This Bodyweight Exercise Routine Will Leave You Breathless!
I’ve recently been playing around with a bodyweight exercise routine that I’m starting to really love (in an evil way). As you know I’m a huge fan of bodyweight training, and highly recommend it for anybody and everybody looking to get in awesome shape and work muscles they’ve never worked before.
This girl's doing the bodyweight training routine, so should you!
For me this routine is something I put at the end of my workout, but for a lot of people you can simply do this bodyweight exercise routine I put together and have it be your entire workout. Or you might think of doing this one in place of jogging if jogging is boring to you like it is to me.
Here’s why I love it so much…
- It works literally every single muscle in your body
- It improves your “work capacity” (e.g. being able to keep your strength while you’re already exhausted)
- It improves explosiveness
- For some people might improve your strength
- It helps burn fat like crazy
- You can do it in probably a 10×10 area space, maybe even smaller.
- It’s ridiculously easy and be done with VERY cheap equipment or even no equipment as I’ll explain
It only takes about 10 minutes or so – so you have NO excuses not to do it!
Ok so here’s the bodyweight exercise routine I’m talking about…
What you’re going to do is very similar to Tabata Intervals, but instead of 20 seconds on, 10 seconds off you’ll do the following:
Jumprope 100 skips as fast as humanely possible (I do this in roughly 30-40 seconds, never timed myself though so don’t quote me on that).
30 seconds rest.
Burpees for 30 seconds straight.
30 seconds rest.
That’s it!
Just do that for 5 sets each (e.g. 5 “circuits”) and you’ll be wiped. Like I said I add this to the end of your workout if you’re already in great shape, and if not just try it on it’s own either on your non-strength training day or for your high rep day.
And if you don’t have a jumprope or don’t have room to jump rope…simply hold something about 1/2 pound and PRETEND you’re skipping rope. It might not help with coordination but you’ll sure feel it in your forearms and shoulders!
Try this bodyweight exercise routine out and let me know how it works for you. I’d love to know!
5 Reasons Bodyweight Training Might Be SUPERIOR To Weights
There is a lot of talk about the difference between bodyweight training and strength training with weights – and today I’m going to kind of go against the grain and tell you that in some cases, bodyweight training might actually be BETTER for you than training with weights.
So instead of rambling on, let me get started.
- Flexibility – With most bodyweight exercises you’ll need to develop more flexibility than if you’re training with weights. Although it might be a little harder at first, after a few workouts your body will adjust and you’ll be more flexible without even trying to be!
- Saves Time – If you’re hard on time, doing bodyweight training in your own home might be the answer for you. It takes up very little space and uses no equipment, so that means you don’t have to drive to the gym which also saves you a bunch of time!
- Builds “Functional” Strength – When I first got into bodyweight training I was into golfing at the same time. And I have to say, although I wasn’t training specifically for it, I saw about a 20-30 yard increase in my drives after about 2 months. I also noticed I was more “springy” and simply felt much more light on my feet than when I had been lifting weights.
- Easier On The Joints – A lot of times it’s very easy to injure yourself with weights – even if you’re experienced. This is because weights kind of limit yourself to a certain range of motion – especially if you’re using machines. Put simply, weights don’t train your stabilizer muscles which help keep your joints healthy. But since you’re moving your own body in a variety of different angles and directions using bodyweight training, it builds up your stabilizer muscles and strengthens your joints like crazy!
- Builds Your Core – With bodyweight exercises you tend to use your core a lot more than you do with weights. Although there are a lot of exercises with weights that DO utilize your core a lot, most people don’t do them. But when you’re doing exercises with your body, it’s practically impossible not to use your core. I’ve literally gone weeks/months without doing targeted abdominal training and my core kept getting stronger and stronger! And what does a strong core mean? It means no back pain!
As you can see, there are a lot of reasons to be putting bodyweight training into your strength training routine. Maybe you don’t want to switch strictly to bodyweight, but I would recommend at least making it part of your program.
If you happen to be an older person, I think using your body to get stronger is even more important because it’s easier on your joints.
But either way, I can guarantee you that if you start adding in some bodyweight training into your current workout program you’re going to immediately get stronger, more flexible, and have less joint pain!
Are Bodyweight Workouts For Pansies?
One of the most common things I hear from people trying to get in shape and get stronger is that bodyweight workouts are only for people not strong enough to lift “real” weights, or for people into martial arts who don’t care about muscle size and only want endurance and speed.
But nothing could be further from the truth!
There are some bodyweight workouts (a lot actually) that are MUCH harder than the majority of weightlifting exercises out there.
Take the 1 armed pushup for example.
Can you do 1?
Most people can’t! Hell, most people can’t even do regular pushups!
Bodyweight workouts are fantastic for those people who either can’t afford the extra $50/month to go to a gym, don’t have time to waste driving there and back, or simply like working out at their own home and don’t have to deal with the hassles of being at the gym.
I know I hate it – I haven’t been to a gym in a very long time…and the last time I went the only reason I ended up going was because one of my buddies wanted to go.
What I’m trying to get at is that bodyweight workouts are VERY effective, even for highly advanced athletes.
1 armed pushups, weighted pullups, 1 legged squats, rope climbing, etc. These are all awesome bodyweight exercises that would push the limits of even advanced trainees – yet most people don’t do them.
In my opinion it’s because they’re afraid they won’t be able to do them. Go take a look around in any gym around the country and you’ll see people doing lat pulldowns and 1 armed rows instead of the much better exercise – the pullup.
You’ll see people doing leg extensions instead of 1 legged squats.
You’ll see people doing chest flyes instead of 1 armed pushups.
But what’s the point?
Don’t you want to be able to move your body around like it should be moved? In my opinion you should be trying to get as strong as possible with regards to your own bodyweight – it just makes you feel so much more “free” and light.
I think people are too focused on their external appearances when they should be focused more on doing bodyweight exercises and working those stabilizer muscles (which make you much stronger anyway).
You live your life moving your bodyweight around all day, so why not do exercises that helps you make it easier all day long?
Do yourself a favor and throw a month straight of bodyweight exercises into your routine. You’ll work muscles you have never worked before, and by doing bodyweight exercises I can pretty much guarantee you’ll go through any strength plateau you hit using weights!
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