Focus on: Bodyweight Training; Info and Workouts!

One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone says they have no time for exercise. Physical activity doesn’t have to be a big production.  You don’t need a gym. You don’t need equipment and you certainly don’t need to make it a bigger deal than it is. Simplicity and efficiency is what will get the job done! Having the mindset that you have to be in the gym and workout for 1+ hour a day, lifting heavy weights all of the time (especially for those just getting into fitness) is enough to intimidate anyone! I want to prove to you that you can do it ALL and feel inspired, healthy and strong without the need for a gym or for an extended period of time!

I love body weight training because they allow for 100% full range of motion and also require complete and utter body awareness meaning you are more likely to be properly engaging all muscles while performing exercises like the walking lunge, plank, pull up (to name a few)

Bodyweight training also helps to increase fat loss and  simultaneously build muscle. The biggest misconception is that  you MUST throw around heavy weights in order to achieve strength. Yes, strength training should be a part of anyone’s exercise program but I strongly believe the same should be said for bodyweight training.

The combination of weights AND bodyweight training is truly unstoppable and will provide a wide range of benefits including improved speed, power, strength  as well as extremely effective to develop beautifully sculpted muscles AND provide you with a complete metabolic, fat burning workout!

BENEFITS OF BODYWEIGHT TRAINING

• No gym required. These exercises can be done literally anywhere! Great for travelers, busy moms, busy people and those short on time!
• FREE! There is no need to buy anything with bodyweight training. All you need is a water bottle, maybe some good music and space
• Bodyweight training is a time saver! If you are used to splitting up your workouts (weights and cardio) you will have no need to do so! With bodyweight routines, you’re getting a super-strength-building, cardio, and flexibility workout in a single session.
• You will have the freedom to focus on nothing but basic exercise form and intensity/duration of workouts. These super efficient moves can be learned within a matter of minutes and focus on progression.
• Bodyweight training is extremely efficient, challenging and demanding. There is no need to grab a ‘set up’ in the gym while you are training. You don’t have to hover over machines.  Simply move your body!
• Total control to PROGRESS at your own pace! You can make the workout as hard or easy as you would like as well as change the number of reps or time constraints. As you get stronger and better, simply increase the intensity!  
• Can be done with a friend! Write out your workout, get with a buddy and make fun, hard-core workout challenges!
• Bodyweight training is a HUGE metabolism booster due to the combined benefits of cardio and weight training. Burn more calories, torch fat and gain strength!
• There is a time and place for isolated weight work to work each individual muscle especially if you are used to following a bodybuilding style workout program. With bodyweight training half of the challenge comes from the fat that you have to use your body as one whole unit. You will learn more about body awareness and what you are capable of doing  and furthermore, how hard you can push!

Bodyweight training takes patience and dedication which I have found with most clients, is a main reason why they are actually avoided! It is a no brainer to pick up a dumbbell or sit on a machine to go. It can also be easier to ‘progress’ in weight when you are doing a seated chest press rather than go to perform 10 perfect push ups. The reason being, bodyweight training is working all body parts all at once. A push up is not just for the chest. A push up is essentially a plank, working the arms, shoulders, back, glutes, quads and core. Proper progression and knowledge and the fact that some bodyweight exercises are just plain hard is what, I have found keeps people from doing them as often as they should. I encourage you to incorporate bodyweight training into your routine and you will find that it helps tremendously building overall strength, confidence, body awareness all while burning fat and cutting time in half.

HOW I INCORPORATE BODYWEIGHT TRAINING

Not only do I LOVE bodyweight training and find it extremely challenging and effective, but I genuinely find it fun. I love to push myself either using

• Time ( benefits of timed workouts)
• Certain amount of rounds
• Certain amount of reps
• Different positions
• Adding plyo’s
• Focusing on different body parts

I always have 1 dedicated day per week where my workout is solely all bodyweight. I call this my ‘functional training’ day. Sometimes I follow the functional training workout from my team at Cathy Savage Fitness and other days I make it up myself! I will put together a few circuits, using my creativity and what I want to focus on, find some space and do it!

In addition to my 1 functional training day per week, I always incorporate bodyweight style methods when it comes to my leg and glute training. Incorporating bodyweight training has been shown to help change body composition and fire the fast twitch (type II) fibers  which helps to provide a sexy shape to the quads and glutes. I also include CARDIO! (yes there is a time and place!)

Sample Bodyweight Leg Circuit
This is a great lower body workout that requires zero equipment. I usually do these workouts a number of ways. 

1. I will set a time, say 25 minutes and go through this circuit as many times as possible
2. I will set a certain amount of SETS to complete, while keeping my time to see how long it takes me! The Next time I do it, I will try to beat my time 

If you are looking for a more full body, strength based bodyweight workout, I would take down the intensity a notch and not focus on time, but rather FORM, strength and properly engaging every single muscle that you are working. 

This Bodyweight STRENGTH Circuit focuses on what some may consider more ‘challenging’ exercises, no plyometric movements and hits on every body part from head to toe. 

If you are a beginner, try going through this circuit 1-2 times and see how you feel. If you are more advanced you can perform it 3-4 or even 5 times through.

 

• Add reps
• Add the ‘pause’ technique (hold the exercise in the ‘down’ position for 3-4 seconds before ascending up) 
• Add time to the exercises such as the plank and reverse plank hold
• Add in angles. For instance, for the glute bridges, try placing your foot on a bench or chair or medicine ball for some added resistance.

QUADS N’ CORE BODYWEIGHT CIRCUIT
              

 

Even MORE GREAT Bodyweight workouts 
(some include KB’s but you can simply perform squats or jump squats instead!)
Rounds For Time
Leg plyo workout with video!
Great Plyo Workouts
Do Anywhere Workouts!
The 480 workout (one of my favorites!)
My favorite CARDIO workouts
Bodyweight Circuits
Total Tabata 
The Burpee Challenge


When it comes to putting together a bodyweight training workout, I love that I have flexibility to change the intensity and duration. 

It can be refreshing to not always  have a specific outcome or goal. Not every session has to have a plan. It can be hard to realize this if you are so used to a workout schedule, but I want to challenge you to mix it up. I want to challenge you not put so much pressure on your workout regimen and see what its like to do what you want on the days you want, taking rest when you feel you need it and working hard when you feel you want to. Know your body. Know your limits. Know when enough is enough and when you can push further. Its a completely freeing and amazing feeling you just must find it. 

In ConclusionI hope you got something out of this post and maybe changed your opinion on the benefits of body weight training!  This style of training is not only effective in it’s own right, but when added to a program involving strength training, this increases efficacy as well. 

You will get numerous benefits whether you are performing a body weight only workout OR if you are incorporating body weight training into your strength training routine.