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