Bukowski - Bodyweight Training: 20 Bodyweight Exercises To Gain Muscle and Strength

Jonathan Bukowski

2015 Jonathan Bukowski

Often times when onethinks of fitness there are several things that will put them off. The firstcould be a negative body image, where they imagine people will be watching andwhispering, the second could be time, especially how to fit gym time into abusy schedule, and the third could be finances. Going to the gym can seemexpensive, you must pay for your membership, purchase gym clothing and shoesand find one that meets all your needs.

Getting fit does notmean that you need to spend any money in the gym. You can get the same benefitsat home, completely free of charge and on your own terms. That is what thisbook is talking about as it addresses bodyweight training.

Bodyweight trainingis a method of exercise where you do not use loads of gym equipment to get yourworkout results, rather you use the body of your weight alone so that you canbuild muscle, tone your entire body and lose weight.In addition to this,bodyweight training is also excellent for building endurance and maintainingdiscipline.

With bodyweighttraining, you do not have to attain a certain level of fitness to try theexercises and enjoy the benefits. So whether you are overweight or obese, or have an athletic, well maintained body, you can still get massivebenefits from these exercises.

Bodyweight trainingexercises are incredibly versatile, so you can improve on the level ofdifficulty as you go along. For example, you may start off with the classicpush up, and within no time you may be able to master the one armed push up. This type of exercise is forgiving,allowing you to set your own pace.

This book is aimedat not just providing you with information on bodyweight training, it will alsoequip you by describing the basic exercises you can start that are simple tofollow, and that will guarantee results.

There are a total of 20 exercises that are described in this book, and these exercises include theclassics and the modern.

Read on if you wouldlike to learn about the secret and free ways that people are keeping fit today.

When you begin towork on strengthening and growing your muscles, you will quickly realise that no group of muscles really worksin isolation, they are corrected in so many ways. For example, when doing a push up, you will use your shoulders and arms,leg muscles, core ad back muscles. However, only a particular set will reallyget a significant work out. For thisreason, the chest and back muscles are grouped together when you are workingout. Here are four bodyweight exercises that will work your chest and backtogether.

1)The Classic

An exercise regimewould be deemed incomplete if the classic push up was not incorporated. This isone of the most well known bodyweighttraining exercises. It is often done in schools and perfected with morepractice over time Once one has the classic push up down to an art; then a whole load of variations begin to take centrestage.

To do thisbodyweight exercise, begin by lying flat on your stomach on a firm surface.Then elevate yourself as you put your hands shoulder width apart. Have yourfeet firmly flexed at hip distance and tighten your abdominal core muscles.Next, you should bend at the elbows until your chest reaches the ground andthen before you can lie down, push yourself back up.

For you to see apositive effect on your muscles, you should aim to complete at least three setsof ten push ups each day. You should seea difference in your chest and back muscles, and your core muscles will alsothank you as time passes.

2)The Reverse Fly

This is the onlychest and back exercise here that will incorporate a little physical weight.The weights, however, will not beexpensive dumbbells or barbells, neither will they be significant enough thatyou have to consider taking a deep breath before you lift them. Basically, youshould take two cans of soda or bottles of water,and that will do. You will need one for each hand.

To begin thisexercise, you will need to stand up straight and while finding your balance,place one foot in front of the other, maintaining the front knee in a slightlybent position. Next, you should have your palms facing each other. Suck in andtense your abdominal muscles.

You will thenrequire to bend forward slightly from thewaist and extend your arms out to the side, all while squeezing your shoulderblades. You can then do at least 10-15 repetitions of this exercise.

To visualise thisexercise, imagine yourself as a superhero about to take flight.

3)The ContralateralLimb Raise

The name explainswhat this particular exercise entails. You will be doing something contrary oropposing the norm of the lateral platform. This is another exercise that startsoff from the lying down position. To being, you should lie on your stomach withyour arms outstretched and the palms facing each other. Your next move shouldbe to lift one arm slowly several inchesoff the floor, and making sure that itremains straight without rotating the shoulders.

For this exercise tobe effective, your head and torso should be as still as is possible. When youhave your arm straight and raised, hold that position for at least fiveseconds. You can then lower your arm and repeat the same exercise and movementswith the other arm.

This is an exercisethat builds up your muscle based on your endurance ability. It is great forworking the chest and back, and can be modified to include leg movements for a full body type of training.

4)The Pull Up

When it comes togiving your upper body a full workout, then pull ups are a great option. Aswell as working out the chest and back muscles, they also work the arms. Infact, they work eight major muscles from the aforementioned body regions.

To do this exercise, you will need a bar in your home thatis high enough for you to pull yourselfeffectively up. It should also be strong enough to support your weight.If you do not have one of these readily available, you could always go to apublic park and use the jungle gym.

Doing the pull upcorrectly could save you from sustaining an injury. You should start by hangingon to the bar with your palms facing away from you.

Adopt the dead hangposition which is when you make sure your arms are fully extended but yourshoulders are not too loose. Grip the bat at a shoulder width distance and keepyour legs either crossed at the ankle or completely straight. It is once youhave set yourself up like this that you can raise yourself steadily up. Youshould raise yourself up until your chin has completely cleared the bar andthen slowly lower your body until you are back in the dead hang position. Youshould start off with at least 10 repetitions.

You can work yourchest with a combination of endurance exercises as well as those that needrepetitions and sets.

The result ofexcellent weight training is beautifully toned biceps and triceps that lookgreat when flexed. When someone has well developed arms, he or she are commended for working out welland achieving result. It is possible to develop and tone the shoulders and armsas well using bodyweight training. Infact, using your existing body weight is not only a great way to get toned up,but also easily sustainable as your body takes the necessary time to developits actual muscles.