Bodyweight training at home: exercise program

Sometimes we are faced with a situation that we have no control over. The gym may be closed or you may not have any equipment at home... Yes, you cannot change anything, but these reasons should not distract you from your fitness goal. In fact, with the right approach, if you only train with your own weight, you can not only achieve success, but also get ahead of your competitors. Sometimes, increasing your strength, flexibility, and cardiovascular function is as simple as going back to the basics. And that's the best you can do now.

Bodyweight training is very effective. It doesn't require a gym, doesn't require a lot of space, and doesn't require any equipment. You can get your heart rate up and your muscles engaged just by bodyweight training.

So, put on your favorite songs and let's go!

In this article you will find the following information:

Leg exercises
Exercises for chest muscles
Exercises for abdominal muscles

Why do you need bodyweight training?

With the right selection of an effective program, bodyweight exercises give excellent results for both weight loss and weight gain.

Mass gain

Many people believe that without the use of additional weights, developing grip strength with your own weight is impossible. This is wrong. There are sets of exercises that help develop strength, endurance and lean body mass.

If you wish, when training with your own weight, you can additionally use what you have at home, for example, a backpack filled with something heavy. This way you can achieve a good result. To do this you need to perform a number of exercises.

For example, push-ups are very effective:

vertical (3 to 10);
rear (3 to 6);
from the floor (2 to 15);
between the supports (2 to 10) the pectoral muscles are pumped;
reverse grip pull-ups (3 to 8).

Weight loss

If the reflection in the mirror stubbornly insists that it’s time to get rid of excess fat, and you agree with this, then you don’t have to immediately run to buy a gym membership. You can lose excess weight and restore muscle tone by exercising at home or on the street.

To get rid of weight that you consider unnecessary, there are basic exercises. They will take only 15 minutes a day, and this will be the initial stage in order to form a slim figure. It is necessary to set a high pace of training, since slow training will not have the desired effect on the body.

The initial stage includes the following exercises:

10-minute warm-up;
any squats;
push-ups from the floor (horizontal);
twisting the torso;
bar;
jumping lunges.

A bodyweight training program for men and women at home helps not only fight excess weight, but also develops muscles and keeps them toned:

has a beneficial effect on the body;
with systematic training you can build muscle mass;
you can get rid of unnecessary folds on your body and say goodbye to excess weight, becoming the owner of a toned figure;
the skin will become more elastic;
When the first results appear, the emotional mood rises.

Moreover, almost everything you need for training is at home.

Lights out![edit | edit code]

The training zone is not just a collection of exercises, techniques and training ideas. This book is a complete physical training system. This is a strategy and a lifestyle. This is, if you like, philosophy. And this is a thin ray of hope that helped me and many guys balance on the brink of life and death. That is why it is so important to understand that the book is a complete system, a strategy for developing physical abilities, and not isolated exercises. I hope that in this chapter I have been able to briefly describe the fundamental principles of the training system.

This book is the essence of knowledge about physical training. It is not enough to read this book, you must use it. So let's get started! The best way to make sure you understand the benefits of the Training Zone is to read Chapter Three. And then read all chapters five through ten. Learn the Big Six to avoid training mistakes.

So, let's begin! No equipment. Start with the first of ten levels of push-ups, squats, pull-ups and leg raises. If you have minor injuries that prevent you from performing the exercises fully, simplify them. Monitor your results, train according to the program. Return to the book from time to time and review the daily training tips in Chapter 12.

From the moment you start training in the Training Zone, namely from today, your main goal is to perfectly perform master-level exercises. Not just one or two exercises, but the entire level.

I emphasize: The most important goal of training is the perfect execution of all six exercises at the master level.

It doesn't matter what physical shape you are in now or how old you are. The results may not be long in coming, or it may take years of effort and effort. But you have a powerful tool - a book. No more excuses, start training now! There is no time for weakness in prison. Physical weakness and emotional vulnerability, revered in the free world, are not encouraged in prison.

Lights out! You are alone with your body and consciousness.

Necessary equipment

One of the advantages of training with your own body is that there is no need for a huge number of exercise machines.

For classes you will need a minimum amount of equipment:

a pair of chairs (will serve instead of bars);
jump rope;
several thick books;
crossbar;
long towel (to rock your neck);
roller (to pump up the press);
rubber expander (useful if this is your first time doing pull-ups).

Moreover, at the initial stages of training it will be possible to do without some of them. It depends on what exercises are selected for the class.

Part III. Self-training[edit | edit code]

In prison they called me el Entrenador - The Trainer, because I (not for free) trained everyone, using a whole arsenal of different techniques and exercises. But I was an exception. He who owns information owns the world, and information is jealously guarded in prison, like all useful things. Outside of prison, a personal trainer is not a problem. Despite the fact that their services cost a fortune, not many of them understand the essence of the training process. You'll be lucky if you find a really good coach, but a good coach is rare. And in the last two chapters of this book, I want to encourage you to become your own coach.

Best exercises

There are many bodyweight exercises. Each of them gives a certain effect. But there are a number of exercises that are considered the best due to their effectiveness and a large number of variations:

Push ups. The load can shift to the desired muscle if you change the position of your hands correctly.
Squats. The entire lower body gets an excellent workout.
Pull-ups. An exercise that uses a large muscle group (particularly the back and arms).
Twisting. When performing this exercise, the abdominal muscles, back muscles and many others are actively worked.

These exercises were, are and will be in leading positions. After all, thanks to them, large muscle groups work. And by changing the position of your arms or legs, you can shift the load on the necessary muscles.

Let's look at some bodyweight exercises that target different muscle groups.

For the neck

The development of these muscles is more suitable for men, because many of them dream of a muscular and beautiful neck:

Use your fingers to press on your forehead, gradually increasing this pressure. The neck will offer resistance, thereby tensing the muscles. This exercise will not bring instant results, but it will help develop the muscles, and the neck will be ready for increased loads.
You need to bend over and place your head on the floor. Thus, bend in different directions. At first, you can help yourself with your hands, since this exercise is not so easy to do. But then you need to do it without using your hands.

For shoulders

A muscular neck should flow into pumped up shoulders. Therefore, it is unlikely that anyone will leave this part of the body without attention. Push-ups are great for your shoulders. It is important to take into account the fact that the triceps and pectoral muscles will receive the main load. Therefore, in the exercises this position changes:

take a lying position;
palms and shoulders should be at the same level;
increase the width so that the forearm should be almost perpendicular to the floor.

The exercise must be performed efficiently and at a fast pace.

For hands

Let's consider exercises that involve all the muscles of the arms (biceps, triceps, forearm).

Reverse grip pull-ups:

You need to hold onto the bar a little narrower than shoulder width, with your palms facing you;
there is no need to lower yourself completely, this will relax the biceps and relieve the necessary load;
During the pull-up, the shoulder and forearm should form a 90-degree angle. You should not rise higher, as the load on the desired muscle will go away.

Close grip push-ups:

elbows almost pressed to the body;
palms straight, below shoulder level.

This exercise puts maximum stress on the triceps. But the forearms are also involved.

For the back

Men dream of a wide, pumped-up back with beautiful relief. For girls, the main thing is a straight back and graceful posture. Our exercises are suitable for both purposes.

Low bar pull-ups are good for beginners to prepare for more advanced pull-ups:

you need to lie under the crossbar;
grab it with a wide grip;
pull your body up until it almost touches the bar.

Wide grip pull-ups are a more difficult but also more effective exercise:

grab the bar with a straight grip slightly wider than shoulder width;
pull yourself up in this position.

For the buttocks

Lunges are considered one of the most effective bodyweight exercises:

stand up straight, straighten your back;
hands at the seams or resting on the hips;
take a step forward and lower yourself so that your knee almost touches the floor;
stay in this position for 2-3 seconds;
stand up;
alternate legs.

Power elements

In addition to the basic movements in sports that are accessible to every person, you can use advanced exercises for practicing with your own weight:

Handstands, handstand push-ups without support from the wall - develop the deltoid muscles.

The front hang is an exercise that requires incredible strength in the back and abs. Front hang pull-ups require enormous biceps strength from the athlete.

The horizontal is the most difficult element of training with your own weight. Available to only a few, as it requires long-term training practice. Involves the muscles of the shoulders, arms, chest, back, and abs. It is performed in different variations, which are manifested in the position of the hands and the position of the legs (closed/distracted). Particularly gifted ones are able to do horizontal push-ups, that is, without legs.

One-arm pull-ups are the most effective exercise for pumping up the biceps, however, they require a high level of physical fitness.

Power exercises for two arms are a basic Workout exercise that have a positive effect on the development of the muscles of the entire shoulder girdle.

All of the above are exercises that are used in the training of experienced athletes with many years of experience. The movements considered require a high level of human physical capabilities. Particular attention is paid to strengthening ligaments and joints.

Athletes who prefer the gym to outdoor equipment are interested in whether it is possible to stay in shape on horizontal bars and uneven bars during a break from the gym. Fortunately, yes. The muscle volumes gained will not go away if you regularly exercise outdoors with your own weight, even if you can’t go to the gym for several months.

Types of bodyweight training

Functional training

At home, at work, at the dacha - every day a person is faced with performing some tasks. After some of them, muscle pain is felt.

Working with your own weight is aimed at the deep development of the human body so that everyday stress does not cause unpleasant consequences. Such training can be called universal. They develop in a person the physical qualities necessary in everyday life. This complex is aimed at developing strength, coordination, endurance, and reaction. When doing functional training, flexibility and plasticity appear.

Circuit training

This is a set of exercises that together work the whole body. The number of repetitions for each exercise will depend on your physical fitness. The number of exercises in a complex ranges from 5 to 10. All exercises must be performed one after another, without breaks. This is one circle, which is repeated after a short break from three to six times.

Circuit training should be done at least three times a week, but no more than five. So that there are days when the muscles can rest.

Split

This complex is based on a separate program. That is, for each day of training, one muscle group is determined. On the first day you work the arm muscles, the exercises on the second day are aimed at developing the pectoral muscles. The whole body does not work at once, but parts of the body take turns.

Workout

This is street training. Aimed at improving physical indicators and parameters. The name literally means “warm-up” or “training”.

A relatively new direction that quickly found its fans. Classes on outdoor horizontal bars are free and very effective. A set of such exercises allows you to work the muscles of the whole body. Plus, you can choose exercises depending on your level of training. For starters, pull-ups, hangs, push-ups are suitable. It will be possible to complicate things further.

300 Spartans by Steve Maxwell

The workout includes bodyweight strength exercises, and the program is divided into levels. Levels vary in difficulty. The set of exercises included in the workout will need to be repeated 300 times within the allotted time (hence the name).

The bodyweight training program includes three complexes of varying complexity. You have 40 minutes to complete the level. When this result is achieved, you can proceed to the second level.

The level includes 10 exercises, and each requires 30 repetitions. You need to give yourself rest as needed. And strive to complete the workout in 40 minutes.

Principles to help you get the most out of your training

A full range of motion involves more muscle fibers than a short range of motion.
For example, when doing squats, lower yourself until your thighs are parallel to the floor, and when doing push-ups, lower your chest to the floor.
Find the optimal pace of movement.
Lower yourself smoothly and rise quickly. Don't throw your body down, control your descent. Try to maintain the desired pace of movement throughout the entire workout. For muscles, it is the time under load that matters, not the number of repetitions.
Make your workouts more challenging.
Muscles adapt to the load, after which progress slows down. Strength and muscles increase, which means the difficulty of the workout must also increase over time.

Photo: istockphoto.com

A set of exercises at home

For girls

Girls, as a rule, start training with one goal - to achieve an attractive figure, rid the body of unnecessary pounds and increase skin elasticity. In this case, the main impact will be on the abs, buttocks and chest.

It is these parts of the body that the main bodyweight training program is designed for in any set of exercises intended for girls:

You need to start with a 10-minute warm-up.
Lying on the floor, lift your legs 12 times. Do three approaches.
From a lying position, do 10 crunches. Three approaches.
15 bench push-ups. Two approaches.
12 calf raises with dumbbells. Three approaches.
Dumbbell press. 15 times, three approaches.

For men

Workouts for men are designed slightly differently. They are aimed at other muscle groups, unlike girls.

In such exercises, the main load will fall on the chest, shoulders, and neck:

10 push-ups, 2 sets.
15 push-ups between chairs, 4 sets.
Push-ups with wide and narrow arms. 6-12 times 2-3 approaches.
10 squats, 4 sets.
10 single leg squats, 2 sets.
While standing, do 15 calf raises, 3 sets.
Pull-ups 15 times, three sets.

Single leg squats have their pros and cons:

this exercise uses a huge number of muscles;
there is a large load on the joints;
you need to be careful to avoid injury.

Bodyweight exercises for legs and buttocks

Jump Squats

Place your feet slightly wider than your shoulders.
Squat low enough, but not until your knees are completely bent.
You cannot relax your legs at the lowest point.
Keep your hands in any comfortable position.

One of the basic and effective leg exercises with your own weight. Its advantage is not only in power load, but also in explosiveness. The human body and its muscles react differently to static and dynamic conditions. For example, a person who runs fast and for a long time may have difficulty with small dashes.

Jumping will not only help develop the muscle tissue in your legs, but will also prepare them for unexpected performance in any everyday situation.

Lunges

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
Take a big step forward with one foot.
Don't tear off your back leg.
Squat, sinking your pelvis down and moving your center of gravity to your outstretched leg.
Return to the starting position and do the same with the other leg.

Lunges activate the inner leg and also tighten the lower part of the buttocks.

To make it more difficult , you can place your back foot on the surface to increase the amplitude of lowering your pelvis.

An easier way is to take extra weight: a chair, books, water bottles, etc. You should perform 20 reps per set, 10 on each leg.

One leg squat

Stand straight and place all your weight on one leg.
Squat slowly, smoothly moving your free leg forward.
Extend your arms to the sides to maintain balance.

The most difficult thing here is not even physical labor, but the search for balance. I recommend performing this exercise near a wall so that you can stick with your hand. You can also stand on a hill so that your free leg goes down and you don’t have to hold it. If you use only your own weight in your workouts, then this is the best thing you can find for increasing muscle size and strengthening them. Moreover, self-control also increases due to balance. This is also very useful in everyday life. Perform 5 repetitions on each leg.

Differences between men's and women's training

A training program designed for men will be different from a women's one. Men and girls are focused on different results. Girls want to become the owners of chiseled figures, men want to build strong and sculpted muscles.

Therefore, more exhausting cardio workouts are good for girls to burn calories. Strength exercises are more suitable for the stronger sex.

Can you build muscle without equipment?

Of course you can! You don't necessarily need free weights and machines to build muscle. It all depends on your goal:

Home workouts without equipment are a great way to build muscle. Using your own body weight as resistance really challenges your muscles. This, in turn, makes them stronger and you gain muscle mass. There are many different exercises and workouts you can do with your bodyweight. As mentioned above, the key is to keep raising the bar to make things more difficult and give your body time to recover. Important note: Beginners should allow a physical therapist or trainer to demonstrate the exercises before beginning the exercise. It is very important that the exercises are performed correctly in order to properly gain muscle mass and avoid injury.
Are you already a fitness professional who works out regularly? If you are interested in high-level strength training and bodybuilding, then weights are essential for maximizing muscle gains. In some cases, bodyweight training quickly leads to improved performance. Strength training with equipment makes it easier to track your progress, know when to increase weight, and you'll see results faster.

Useful tips

Whatever the reason that prompted you to start working with your own weight, aim for the result. Objectively evaluate your physical fitness in order to choose the right set of exercises. You can start with light exercises, gradually increasing the complexity and load.

Don't forget about warming up. No matter how ideal the set of selected exercises may be, without a warm-up it can not only be ineffective, but can also cause harm to the body. Unwarmed muscles are not ready to perform many exercises.

But perseverance, work and a clearly defined goal, combined with a bodyweight training program, will help you achieve significant results!

What results can be achieved

As exercises with your own weight are also called, calisthenics is another name for such exercises. Athletes from all over the world practice calisthenics, achieving high results in this sport. These include:

Slender, fleshy body.
Functionality.
Impressive elements that require great strength of joints and ligaments to perform.
Health.