We don’t all have access to fancy ass gyms (check). We don’t all have access to even shady ass gyms (check). Sometimes a track field isn’t a luxury we enjoy in our community (check). We don’t all have big sturdy home gyms with machines, equipment and weights (check). What we do all share however, is a permanent ownership and subscription to what is arguably the most important part of fitness; our very own bodies!
Underrated and misunderstood as they maybe, bodyweight workouts can indeed not only be a good foundation to lead off on, but can - to some extent - replace fancy gyms altogether if you find the right formula. The most notable pro as far as I’m concerned in regards to bodyweight workouts is that you can literally perform them anywhere. Be it your bedroom, living room, balcony, sofa, park, workplace, school. It doesn’t matter!
Bodyweight workouts are still strenuous workouts and are not to be taken lightly or with disregard. Like any other workout, performing it in perfect form is everything. Just because you’re not using weights doesn’t mean you can’t get injured if you do something wrong. It’s all about form! Bodyweight workouts are excellent in building a good foundation for all other things to come, they can contribute to both aesthetic and physical power development over time and can definitely be tweaked to get harder and more challenging with time; just like with weights.
Admittedly, the term “bodyweight” can be a bit misleading as you’ll find that you can incorporate some form of weights to make them more challenging or add a bit of a twist on your routine with time. It’s also important to note that while yes bodyweight exercises can be quite the addition to your fitness routine if you combine them with your weight lifting training, they are not a substitute on the long run as they can cause certain imbalances between your muscle groups in addition to some body parts being rather difficult to target with bodyweight workouts (shoulders for instance)
Keep in mind that going at bodyweight workouts doesn’t necessarily mean you ought to completely abandon weight lifting/training if you have access to it. I personally combine both to maximize potential and strength.
Let’s start off with the basics!
Upper Body Workouts
- Push Ups
Doesn’t need an introduction there. One of the most fundamental and vital exercises in terms of upper body development. The trick with push ups is varying them on the long run so you’re not just dishing out reps of the standard stance ones. You can di wide stance, close grip stance, diamond stance, one arm stance, jumping push ups, jump claps, incline, decline and more! Go on YouTube and look up push up variations videos and take notes on the form, posture and proper way to do it and incorporate into your workout!
- Pull Ups
Another classic, and one of the few bodyweight workouts that’ll technically need the assistance of an object, the object of choice being a pull up bar. You can find very sturdy, reliable and cheap ones in most supermarkets in the sports section or in dedicated sports stores. Pull ups, just like push ups, can be quite varied and offer varying levels of resistance as you go along. The classic wide grip shoulder width never goes out of fashion but it can be interchanged regularly by changing the width of your grip, the pronation of your palms and the speed/intensity of the performance itself. Beginners ought to start with a chair underneath and kick off using one foot at a time - alternating the feet - till they’ve built up enough strength to do it solo. Look ma’! No hands!
- Chin Ups
A popular variant of the classic pull up with more emphasis and focus on the biceps. This move is done by performing a close-grip with palms facing towards the body and lifting yourself while relying on your biceps for the bulk of the movement. This move obviously targets your back muscles as well.
- Parallel Dips
It may look silly and somewhat ineffective from afar, but fitness experts (and I do too!) swear by this exercise. Parallel dips are unparalleled - pun totally intended - in their ability to contribute to tricep and chest muscles developments. There are many variances to this move and it can be done using the assistance of a chair underneath your arms with your legs elevated on something else if you don’t have access to parallel dip bars.
- Abdominals
To be quite honest, your abs are arguably the easiest thing to train using your bodyweight and if anything, you should refrain from using weights altogether when it comes to your core. Years of using weights can and do lead to the “bulky midsection” look where you look like you have a belly - only it’s muscular. The same can apply to the obliques (The V-neck shapers on your waist) which end up looking like muscular love handles if you use weights to train them too often. When it comes to abs, simple works best. Incorporate planks, crunches, hanging raises, and side planks for the full 360 degree assault. Don’t forget that abs are no magical muscle and that training them once or twice a week for 10 minutes as part of your full workout is more than enough!
Lower Body Workouts
- Squats
Nothing beats a classic. Squatting doesn’t have to be done using a 100 kgs on a barbell/ Bodyweight squats can be quite varied and indeed challenging enough that you’d wake up the next morning swearing that you might have lifted weights! Squats can be varied with the width of the feet, the frequency, stance and intensity. The trick is that your knees should never go beyond your feet and that you should focus on performing the move with your hips and glutes rather than your legs themselves. Squats target your quadriceps, hamstrings and hip flexor muscles. You can do normal stance, close stance, wide stance, sumo stance, jump squats, half burpies squats just make sure you’re mixing it up!
- Lunges
Lunging can be tough without the weights, and it should be. This exercise targets your core as much as it targets your quads, hamstrings and glutes. You can do walking lunges across the house or do alternating lunges in the same spot. You can always hold something above your head for an added challenge!
- Calf raises
This can be something as simple as leaning your palms against the kitchen counter and raising your body up and down using only your calves. For added progressive challenges try doing it with your child, spouse or other added weights sitting on your shoulders!
Cardio is by nature a body weight exercise, and just because you’re tearing it up using your limbs instead of dumbbells doesn’t mean you can do without some form of cardio. Whether it’s HIIT or LISS or a mixture of both, make sure you’re doing it once or twice a week!
If any of these moves sound foreign to you, you can always YouTube them. There are countless channels by dedicated fitness professionals which can help show you how to perform those exercises safely and in perfect form.
I mentioned up there that body weight doesn’t necessarily mean zero weights. But since you’re doing this at home and not in a gym, creativity is a must. Rice bags can be nice addition to your arm workouts and can certainly substitute weights when training your shoulders. Filled water bottles/canisters can also add a nice twist to the whole thing. Get creative, play it safe, kick ass.
You no longer have excuses, get down and give me 50!
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