When someone asks me what is the best way to lose weight, gain strength or just get in shape, I always tell them the same thing; bodyweight exercises Bodyweight workouts can be done almost anywhere, by almost anyone, with almost nothing in the way of equipment. Those members of society who are “guests of the state” (incarcerated) have become adept at adapting the exercise to fit the tight prison spaces and limited equipment available, perfecting the bodyweight exercises. Since you’re using your own body weight as resistance, you’ll never have to wait on specific equipment at the gym or spend money to have some device at home that will just collect dust.

Some people think that if you use bodyweight exercises to lose weight, you end up fighting yourself, since the harder you work, the less resistance (ie weight) you have to use. This is simply not the case. There are so many variations on the different bodyweight exercises that getting stuck is virtually impossible. Sure, bodyweight squats don’t seem like much until you start going below parallel (usually called ATG squats), then single-leg (pistol) squats, then single-leg jump squats. Eventually, you’ll have the leg strength to jump from a 4 foot deep pool of water to the side of the pool, which is MUCH harder than it sounds.

Another great advantage of bodyweight exercises is that all the muscles in the body can be worked using only the bodyweight as resistance. You no longer need a gym full of equipment to get a full body workout. It has pushups and handstands for upper body pushing exercises, pullups and bodyweight rows for upper body pulling exercises, and squats and glute raises for lower body exercises. lower body.

If you want to increase strength, keep the reps low, less than 5 per set.

If you want resistance, increase the repetitions to 15 or 20.

If you want explosiveness do the plyometric version of the exercise.

If you’re strictly in weight loss or cardio mode, you can stick to jumping rope (even without a rope), running, squats, or the dreaded BURPEE.

The only equipment you’ll need is a pull-up bar and maybe shoes. You could even improvise these items if you’re feeling handy. There are instructions on the internet on how to make a pull up bar for just a few bucks. If you’re in a rush, you can throw a towel over the top of an interior door and do your pull-ups from there. It’s not the best solution, but it will help you for a while. If you don’t have running shoes, you can run barefoot on the grass or jump rope barefoot. many people prefer running barefoot to running with shoes.

There really is no excuse not to incorporate some bodyweight exercises into your training program. They’re free, easy to learn, require no equipment, and offer as much of a challenge as you want. SO START TODAY!!