Why bodyweight training should be the staple to anyones workout…..

Some people will tell you bodyweight training is easy and others will tell you its the hardest thing they have ever done.

Why? 

Because bodyweight is a hard thing to measure, everyones range is different and everyone has different limitations and restrictions with their own movement and range of motion.

What is it?

Primal movements and the basic foundational movement patterns.

Think of these four movements a bear crawl, body squat, press up and a burpee

A bear crawl… its a full body movement, you can slow it down, speed it up, you can change the position of your feet to make it easier or make it harder.

A press up…. A tough moment that can be regressed or progressed to suit, dropping to your knees to make it easier, changing the positions of your hands to make it harder.

A bodyweight squat, everyones range is different and this is usually through tightness of the hips, flexion in the ankles or mobility of the knee. 

A great work on for anyone.

A burpee…. Everyone loves to hate them.

Why? Its a full body movement it combines several movements which is guaranteed to spike your heart rate and burn some calories.

Can you cheat these movements?

Yes you can… absolutely and its very likely you would cheat it when things get tough. Only you are going to know the range of motion that challenges you and when you say its hard, only you know how hard it is relative to you.

Is bodyweight training tough?

Im 6foot 7 inches and 109kg so I really am fighting the odds with this but I know that bodyweight is simply one of the best forms of exercise for my body.

Is it safe?

Absolutely!!!!! People will tell you they have a sore back and they are going for a run… this isn’t ideal. Running is high impact and puts so much pressure on your spine.

Your body can handle your bodies weight in a controlled environment  and thats when those four movements are great. Even most exercises are low impact but can be progressed to plyometric movements to even challenge the fittest. 

What are we getting at?

No matter what your age, what your fitness level there is an entry point for anyone and everyone.

You can be a professional athlete to just starting out and we promise we could make anyone sweat within minutes of a bodyweight workout.

Why should it be the staple to anyones workout?

Think of this…. Do you crack open a pack of chewing gum and expect to blow a bubble on your first bite?

Absolutley not… You have to chew the gum for a couple of minutes before you can start blowing those big bubbles.

If you are into crossfit, weight training, boxing, cycling, kayaking, running…. And to be completely honest the list can go on but really any sort of training.

If you were to have a basic bodyweight workout to use as a warm up, low intensity and go for 3-4 minutes it will guarantee you a decent warm up and fire up all those joints and muscles.

If you wanted to you can do the exact same workout but instead of for a warm up run it as a tabata (time format) themed workout and jack the heart rate, fatigue the muscles and push everyone to a limit that is suitable for them.

For me personally I touch on my height and weight being the major hurdle with bodyweight training but no excuses really it is good for me and I know that.

I’m actually the same height now as when I was 14 years old, the thing is bodyweight training has made me so much more aware of my body, how to control every limb I have and how to work my body under fatigue.

When I was at school I simply hadn’t grown into my body as I was growing a lot quicker than my mind could keep up, the thing is now I can control my body and move one hundred times better than when I was at high school.

If only I knew how beneficial bodyweight workouts would be growing up I swear my chosen sport would have been another level. 

We recommend for anyone thinking about getting into training or anyone who’s currently training. 

Throw in a couple of bodyweight workouts to freshen things up, see what limitations you have and how much room you have for improvement and as they say “Its good to sharpen the saw, every once and a while”