Your Ultimate Guide to Bodyweight Training

Changing up your workout routine can make it feel less monotonous. You always want to feel the rush of trying something new so that you can remain motivated to stay fit.

You can add variety to your fitness program by incorporating bodyweight training into it.

Bodyweight training is a great way to work on large muscle groups and build muscle and stamina. The best part is that you don't need any special equipment, except your body weight and some basic gear.

What is bodyweight training?

Bodyweight training involves strength-training exercises that employ your body weight as the sole form of resistance.

This is an effective and proven approach to strength training that calls for no additional training, gym equipment, or gym membership. You don't need machines or free weights, so you can do bodyweight training anytime, anywhere.

Very often, all you need for bodyweight exercises is a flat surface and some space. Consistent training can help you develop better balance, flexibility, form and strength.

Weight training is a strength workout intended to overwhelm and boost the size and strength of your muscles. It follows the principle of going against gravity to strengthen the muscles through an eccentric contraction.

Weight training involves using different kinds of equipment, the most popular of which are dumbbells and weighted bars. It often produces faster results than bodyweight training.

Your goals will determine which workout is better, but bodyweight training certainly has some advantages over weight training.

Here are some of them:

Benefits of bodyweight training

Enhance body control

Weight training rarely focuses on full awareness and complete body control. With bodyweight training, your ability to balance, crawl, jump, and run steadily on your foot, push and pull up become solid foundations for your form and athleticism. You become more aware of your every movement and develop the proper form for every arm, foot and hand exercise.

Boosts coordination

Most bodyweight exercises follow linear movements. Not only does this strengthen your body, but it also improves your coordination. In fitness, coordination refers to your ability to choose which muscle to employ at a given time, with the right intensity and appropriate speed.

Enhances joint mobility

Most fitness workouts do not prioritise joint articulation. Bodyweight training requires you to focus on fixed and predetermined movements. Consistent practice will improve your performance in gross exercises like push-ups, lunges, and squats.

This will improve your joint mobility and reduce your injury vulnerability.

Requires minimal equipment

With your body being your primary equipment for bodyweight training, you don't need to postpone your next fitness session because you don't have access to a gym. The equipment and financial investment involved are minimal. All you need to get started is a solid yoga mat, the essential fitness body gear, runners, and clothing.

How do you get started with bodyweight training?

You'll be surprised at how easily you can start your bodyweight training. There are numerous internet resources available to help you out. You will find that the majority of the exercises you already know and practice fall under the category of bodyweight training.

Your bodyweight training must have a structure. Here is a video for beginners that can kickstart your exercise. Beginners can try the plank, reverse lunge, bodyweight march, lateral lunge and knee-grab sit-up.

When you are ready to take it a step further, you can transition to a more advanced routine.

What are the best bodyweight training exercises?

Push ups

This is a classic; no workout is complete without this challenging bodyweight exercise. You need to be on all fours and lower yourself up and down while maintaining a straight back. This exercise benefits your chest, core, shoulders and triceps.

Squats

The squat is one of the best exercises for your legs. This is pegged as the king of all lifts. If part of your goal is to jump higher, increase your sprint pace, and strengthen your lower body, squats are your go-to exercise.

Bear crawls

It is time to go back to when you were still a baby, get back on all your fours, and start crawling forward. Maintain a straight back with your knees under the hips and stay one inch off the floor. This burning workout targets your torso, quads and shoulders.

Final thoughts

Bodyweight training offers amazing health benefits and improvements. The exercises are often simple and easy, and you won't have to spend much time learning how to do them.

Consistently practising bodyweight training can help build your muscles while improving your strength, endurance, and flexibility. You can create your own workout routine to suit your fitness level and comfort.

Bodyweight training can help boost your cardiovascular health, aid in weight loss and give you a full-body workout — so begin today and experience its benefits first-hand!