Building Muscle with Bodyweight Exercises
Ever think it is not possible to build muscle with bodyweight exercises?
The correct answer is that these workouts in fact increase strength, endurance, flexibility and balance. Bodyweight exercises are a great way to strengthen muscles while working multiple muscle groups at a time.
While you might think just doing a push up is only working your upper body, you are also strengthening your core, which results in good posture, proper movement patterns, and injury prevention. To get more specific, bodyweight workouts actually strengthen the muscles and stretch the ligaments and tendons that help you stay balanced during daily activities, such as walking or everyday household chores. Bodyweight exercises are such simple workouts that they can be done anywhere at any time.
The best part about bodyweight training is that there is no limit. What does that mean? Doing the same exercises consistently while increasing the amount of reps per exercise each time you workout is called progressive overload. The key to successfully increasing body strength is to constantly challenge yourself each day if you want to see real results.
Do not forget, perfect posture is a must! Adding more reps will get harder, but always keep posture in mind when you perform these exercises. Now, if you are questioning the rest periods between each set, remember everyone is different. The rest period taken depends on YOU. If the sets are becoming easier, and you notice you are jumping into your set quicker than usual, that means that it is too easy for you. Your typical rest period for specific workouts like these should take between 30 seconds to 1 minute.
If you need a heart-pumping, fat-burning workout and are unsure where to start, come try out our “November Challenge: 30 Days of Guns, Buns, & Abs.” It’s a quick 30-day bodyweight workout that increases in reps each day, progressively improving personal results and giving you the best satisfaction!
Jordan is a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Personal Training Institute, specializing in strength training and weight loss. He is also certified in Basic Nutrition and is able to assist clients with healthy eating habits. He believes that physical fitness is not only one of the most important keys to a healthy body, but that it is also the basis of dynamic and creative intellectual activity.