Your body weight workout
Wednesday 26 October 2011
Bodyweight exercises are simple, effective and can be performed anywhere.
They provide a suitable workout for anyone who may not have the time to get to the gym and don't have the extra space or money to set up a good home gym.
These exercises are for anyone who wants to speed up their metabolism, burn more fat and turn soft to hard.
Deep squat
Works: Thighs and bum
In a slow, controlled motion, lower yourself down, keeping your back straight, but leaning slightly forward throughout the movement, with your knees going in the direction of your toes.
Take yourself down to a position that brings your quadriceps (thigh muscles) horizontal to the floor. Once in this position, clench your glutes, as you rise back up to the starting position.
Calf raises
Works: calves
Stand on one leg with the other tucked up towards your buttocks. Position your arms out to the sides to help balance. Extend up onto your toes and lower slowly.
Leg raises
Works: abdominals, hips
Lie on your back with your hands under your glutes and make sure you keep your lower back flat on the floor. Extend your legs fully and raise towards the ceiling.
Lower your legs back down to the start position but don't let your feet touch the ground. All movements are generated by your abs and hip muscles - do not swing your legs to assist.
Crunches
Works: abdominals
Lie on your back, face up, with your feet firmly on the floor and bent knees. Curl your shoulders and move upwards towards your pelvis, with your hands placed behind or beside your neck or crossed over your chest.
Lower yourself back into the starting position in a slow and controlled movement, using your ab muscles.
Wide-arm press ups
Works: chest, arms and abdominals
Start by getting into a normal press up position and place your hands on the floor, two shoulder-widths apart. Aim to keep your wrists facing forwards, with your fingers wide apart.
Take your elbows out to your side and lower your chest down, no lower than two inches from the floor. Press your upper body back up into starting position in a controlled, smooth movement.
Tricep dips
Works: back of the arms, chest
Sit on a step or a chair with your hands placed next to your thighs. Balancing on your arms, move your backside n front of the step/chair with either straight or bent legs.
Bend your elbows and lower your body a few inches, going no lower than 90 degrees, and push back up to starting position.
How to perform these exercises as a complete dynamic tension workout
Repetitions
As many as possible; as you progress through your workouts, try to complete more repetitions each time.
Speed
Body weight movements should be performed in a smooth, controlled manner, taking around four seconds during contraction and another four for extension. Work through a full range of movement with all reps.
Intensity
Perform each set to failure, your first set should therefore have more repetitions than your final set. If this is not the case then you need to bring more repetitions in your early set or check your recovery time.
Duration
You'll need about 30 minutes to perform this routine – any longer and you are spending too much time daydreaming between sets.
Frequency
Three to four times per week is good, although these exercises can be performed everyday for sharpish results.
Rest
Allow 45 seconds to one minute between each set. This maximises the stress on the muscle fibres, and the corresponding result are bigger, stronger fibres.
Order
Work from the largest muscle groups to the smallest. This maximises your energy and motivation levels.
James King
Personal Trainer & Performance Coach
www.jameskingperformance.com
Contact: James@jameskingperformance.com
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