15 good reasons to bodyweight exercise!

The last two days have seen a little series on bodyweight exercise training and I have tried to outline some of the key benefits and features of bodyweight training as part of your own programme for a number of reasons that have been previously raised and are done so again below. In wrapping up, here are a host of reasons why you should give this ever increasingly popular exercise regime a go or at least combine it in some small way with what you might already be doing. Found at 'ezinearticles' (http://EzineArticles.com/8849681) and written by John Rivers (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Rivers) it make s a lot of sense and is hard to refute. Take note therefore, and get into it!



When looking to increase strength and build muscle, most individuals turn to traditional weights. While these weights can be effective, they can also cause problems on your joints, tendons, and other body parts due to the strain your body undergoes when lifting.

Fortunately, there is a way to get weight training without the drawbacks of weights. Bodyweight training uses the body to help build muscle and increase strength with nothing, but, the weight of ones own body.

By using exercises that rely solely on bodily strength such as push-ups, squats and lunges, you can build amazing muscles, improve your endurance, and increase your strength.

Not entirely convinced?

Here are 15 reasons why you should train with bodyweight instead of weights.

• It Saves You Money: Traditional weights and free weights cost money and may require extra equipment that could be very expensive. When using your own bodyweight for weight training and conditioning, you cut out the middle man, which keeps you from spending lots of money.

• It's Gentler on Your Joints: Bodyweight exercises are kinder on the joints and they don't get battered as much as with traditional weight training. Because you're using your own body, you have a much more natural range of motion that cuts back on strain and stress.

• It Increases Your Resistance: When you know how to properly perform bodyweight training exercises, you can increase your resistance and build stronger muscles. Exercises that really challenge your muscles like one arm push-ups, steep incline jumps and inverted rows can work wonders on your resistance.

• It Builds Character: Bodyweight training requires a lot of patience and discipline, which are traits that translate well into your everyday life. When you teach yourself to wait patiently and maintain focus, you can do well in your relationships, jobs, and other aspects of your life.

• You Can Gain (Good) Weight: As you progress with bodyweight exercises, you'll begin to gain muscle. As you gain muscle, the amount of weight you're lifting increases, giving you a gradual increase in difficulty which builds your endurance.

• You Can Learn New Skills: Bodyweight training exercises are done using only the body. Many people don't have enough or any knowledge about these exercises. When you try bodyweight training, you're adding a new skill to your repertoire.

• Lower Risk of Injuries: Bodyweight exercises are simpler than traditional weight training exercises, which means the risk of injury is much lower. If you're new to weight training of any kind, bodyweight training is the best kind to start with.

• It's Customisable: Most weight and strength training have specific steps that you must follow. When doing bodyweight training, you can modify the exercises to your skill and ability level, making them the right exercises for you personally.

• You Learn To Develop Better Control: Bodily control is a great skill to have as you move through your strength training. Bodyweight training allows you to build better awareness of your body and control over your actions.

• All You Need Is Yourself: Bodyweight training is incredibly low maintenance, meaning it requires nothing, but, you to work and work well. You can add free weights or dumbbells if you like, but the best bodyweight training is done using only your body and the proper exercises.

• It Can Be Done Anywhere: With bodyweight training, you don't have to be confined to the gym or to your home. You have the freedom to practise these exercises wherever you like, whether at the beach or at the park; it's all up to you.

• It Builds a Great Physique: If you want a sculpted body there's no better way to achieve one than with bodyweight training. These exercises can actively work your abs, as well as the muscles in your back and upper chest, legs and butt to create a healthy, sculpted body.

• You Really Can Get Stronger: Most people have trouble lifting their own bodyweight which makes bodyweight training an excellent exercise. As you learn to lift your own weight, you have the potential to gain muscle quickly, making you stronger all the time.

• Anyone Can Do It: Not everyone can lift weights, but, they can learn to modify exercises used for bodyweight training. Sine this training type is customisable, it can be done by people of all ages.

• It's Good For You: It may seem cliché, but, any type of exercise is good for you and your body. While you can enjoy the aesthetic benefits, such as, muscles and a lean physique, you can also enjoy a healthy heart, lungs, and other vital systems.

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-

Can you build muscle with bodyweight exercises?

By now you have some questions arising from bodyweight training and the advice given in these recent Blog Posts. If so, this article will help shed some further light for you and perhaps answer a few questions. This one also came from 'ezinearticles' (http://EzineArticles.com/8833961) and is written by John Rivers (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=John_Rivers) and he is an independent Team Beachbody Coach, so read on.



Bodyweight exercises are workout techniques that are aimed at strength training, but, do not require lifting free weights.

Bodyweight training is #1 on the American College of Sports and Medicine's 2015 Fitness Trends list. This list is compiled on the opinions of highly trained and top fitness experts and professionals across the country, and, so their opinions are credible and valuable.

Because the exercises require only the body's own weight as resistance, these can be done anywhere and without any special equipment.

Bodyweight exercises are mainly categorised into 3 categories:
1. Calisthenics - these include your basic exercises that target the upper body, such as, push ups and pull-ups, and those that target the lower body such as lunges and squats. Calisthenics are great for improving endurance and stability, as well as, building muscles particularly in your chest, shoulders, and triceps.

2. Plyometrics - having originated from Russia about 40 years ago, plyometrics is a technique that involves conditioning the body with rapid muscle stretches and rapid shortening which aim to increase explosiveness and power. Plyometric exercises include depth jumps and depth drops, jump squats, burpees, Russian lunges, and jumping push ups. Designed mostly for amateur and professional athletes, plyometric training mimics movements in sports such as basketball, volleyball, tennis, football, and boxing.
3. Gymnastics - these involve more complex and technical exercises that aim to develop strength, flexibility, agility, balance, and coordination. Gymnastics often involve exercises performed on special equipment, such as, the balance beam, uneven bars, parallel bars, vault, pommel horse, and still rings.

Bodyweight Training vs. Weight Training
There's very limited research that compares bodyweight training against weight training, but, in those studies that were conducted, it has been found that bodyweight training offers greater benefits in the following areas:

• More muscle activation. Bodyweight training requires moving your body instead of moving an object towards or away from your body, thus creating more muscle stimulus.
• Increased neuromuscular activation. Because your body moves through space, there is additional feedback provided to your body and brain unlike when doing free weights.
• Increase in bone mass.
• Increase in power and strength.
• Enhanced muscle coordination.
• Noticeable improvements in general athletic performance, such as, jumping and sprinting.
• Improved endurance and agility.
• Lower risk of injuries. Because these training exercises are focused on the individuals own weight rather than using special equipments, there's lower risk of injuries, as long as proper precautions are observed.

It is important to note, however, that the point of this comparison is not to determine which one is better than the other, because one of them will always fall short on specific areas.

It's hard to replicate your bench and overhead presses with push ups alone, and the same goes for weight training exercises that aren't enough to give you all the benefits that bodyweight workouts can offer.

So, it is wise to design a training program that combines both routines in order to achieve the best results.

Are Bodyweight Exercises Enough To Build Muscles?
The bottom line is, if you're looking to obtain a nice physique, strengthen your muscles, and improve your athletic capabilities, bodyweight exercises are generally enough. They can be a good alternative to weight training if you don't have access to specialised gym equipments or if lifting bars doesn't suit your preferences.

However, you should realise that the basic exercises will not work forever because you need to challenge your muscles consistently and aim to go for a higher level of training as time goes by. Additionally, it still depends on your personal expectations regarding how big enough is actually "enough" for you. If you're in for building huge muscle mass, then a combination of the two will work better than just bodyweight workouts alone.

For the ladies and men who want to build lean muscle tone, bodyweight exercises are an excellent choice as they will never allow you to bulk, but, will instead build healthy muscle that has many health benefits.

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-

Bodyweight exercise - an ideal way to get in shape!

As mentioned in a previous Post Bodyweight exercise straining offers many benefits - freedom of time, place, duration, weight and resistance and is relatively safe, inexpensive, can still be challenging and can be fun too which is always good! This article sourced from the usual place at 'ezinearticles' (http://EzineArticles.com/5684079) was written a few years back by Pete C. Jennings (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Pete_C_Jennings) and remain relevant today, and can be easily incorporated in to your routine.



The Reason to Use Bodyweight Exercises?
The fitness world is a a complex mess of cushy gear and high priced gym memberships. With all of the data online it is really difficult to realize which exercise programs are the best. Well, I'm here to minimize the hoopla and aid you in going back to performing exercises the way it is meant to be.

Exercises using just your bodyweight are safe, challenging, and most of all...fun!

Experts agree that by simply employing just basic bodyweight movements, one can attain 95% of their conditioning potential (the rest for elite competitive athletes). So for most persons, undertaking bodyweight workouts persistently will get us in the very best shape of our body's potential.

Bodyweight Exercises for Body Fat Burning
Bodyweight exercises are wonderful for extra fat burning. Studies show that the very best way to maximize your extra fat burning is by undertaking brief, higher intensity sets of straightforward exercises. There is no need to lift heavy iron and increase chance of harm. The high intensity interval workouts can be as brief as 4-10 minutes for a complete workout but the extra fat burning effects last all day! This bodyweight exercising strategy increases your metabolic process into burning body fat throughout the day. You even burn fat in your sleep!

Body Fat Burning Tabata Exercises
The Tabata technique was invented by a Japanese scientist Dr. Izumi Tabata. His popular medical study studies revealed that carrying out a 20 sec high intensity exercise with 10 seconds rest for 4 minutes not only maximizes daily fat burning but increased cardio as well.

Bodyweight Exercises for Cardiovascular Endurance
Stroll into a big box gym at any onetime and you will find people fighting for the hamster wheels...I mean treadmills and elliptical machines. I chuckle at the idea of this every single time that I see it. Though jogging on a treadmill for 30 minutes or sometimes much longer 3-5 times a full week does have many heart rewards, it is time sucking and puts a whole lot of strain on your joints, knees, hips, and ankles.

These individuals will save a whole lot of time and maintain or exceed the healthful heart rewards by simply undertaking smaller high intensity interval training (HIIT) training sessions employing just bodyweight exercises. Your hips and knees will not only be happy, but the remainder of your entire body will as well as you will also be increasing your strength, muscle mass, and your extended term extra fat burning.

Bodyweight Exercises for Agility and Speed
Remarkable results in both quickness and agility will be obtained from making use of bodyweight exercises and a method called plyometrics. Plyometrics, or plyos for short, are the use of speedy muscle loading and contractions to train the body's neuromuscular system to react quickly. Plyometrics is a favored bodyweight workout technique of many coaches and athletes. Fantastic increases can be produced in running speed, vertical leap, reaction time, and throwing distance.

You realize now the reason I adore making use of bodyweight exercises to workout. They are adaptable, have a enormous number of health rewards, time conscious, and greatest of all... fun!

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-

Let your body be your weight!

Using your own body weight for training against and with can be as equally effective as training using weights in a gym. Body weight training however, gives you so much more flexibility and scope to go anywhere and do it on the cheap too, so with this in mind I sourced this article through 'ezinearticles' (http://EzineArticles.com/8909363) and written by Phillip Schiefer (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phillip_J_Schiefer) - a certified personal trainer and corrective exercise specialist with the national academy of sports medicine.


With so many different styles of exercises workouts and fitness trends, it can become a challenge just to see what programs are really effective. With most programs, results will depend on how much effort is given to each exercise and by taking the time to become proficient at the basics. I have always been fascinated with bodyweight training for numerous reasons. The exercises work large muscle groups, the progressions are seemingly endless and the entire body can be strengthened with minimum equipment.

This style of training has become increasing more popular as of late. Exercises such as muscle ups, handstands and pistol (single leg) squats have become a staple in the routines of many. The exercises are effective, you can increase your mobility, flexibility, strength and balance by doing calisthenics (bodyweight exercises). The only problem is that most people want to learn the tricks and fancy moves without dedicating the time and effort to properly prepare and condition their bodies for such movements.

Take the handstand for example, you can find many pictures of people doing handstands. Most of them are learned without proper coaching or techniques, so the elbows may be bent, the back may be arched and the balancing aspect can't be controlled. Wrist flexibility and strength, along with shoulder and core stability must be properly developed prior to attempting a freestanding handstand. This usually isn't the case, therefore increasing the risk for injury. I treat training like advanced college classes, with prerequisites to proceed to the next level. There is no race to the finish line, take time to enjoy the journey and learn things about yourself along the way.

With minimal equipment, the world is your gym. Find a set of bars and pull yourself up. Find an unstable surface or ledge and work on your balancing. Get on the floor and bust out some push-ups, mountain climbers or V-ups. If you want more of a challenge, try suspension training. With suspension training, you are essentially using a pair of straps with handles that are hung from a secure post, which is overhead. You can grip the strap with your hands or place your feet in them for a plethora of exercises that vary in difficulty. Suspension training provides a wide array of exercises with one versatile and lightweight piece of equipment. You can work your entire body, in all three planes of motion. By placing your body in suspension, it is less stable, which means that your body has to create that stability. Hence, each exercise is engaging more muscle groups and strengthening your stabilizing muscles. The concept can be difficult to learn at first but the results are very rewarding. If you like the idea of suspension training but think it looks difficult, seek the help of a professional.

When executed correctly, any exercise can be effective. Bodyweight training is no different. No matter what equipment you use, the possibilities are limitless. If you fall down, try it again and come back stronger. Push your body to its limits. If you don't fail, you aren't trying hard enough.

WhyWeight, don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-

Two video clips for the Beginners - for exercise in the home.

In my earlier Posts we have talked about the rudimentariness of diet, nutrition and calories coupled with Personal Training and establishing a regular exercise programme. Below are a couple of video clips I have downloaded for you from YouTube that demonstrate in words and pictures what you can do at home to kick start your programme, or act as an add-on to what you have already started either independently or with your PT. Good stuff that is well worth a look.

The first is an eight minute clip only from 'Mackenzie' of 'PsycheTruth Workouts' just recently Posted (http://youtu.be/D-SV44xePIU) and is aimed at female beginners concentrating on abs and core . . . but the principles are largely the same for males too.

This next clip is under ten minutes and features Michelle Kenway and is a whole strengthening routine with body weight exercises aimed at women, but once again, the principles largely apply to men also. Found on YouTube also (http://youtu.be/4tpOxq4eHWQ)

Check these out and let me know if they are helpful!

WhyWeight - don't hesitate, participate, before it's too late!

-Steve, at WhyWeight-