Resistance training using your body weight is more functional than conventional weightlifting focusing on the position of the body and the movement required performing the exercise. Body-weight training engages multiple joints needed to push or pull your weight during the movement, while conventional weights engage only a single joint. If you have been inactive awhile, body-weight training is a good way to re-introduce yourself to exercise.
Progression
To gain muscular endurance or strength, continue to increase the difficulty of your routine or your development will hit a plateau and results will stop coming. If you were training using weights, you would put additional weight to the bar, or use a heavier dumbbell. However, since you are using your own body weight for the resistance, this is not an option. Instead, perform more sets or repetitions to some or all of your exercises. Tweaking the way you perform an exercise is another option. An example of this would be performing a decline pushup instead of the classic version.
Add Rotations
Our body has three distinct geometric planes. Front to back or up and down is the sagittal plane -- side to side is the frontal plane, and rotating is the transverse plane. The sagittal and frontal plane cover just about every exercise, however few include the transverse plane. Therefore, when you are performing body weight exercises such as the lunge, squat or situp, rotate your torso to the right or left which will engage your core muscles in addition to those targeted by the exercise itself.
Use Props
Strength training of any kind requires changing your routine every few weeks to keep your body from adapting to the stresses placed on your body and hitting a plateau; this is when results stop coming. In addition to changing the number of sets, repetitions, and order of your exercises, try adding props such as an exercise ball, weight vest, elevated platform or resistance tubes.
Circuit Training
Circuit training involves moving quickly from one body-weight exercise to another while eliminating or reducing rest breaks between exercises. Circuit training involves keeping your heart rate elevated which results in the burning of more fat, improving your cardiovascular fitness, and endurance level.
References
- Idea Fit; Fitness Articles; Body-Weight Training Programs; Jason Karp
- Science Daily; Science News; Older And Stronger: Progressive Resistance Training Can Build Muscle, Increase Strength As We Age; April 2, 2011
- Ask Dr. Len Kravitz; New Insights Into Circuit Training; Circuit Training History And Fundamentals; Len Kravitz, Ph.D.
- Bodybuilding.com; How To Create Body-Weight Workouts During Economic Crisis; How To Make Body-Weight Workouts Effective; Shannon Clark
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