The first part of our series on using your own body weight to exercise explored the benefits exercising with your own weight offers. Part two is going to discuss how one can manipulate the exercises to make them more challenging without adding any weight.
One’s goals will determine how many sets one should perform, as well as reps. If your goal is to lose weight, incorporate more calisthenics and cardio throughout the workout to keep the heart rate elevated.
If you are looking to build strength, complete less reps and rest more in between sets. If the exercises are too easy, you can use one arm (one arm push-ups, one arm pull-ups, etc…) or one leg (Bulgarian squats, 1 leg squats, etc…) to make them more challenging. You can also manipulate the tempo of the movement. The slower you go, the harder it will be as you are putting more time under tension. You can also work your fast twitch muscle fibers by implementing plyometrics.
As you can see, there are a number of ways to manipulate your own weight to make a workout challenging, safe, effective, and cheap. I do recommend you consult with a certified personal trainer if you are unaware of the proper form on any exercise and/or if you do not know how to manipulate the following exercises to achieve your fitness goal(s). You can always reach me through email and/or telephone to schedule a FREE initial consultation/assessment.
The 3rd and final installment will list several exercises one can do for each body part. Check back next week! Until then, Live Healthy!