7 Tips to Get the Maximum Out of Your Bodyweight Training
It’s lockdown time and you don’t have access to a gym.
Or maybe, funds are low and you finally realized ‘Hey! The living room is not that bad a place to workout either.’
Or maybe, you always were into bodyweight training, hoping to pull off those crazy skills the way calisthenics artists do. Like that guy above.
Whatever be the reason, one thing I assure you is that you….
…have finally made the right move.
Bodyweight Training is Amazing
Whether you’re aiming for more strength, building more muscle (hypertrophy), that super aesthetic beach body, or some functionality to pull over other skills like break dancing, bodyweight training can do it for you.
Your body itself could become the most versatile piece of gym equipment to help you get along…
…if you are a little smart with your approach and innovative with your ideas.
Don’t worry guys, I’ve got you covered! Here are 7 tips that you can follow to squeeze every inch of juice out of your training. Ready ?
1. Develop Your Basics
Ok, so let’s get the boring stuff out of the way first. Boring, but also very very important.
Because there is no point trying to get that first lizard-crawl muscle up for your Instagram, when you can’t do 3 sets of 10 pullups.
As a beginner, especially, you should do loads and loads of basic bodyweight exercises like pushups, pullups, squats, dips and planks. This way, you would not only build a solid base but also develop the muscle awareness required for advanced exercises.
2. Keep a Uniform Tempo
How many times have you seen someone rep out the first six or seven reps — all clean and super quick — and from there on, melt his form like jelly to get ‘one extra rep’.
Seriously guys, don’t count the reps.
Make the reps count.
Try to keep a uniform tempo throughout, with a slow muscle elongation phase (eccentric) and an explosive contraction (concentric).
3. Focus on Eccentrics and Isometrics.
The eccentric phase of an exercise is the phase of muscle elongation, like the descent in pushups or pullup exercises.
This phase is excellent for building strength, especially for beginners. If you can’t go beyond 3 pullups, you can still develop strength by jumping to the top of the bar and coming down slowly resisting gravity.
Isometrics are those exercises that you can hold for strength. Think planks and L sits. These are the specialties of body weight training, and again, great for building strength.
4. Fascia and Joint Health.
Guess which body part becomes the most vulnerable when you first begin practicing handstands.
The wrists.
So if you want to be in the game for the long run, you just can’t ignore the strength and conditioning of the all-important connective tissue.
Take extra care of your joints and the shock-absorbing tissue with some mobility exercises or yoga to complement your strength training.
5. Start Focusing on Skills.
Skills like handstand pushups, muscle ups, and L-sit involve a mixture of strength, mobility, flexibility and body awareness for execution.
That’s why they are called skills.
And that’s why you need to start training those as soon as you build a solid strength base. Needless to say, they are also great for your social media.
6. Get Innovative.
No dumbbells for your wrist curls? No problems. Just get on the floor and hold the legs of a chair and start rocking them. Trust me, your forearms are going to feel them.
If you always need an entire calisthenics park to get yourself a workout, then you are not being creative enough.
Your house is full of equipment.
Household items that you never thought even existed can be great accessories for workout. Another case in point: Using sofa legs for holding dragon flags and Nordic curls.
7. Use Multiple Forms of Training.
Don’t make the mistake of falling into the same patterns. Our body is great at adapting, and hence, you must vary the intensity as well as form of training to get maximum results.
You can employ training methods like-
- Multiple sets
- Drop sets
- Greasing the Groove
- Plyometric Training
All of the above hit different aspects of your strength and conditioning, so make sure there are no weaknesses.
And there ya go.
Make Your Body the Perfect Training Partner
Bodyweight training can be complete in itself if you care to use a little imagination and combine variety with persistence. It is fun, extremely functional, well-rounded, and also useful for injury prevention.
Follow these tips, and I don’t care if you are a beginner or at the intermediate level, you WILL see results.
So tell me, what is your secret to having a great workout ?
