The Benefits and Effectiveness of Bodyweight Exercises
Bodyweight exercises involve using nothing but your own weight and gravitational force to challenge muscle groups in different ways. These types of exercises typically require no additional equipment, making bodyweight training an inherently accessible form of resistance training. Bodyweight exercises involve a variety of movements from the push, pull, bend, squat, lunge, brace, and rotation categories. Popular variations of common exercises include squats, push-ups, and burpees, among many others. Like any form of training, the effectiveness of bodyweight exercises is contingent on the proper application of force, technique, and progression.
Bodyweight exercise is centuries old, with roots
dating back to ancient Greece and Germany. It is a popular modality in military
training, physical education, and general fitness. Bodyweight training is
growing in popularity and is experiencing a resurgence in a variety of fitness
communities. For many around the globe, bodyweight training is a foundational
part of their physical culture. One of the primary benefits of bodyweight
movements is their scalability. Many standard bodyweight exercises have simple
regressive and progressive movement variations to allow for their relative
challenge to any level of exerciser. However, it cannot be overemphasized how
important proper form and technique are when performing any exercise, including
a bodyweight exercise. Not only does technique promote efficiency in movement
and decrease the risk of wear and tear on the body, but it is also effective in
reducing the risk of exercise-related injury. Whether you have never trained
before or have years of resistance training experience, and regardless of
chronological age or fitness level, bodyweight exercise is highly effective
when performed with proper technique and form. Additionally, the versatility
and low barrier to entry make these movements a welcome addition to any
training routine.
1. Advantages of Bodyweight Exercises over Traditional Gym Workouts
Bodyweight training offers a number of advantages over
traditional gym workouts. First and foremost, minimal equipment is required to
complete a bodyweight workout, making bodyweight training accessible to
individuals from various walks of life. Since these exercises only require the
weight of the body, there is no need to worry about bringing cables, hand
weights, or other resistance training equipment with you when you cannot make
it to the gym. This makes it more likely that you will get a meaningful workout
in whenever you have the time. Second, nearly all bodyweight exercises are
effective due to their similar range of movement and resistance to certain
muscle groups. Moreover, most bodyweight exercises mainly work on building
foundational strength before moving on to more challenging variations.
Additionally, the movements and exercises are very versatile, allowing them to
be easily tailored to address the needs and fitness levels of children, elderly
individuals, and everyone in between.
Another important advantage of bodyweight training is
that these exercises can be done at home or pretty much anywhere else. Some
great bodyweight exercises that are also amazing and fun include air squats,
push-ups, dips, burpees, and leg raises. Many people who are unable to afford a
gym—if they even have one—accessible in their local area understand the
benefits of bodyweight exercises. Since gyms often require at least an annual
membership purchase, costs add up and bodyweight exercises become cheaper, allowing
individuals to save money on travel and other unnecessary expenses.
Additionally, bodyweight workouts also involve a lot of functional movements,
which are functional and mimic real-life movements. Performing bodyweight
exercises improves our level of functional strength, enabling our muscles to
efficiently work together during daily activities. Since these exercises most
often require sustained levels of endurance, they are an excellent way to build
cardiovascular strength. Another benefit is that it helps strengthen the
muscles of the core and stabilizes the spine. In short, depending on the need,
bodyweight exercises are beneficial in various aspects and can be done by
anyone, just as strength training in a nearby gym is essential for muscle building
and strength.
2. Key Bodyweight Exercises for Strength and Cardiovascular Health
There are several bodyweight exercises that are seen
as standard to build strength. Push-ups are a common move for upper-body
strength; the chest should touch the ground, and arms should be straightened to
full extension at the top of the rep. Squats and lunges are also popular for
building lower-body strength. When done in proper form, the hip crease sinks
below the knee at the bottom of the squat, and it should be fully extended at
the top of the rep. Lastly, burpees are all-inclusive bodyweight exercises that
help target strength for the upper and lower body along with some
cardiovascular benefits. The chest should touch the ground after kicking out
into a plank position, and hands should overlap and reach overhead to complete
the rep.
Push-ups, squats, lunges, and burpees can be effective
for helping to target muscles in the body over time. Slow, controlled movements
are a good way to target muscular endurance when beginning to implement these
exercises. However, by increasing the number of reps at a quicker pace,
individuals can also start to work on improving their overall conditioning with
these moves, which can mimic the high-intensity interval training style.
Additionally, the movements can be modified for beginners, intermediates, and
advanced practitioners. Bodyweight exercises help individuals leverage their
own mass for resistance, so it is important to integrate a balanced workout to
ensure strength and cardiovascular endurance. Modifications for beginner,
intermediate, or advanced exercises can be important in ensuring that the
proper muscles are engaged over time. Proper positioning and form can also help
to ensure safety with bodyweight exercises that need to be considered.
3. Creating a Progressive Bodyweight Training Program
Creating a structured and progressive bodyweight
program involves numerous steps. It is important to first assess your current
fitness level and set clear goals. Based on these goals, you can determine the
appropriate exercise rep ranges, rest periods, and volume to be used in your
program. When doing this, you want to ensure that the program provides enough
flexibility to ensure steady progress. This might mean incorporating both
strength work (lower rep work with longer rest periods) and endurance work (higher
rep work and/or shorter rest periods) in the program. To help ensure optimal
recovery, you should never perform more than three hard full body workouts each
week when training with your own body weight. You will want to separate the
workouts by at least one day of rest, ideally 48 hours.
Always perform a proper warm-up before working out.
Begin with some light cardiovascular exercise. Then perform two to three sets
of these bodyweight exercises with a light to moderate resistance in order to
prime your muscles for exercise by increasing muscle, joint, ligament, and
tendon elasticity as well as lubrication. The aim of your first two to three
workouts should be to establish a baseline and learn which (if any) of the
exercises you find difficult to perform. You may also wish to employ a progression
strategy to avoid plateau and continually increase your strength. For example,
with the push-up, you could begin with a wall push-up, progress to a knee
push-up, and finally a standard push-up. Always try to incorporate some form of
progression, however small, into your workouts. Recording your workout, such as
the weight lifted, the number of reps, or the duration of the exercise, can be
really motivating. Ideally, you should aim to increase the difficulty of your
workouts every two weeks, assuming that you are achieving the goals in your
workout log.
Here’s a sample training program and a list of basic
bodyweight exercises that can be used for this progression. The following
timing recommendations provide a balance between an efficient routine and the
time needed to stress your muscles to induce adaptation. Besides the
repetitions and weight lifted, time under tension also works as a stimulus for
muscle growth, making it important to control it and emphasize the eccentric.
Each repetition should be performed under maximum control. The set time refers
to the active time performed for each set. This can be broken up into
individual times with minimal rest, such as six sets of five reps, or performed
continuously. You may also be able to mix and match the style of training:
strength/power, endurance, or a bit of both. Consistently practicing bodyweight
exercises can help to improve general fitness levels by promoting strength and
increasing flexibility. The increased strength can improve performance in other
physical activities like sprinting, jogging, swimming, throwing, and kicking,
while the heightened flexibility can assist in performing these activities with
ease. Additionally, incorporating bodyweight exercises in workouts can lead to
reduced body fat, more muscle mass, and an improved level of conditioning. A
well-structured bodyweight program is effective in developing the body’s
strength and muscular endurance.
Timing of workouts should also be long enough to
provide ample stimulus to trigger a training adaptation and short enough to
prevent overtraining and diminished returns. An effective workout should
satisfy all these requirements within a fairly reasonable time frame. If an
extra long workout is required, it typically only indicates that the
effectiveness of the program decreases. The idea of a good program is to
maximize strength and stimulate muscle growth while saving time. A workout
program can range from about 30 minutes to 60 minutes by following rest
intervals, sets, and reps.
4. Tips for Maximizing Results and Avoiding Common Mistakes
Tips for maximizing your results with bodyweight exercises:
1. Walk, lightly jog, or do jumping jacks for approximately 5 minutes to warm up before beginning any training session. Light aerobic exercise has many health benefits, helps prevent injury, and can improve performance.
2. Use good form. Making sure your body is lined up correctly can help prevent injury and improve your results. For example, keeping your back straight while doing push-ups is essential to ensure that you are using your muscles effectively.
3. Dedicate a set time to training 3 or 4 days per week to make sure it gets done no matter how busy you are.
4. Set goals and reward yourself for reaching them or finding other ways to keep yourself motivated. This could mean buying some newer, smaller clothes after you have lost some weight. You could also do a set of exercises that work well for two people if you have a friend or relative who could work out with you.
5. Keep your workout
interesting by mixing things up. If you do the same exercises all the time,
your body will begin to burn fewer calories as it gets more efficient at them.
Common mistakes to avoid:
• Not drinking enough fluids. This makes it harder to work out.
• Not eating enough food, or eating foods that have too many calories or are lacking in essential nutrients.
• Concentrating on only one area of your body.
Doing 100 sit-ups a day, for
example, isn't likely to help you reach your fitness goals. You should do a
little bit of exercise that targets all of the major muscles in your body. Say
you exercise for a half hour. Try to get in 10 minutes each of cardiovascular exercises
that make you sweat, strength training exercises, and stretching or flexibility
exercises.