Bodyweight Training Exercises

Advantages of bodyweight training exercises?

Walk into any gym and every single bench and squat rack is taken by a bigger, stronger guy.

And that “bro” doing curls in the squat rack…

You could just turn around and walk out and say you’ll come back later.

However, that isn’t an option when you’re focused on becoming your best you because you know consistency is key.

That one day off can lead to a week which can lead to a month, right?

Add these bodyweight training exercises are your arsenal to melt fat off your midsection while building muscle.

Skipping a day isn’t an option…

Lets start with the basic push ups which are a timeless classic.

 

The push up is essential for building a big chest, cannonball delts and triceps that look like the wishbone you pulled out of the turkey on Thanksgiving.

Master this move and it yields the same benefits as the bench press.

Now you’re ready for pull ups which is another classic bodyweight training exercise.

The pull up hits every muscle in the body and is underrated in terms of arm and abs development.

The pull up stands alone as the original biceps curl and is still one of the best exercises you can do for your arms.

Ditch the curls in favor of the pull up and watch your arms grow like crazy.

Holding a plank for a minute-plus is considered by fitness experts to be a very impressive measure of fitness.

 

The plank requires excellent shoulder stability and incredible muscle endurance of the abs, lower back, shoulders, neck and legs.

Not only that, the plank works well to develop an impressive six-pack and greater core stability.

The tension in the abs rollout is similar to what one experiences in a plank just jacked up a notch.

The farther you can roll out, the harder this exercise becomes, leading to better results.

Not to mention you’ll look like a total badass while the meathead on bench press falls on his face trying to do it.

Many experts agree strong glutes are essential for good back health.

And other experts agree a set of glutes greatly enhances your sex appeal.

Start doing glute bridge exercises and get ready for two results like spending money on bigger pants and having girls start asking for your number…

Arguably as good of a back developer as pull ups…

Inverted row is a great opposing motion to work with the push up.

Turn your hands around so you’re holding the bar underhand and you’ve got a better bicep builder than any curl variation out there.

Wide shoulders and big arms?

You’ll get some more attention on the beach this summer.

The close grip push up is a variation on the push up that specifically targets the triceps…

And big triceps make your arms look that much bigger.

Not only that…all your muscles, including biceps and triceps grow in pairs.

Bigger triceps means bigger biceps by definition.

Add close grip push up to your arm workout and watch progress soar.

The star plank is advanced variation of the plank not only places a greater challenge for your core…

And the star plank brings the chest and shoulders into play.

All the muscle groups under tension will benefit from this exercise.

You actually can work your chest, shoulders and abs at the same time!

The burpee is the No. 1 favorite exercise of any trainer who wants to help their clients burn fat…

The burpee has become a staple in programs from bootcamps to CrossFit and everything in between.

A full-body explosive motion which requires better cardio than hill sprints and more coordination than nearly any exercise out there.

There’s no doubt burpee accelerates your progress toward your leanest and most ripped body.

Many people think the dip is primarily a triceps exercise…

And while dips is a great triceps builder, it hits the chest and shoulders just as hard.

Another underrated aspect of the dip is core strength it takes to do them properly.

Needless to say, dips is an exercise that is not for the faint of heart and it can be your greatest weapon in getting your pecs to pop like the gym rat you see on the bench press every day.

The bulgarian split squat is already tough enough and a major challenge for a single-leg squatting motion…

Now add a stretch and mobilization of rear-leg’s hip flexor and you have the makings of a double-edged sword.

The bulgarian split squat exercise improves strength and mobility.

Use the bulgarian split squat in place of a squat for a few weeks and see if your regular squat numbers don’t improve.

While the push up is undoubtedly a great bodyweight training exercise…

The suspended push up adds a massive challenge.

The suspended push up is one way to up the intensity for more muscle-building stimulus.

Add to that the unstable nature of handles and you have an exercise which is not only great for developing those beach muscles, but one that’s also great for long-term shoulder health.

Mix it up with this move for maximum gains.

Sure, anyone can do a reverse hyper on a machine…

The figurehead exercise adds even more tension which is most times more than inadequate for serious muscle development.

The higher amount of tension a muscle is put under, the stronger it responds and harder contractions produces even stronger muscles.

The prone back extension certainly provides a huge, deep contraction, leading to a strong, healthy lower back.

If you’ve reached a plateau on push ups, it might be time to swap to pike push up…

 

This variation on the classic push up directly targets shoulders and can help improve weak areas leading to muscle development all over.

You already know that more tension means more muscle, right?

The swiss ball rollout exercise provides more tension than any other ab move out there.

All while forcing your shoulders to stabilize the body.

And there are multiple joints and muscle groups involved so it may lead to a release of anabolic hormones, such as testosterone, HGH and IGF-1 which all speed up muscle development.

It’s true that adding bodyweight exercises to any program can be an effective way to build muscle and lose fat.

It’s also a great way to break from your normal weight training routine.

In order to make your bodyweight training exercises more difficult, try resting only 30-45 seconds between sets.

Proven to help you reach your fitness goals faster…