Bodyweight training 101

Bodyweight training can fit in every trainee or athlete’s training regimen.

By changing the leverage and the number of supporting points you can make it from very easy to extremely difficult, enabling you to progress the same way as training with weights.

You can increase you muscle mass, your explosive power or your maximal strength. Just choose the same level of difficulty and the number of reps, as you would do when training with weights depending on your goals.

Here are the best body weight exercises. I present them in progression from the easiest which may be a good start for your grandmother to the most difficult which can be used by any serious athlete no mater his or her level.

Pushups

With pushups you will train your chest, anterior delts, triceps, abs and hip flexors. Full upper body pushing strength will be improved with pushups. ( every pic )

Incline pushups (vary the level of difficulty according with the inclination degree)

Kneeling pushups

Flat half pushups

Flat pushups

Decline pushups

Uneven pushups

Explosive pushups (clapping hands)

Kneeling one arm pushups

One arm push up

One arm, one leg pushups

Pull - ups

Pull ups will develop your lats, biceps, brachioradials, forearm flexors, lower traps, rear delts, lower chest and abs.

This is a capital exercise for increasing upper body pulling strength.

Incline pull-ups (vary the level of difficulty according with the inclination degree)

Vertical pull-ups with feet on the ground

Isometric pull-ups (hold your body weight for 5-10 seconds with elbows at different angles)


Negative pull-ups (help yourself upward with your legs, and come down slowly under control)

Classic supine grip pull-ups (palms toward your face)

Neutral grip pull-ups

Prone grip pull-ups (palms outward)

Left-right pull-ups

One hand grip, one hand wrist grip pull-ups

Uneven grip pull ups

Isometric one hand pull-ups (hold)


One hand pull-ups


Squats

The same as weighted squats this exercise will engage every major muscle of your legs. As a difference, body weight squats will be very easy on your back and upper body.

Two legs semi squat

Full squat

Squat lunge

Uneven squat

One leg squat with self help

One leg pistol squat with self help

One leg squat

One leg pistol squat

One leg pistol squat with isometric stops

One leg pistol squat with weight

Dips (chest, triceps, anterior delts for superior upper body strength)

Incline bench dip

Horizontal bench dip


Eccentric dip


Isometric dip


Classic Dip

Dip with isometric stops

Explosive dip

Weighted dip

If you complain that you do not have time and a place to train, with bodyeight training you have no excuses. You always have your body weight with you. Just use it!