Benefits of Bodyweight Training
While adding resistance is key to continuing strength improvement, that does not mean body weight exercises are useless or should be ignored. Not even one bit, they serve many great purposes and there are many great benefits that can be gained from performing bodyweight exercises. These exercises are very versatile and provide lots of flexibility to workouts. They force the athlete to be aware of how their body is moving and put an increased focus on controlled body movements. These types of exercises are also great for building up movement proficiency and exercise form. Bodyweight exercise should not be overlooked and provide lots of value to one’s workout routine.
Bodyweight exercises are a very versatile form of exercise. They can be done anytime and anywhere. They allow exercise to be done no matter where you are and when done correctly, they can be very challenging. Whether you are on vacation, at the cabin, traveling for work, staying at a friend’s house, or just on the move, bodyweight work can be done! All it requires is you and some space, oh and a little creativity to mix it up every once in a while. Not matter where you are, you can exercise because all you need is you.
One place they should not be overlooked is when beginning an exercise program. Bodyweight exercises allow for you to build up into a workout program and can provide a base for individuals to quickly build from. This base also includes not only an opportunity to build strength but to practice and perfect the movements that will be loaded later on in a program. In this movement practice, these exercises allow the opportunity to work on full ranges of motion, which is one of the first things to go when people add too much weight too fast. Building a base of movement quality and muscular strength is critical to the beginning of any workout program and something that can be used in a de-load week in the middle of a challenging weight training program to allow time for muscles to recover and rebuild after a tough cycle of training.
Beyond being used for building a strength base, another benefit to bodyweight exercises is that they make for efficient workouts that include a wide variety of different movements. Due to the fact that there is very little to no equipment needed, it makes for simple and easy transitions between movements. This cuts down on lag time between exercises in a superset thus increasing the difficulty. This also adds a cardio component to the workout as you are minimizing rest periods and keeping the heart rate up for longer periods of time. This strength-cardio combination that an all bodyweight workout can bring is all about efficiency. Not only do you get to improve strength and movement, but now you’re getting into that High Intensity Interval Training category. All you have to do is group 3-5 exercises together and do a set of all before taking a rest. Talk about efficiency. Easy transitions plus quality movement, with strength training and increased heart-rate. Not much more one could hope for in an all in one workout. All brought to you by body weight exercises.
While it is true that gradual addition of resistance is needed, there are times when using exercises with just your body can be very effective too. Whether you are just beginning a training program, implementing a de-load period, or looking for a simple and efficient workout, bodyweight training may be for you. It is all about having a plan and using what you have to get the most out of your training. Bodyweight exercises and training can be the right tool for you when used correctly. They are an amazing tool to get starting in the world of training and can help you push forward into following cycles of a well thought out weight training program.
-Tyler Grisdale, MS, CSCS, RSCC, CES, TPI