Posts Tagged ‘bodyweight exercises’
One of the best ways to condition your body is through bodyweight exercises. The nice thing about it is that you do not need a treadmill, an elliptical machine or a rowing machine. All you need is your body. You can perform it anywhere. Bodyweight conditioning is able to get your heart rate up to a level where you will burn a serious amount of calories. I think the routines for conditioning with bodyweight exercises look simple at first. However, when you begin to perform them you come to realize that they take much more out of you than you thought. It is quite challenging just to get through the circuit.
I was reading the other day (can’t quite remember where) and the individual who was writing the article made mention of the fact that the football team that he played on in college dreaded the bodyweight conditioning exercises most of all because they took so much out of you.
Just yesterday, I took the day off and made a 90 minute trip to watch my son play baseball for his college. While I was sitting in the bleachers watching the game I heard a soccer player from his college talking about the burpee exercises that they had to do for conditioning. They were extremely tough.
You can get a tremendous workout from bodyweight exercises alone. They are some of the most effective exercises for shedding fat and losing weight as well. Below is a sample workout that I will be performing tomorrow for my bodyweight conditioning segment.
Perform 5 rounds with about a 1 – 2 minute rest between each round. Within the round you should not have any rest between exercises. Move from exercise to the next.
Burpees (10)
Mountain Climbers (15 each leg)
Squat Jumps (10)
Atomic Push Ups (10)
Knees To Elbows (10)
Tuck Jumps (10)
In case you are not familiar with tuck jumps, knees to elbows or an atomic push up then you can watch the videos below. If you do not have a TRX suspension trainer then you can substitute 15 – 20 push ups for the atomic push up.
Tuck Jumps
Knees To Elbows
Atomic Push Up
Bodyweight exercises are great for burning calories and burning fat. One of the most effective exercises that you can perform to really get you heart pumping is box jumps. They are just what they sound like. You jump up on a box and then either step down or jump down. Then repeat. I usually perform them in sets of 15 as part of a bodyweight exercise circuit but you can perform them as a stand alone workout as well.
I built a platform out of 2 x 4s from some wood I had laying around the house. I put a 3/4″ piece of plywood on the top of this very primitive platform. It is quite sturdy despite its ugly looks. There are other more attractive options that you can build so that you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on plyometric boxes. There is a design that Crossfit has published that is quite good. It is even slanted to help to possibly save your shins a bit if you miss a jump. My plyo platform is not so forgiving. You can find the pdf file for building the box here.
Here are a few videos of box jumps to get you started in case you are not sure exactly what they are. Give them a try. Use them in place of your regular cardio workout. You will burn many more fat calories with box jumping than you will with a leisurely jog through the neighborhood.
Dips are one of the best bodyweight exercises that you can do for triceps. Not only is it a great exercise for your triceps but it is also a good exercise for your chest. If your own bodyweight ceases to be enough of a challenge at some time you can always add a little weight strapped to a belt or you can hook a dumbbell in the crook of your knee.
You can do dips on a variety of different things if you don’t have access to a health club. You can use two chairs that are pushed together. Or you can make a dip station of your own. There are probably several plans that you can find on the internet but I saw one from Matt Wichlinski of the Strength Shop in Virginia Beach, VA. It is part of a larger video that shows some of his homemade equipment. The dip station is made out of 2″ PVC. I will be trying to make one in the coming weeks. When I do I will put the measurements that I used online. In the meantime you can view the video and have a go at it yourself if you want to.
The benefits of bodyweight exercises can be enormous. Bodyweight exercise uses your own body to help condition you. On top of this it also help you with everyday tasks that you perform in life such as squating, jumping reaching, twisting and the like. These exercises are built for you normal everyday life.
People are worried that bodyweigt exercises may not provide the individual with gains the gains in muscle, strength, and endurance that can be provided through other means of exercise such as weight lifting or cardiovascular exercise. But this is not true. Not only can bodyweight improve on these things but it can help burn fat effectively as well.
The nice thing about bodyweight exercises is that you are not forced to get an expensive gym membership. You can perform them anywhere. You can do them in the comfort of your own home. You can do them in your backyard or in a park. You can do them in a hotel room if need be.
The military still understands the benefits of bodyweight exercises and uses them as the primary form of exercise and conditioning. If it is good for them it will be good for you as well.
Bodyweight exercises have the ability to raise your heart rate and in doing so to burn more calories and burn more fat in the process. They give you the ability to build muscle while working the heart to a great degree. Weight lifting, although, greatly beneficial to build muscle lacks greatly when trying to keep your heart rate up. There is often too long of a wait time in between weight sets to keep your heart rate up. On the other hand, cardio has the ability to elevate your heart rate but it does absolutely nothing for building muscle. In fact, a lot of cardio exercise will actually decrease muscle rather than enhance it.
One of the benefits of bodyweight exercises is the time that it can save you. You don’t have to perform weight lifting exercises and cardiovascular exercises. All you need to do is perform a circuit of bodyweight exercises to accomplish the same result in less time.
So if you have never considered doing bodyweight exercises before give it a whirl and see what you think.
Bodyweight exercises can be used to give virtually any body part a great workout. The back is not exception. If you want a great back workout here are the best bodyweight back exercises for you to perform.
Inverted rows. If you have a TRX, I would perform this exercise with the aide of the TRX Suspension Trainer. If not then you will have to improvise a bit. If you have a weight bar around the house simply lay it across two sturdy objects such as a stool. It will need to high enough off the ground so that your arms can be fully extended and not touch the ground. If you do not have a weight bar then you can use a sturdy broom handle or something similar. You could also go to Home Depot and purchase a 4′ long section of 3/4″ dowel rod.
To perform the exercise use either an overhead or underhand grip on the bar and pull your chest to the bar.
Pull Ups. You cannot have a discussion about the best bodyweight back exercises unless you include the pull up. It is the most effective exercise at building size in your upper back. To really hit your lats use a wide grip. However, use varying grips to work your back in different ways. You can use close grip, wide grip, overhand or underhand grips. You can also use things such as towels to drape over the bar. In addition to giving your back a great workout it also wreaks havoc on your grip. You can buy a free standing pull up unit or you can get one that attaches to your door frame like Iron Gym. Or if you have exposed rafters in your garage stick a metal rod between them and knock out your pull ups. If you look around you will probably find many things to use such as a sturdy tree branch or monkey bars at your local park.
The previous two back exercises are for the upper back. If you want to work the lower back then one of the best bodyweight back exercises that you can perform is a hyperextension. These can be done on a Roman Chair if you have one. If not, then you will have to improvise and it might require a partner. Drape your body over something so that when you bend at the waist your head will not touch the ground. Have a partner hold your legs or find some way to anchor your feet. This will give you a great lower back workout.
Incorporate these bodyweight back exercises into your bodyweight exercise routine and watch your back grow in size and strength.
Have you ever considered if treadmill or elliptical workouts are actually that effective… or are there more fun and more effective exercise methods?
by Mike Geary, Certified Personal Trainer, Certified Nutrition Specialist
Now that I pissed off all of the treadmill and elliptical machine worshipers… let me say that if you truly enjoy mindlessly pumping away on a treadmill or elliptical (or exercise bike for that matter too), then by all means, keep doing what you enjoy, because enjoying your exercise is one of the most important aspects to sticking with any exercise program…
However, don’t say that I didn’t warn you that you were wasting your time with all that mindless cardio machine boredom.
If I haven’t mentioned it before, I don’t believe in cardio machines, and to be quite honest, I don’t think I’ve personally used a treadmill, elliptical, or exercise bike for at least the last 7-8 years or so.
As a matter of fact, I don’t even use cardio machines anymore for warmups before a workout (did before occasionally)… Nowadays, I prefer to do dumbbell or kettlebell snatches and swings mixed with bodyweight exercises as the perfect full body warmup at the beginning of my workouts.
So why do I have such hatred for cardio machines? Well, here goes:
1) Treadmills, ellipticals, and exercise bikes are mind-blowingly BOOOORING!
2) Mindless steady state cardio exercise while watching tv or reading creates a mind / body disconnect resulting in poor results from your exercise routine
3) I’ve seen studies that indicated that treadmill running may be less effective than outdoor running for various reasons such as stride abnormalities on treadmills vs natural running, slightly less caloric burn compared to outdoor running, etc.
(although I never recommend just “jogging” anyway… variable intensity walks / runs or sprints are so much more effective, training your heart rate in a much wider range instead of just the same pace during the entire workout).
4) Treadmills and ellipticals are ridiculously expensive and a waste of money for people that workout at home… there’s so many better options for home workouts you could have spent your money on rather than wasting it on a treadmill, bike, or elliptical.
The perfect home gym setup is MUCH cheaper… there’s no reason you need anything other than a jump rope, bodyweight exercises, a few dumbbells, stability ball, maybe a few kettlebells (if you want to get fancy), and perhaps high tension bands for some more variety. And of course… the great outdoors has some of the best workout options of all… hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, skiing, sports, and more!
By the way, here are some great adjustable dumbbells which can save you big time cash if you’re setting up your own home gym.
5) Treadmills and elliptical machines are just a very ineffective way to workout compared to other options. Why should you do treadmill or elliptical workouts when you can get better results by doing more interesting forms of training that actually stimulate a fat-burning hormonal response and stimulate your metabolism to a greater extent.
• Discover the top 12 fat burning foods you didn’t know
• Exercises that burn more fat than cardio
• Also get a free metabolic rate calculator to determine your personal metabolism
So what are the alternatives to treadmills and elliptical trainers? Here are some of my favorite types of alternative exercises:
• jumping rope – great mind / body connection (try speed jumping, crosses, double jumps once you get skilled at it)
• bodyweight training – bodyweight squats, pushups, lunges, jumps, bear crawls, mountain climbers and jumpers, planks, and the list goes on and on
• kettlebell training – nothing will get your heart pounding like high repetition KB swings and snatches or clean & presses (can be done with dumbbells too, but I prefer KBs)
• outdoor wind sprinting (the ultimate for a rock hard ripped body… just look at the chiseled powerful bodies of world class sprinters, and compare that to the weakling withered physique of a typical marathoner… nuff said!)
• hill sprinting (yet another classic for a rock hard powerful body)
• rowing machine (ok, I don’t really lump this in as a “cardio” machine like treadmills and ellipticals… I think the rowing machine is actually a great full body workout that actually uses resistance)
• sprint style swimming workouts (a more muscular workout than steady state distance swimming… I actually love the upper body pump I get from sprint style swimming) – this is the same concept as sprinting vs jogging but in a pool instead
• heavy bag punching / kicking workout, speed bag, rebound bag… all great forms of training and much more interesting than boring cardio machines (requires an intense mind / body connection)
• shadow boxing… awesome workout, but if you’re shy, this is best done at home since you’ll get some crazy stares doing this at a typical gym from people who think they’re “too cool” for stuff like that.
Well, I hope that helps give you ideas on how you can get away from all of these mindless and ineffective treadmill and elliptical trainer machines (and exercise bike) workouts that are just wasting your time and energy that could be better spent on more effective workouts.
If you don’t already have a copy of my Truth about Six Pack Abs program, you can see some of the incredible reviews and results people are getting with Truth about Abs.
By Hugo Rivera
Bodybuilding training is composed mostly of weight training exercises. For the best results possible, your bodybuilding training should be composed of mostly free weight exercises that use dumbbells and barbells for resistance. However, I often get asked the questions: “What about bodyweight exercises? Are these useful for bodybuilding?”
Truth of the matter is, that bodyweight exercises are the best exercises for the fastest bodybuilding results! Examples of such exercises are the pull-ups, chin-ups, push-ups, dips, squats, lunges and calf raises. Any exercise where you have to move your torso through space and that can be done just by using your body as the resistance is a bodyweight exercise.
These exercises provide the best bodybuilding results because you have to activate the most amount of muscle fibers (since they provide the most neural stimulation) and use several stabilizer muscles (in addition to the main muscles being targeted) to accomplish the task of moving your body through space. In addition, these exercises are excellent for creating functional strength; in other words, strength that can be used to any task in your daily life.
As you get stronger, resistance can be added by using a weight belt for exercises like the pull-ups, chin-ups and dips, while barbells and dumbbells can be used for the squats, lunges, and calf raises. For push-ups, you can have a partner provide you with the resistance.
So be sure to incorporate plenty of bodyweight exercises in your bodybuilding routine and watch your bodybuilding results soar!
I am going to make a bold statement. There is no better way to burn body fat than to perform body weight exercises. I firmly believe this from personal experience and from the results of those who have dedicated themselves to bodyweight exercises. Is it any wonder that some of the most fit individuals in the world (our U.S. military) primarily use body weight exercises to achieve their fitness level.
I have a health club membership (although I am not sure why other than it gives me someplace warm to perform certain exercises in the winter) and I watch in amazement how people can show up week after week and never lose fat. It is kind of sad. They are paying their money faithfully and they get on the treadmill or elliptical machine and go through the ritual. But at the end of the week when they step on the scale the numbers are all too familiar. It is no wonder that they give up after a couple of months.
If this has been you, I am here to tell you that it does not have to be that way. You do not have to train with weights and you do not have to do cardio for an hour a day for seven days a week. You do not have to spend $40 per month on a health club membership. You do not have to embarrass yourself by stepping on some goofy BOSU ball.
You are frustrated and you are not sure where to turn. If you have trainers at your gym like I do at mine you probably don’t want to ask them because it is quite obvious that they haven’t practiced what they preach. They are not exactly the image of thriving fitness and you surely don’t want to pay them extra for their “expertise.”
Maybe you are like me and your body is now suffering the effects of weight lifting and your joints are no longer capable of lifting heavy weights. Or possibly you have tried every fad diet known to humankind and you still are disgusted every time you look in the mirror.
You have tried everything else now why don’t you try what actually works. Instead of going to out-of-shape “personal trainers” at your gym why not lean on the expertise of someone who has been in the fitness industry for 30 years. And by the way, he has the physique of someone who has been in the fitness industry for 30 years (lean and mean).
Emile Jarreau has created the Naked Commando System of exercises that you can do at home, in the park, behind closed doors in your office, or even in your hotel room while you travel. If you want to see fat begin to melt away with as little as 3 intense workouts per week then this is the program for you. You will build strength, increase endurance, increase your metabolism and improve your heart with his time-efficient circuit workouts.
You will avoid boredom in your workouts as he keeps it spiced up with 69 challenging and dynamic body weight exercises. Your stamina will increase, you will begin to understand the meaning of the word slim again and you will cut a major chunk of stress out of your life.
He will provide you with complete fat burning workouts with instructions, pictures and everything you will need to be successful. And you can get all of this for less than what you are paying for one month at a health club. I could describe it in detail for you but he does it so much better. So click on over to learn more about Naked Commando System.
I ran across an interest article today. It involves the concept of Escalating Density combined with body weight exercises. I thought you might enjoy the article. You can find it reprinted in its entirety below.
This is a great training concept that I’ve been using recently that I came up with as a way to get mass-building effects out of bodyweight exercises that I could do a lot of reps with.
It’s a type of training you could easily build a more comprehensive program on simply by extending the concept.
Basically, it’s kind of a cross between my Compound Exercise Overload training (where you take a weight you can do 6 reps with and do 3 rep sets until you can’t get 3 reps anymore, then you drop the weight and keep going) and Escalating Density Training (by Charles Staley – you might recognize the name 
…it’s basically where you take a 15 minute timeframe and do as many reps as you can within that timeframe).
Time/Volume Training is relatively simple. I’ll use back training for my example (chin-ups, specifically).
For working back, I use a 15 minute block of time (this will vary according to bodypart – less time for smaller parts – e.g. 10 minutes for biceps).
First, start by doing a set of 3 reps. Then stop and rest 10 seconds. Now do another set of 3 reps. Stop and rest 10 seconds.
Keep going using 3 rep sets and 10 seconds rest until you can’t get 3 reps anymore. When you hit this point, now starting taking 20 SECONDS rest in between 3 rep sets.
Keep going using 3 rep sets and 20 seconds rest until you again can’t get 3 reps anymore. then take 30 SECONDS rest in between your 3 rep sets. If you have to increase again, go to 40 seconds, and so on.
Keep going in this fashion until your 15 minutes are up.
It’s just that simple! Basically, the idea here is not to go to failure on any of your reps but to manage your fatigue so that you can maximize your training volume (i.e. more reps and sets).
And, because I originally worked up this technique to go with bodyweight training (where you can’t change resistance), instead of decreasing the weight (like in Compound Exercise Overload), you will instead just increase the rest periods, which gives your body a bit more time to recover in between sets, allowing you to keep doing sets with the exact same resistance.
But just because it’s originally designed for bodyweight training doesn’t mean you can’t use it with free weights and machines as well – it’ll work like a charm for that, too!
You’ll find when using this technique with different exercises (especially bodyweight exercises, where some tend to be a bit easier than others), you’ll be able to go longer before having to increase rest. For example, when doing chins, you’ll probably have to increase rest sooner than you will with push-ups.
But rest assured, even if you can 50 push-ups, you’ll STILL get to a point where you’re not able to do 3 reps sets on 10 seconds rest and you’ll have to bump up the rest periods.
It’s a great way to work bodyweight exercises without resorting to high-rep endurance training. With the 3 rep sets, you’re still hitting the power-oriented muscle fibers, which is what allows you to make this type of training work for mass building.
You can take a few minutes in between bodyparts for a bit of recovery as well.
Here are the time intervals I’ve been using for this type of training:
Back 15 minutes
Chest 15 minutes
Thighs 15 minutes
Hamstrings 10 minutes
Shoulders 10 minutes
Biceps 10 minutes
Triceps 10 minutes
Calves 10 minutes
Abs 10 minutes
I’ve also changed up some of the bodypart blocks so that I’m actually doing 2 bodyparts at once. Here’s a split I’ve been using (based on bodyweight training) but you can definitely come up with your own.
Just be absolutely sure to keep your total workout time to under an hour (I’ve been shooting for 40 to 50 minutes).
This type of training concept is simple enough where you can simply insert it into whatever your favorite training split is.
My preference is for a 2 day on, 1 day off, 2 day on, 2 days off type of training split here. e.g. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday.
Day 1:
Back – 15 minutes of chin-ups – I was using a regular underhand, close grip for these, coming all the way up and down to full extension.
Chest – 15 minutes of dips – I was using two chairs with the back facing each other. I would set my hands on the tops of the chair backs and do dips in between the chairs. Works like a charm!
Combination of Calves and Abs – 10 minutes – NO rest in between bodyparts or sets. I would just go straight from one-legged calf raises (5 reps on each leg using no weight) then right into Abdominal Sit-ups (5 reps on that exercise, too) then back to calves. Because they’re such unrelated bodyparts, their getting rest while you’re working the others, so you don’t need specific rest for them.
Biceps – because I was doing 15 minutes of Chins, biceps already got a lot of work. I would just finish the workout with one set of flexed arm hang. Click here for more info on that.
Total workout time: 45 minutes
Day 2:
Thighs – 15 minutes of Bench Step One Legged Squats – Click here for info on how to do this one. Basically, this exercise is a one-legged squat done standing on a chair or bench. Because you’re standing up off the ground, you can drop down a lot further, increasing the overall workload. I also recommend hanging onto something for support. This exercise for this long will really beat the crap out of you.
Hamstrings – nothing for me here – the deep bench step squats were PLENTY of work for the hamstrings, believe me. In a normal split, you would do 10 minutes of hamstring work for this type of Time/Volume training.
Shoulders – 10 minutes of Pike Handstand Push-Ups. Click here for info on how to do this exercise. This is a great exercise for shoulders – it’s a bodyweight exercise, making it very effective for functional strength AND it’s easy enough where if you’ve got decent shoulder strength, you should be able to get good training volume. In that same link above, you’ll also find Horizontal Push-Ups, which is an easier version of it.
Triceps – 10 minutes of Close Grip Push-Ups – even though I can normally do about 40 to 50 of these in a row, after about 8 straight minutes on 10 seconds rest, I had to increase to 20 seconds rest. The fatigue catches up to you and you’ll really be feeling how effective this training is.
I again finished with one set of the Flexed Arm Hang here.
Total Workout Time: 40 minutes
That’s the scoop with Time/Volume Training! Like I mentioned, you can insert this methodology into pretty much any training split and any program. It’s one of THE best ways to get a mass-building effect out of bodyweight training (when you can get high reps with an exercise) that I’ve ever found.
Give it a try in your next workout to test the concept then try a couple of complete workouts with it. Then take the concept with you next time you travel and apply to some bodyweight training. You’ll look at the hotel gym (with the stationary bike with no seat and the squeaky hydraulic resistance machines) and LAUGH!
About The Author
Nick Nilsson is the Director of Online Operations for Staley Training Systems. He has a degree in Physical Education and Psychology and has been inventing powerful new training techniques for more than 17 years.
Nick is the author of a number of bodybuilding eBooks (listed below) all available by clicking here and has written for a variety of publications including Men’s Fitness, Reps, Musclemag, Bodybuilding.com and many others. He can be contacted at nick@staleytraining.com.
* Muscle Explosion! 28 Days to Maximum Mass
* The Best Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of
* The Best Ab Exercises You’ve Never Heard Of
* Metabolic Surge – Rapid Fat Loss
* Gluteus to the Maximus – Build a Bigger Butt NOW!
* Hybrid Training
* Specialization Training
The question is often asked whether or not bodyweight exercises can help you get stronger and bigger. It has always been assumed that body weight exercises only increase your endurance level or the stamina of your muscles. Now this is in and of itself a good thing, however, I am here to assert that bodyweight exercises can dramatically improve your strength, especially your functional strength.
Let me explain. If you want to be a powerlifter and one squat 700 pounds and deadlift 800 pounds then body weight exercises will only play a small role in your overal workout program. I am not going to pretend that body weight exercises will propel you to achieve personal bests in your lifts. But just because bodyweight exercises won’t make you a world class powerlifter doesn’t mean they won’t make you stronger.
Body weight exercises create functional strength. One of the strongest people I have ever known never stepped foot in a weight room He would not be able to do heavy benches, squats or deadlifts. Much of this involves technique and some of the lifts done don’t have real world application. However, my friend owned functional strength. I believe bodyweight exercises help provide you with functional strength. But as we will see in a little while it can also provide you with weight room strength.
This is going to be a three part article, primarily because I don’t want it to be so long that you get bored by my writing and miss the nuggets of information in the article. In the first part I want to give you 4 exercises that can be done with little or no equipment that can dramatically increase your strength. Here we go.
One Leg Squat
This is often referred to as “the Pistol.” It is a pure strength exercise. Many people are not able to do this exercise due to the strength required. Others get excited because they were able to do it one time. Of course, I am talking about being able to do it 10+ times for 3 – 5 sets. Now as I mentioned many of you will not be able to do this initially. Therefore, you will have to find something to assist you. I would recommend standing beside a pole or a chair that you can grab onto to give yourself the needed boost to get out of the bottom of the exercise. Possibly the best way is to use a piece of rope attached to the ceiling of your garage or secured in a door that you can hold on to.
One Arm Push – Up
This is another exercise requiring great strength. Make sure to widen the base of your legs when doing this exercise or you just may tip over. Again the goal here is not to just be able to do 1 or 2. The goal is to perform this body weight exercises for multiple set of 10 – 15 reps. If you can work up to this you will find your strength increasing.
Pull – Ups
Pull ups are a fabulous strength exercise. If you want a big and strong back then pull ups are essential. If you get to the point where you can knock out 20 – 25 pull-ups in one set without a problem then go to the store and buy yourself a cheap backback. Load the backpack with 20 – 25 pounds of weight, strap it on and jum back on the pull-up bar. The added weight will make it more difficult. By the way, when doing pull-ups set yourself a goal and don’t stop till you reach it on matter how many sets it takes you to achieve it.
Handstand Push Up
This is another tremendous strength exercise. Kick your feet up against a wall with your back to the wall and lower yourself until your head touches the floor then raises yourself back to the starting position. If this is too difficult to start you can always do the tent version with your feet on the floor or a chair.
As you progress, I would recommend that you build some parallelettes that will allow you a greater range of motion. You can build them out of 2″ PVC at very little cost.
So try these four exercises and watch your strength grow. Stay tuned for the next two parts of this article.
