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Bodyweight training: no weights, no gym…

There may be several reasons why you can’t/don’t want to go to a gym.

Economic reasons, lack of motivation, difficulty in finding the right gym, lack of time, the temperature or the distance…these are just a few examples.

However, these or similar reasons can’t and shouldn’t be an excuse to stop exercising.

Here, you’ll find a suggestion for a training that allows you to exercise anywhere, without needing material or a specific place: bodyweight training or calisthenics training.

Being fit with only the help of your body

What is bodyweight training?

Bodyweight training, or the so-called calisthenic training, allows you to exercise at home, as well as in urban parks, gardens or in the gym. It is a strength training that doesn’t involve machines or specific material, where the weight of our own body is enough for us to exercise.

The investment is minimal, and you can achieve your desired goals in an effective way.

Compared to weight training, it can be concluded that both can be a form of strength training with satisfactory results, but bodyweight training influences flexibility more.

According to the article “Weight lifting or Calisthenics”:

“Both calisthenics and weight lifting can be used as a form of strength training, increase stamina and improve bone health, but the most common benefit of calisthenics over weight lifting is flexibility.”

However, according to the same source, weight training may be a faster way to gain muscle mass.

In the article mentioned above, is made a reference to a study that proves the efficacy of calisthenic training in obese children. They performed 6 different exercises three times a week, and this caused that, after 6 months, the children had, on average, a weight reduction of 45% overweight to 25%.

It can’t be done  not only in isolation, but it also can be added to other types of training. Combining activities involving bodyweight, circuit and intervals in boot camps, is something that will maximize the training, create more dynamism, and acquire more customers.

According to Becky Williamson, exercise physiologist:

“Although I think training with free weights and resistance bands is an excellent way to get strong, I’ve put body-weight training and good old calisthenics into my personal training and boot camp programs in recent years with excellent results. (…) I can create a nearly ‘no-equipment-needed’ workout that will develop strength and cardiovascular endurance in my clients.”

Nowadays, there are already apps that give tips and types of exercises that you can even do on the sofa. Can you believe it?

Here I’ll give you 5 of the best exercises used in bodyweight training, that you can do anywhere, where you work large muscle groups and define in a fast way and practically at zero cost.

Top 5 bodyweight exercises

Squats

squats

Squats are considered the best exercise for the lower body (legs and glutes) and is one of the most wanted exercises by the female sex, due to its ability to create firm and toned legs.

It’s a polyarticular exercise (it works several joints and muscular areas at the same time) and allows to work, mainly, the abdominal area, lumbar area, as stabilizer, and the legs as a whole (mainly the quadriceps and the posterior thigh), and the glutes, in a short period of time and effectively.

Technique:

  • Place your feet shoulder-width apart, always pointed forwards, maintain the spine steady and look forward.
  • Inhale and lower the body, until the legs are at a 90° angle – maintain the glutes contracted and don’t let the knees surpass the tip of the feet.
  • Exhale and rise until you reach the initial position.

Tip: In an initial phase, it’s essential to pay attention to the technique, and always increase the number of repetitions: 15, 20, 25 and so on.

In order to perform the exercise without damaging the spine, maintain the abdomen always contracted throughout the process.

Push-Ups

push-ups

It’s normal for the male audience to perform this type of exercise more, as well as chest exercises at the bar.

By the way, about exercises for men, check out the blog article.

This exercise allows an activation of the muscles of the upper body, to achieve maximum strength in the chest and arms. It’s considered one of the best exercises ever to activate the core, chest and arms.

Technique:

  • Get into plank position with your hands slightly away from the shoulder line, the legs stretched backwards, and the abdomen contracted.
  • Inhale and lower your body slowly, folding your arms with your elbows outwards (the arms bent at 90°) until your chest almost touches the floor.
  • Exhale and raise the body to the initial position.

Pull-Ups

pull-ups

Have you ever noticed people, especially in urban parks, pulling their body up and down at a bar? This exercise is called pull-ups.

Here the goal is to try to raise the body until the chin surpasses the bar. This polyarticular   exercise allows to work the muscles of the arms (depending on the type of handle, it can work the biceps or the triceps more), the back, and some muscles of the chest area.

It allows you to gain strength and endurance, and it’s a widely used exercise in calisthenics training competitions, where a simple pull-up can be something basic, compared to variants of extreme difficulty.

You can watch a video of a calisthenics training championship in this article.

Although for this exercise you need specific material, the bar, nowadays there are several public parks that offer this type of equipment, or there are those who install a bar in their house.

Technique:

  • Locate yourself under the pull-up bar, stretch your arms upwards, keep your back straight and your abdomen contracted, and hold the bar.
  • Exhale and raise the body until the chin surpasses the line of the bar.
  • Inhale and slowly lower the body until your arms are almost stretched.

This exercise allows you to take advantage of your bodyweight and promotes back strength.

Mountain Climbers

mountain climbers

Do you want to do an exercise that involves cardio and a bit of bodybuilding? Try Mountain Climbers!

In one single exercise you work the abdominal area and the legs, you improve your cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, agility and explosion in the legs. It’s even a great exercise to burn fat mass!

This exercise does a climbing simulation on the ground.

Technique:

  • Get into plank position, with the hands on shoulder line and the arms stretched, keep your legs stretched and the abdomen contracted.
  • Bring one knee up to the chest and always alternate with the other knee (always keep one leg straight and one bent).

Tip: Why not take advantage of this exercise and do a HIIT training? The faster the better J

Burpees

burpees

What’s the best exercise that works cardio and strength in an intense way, and accellerates metabolism, helping to burn calories? The dreaded Burpees! I know that not everyone likes it, but believe it’s worth it.

Did you know that burpees were created in the United States of America by a physiologist with the surname BURPEE? It was an exercise used in military training, as a fitness test with the purpose of improving and assessing the fitness level of recruits in World War II.

This exercise combines the position of push-ups with squat jumps, and allows you to work the arms (mainly the triceps), legs, chest, core and glutes, all at once, and in an intense way.

Technique:

  • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the arms along your body.
  • Then push the hip area backwards, and lower the body to plank position.
  • Turn your legs to the chest area and stay in a squatting position.
  • With an explosion of the legs, raise the upper body and make a small jump with the arms stretched.

You should always pay attention to the spine area and, initially, do it slowly until you have more experience.

As you could see, it gives results and it’s also a good way to complement bodybuilding workouts in the gym.

It can be easy to stay fit. No more excuses! You only need your body and its weight to be able to exercise and to stay fit.

Try these exercises and share with us other exercises!

Comments

The information included in this article concerns the authors opinion only.

About David Silva

David Silva
David Silva is a Personal Trainer and FIT and Life Coach. He uses his profession to inspire others and get them to achieve their goals, whether through his job or his writing. His motto is "A mission of life is a mission accomplished".

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