Bodyweight exercises are the “classic” strength exercises that top performing athletes have been using since the beginning of sport.
Think of things like:
- pushups
- pull ups
- chin ups
- and pretty much anything else with the word “up” in it.
What ties all of these together?
The fact your own weight provides the resistance you need to get buff.
Because your body is both ally and adversary when it comes to these exercises, you literally carry around one of the most versatile tools for a good workout.
You can easily achieve a heart-pumping exercise routine in a limited space, using no equipment!
The thing to know about bodyweight exercises is that they absolutely depend on top form.
If you have your form right, you’ll achieve amazing things in a relatively short time.
But if your form isn’t perfect, you’re missing out on muscle action that will build strength.
You’ll burn fewer calories, and might teach your body habits that lead to injury.
Stress injuries are a risk whenever you use bodyweight.
So, the key to unlocking your training potential is making sure you have your form exact.
Another important aspect is speed: the faster you go through your exercises, the fewer calories you’ll tend to burn.
The Most Powerful Bodyweight Exercise – The Push up
The most powerful bodyweight exercises in your repertoire are the good, old-fashioned pushups.
That’s why pushups have remained a mainstay of military fitness tests for as long as there’s been a U.S. Army.
Now, a second ago I mentioned speed is a factor.
Recent studies have shown that you can increase burn by slowing down your workout routine dramatically.
But when you’re doing a bodyweight routine, you should strike a balance between speed and perfect form.
The Army physical fitness test mandates 77 pushups in two minutes as an exceptional score.
When you pass this, there are harder pushups to try!
Although they’re foundational, bodyweight exercises are still among the most important tools in your training kit.
They can teach you a lot about your body when you’re starting out, and maintain your victories when you’re experienced.
If you want to learn more, you must check out our Beast Mode Training Lab.
Our training lab is packed full of resources and secret training tips.
Plus, our totally unique one-on-one mentoring program gets you in top shape in no time flat.
If you want to dominate your strength training workouts, let us give you a competitive edge that lasts!
We’re looking forward to meeting you.
Jim & JR and The Wicked Crew