Truth About The Bodyweight Workout

Dear Christian’s Reviews,

I’m struggling to find the time to go to the gym or a class, or a “box” to work on becoming fit. I see all sorts of exercise equipment and classes to buy, but I want to know if a home bodyweight workout, without the paid classes and machines is real and/or possible?

Sincerely,

Struggling to find the time and money!

Dear Struggling,

Real, yes…possible yes!! But let me explain how and why.

First and foremost, congratulations on taking the first step to becoming a better you. With every step, you build on that commitment and momentum to living a healthier and better lifestyle. Now that you’ve committed to getting fit and staying fit, the rest is downhill, because “showing up is half the battle!”

Now, reducing body fat, and building muscle really comes down to three keywords that you’re most likely familiar with…1) repetitions (reps)…2) resistance (or weight)…3) sets (or volume).

When you’re at a gym or have the money to buy home workout equipment you can increase the resistance or weight, so we’ll be focusing on two other options that work just as effectively….and some might say more effectively. That being said, you would be surprised by how easy it is to lifehack items around the house for resistance.

So anytime you stress or fatigue a muscle it actually creates tiny little tears in the muscles called microtrauma which is all part of muscle hypertrophy. Through rest and time, it repairs itself by not only repairing the tiny tears but adding additional muscle to prevent the tears in the future.  Through bodyweight exercises using a strategy of repetitions and sets, you CAN BUILD MUSCLE!!

First, for reps. If you can’t increase the resistance or weight, you can increase the reps or number of times you do a move or movement. Increased reps will cause muscle stress and fatigue to the point it has to repair itself (causing muscle gains).

Next, for sets. If you can’t increase the number of reps of a movement, you can increase the number of sets. Sound confusing? Well, imagine having to do 100 pull-ups. You can accomplish this by either doing 100 “reps” or by breaking it down into 10 “sets” of 10. The overall number will be the same, but the manner in how you go about accomplishing it is different. Small adjustments or variations can yield incredible results. 

Bonus Tip! While reps and sets are key to muscle growth, a bonus tip is variation. Meaning, you can not only switch the number of reps or sets of an exercise, you can change the move slightly…or variation. For example, if you are an avid walker or biker, and then go for a run, you might notice soreness the next day. You are using leg muscles for all these activities, but the variation or minor change has caused different muscles to be engaged, thus the soreness. Little changes like this will cause those muscles to grow!

Now for advantages of bodyweight training.

 

Bodyweight training is probably the easiest way to get into a workout routine. Gyms can be packed with people using the same machines you want to use (if you know how to use the machines at all), they can be loud, and frankly a little intimidating. People just looking to start out, can enjoy the comfort and familiarity of their own home without worry of being judged or delayed.

Another advantage and possibly the biggest is the chance of injury, is lowest with bodyweight training. Shoulders, knees, backs, ankles, chest are all common points of injury from people lifting too much or incorrectly. Bodyweight training is more natural and healthier for those just getting started or rehabilitating from injuries.

Finally, bodyweight training can be done anywhere. Having the knowledge of what workout to do, how often, in what order, and which muscles are being used for each workout, means you can go anywhere and workout. If you’re traveling, on the go, busy, or just out of reach from your gym, bodyweight routines can be implemented so that you don’t miss a beat. No searching for a gym when you’re out of town, no taking equipment with you, no guilt from missing a workout.

Now for the disadvantages.

Obviously, the cost savings will probably be the biggest disadvantage. Gym memberships and specialty classes can really start to add up. A simple, basic, no-frills gym will most likely cost you at least $15/month. There’s always the monthly fee, and most likely a yearly fee of “maintenance and upgrades.” Now if you add in classes, you’ll either pay these separately, or they can include them in your monthly fee. If that’s the case, the sky is the limit.

Another big disadvantage will be the time commitment. Depending on how far away your gym is, this can eat up a considerable amount of time in your day. Driving to and from, combined with dressing room changes will easily burn minutes and hours of your day. Waiting on open equipment is also a big frustration.

Finally, bodyweight workouts will be limited. You can do a ton of repetitions, sets, and variations of workouts, but after a certain amount of time, the addition of weight or resistance will need to be added to avoid plateauing. The body is incredibly smart and efficient when it comes to achieving as much as possible, efficiently as possible.

Implementation!

You’ve read the material, you’ve got the motivation, now what do you do! Pick a routine you feel comfortable using and stick to it. Until you’re confident in your abilities and have some basic knowledge of what exercises work each muscle, be careful about switching up the routines or venturing out on your own. It doesn’t take much to overdo it when you’re first starting out.

Nutrition!

Depending on your goals, whether you’re trying to lose weight, reduce body fat, increase muscle, or just get in shape, I would be remiss if I didn’t touch on eating. Eating will be the biggest ingredient in your new healthy lifestyle. What you put in your body will have the biggest effect on how you look. Exercise or what you do to your body is just a small piece of the puzzle.

Final note!

When it comes to getting into shape, everybody is different. What works for someone else might not be the best fit for you. This goes for nutrition and workouts. Listen to your body, don’t overdo it, and remember it takes time to get into shape, but if done correctly, it will be the best decision you’ve ever made!

For your convenience, I’ve researched some programs and recommend this program Bodyweight Burn. It’s low cost (only $19/mo.) and has a 60-day money back guarantee.

Also, as I mentioned, eating right is a big component of reaching your goals. Here is a link to some additional information to eating right!

Good Luck!!