Bodyweight training is one of the most effective ways to burn fat and build muscle. When our weight gets to a certain level many of us decide that we need to join the gym or purchase training equipment. However, it is actually possible to train using your own bodyweight and achieve similar results. Many people neglect the potential of bodyweight training and in this article I intend to change that and make you aware of the benefits bodyweight training has to offer.
Bodyweight training can help improve your physique by starting with as little as 15-20 minutes work a day. As you get used to the training you should allocate more time which will in turn yield more impressive results. To ensure that you are getting adequate training time you need to make bodyweight training part of your daily schedule. Maybe you could get out of bed 20 minutes earlier or perhaps you could watch TV for 20 minutes less each day. As your bodyweight training progresses you should be able to come up with more creative ways to fit in your training times. If the appearance of your body is important to you then you will always be able to find the time. Stick with it, do it every day and you will begin to notice surprising results.
One of the main concerns with bodyweight training is the frequency with which you exercise. Many people think that you should exercise 3-4 times a week or every other day. This is partially true. Bodybuilders who participate in high intensity, high volume workouts require the additional rest between training and therefore should only train 3-4 times a week. However, bodyweight training is much less intensive. If you train for 15-20 minutes each day you will have a significant 1,420-1,425 minutes to recover. This is plenty of time. Plus, your overall training time for the week will be between 2-4 hours – a reduction compared with the time you would spend in 3-4 sessions at the gym.
So now that I have introduced you to bodyweight training and its benefits you are probably wondering what do I actually do? Well there are plenty of exercises you can do but I’ve outlined one of my favourites below:
THE BURPEE CHIN UP COMBO:
- To begin stand under a chin up bar (if you do not currently own one adjustable chin up bars can be purchased very cheaply on eBay or from the majority of department stores).
- Slowly squat down, bending your knees and keeping your back straight.
- Place your hands on the floor in front of you.
- Kick back with your feet so that you are in a push up position.
- Do a push up.
- Jump your feet back under your chest and stand up rapidly.
- Grab the chin up bar with your palms facing towards you.
- Do a chin up.
- Squat back down and repeat.
Try and keep this up for 15 minutes and you will quickly realise how tough bodyweight training can be. If you do this exercise every morning you will start to notice changes within the week. It will help you burn fat and build muscle in a very short space of time.
Bodyweight training has almost limitless possibilities. It does not stop at this one exercise. If you check out this Bodyweight Training Forum there are lots of great bodyweight training discussions happening which contain plenty of advice and exercises that you can use in your own routine. To progress with your bodyweight training set a feasible goal for each week. Once you achieve it set a new one for the next week. As long as you put in the effort you can burn fat and build muscle without attending the gym.
About Tom
very informative post
Thanks Samra. Glad you enjoyed it.