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What is Body weight Training?

Body weight Training is exercising using only the weight of your body. In other words, Your body acts as you heavy weights. For instance, when you perform a push-up, Your actually doing a “reverse bench press” using you body’s own weight. Most body weight exercises mimic some of the exercises that you would normally do using heavy weight, such as dumbbells and weight machines. Most professional trainers will agree that body weight exercises are very beneficial and a good start for any exercise program. But the do have their limits in building muscle due the fact that as you lose weight and your body gets leaner, you ‘ll have less weight to work with. However, with some serious imagination, you can achieve your fitness goals and have fun at the same time.

What Are The Benefits Of Body weight Exercises?

The Benefits of Body weight exercises are as follows:

1. No extra Equipment to purchase (In the beginning explain later)
2. More energy
3. Burn fat
4. Build Muscle
5. Less tired
6. relieve from day to day stress
7. The list goes on…

Remember, these are just a few benefits of exercising regularly, including body weight exercises! As with any exercise training, ALWAYS consult your doctor to make sure you are well enough to start an exercise regimen.

But, I’m Not Motivated To Start Exercising…

I was never motivated either, until I had my son, who is turning 2 yrs old, as of April 29th, 2010. It wasn’t until he was born, that I became motivated. What flashed in my mind, is that what would happen if I could play ball, or take him on school trips or go on vacations due to me always being sick and unhealthy? That would not be fair to him nor to myself. True, it’s hard to get motivated to do anything, especially exercising. However, you need to find something that motivates you. It could be the bathing suit you have hanging in your closet, just waiting for you to put it on. It could be that guy or girl you saw, who lives 5 blocks up the street from you and you wan to make a very good first impression. It can even be your High School reunion. Whatever it is, use it as motivation to reach your fitness goals. Exercise is 90% mental and only 10% physical.

How Should I Start My Training?

In regards to body weight training, (this is my suggestion) Start off with creating a 90-120 day calender, which can created using Microsoft Word. The calender is for your to count the days for you to reach your goals. For instants. If your High School Reunion is in he next 90 days. You would create a calender that would reflect the # of days you have to reach your goal before you go to the reunion. You also want to have a journal. The journal is for you to keep track of your meals and your exercises(optional because you can use your calender to create you regimen). You will want to have a meal plan that will compliment your training goals. I recommend going to bodybuilding.com or mymeanlplan101.com. Both are great resources to create a meal plan.

For the first week, I suggest to prepare your body for the exercises that yo will be doing, starting the next weeks. You can prepare for body in a few ways. In LL Cool J’s Fitness Workout Book, LL mentions going on a fruit and veggie diet for 1 week. I prefer at least 1 1/2 weeks. It help purify the body of any waste that have not yet left your body and builds up the energy you’ll need, when you start engaging in your exercises. I would recommend juicing in order to get the daily requirements of your fruits and veggies. If you do not own a juicer, Walmart sells The Juiceman Juicer (which is what I have) for $89.99.

Let The Training Begin!

In your first 2-3 weeks, you want to start off simple. Don’t overexert yourself. You can likely cause injury and the healing process can be painful. Before starting your workout, take 5-6 minutes warming up your muscles and raising your heart rate. This well help keep less strain on your muscles and also help them recover faster. For Body weight training, you can work the upper body, which includes your biceps, triceps, and chest muscle, using the wide, standard, and diamond push ups. These exercises are great for building those specific muscle groups. I recommend doing those exercises 3-4x’s a week completing 2-3 rep of 10. For those abs and love handles, Standard crunches, side crunches for the obliques, and reverse crunches for the lower abs everyday if you can or at least opposite of the days your doing your upper body workouts, completing 4-5 reps of 15. On the 4th week, you will want to rest, replacing the exercises with stretching, thus helping with muscle recovery. Repeat the cycle for the next 90-120 days, increasing the reps and varying and changing the intensity of the exercises, to avoid plateauing. I.E. muscle confusion.Just remember, the key to building muscle, is resistance. The more resistance the more muscle being built.

Keeping Focus and Staying Motivated

It can be hard staying focus exercising. There are ways to stay focus. There online forums that are free, where you can socialize with other who are working out, just like you. Sites like Bodybuilding.com, freetrainers.com, and other free fitness forums can help keep you motivate and you’ll may find a friend or two to hold you accountable for reaching your goals. Also, I know as you get further in your training, it can get boring. But as I mentioned earlier, in you use your imagination, you may find way to make your exercises fun. You can add more resistance by using resistance bands. They light in weight but can add the level of resistance you need for various exercises. I personally recommend the Bodylastics resistance bands. They are the best on the market and guaranteed with a lifetime warranty.

Remember, set a goal for yourself! Stay focus and NEVER give up!

By: Terry Free

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body exercises

Have you experienced aches and pains while you work? Have you felt tired even before you start working? This may be the effect of stress on your body. Most medical experts agree that stress can have a profound influence in the decline of your normal bodily functions resulting in tight muscles, migraine, drowsiness, etc.

Experts also agree that physical exercise can improve your health despite stress caused by factors like career, personal or social issues.

Because of the above, it’s advisable to take some time off from work, get a good night’s sleep, wake up early in the morning and engage in some type of physical exercise.

Physical exercise for stress management

Physical exercise can improve your body’s adaptability to stress.

Exercise should involve routine movements that will improve your cardiovascular functions and strengthen your heart. This, in turn, improves the circulation of your blood and other bio-chemicals which your body requires to maintain good health.

When your muscles are supplied with oxygen, muscle health improves increasing endurance, stamina and flexibility. Also, when engaging in physical exercise, an outlet for your mental stress is created providing a healthy release of depression, anxiety, anger, fear, etc.

Exercise tips

It’s advisable to follow an exercise regime to have the desired result. Simply jogging around the block or lifting some weights will not provide the desired overall effect of a complete workout.

Here are some tips that will help in releasing stress through physical exercise:

1. Time. Before indulging in some serious sweating, it’s advisable to set some time aside allowing you to have an uninterrupted workout. Usually, early morning is the best time for exercise.

2. Warm-up exercise. It is very important to engage in “light” exercise to warm up before engaging in a heavy-duty workout. By doing some light stretches, bending, flexing, etc., utilizing all muscle groups from your feet up to your head, painful cramping can be avoided.

Make sure you do this slowly and with pre-set time intervals so your body won’t react negatively.

Why warm-up? It allows your body to adapt to the work-out slowly, safely and comfortably.

3. Tools. If you decide not to go to the gym and choose to exercise at home, there are myriad of books and videos to which you can and should refer to ensure you exercise safely. Choose the one you feel you will have the most success with making sure you incorporate routines for different parts of your body.

If you want to create a serious exercise regime you might want to consider purchasing equipment that will enhance your workout and improve your body’s performance.

4. Proper Diet. Probably, the most important facet of health and, of course, your physical workout is your food intake.

While improving your muscles, make sure that your internal organs are supported through a healthy diet. Make sure that you eat enough so that you’re body won’t get tired from the physical exercise, but also avoid unwanted cholesterol and calories. Stay away from fast and junk foods. Stick with healthy fruits and veggies…they are always a healthy choice.

If you don’t have time to do a full workout, don’t let it stop you from making the most out of what you have.

I have an elliptical machine that has strong resistance. If I only have 5 minutes, I will do 5 minutes.

If the weather is good, take a 5 minute walk. You might be surprised by how much you will love clearing your head and, with that positive experience under your belt, you might have the incentive to do 6 minutes the next day.

Getting in a five or six minute burst of exercise is better than not doing it at all. It will give you the oxygen that you need to provide an energy boost, especially, when done in the middle of the day. And, of course, fresh air will help your body re-oxygenate assisting in the recovery from accumulated stress. Lastly, don’t forget to check with you medical provider before making any lifestyle changes.

Whatever you can do, just do it! Your body will love you for it and it will pay you back 10 fold with increasing wellness.

By: Joyce O'Brien

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Kansieo.com

Following are some different types of exercises for lower body strengthening.

Exercise 1: Hip Extension – Gluteus Maximus and Hamstrings

For this first lie down on your stomach with the leg to be exercised positioned off the side of the table. The weights are secured around the back of the ankle. After this keeping your leg straight raise the leg slowly and as high as long as it does not cause pain in your leg. Repeat this exercise 25 times. When performing this exercise, do not twist or arch your back.

Exercise 2: Toe Raises – Gastrocnemius and Soleus

First place a 1-inch book or board of similar dimensions under the front of the affected foot. The non affected leg is bent at the knee so that the non affected foot is off the ground. Hold onto a chair or wall for added support. Then push off the ball of the affected foot by lifting the heel off the ground. Perform this motion 25 times, relax for 30 seconds, and then repeat 25 times, thus a total of 50 repetitions. Also remember as the leg strengthens, increase the height of the book or board from 1 to 2 inches.

Exercise 3: Short Arc Quadriceps

At start of the exercise, sit on the floor or table with both arms behind you, supporting your back. Place a rolled towel, soccer ball, or basketball under your knee. Then with weight suspended from your ankle extend your knee until it is completely straight. Then very slowly lower the foot back to the starting position. Do this exercise 25 times and if you wish you could rest in between for 30 seconds.

Exercise 4: Prone Knee Extension

To begin with, lie on your stomach with both legs straight. Flex you feet upward and rest on your toes. After this into the floor press your feet and try to straighten your knees, lifting them off the floor. Keep your hips down. Hold that position for some seconds. Do this exercise for 25 times or so.

Exercise 5: Hip Adduction

Your starting position: Lie on your side with the leg to be exercised on the bottom and slightly turned inward. In front of the bottom leg, upper leg is rested. The weights are secured around the instep of the foot.

How to act after this: Keeping the leg straight. Then slowly raise the lower leg four inches. After this take the leg back to the starting position. Perform this exercise 25 times, relax for 30 seconds. And do again.

By: Jesse Miller

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Body weight exercises are often left out of exercise programs in favor of free weights or machines. There are various reason for excluding these beneficial exercises. Some think they are ineffective at reaching their goals, others find them uncomfortable and difficult and would rather spend time on machines. Finally, there are those who may be rehabilitating muscles due to surgery or an injury.

We employ the use of body weight exercises for the following reasons:

They are natural functional movements. They are compound exercises. Besides working the targeted muscles, they involve many other muscles. Improve or establish neuromuscular pathways. Since you involve more muscles, you will require more oxygen which gives you a metabolic conditioning benefit.

Natural functional movements
Our bodies are built to move and function in a natural way. By leveraging these natural movements, we reduce the risk of injury as long as we use proper form. Becoming functionally strong benefits us as we age. Finally, with natural functional movements, we can attain a great level of general physical fitness that keeps us prepared for life’s eventualities.

Compound exercises
Body-weight exercises are mostly compound exercises. This means that we not only work the primary or targeted muscles, we also work synergistic muscles as well. Look at the push-up as an example. When you assume the start position, you are engaging an array of muscles, especially the abdominal area. But that’s not all, you engage your glutes, hamstrings, lower back, and all of the targeted muscles. That’s a lot of work, and all you are doing is assuming the push-up position. Now when you perform the exercise, you work all of these muscles in a functional way which leads to better functional fitness.

Neuromuscular pathways
Compound exercises will engage different muscles to assist in performing the exercise. This aids in developing neuromuscular pathways. Your brain is telling these muscles to get with it and assist in the movement. This is more profound for those who are just starting an exercise program, or who are new to body weight exercises.

Metabolic conditioning
Compound body weight exercises will demand blood to supply the muscles being worked. At the same time, we need to supply oxygen to the blood. Therefore, you will find yourself breathing at a much higher and deeper rate when performing these exercises compared to isolating the muscles since more muscles are involved. Look at burpees as an example of an array of muscles working simultaneously including your legs that tax your cardiorespiratory system. Burpees make you breath.

Bring it all together
Body weight exercises may seem more difficult at first, but stick with them. Don’t give up and head to the machines for the more comfortable muscle isolation programs. Once you get conditioned for these natural functional movements, you can set up routines in unique combinations, and if you eliminate rest time, you can maintain an intense level of activity that achieves metabolic conditioning while at the same time placing demands on the targeted and synergistic muscles. This keeps the workouts short, intense, complete and effective.

By: Troy Wynn

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The best upper body exercises involve the shoulders, biceps, triceps, and the chest muscles. These exercises are great for developing a range of muscles. The most commonly practiced exercises for building up the upper body are discussed below.

Chest Workout

Bench press exercises are the best upper body exercise for improving the muscles in your shoulders, back, and arms. It is one of the best upper body builders that you can practice, and will help to build up those pectoral muscles. Compound exercises are also used to work several muscles in your chest at one time. To target specific muscles, like the pectorals, isolated upper body exercises like the dumbbell pullover are perfect because they work the isolated muscle very rigorously.

Back Workout

When you’re trying to build up your chest muscles, it is important to attend to the back muscles as well. You don’t want a well developed chest and a weak back. Balance is important to both your health and your look. Rows and pull-ups are very effective for strengthening back muscles. Performing these exercises will also help you to improve your posture, making your chest appear larger when you’re standing tall.

Shoulder Workout

The shoulder muscles can also benefit greatly from a combination of compound and isolated shoulder exercises. The shoulder press is an excellent exercise for working your shoulders, arms, and certain back muscles. Dumbbell raises, on the other hand, are one of the best upper body exercises for targeting the shoulder muscles in particular.

Bicep Curls

All you need to perform bicep curls are a set of light dumbbells or some canned vegetables to use as weights. Perform the bicep curls on only one arm at a time. Sit down with your spine vertically aligned and straight. Lift the weights slowly, and lower them slowly. Lowering is just as important to the exercise as lifting, and it’s very important that you do it slowly to increase the stress.

Tricep Dips

The only special equipment that you need to perform tricep dips is a sturdy chair. Sit down on the chair with your palms facing down on either side of your hips. Using your arms, lift yourself up off from the chair and lower your body towards the floor. Hold yourself in this position for about 0.5 minute. This will work your tricep muscles. You’ll feel it. Raise yourself up to the starting position. Try to do 20 reps each day. As you become stronger, you can increase the reps. This exercise is one of the best upper body exercises for women who find it to be a great help in eliminating the underarm flab that often troubles them.

Push Ups

Pushups seems to be the all purpose exercise. It has so many great benefits. It’s great for toning the muscles in the arms, shoulders, and chest. They are even known to help strengthen the abdominals. Try to do at least 20 pushups each day. As you build up strength, try doing more. Women who are just beginning to exercise often find that the standard pushup is difficult to do. In this case, an equally effective alternative is to do the pushups with the knees on the floor and not the toes. As you increase your strength, you can do them from the toes.

Dumbbell Raises

To do dumbbell raises, one of the best upper body exercises, stand erect. Place your feet apart at should width. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and place your hands down at your sides. Bend your knees slightly. Slowly raise one arm, keeping the palm facing downward. With the arm forming a right angle to your body, hold it in that position for about 0.5 minute, contracting the deltoids as you do this. Slowly return the dumbbell to your side, and repeat the process with the other arm. Try at least 12 reps on each are. As you become more proficient, you can increase that number.

By: Jack A Bush

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Let’s face it… Staying in shape can get expensive really fast. A multi-billion dollar industry is based on that fact. And it may not only waste your money, but your time, which is even more important.

This is why body weight exercises are a quick, easy way to get started on your road to physical fitness.

For our purposes, I’ll stick to just those exercises that get your heart pumping using nothing but your own body weight. Most of these exercises can be done anywhere: at home, in the park, in your office or (empty) conference room.

Now I’m about to go into some exercises, but I’m going to leave the descriptions out. The written form, isn’t usually the best for teaching exercise. A picture is worth a thousand words, and how many for a video? Who knows. If you’re curious about any of these exercises, you can almost certainly find a demonstration on YouTube or other free video database. I’ve highlighted the exercise names to make them easier to track down.

Upper Body
Pushups are the upper body classic. They work the chest, arms and shoulders beautifully. Chair dips(also called tricep dips) are also great workouts for the triceps on the back of your arm. For this, though, you’ll need some chairs, a bench or some other piece of furniture that will support your weight. And if you have a good place for it (a playground, a sturdy tree branch) then pull ups and all their variations are great exercises.

Abs and Core Muscles
The crunch(aka sit up) is the mainstay of ab workouts. This can be varied to work other specific muscles, such as in the twist crunch which is exactly what it sounds like. Do a crunch, and then twist your body to work the obliques on either side of your abs. And for a challenge, you can do some mountain climbers, which will get your legs moving, too.

Legs
Squats are great for working the thighs and glutes (aka the butt), and so are lunges. Calf raises are also a nice way to work the lower legs, and you can try them on a step for a challenge. Leg raises are fantastic exercise for the hips and thighs, and they can also get the abs involved depending on which variation you try.

Cardio
These exercises can be used to get your heart pumping, either as part of a workout or as a warm up. Jumping jacks are an old standard, and they get your whole body moving. Side jumps are a great way to work the legs. And though it may sound weird, shadow boxing can be a great solo exercise. By balancing on the balls of your feet and bending your knees, and by keeping your hands moving, you can get a high-intensity workout for your whole body.

So there you have it… The short-short version of body weight exercises. Though this is an economical option, you may have to spend a little money up front. If you don’t have a good pair of athletic shoes, your knees will thank you for getting a pair. Also, a good set of workout clothes will make the experience easier and more comfortable. Other than that, you won’t need any equipment for these exercises. That’s the point.

By: James K Zane

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Kansieo.com