If you missed part 1 click here where kettlebell training was discussed.
Today we’ll move onto bodyweight training.
For some reason I’m known as a bodyweight guy. Maybe that’s because I do hand balancing and acrobatics. Maybe because of my crazy Ultimate Royal Court Challenge.
The truth is I love bodyweight exercises. They can be used to build all kinds of strength you need, not to mention endurance, mobility, flexibility and coordination.
The fact that you don’t need any equipment more than a bar to hang on for some and you are ready to go.
Some people say weights wreck your joints or don’t build true strength. While certain weighted exercises don’t work for some people, this is far from a universal truth. And I’m not sure what true strength specifically is in this phrase.
For these reasons I regularly include various bodyweight exercises into all my workouts, along with the barbells, kettlebells and more.
Each tool has its advantages and disadvantages. If you become a bodyweight only guy (been there) then you miss out of what other tools can provide you. The same is true if you just train with kettlebells or barbells.
There is one area that bodyweight exercises do miss that few people recognize.
There is just no way to replicate a deadlift motion or some sort of picking an object off the ground. Kettlebell swings are a similar movement too.
For squats you can do squats including one leg versions. For pressing or benching you have all manner of pushups including handstand variations. For rows you have pullups and inverted rows. But for deadlifts?
Many bodyweight guys argue that bodyweight exercises are more natural. In many cases this is correct. I’ll take a pullup over a lat pull down any day of the week. But you can’t tell me lifting a heavy object off the ground isn’t natural and doesn’t have uses.
So if you are a bodyweight only guy I encourage you to correct this with some sort lower body pulling movement.
By doing so you can have a well balanced program and strength.
On the flip side you have people that only lift weights. I encourage those of you in this camp to add in some bodyweight exercises. With a few well-placed exercises into your training you’ll gain that much more benefit.
What typically happens with bodyweight exercises, assuming you move past the very basics, is that you gain more coordination and control of your body (which helps more when you do lift weights).
In essence, you learn how to move better.
I believe bridging is one such area many would do well to add in. Handstands is another even if you never work on the balancing aspect.
The real trick to bodyweight exercises if progressing with them. Although sets and reps are easy to add, for many you can’t just add weight. Instead you need to manipulate the intensity in other ways.
I’ll be teaching all of the above and then some at the Super Human Workshop.
Plus as a special bonus, those that signup will get my unreleased Advanced Bodyweight Training Course which is going to be a 6 DVD set.
To get more details and sign up go here.
It’s a really cheap price with a bunch of extra goodies thrown on top to sweeten the pot. Be sure to sign up before March 31st for the early registration price.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Filed under Bodyweight Exercise, workshops by on Mar 18th, 2011. Comment. 
David asked a follow up question regarding his Convict Conditioning routine. “Two questions: I forgot to ask, how would you add grip, neck, & calf work in there too; and can you give a more in depth outline of circuit training – how you would plan it?”
In today’s post I’ll cover hand strength training. For grip work I would train the hands two or three times per week. You could probably even get away with one session a week and still make good gains. Pick one to three exercises each time and go after it. These are the main types of hand strength but these are the main ones. Depending on your goals you may need other exercises.
Wrist levering – This can include wrist rollers, sledgehammer leveraging, dumbbell wrist curls, etc. Even handstands are good.
Crushing grip – This is usually done with steel spring grippers but can be trained in other ways.
Working the pinch grip with a block weight
Pinch grip – Pinching plates is the easiest form, block weights are great too, and then you can do feats like card and phonebook tearing.
Support grip – This is any type of holding. Kettlebell swings certainly work this. Farmer’s walk is probably one of the best exercises.
And many exercises cross over in different area. Bending nails works the wrists and your crushing and support grip. Plate curls will work your wrists and pinch at the same time. If you’re short on time I’d advise doing exercises that give you more bang for your buck.
Also for better hand health you should look at doing exercises like finger extensions especially if you go heavy into working the grip.
You don’t need to do heavy volume. Just one to a few sets is all you really need for your hand strength training.
In the next couple posts I’ll cover neck training and circuit training.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
Filed under Hand Strength by on Feb 9th, 2010. 1 Comment.
I’ve just released The Ultimate Guide to Handstand Pushups.
This book covers every detail you could think of on one of the greatest exercises, handstand pushups.
If you are working on doing your first rep you’ll find details on how to get there (not to mention a day by day training guide for that goal).
If you can do tons of reps you’ll find many ways to make them harder including changing positions adding weight and height.
And there’s much more covered like one arm handstands, how to do freestanding handstand pushups, common problems and more.
Check out the The Ultimate Guide to Handstand Pushups to find out the full details.
In strength,
Logan Christopher
P.S. Oh yeah, and you can get a discount on it now but only until Saturday. Check it out now.
Filed under Bodyweight Exercise by on Aug 25th, 2009. 1 Comment.
