Bodyweight exercises use your own body as resistance against gravity. You can do these exercises almost anywhere at any time, and you do not need a lot of space. Nearly all bodyweight exercises require you to use your entire body to move. Therefore, focus on movement patterns instead of which muscle groups you are working on, suggests physical therapist Gray Cook, author of "Movement."
Pushups and Pullups
Pushups and pullups work on opposing movement patterns of your upper back and provide the foundations of upper body strength, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine. You can perform them consecutively without rest between exercises to develop muscular stamina and growth. To do a pushup, put your hands on the ground about shoulder-width apart and your feet together, up on your toes. Lower your body down to the ground until your chest and hip almost touch the ground. Tighten your buttocks to maintain your balance. Exhale and push yourself back up without moving your spine or neck. Perform 10 to 12 reps.
Then do a set up pullups by grabbing a pullup bar with both hands, about shoulder-width apart. Exhale and pull yourself up until your head clears over the bar. Lower yourself down until your arms are fully extended. Perform 10 to 12 reps. Rest for 30 to 60 seconds, and repeat the workout two to three more times.
Overhead Squats
This exercise works all the muscles in your lower body, while your abs, spine and shoulders stabilize your upper body to keep it from moving. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, and raise both hands over your head. Squat down as low as you can while keeping your knees and feet pointing forward and your torso upright. Exhale and stand straight up without moving your spine or pitching your body forward.
Step-Ups and Lunges
Both step-ups and lunges are mirror images of each other in terms of movement. A step-up is where you move your body from a low elevation to a higher elevation, while a lunge is moving your body from a higher elevation to a lower elevation. Both exercises require your body to have good left and right movement symmetry to avoid injuries. To do a step-up, stand in front of a sturdy platform, such as a stone bench or an aerobic step that is between 2 and 3 feet high. Step on top of the platform with your left foot, and push yourself up without moving your torso. Bring your right knee up to your ribs, and hold this position for two seconds. Then lower your body to the starting position. To do the forward lunge, stand with your feet together and step forward with your left foot. Lunge straight down until your right knee gently touches the ground. Exhale and step back to the starting position without moving your torso. You may do these two exercises without rest between sets.
Sprinting
Sprinting is simply running as fast as you can at top speed over a short period of time or distance. To do a basic linear sprint, place two cones about 20 meters apart on a track, football turf or basketball court. Sprint toward the opposite cone in a straight line, and do not slow down until you have passed the cone. Turn around and sprint back to your starting point. Increase the distance of the cones by 5 meters, and repeat the exercise until you cannot sustain the sprinting speed. Do not exhaust yourself with this exercise. Rest between one and two minutes between sprints.
References
- "NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training"; Michael Clark; 2007
- "Movement"; Gray Cook; 2010
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