Bodyweight exercises - or using your own weight against gravity as resistance - are great for home workouts or training on the go. You don't need fancy or expensive equipment, and you can do them anywhere. But what happens if they start getting too easy or you just want to challenge yourself more?

Here are some tips to get the most out of your training sessions by increasing the difficulty on your bodyweight workouts.

Add extra weight

In the gym environment you would do this using something like dumbbells, a barbell or a medicine ball. They're great if you have access or can afford them, but if not you can always use what you've got around the house!

1 litre of water is around 1 kilogram; large old plastic milk bottles filled with water can be perfect as they usually have handles for carrying. A sack of potatoes or rice...  a big bag of cat or dog food. As long as it's safe to carry while you're training, it's a good option.

Slow down

Most exercise programmes get you to run through your training as fast as possible with the intention of driving up your heart rate; a lot of benefits from strength training can be gained from slowing things down. Try switching up your rep timing. For example, if you're doing squats, you could do:

• 2/2 timing - count to two on the way down, two on the way up
• 2/4 timing - count to two on the way down, four on the way up
• 1/3 timing - count to one on the way down, slow return up for three counts
• 4/4 timing - count to four on the way down, four on the way up

Give it a go and play around with the numbers!

Mix it up with equipment

If you have the budget, you could add a range of equipment to your home gym. If you don't have the budget or the space, investing in one decent piece of fitness gear that can be used across multiple exercises will help add variety to your training.

For example, a TRX suspension system can be used to modify squats, lunges, push ups and plenty of other exercises that are give your core a greater workout as well as your balance. A single kettlebell or pair of dumbells that are a mid-range weight - say, 4 or 6kg - can add extra resistance to your squats and lunges, plus they're great for adding pull movements into your training. A resistance band with handles can also be used in a lot of different ways, as can a loop band.

Change your training surface

Making modifications to your stability by changing your training surface can instantly make a workout more difficult. It's important to note that because your balance and ankle joints will be challenged, this does increase risk of injury so take care when you're training.

Ever tried going for a run on sand instead of the concrete pavement? It's a lot more difficult, right? Think along these lines.

Take the harder route

Whenever you're given the difficult options, take them. If you struggle to maintain that option throughout your workout, you can always take it down a notch; this is what will help you get stronger by challenging your body. Start your push ups or plank work on your toes, begin with the plyometric/jumping options if your body is happy to do so, start out with a heavier weight and drop it down as you need to.

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