In my opinion nothing beats a well rounded body weight training routine in order to get the maximum results. When I first started exercising I lifted weights and ran like most people. No more. Since I've discovered the joys of bodyweight exercises in all their forms there is no looking back. Below are some reasons why I believe bodyweight training is the best.
They'll improve your athleticism - Body Weight Training forces you to work your entire body as a unit. When your muscles work well together, you'll athletic ability will improve also. Try it and see.
They'll build unreal strength - Think of the animals in the wild. None of them lift weights, but all posses animal strength that most weightlifters can only dram off. A gorilla, for example, is anywhere from six to twenty times as strong as a man. Another example are gymnasts. They only train with bodyweight exercises, yet they are ungodly strong. Have you ever seen a gymnast perform an iron cross? This is real strength. You just can't build this kind of strength with weights.
They'll build strength, endurance and flexibility all at once - Training naturally with your own bodyweight will build all of these qualities at once. When you train with weights you'll build strength, but it will only be good for lifting weights. Strength without endurance and flexibility is hollow strength. I've seen more than a few bodybuilders who can't even hold a post in a yoga class for 5 seconds. That's not a sign of health in my opinion.
Body Weight Training burns fat like nobodies business - This one should be obvious. Working muscles burn fat. The more muscles an exercise works, the more fat you'll burn. This is why bodyweight exercises are such effective fat burners. You're never isolating muscle groups. Often your working ALL of your muscles at once.
Bodyweight exercises work neglected parts of the body that other programs miss - I can think of two examples here. Bodyweight training has some fantastic exercises for the back and spine. In particular exercises that allow you to bend your back backwards. Back bending is the key to a healthy spine. Other exercises really focus on the neck which is very important. Your neck must be strong enough to support your head. Weak necks leads to poor blood circulation, headaches, migraines and poor posture. When you see an old person with a stooped posture, the "stooping" started when their heads started to fall forward due to a weak neck. A strong neck is also important as far as injury prevention goes. If you are in a car accident it can save you from whiplash, not to mention a broken neck and paralysis.
They'll save you time - As you're working your entire body at once it's possible to get a complete bodyweight routine in under 30 minutes.
Great for Men and Women - Body weight training allows you to train you body naturally. This means that men become more manly whereas women will acquire a "fit 'N' sexy look. Besides looks though both will gain great strength, endurance and flexibility.
They can be done anywhere - All you need is a little bit of space to perform bodyweight exercises. This means you can do them at the office, at home, in jail, outside, where ever you happen to be. The world is your gym!
Great for travelers - When most people are on vacation, the last thing they want to do is to track down a gym. With bodyweight exercises you don't need to. You are the gym!
For all of these reasons I believe that a system of body weight training is the best thing you can do for your body. Try training naturally for a week or two to see what I mean. I'm sure you'll become converted, just as I have.
David Nordmark is a Vancouver based fitness consultant as well as the owner and operator of animal-kingdom-workouts.com/index.html Animal-Kingdom-Workouts.com, a fitness site with a unique twist. For more information on isometric exercises, yoga and animal-kingdom-workouts.com/body-weight-training.html body weight training check out his website.
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