Bodyweight Exercises 101

Weight lossmay be achieved by dieting, exercising or the combination of both. The latter is the most ideal method because it does not only deliver results faster but it yields quality results as well. There are many ways to exercise and doing bodyweight exercises is one of them. This type of exercise tones and strengthens the muscles as well as promotes weight loss.

Let us know more about bodyweight exercises by first identifying the benefits they offer and later on, how the different exercises are done.

Bodyweight exercises are those which do not use any equipment or tools but only the exerciser’s own bodyweight to provide resistance.

The push-up is an example of a bodyweight exercise.

Bodyweight exercises: The Advantages

The following are the advantages of doing bodyweight exercises:

• No need for any equipment therefore no added expense.
• Some bodyweight exercises prepare the body for more advanced strength training exercises.
• The heavier you are, the harder the resistance thus the more benefits you get from your workout.
• You can do your bodyweight exercises just about anywhere. Because the body can provide a lot of resistance, a bodyweight workout can be done quickly and easily.
• Bodyweight exercises help develop muscle and raise the heart rate.
• They can be easily combined with aerobic movements for a complete and total body workout that improves muscular strength and provides cardiovascular conditioning at the same time.

Our Top Ten Favourite Bodyweight Exercises

1. Pushups

The push-up is a great exercise that develops upper body strength. It works out the chest, shoulders and triceps.

It also hits the core stabilizer muscles in the midsection when the body is held straight as it pushed away from the floor.

Beginners should first start by doing a half push-up with the knees on the floor instead of the legs stretched out.

When you are able to complete 10 to 20 pushups without resting, try doing them in sets, for example 3 sets of 15 repetitions.

2. Squats

Just like regular squats that require the use of a barbell, bodyweight squats strengthen and tone the legs and the butt. Form is very important.Because squats are challenging to do, they easily raise the heart rated the legs burning after only a few repetitions.

To do a squat, stand with your feet shoulder width apart with arms folded in front of your chest. Lower your butt as if you’re about to sit down but only until that point where your thighs are slightly higher than parallel to the floor.

Slowly move back to the starting position. If you are having difficulty balancing, you need to widen your stance a little bit.

To avoid putting intense pressure on your knees, make sure that your lower leg is at a 45˚ angle to the floor. When you go down, do not let your knees go past your toes and just keep looking forward.

Focus on a spot on the wall in front of you and keep your eyes on it as you do the squatting motion in order to keep your head up and looking forward.

3. Lunges.

Lunges target the quadriceps (thighs) and the gluteus maximus “glutes” or buttocks.

This exercise requires a lot of control and balance and is quite difficult at the start but gets easier with practice.

Stand with feet together witrh your hands resting on your waist. Take a step forward to a point where the thigh on the lunging leg is parallel to the floor. As you do this bring down the knee on the back leg short of touching the floor. Step back into your original position. Do the same thing with the other leg. Alternate lunging on each leg. Do as many repetitions as you can without sacrificing the form.

Just like when doing squats, it would help to focus on a spot on the wall as you do your unges. Make sure the knee on your lunging leg does not go past your toes as this will hyperextend the knee causing a lot of pressure on it.

4. Dips.

Dips strengthen and firm up the triceps, which often become jiggly especially in middle-age women.

There are two types: full-body dips and half dips.

An exercise equipment called dip bars are used when performing full-body dips. Dip bars allow you to suspend your full bodyweight in an upright position above the ground. Beginners may find it difficult to do this advance exercise.

Half dips are a better choice for novice exercisers. You will need a couple of chairs, a bench or a reasonably high step.

When using a bench, position yourself in such a way that it is behind you.

Bend down and put your hands over the front edge of the bench. Your fingers should be facing down and forward. Your palms should be on top of the bench and your fingers hanging over the edge of the bench.

Keep your hands steady then place both your feet forward in such a way that your heels are on the floor at leg’s length in front of you. Your buttocks should be just above and in front of the bench with your arms carrying all of your bodyweight.

Slowly and carefully lower your buttocks towards the floor by bending your elbows. Go down until your arms are close to 90˚ and comfortable, with your buttocks just slightly above the floor.

When you reach the bottom position, hold it briefly then slowly raise your buttocks back to the starting position.

If you still find half dips to be difficult, bring your feet closer to the bench with your legs at 90˚.After a very brief pause at the bottom, carefully raise your bottom to the start position.

You can also use a Fitness Ball or Swiss Ball instead of chairs and benches when performing half dips.

5. Chin ups.

Chin ups strengthen the back, shoulders and arms.

This exercise can be performed using different hand grips such as an underhand grip or a forward grip.

Whatever grip used, this exercise can be quite difficult especially for beginners. If you do it one at a time, eventually you will be able to do it with ease.

You can first do it by stepping on a chair to raise your body up then stepping off and lowering your body down without assistance.

6. Step Ups.

This exercise simulates stair climbing. It works the quadriceps, hamstrings and glutes.

You can use a chair, bench or step to perform this exercise.

If you’re using a bench, stand in front of it then lift one knee and put your foot completely on top of the bench.

Step up onto the bench. Raise your other foot from the floor and position it next to your other foot on the bench.

Step back down with one foot followed by the other. Control your movement. Do as many repetitions as you can in 1-5 minutes.

To give both legs an equal workout, alternate the foot that steps up first onto the bench.

7. Wall Sit

This is an isometric tension exercise that strengthens and tones the thigh muscles.

Stand with your back against a wall. Slide down the wall until your knees are at a 90˚ angle or until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold the position as long as you can. You can do this by squeezing your abdominal muscles and buttocks tightly.

8. Plank

This exercise is used in yoga and Pilates classes. It makes use of isometric tension to strengthen the arms, shoulders and core abdominal muscles.

Get into push-up position on your hands and toes or on your elbows and toes.

Contract your abdominal muscles and keep your back straight. Hold this position for as long as you can.

9. Abdominal Crunches

Lie down with your lower back pressed to the floor. Bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Cross your arms in front of your chest. Relax your neck. Lift your shoulders off the floor by squeezing your abdominal muscles. Let these muscles do the work. Do not use momentum to lift your shoulders off the floor. Also avoid pulling your body up with your neck.

Do this exercise slowly. Jerking movements rob the abdominal muscles of the work they are supposed to be doing so avoid doing them.

10. Walking Lunge

Walking lunges are a variation of the basic leg lunges except that the exerciser moves forward and does not stay in the same spot.

Start with your feet together. Take a big step forward with the right leg. Bend your knee so that the thigh on your lunging leg is parallel to the floor and the knee on the other leg is just above the floor.

Push off your back foot and bring it next to your other foot.

Lunge forward using your left leg this time and do the previous sequence as many times as you can.

Charles Volcolatte is a health and weight loss researcher for http://www.skinnyasap.com/. He writes and researches actively on Weight Loss Program and shares his knowledge at http://www.skinnyasap.com/ where he works as a staff writer.