups​

Squats

​Bodyweight Squat​ -> ​Split Squat​ -> ​Bulgarian Split Squat​ -> ​Pistol Squat progression​

Rows

​1-Arm Row​ -> ​Doorway Row​ -> ​Corner Tuck​ -> ​Ring Row​

Same movement pattern.

Just a bigger challenge.

Did you know we actually built this for you?

It’s called the Bodyweight Adventures. 21 workouts that incorporate all of these first 3 level ups.

It helps you know when to increase reps, change the tempo, or move to a harder variation.

If you haven’t seen it, just hit reply and I’ll send it your way!

LEVEL 4: Add New Exercises

Another option is to keep the original workout the same and add a few extra exercises.

For example:

Want more core strength?

Try adding ​Deadbugs​, ​Hanging Knee Tucks​, etc.

Want more upper body work?

Try adding in ​Pike Push-ups​, ​Bar Hangs​, etc.

Want more lower body work?

Try adding ​Glute Bridges​, ​Step Ups​, etc.

These can add a little bit of fun and variety in your workouts!

Note: if you’re short on time, instead of adding it in, consider subbing a movement out. I.e. replace lunges with step ups, or planks with deadbugs. You get to enjoy more variety without making the workout take too long!

LEVEL 5: Add Resistance

Adding a little outside resistance can also help.

And you don’t need fancy equipment.

You can:

• Hold a backpack filled with books
• Fill some gallon jugs with water
• Or even have a friend manually apply some gentle resistance as you do the movement. (i.e. lightly pressing down on shoulders as you stand up from a squat.)

This is also where many people start exploring strength training with weights.

(If that sounds interesting, our ​Beginner Dumbbell Workout​ and ​Strength Training 101​ guide are great next steps.)

And you don’t have to pick one or the other. Bodyweight exercises are just another form of strength training. It all counts and it’s all great.

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One final tip: don’t change everything, everywhere, all at once!

Pick one of these things to add to your workouts and see how you feel.

Eventually, you may stack all of these together, but you don’t need to be in a rush! Give your body time to adapt.

You got this!

– Matt ​

P.S. Wish you could ask a coach a question? Well, now you can! As an experiment, I set up a Video Ask! It allows you submit a question to be answered by a coach. Check it out​!

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You don’t need a better goal. You need better problems.

You don’t need a better goal. You need better problems.

  February 27, 2026    Pratik Bandagale

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If you find yourself getting excited to tackle a big fitness goal, but then burning out a few weeks in, you don’t need a better goal.

You need to choose better problems.

Let me explain.

Take a marathon, for example.

Wanting to complete a marathon sounds pretty cool.

But that’s the shiny object at the end of the road.

And while that excitement can be enough to jump start us, it’s like lighter fluid that burns quickly and then flares out.

The challenges of running a marathon though? Those are here to stay.

• Scheduling long runs when you’re tired
• Managing nagging aches
• Learning foot care and blister prevention (not to mention chafing!)
• Meal planning and prepping to support recovery from your runs
• Prioritizing sleep over Netflix time so you can get up for that early morning run
• Adjusting training when things don’t go according to plan

Way less glamorous than imagining yourself crossing the finish line.

But here’s the thing – if you can learn to embrace those parts of the process, then you’re basically 100% guaranteed to complete the race.

Because the problems and the process are the parts that actually matter.

It’s only when we set a big goal without ALSO realizing we’re choosing the problems that come along with it that we set ourselves up for failure.

As Mark Manson says (paraphrasing):

Stop obsessing over goals.

Start choosing the problems you’re willing to have.

A lot of people say they want to:

• “Get in shape”
• “Build strength”
• “Lose weight”
• “Be more consistent”

But the real question is:

Can you embrace the process that gets you there?

• Identifying the ​biggest pitfalls​ you’re likely to face
• ​Tracking the daily action steps​ required (workouts, recovery, etc.)
• Have a ​backup plan​ and ​adjust accordingly​

If you can, then you’re well on your way.

And if the answer is no, that’s not a failure.

It’s information.

And it gives you permission to adjust the goal you’re aiming for and choose problems that work for you – on your messiest weeks and not just your best ones.

I’d love to hear from you! What problems are you embracing?

-Matt

P.S. At Nerd Fitness, we’re nerds who don’t just love fitness. We love coaching.

​ See which coach would be a great fit for you ​

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Why most fitness plans fall apart (and what we’ll do differently)

Why most fitness plans fall apart (and what we’ll do differently)

  January 02, 2026    Pratik Bandagale

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Welcome to the kick off of the 2026 Nerd Fitness Challenge!

If you’re starting the year excited and a little wary because you’ve been here before, you’re exactly who this Challenge is for.

In this first short video, I’m going to ask you to start from a place you might not expect.

We’re not starting with goals or motivation.

Instead, we’re looking ahead at what usually gets in the way

​Key ideas from the video:

• The challenges that knock you off track are often predictable

• We name those pitfalls early, we can plan around them

• This is how we stop repeating the same cycle every January

• It’s rarely an issue of “motivation” or “not caring enough” – fitness plans fail when they don’t account for real life challenges

Common examples of pitfalls include:

• An unpredictable work schedule

• Kids (or you) getting sick

• Feeling guilty taking time for yourself

• Trying to change everything at once and burning out

• Frustrated by lack of progress

• Injuries

Your action step today:

​Download the worksheet and fill out Section 1: Pitfalls.

Write down 2-3 things that have knocked you off track in the past – or that make you nervous about starting again.

Don’t overthink it. Simple is better.

You’re not trying to “fix” anything – just notice the patterns.

-Matt

P.S. Want a coach to walk you through this exact process? See who would be a good fit for you.

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The “Stop Starting Over Workout” [FREE DOWNLOAD]

The “Stop Starting Over Workout” [FREE DOWNLOAD]

  December 30, 2025    Pratik Bandagale

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One of the most common things I hear from people is this:

“I’m tired of starting over with fitness.”

They feel like they’re stuck in a loop:

1. Get motivated to make a change
2. Go all-in with a new plan
3. Life throws a curveball
4. Fall off track and feel like they “failed”
5. Eventually muster up the energy to try again

This cycle is exhausting. And while many people blame it on “laziness” or “discipline”, I haven’t found that to be true.

It’s usually about a lack of clarity and support.

So I built something to help break that loop.
​
I lovingly named it The “Stop Starting Over” Workout (I know, super creative. )

It’s a short, full-body routine you can do 2-4 times per week, with built-in options for:

• Days when you have plenty of time and energy

• Days when things feel fine

• Days when everything is on fire

Same workout.

Different dials you can turn up or down.

You can grab the workout here:

Your mission (should you choose to accept it):

Try the workout sometime this week.

Then, email back and tell me how it went. I read every response.

-Matt

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“I feel like I’m failing at something that should be easy.”

“I feel like I’m failing at something that should be easy.”

  December 16, 2025    Pratik Bandagale

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I want to tell you about something a client said to me recently, because I think a lot of people quietly feel this way:

“I’ve struggled to ​lose weight​ my entire adult life. I feel like I’m failing at something that should be easy.”

If you’ve struggled to get in shape before, you might know that same feeling.

It can sneak in and make the whole thing feel personal.

Like you’re the problem. Like “if I just had more willpower”, things would be better.

But here’s the thing:

You’re not failing at something that should be easy.

You’re striving to do something that’s hard for basically everyone.

And that distinction makes a world of difference.

The Mismatch

When you zoom out and look at the actual evidence, getting in shape is not simple.

Not losing weight.

Not building muscle.

Not sticking to habits.

Why? Because we’re doing all of it inside a system that stacks the deck:

• Hyper-palatable foods everywhere
• ​Less physical activity required in our day-to-day lives​
• ​Constant stress and distraction​
• Social comparison in every direction

And that’s just our external environment.

When we look under the hood, each person has different levels of ​food noise​, ​enjoyment from exercise​, injury history, etc.

We aren’t all playing on a level playing field – and that playing field was already challenging to begin with!

I’m not saying any of this to make you feel hopeless.

Quite the contrary:

It’s only by acknowledging the very real constraints that we can make a plan for how to get unstuck.

Here’s a simple 2-step approach you can use to do just that.

Step 1: Collect Evidence

An important part of rewriting the narrative is collecting evidence to the contrary.

That you are the type of person who shows up.

Take a few moments each day to highlight whenever you take an action that’s aligned with your goals.

When you do a ​short workout​ instead of no workout on a crazy day

When you build a ​balanced plate​ at dinner time

When you add a few more reps to your workout

Jot it down in a notebook. Text a friend. Drop a marble in your ​jar of awesome​.

This is one of the most critical aspects of our ​coaching program​.

People need to see signs of progress. They need reinforcement that what they are doing is working.

That starts by highlighting the actions you take that move you towards your goals.

From there, we can narrow in on the target.

Step 2: Shrink the Target

When you’re feeling stuck and like nothing is working, it’s natural to want to try to change all the things, all at once!

I encourage you to resist that urge.

Instead, get more laser-focused.

In my 15 years of coaching, the most progress comes from ​reducing the number of things​ someone has to worry about. Not adding more to their to-do list.

Because focus creates consistency.

If you know what the number one goal for the day is, you’re way more likely to tackle it than if you have a laundry list of 10 things that all feel important, all the time.

If they are all the most important, then none of them are important.

Narrowing your focus not only improves consistency and reduces overwhelm, it helps you learn what actually moves the needle for you.

You don’t have to guess if something is working or not – you’ve consistently done it and you can see the results for yourself!

–

So here’s the thought I want you to practice:

Instead of:

“I’m failing at something that should be easy.”

Try:

“I’m striving to do something that’s hard for almost everyone – and I’m still showing up.”

That reframe isn’t fluffy.

It’s practical.

It pulls you out of shame and into problem-solving. It lets you notice the progress you are making. And it clears space to decide what your next step actually is.

And that’s the whole game:

Show up.

Collect evidence.

Narrow the focus.

Repeat.

You do that long enough, and the identity you’re building becomes the thing that carries you forward.

If you want help figuring out your “one thing” for this week, reply to this email. I’m here.

-Matt

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