What are the Benefits of Doing Bodyweight Exercise?
Bodyweight exercises are not easy and can be more difficult than pushing plates at the gym. You can become very strong and get great definition when training with just your bodyweight, think of a gymnast. Bodyweight training is the foundation and the driver for your other skills and strengths. There are basic bodyweight training exercises that should be mastered. These include squats, lunges, pushups, pull-ups, and planks. The ability to perform and master all of these bodyweight exercises is important in your overall fitness journey. Performing bodyweight training correctly and efficiently is important for your future developments in strength and conditioning. Bodyweight training, with proper form, ensures when you incorporate other weights (kettlebells, dumbbells, or barbells) you will reduce your risk of injury because of poor form. It also builds your confidence that you ARE ready for the heavier weights.
Bodyweight training is challenging. You will find the moves and the static holds performed using just your bodyweight very difficult if you are just beginning your fitness journey. Even as you progress there are variations to these basic movements that will make them more intense, helping you to further your strength gains and your conditioning. More on this later. If you are already active into fitness and have a great fitness workout routine at home then maybe it is time to progress to more difficult variations that will make your bodyweight exercises even more challenging helping you to achieve even greater gains. The following video highlights a few bodyweight exercises using the KB Duo Suspension Straps that will exponentially increase the difficulty factor in your at home workouts.
What are Some Basic Bodyweight Movements I Should be Able to Perform?
The video showcases some advanced bodyweight exercises that include a cardio superset. Once you become stronger you can work to master and perfect these more difficult movements. There are some basic bodyweight exercises that you should work to perform with perfect form. The ability to properly execute the following exercises will help develop a solid base of bodyweight strength and conditioning that will help to move you along in your fitness journey. You should be able to easily and consistently perform the following exercises:
- Squats – Getting your bottom all the way to the ground or to the back of your heel
- Pull-ups – Chest all the way to the bar
- Pushups – Getting your chest all the way to the floor keeping a flat torso
- Handstand Push-ups
- Walking lunges – Getting front leg to a 90 degree bend with the floor
- Knee tucks – Hanging
- Planks – Any variation but again with a flat torso for the entire time
- Situps or Crunches – Complete these with your feet flat on the ground
- Tricep Dips – Work to get your upper arm to a 90 degree bend
There are many other bodyweight exercises that could be performed as you begin and want to measure your overall fitness conditioning and endurance. The above is a good starting list to measure your beginning fitness level. The above exercises should be completed with intensity with each and every workout set. You should time yourself when doing this workout and count the number of reps you can complete with proper form of each exercise. When your form begins to diminish the set is complete. Keeping track of reps and total time will allow you to objectively measure your fitness gains and lets you know that your strength is getting better and this hard work is worth the effort.
Incorporating KB Duo Suspension Straps Into Bodyweight Movements
Incorporating KB Duo Suspension Straps into bodyweight exercises can take your workouts at home to the next level, making your workouts even more challenging. More challenging means even greater muscle pump and bigger gains. You also increase the number of exercises that are available to give you fantastic results. No longer are you limited to pushups, squats, and pull-ups but now you can add suspended knee-ups, iron cross, incline push-ups, bicep curls, tricep extensions, suspended planks, and the list goes on. There are also many variations of these exercises that can be used to hit your muscles from another angle to maximize and stimulate muscle growth.
Once you can complete the basic bodyweight movements outlined above then work to complete the exercises in the video. The video highlights just a few bodyweight exercises that can be performed to help activate your abs, shoulders, obliques, and biceps. This is not an easy workout because it also utilizes static holds to increase the muscle burn and pump! Bodyweight exercises are difficult because of the amount of time under tension that the muscles are stressed or flexing.
When weight lifting the muscle can get a break at the top of the movement if you don’t concentrate on keeping the muscle flexed or if you go beyond the ideal range. When performing bodyweight movements and exercises there is no break at the top of the movement. The muscle is always engaged and is working to stabilize the entire body not just the muscle being targeted in the exercise. For instance, when performing an Incline Pushup the shoulders, chest and back are working to perform the pushup. Your core is also engaged as you work to keep your body flat throughout the pushup. Throughout the entire movement there is no chance for the muscles to relax. They are under constant tension helping the burn and in turn muscle pump and development.
Why Do Cardio with Weight Training as a Superset?
Bodyweight exercises will develop muscles, improve your strength and your conditioning. Including cardio as a superset with weight training helps to jump your heart rate so you are also burning calories while performing your weight training. There are numerous cardio moves that can be performed in addition to using the Speed Jump Rope or jumping jacks. Burpees, 45-Degree Jacks, Jumping Stars, or even just running in place are great cardio exercises. All of these moves elevate your heart rate and help burn fat. After performing your cardio set take a quick break and then move immediately into your suspended bodyweight movements. This ensures you are getting maximum calorie burn even while doing your weight training. Weight training doesn’t typically elevate your heart rate like cardio so doing them together helps to amplify the benefits of your weight training because you are burning additional calories even while your heart rate is returning to near resting. Of course you also need to focus on your diet and try to eat fewer calories. The caloric reduction, higher heart rates, and bodyweight training will all have you getting the results you are working to achieve.