5 Most Effective Home Bodyweight Exercises

 



For most people, at-home solo workouts mean bodyweight-only exercises rather than studio classes and gym sessions that call for weights and other gear. 

While it might seem like a setback for some, using your body weight to exercise can be efficient. Some of the best bodyweight exercises test your form and allow you to perfect it, requiring zero equipment and little space. 


Here's what you need to know about some of the best bodyweight exercises to help you get a total-body strength training workout at home. 

Air Squats

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your hips down and back like you're sitting in a chair. Go as low as you can without losing the natural curve of your lower back.

Drive through the feet to return to standing. Think about pressing the floor away from you as you stand up, keeping your weight in your heels.

Repeat the exercise. Make sure your chest stays tall, and your core stays tight. You should feel your entire lower body and abs working.

Turn it down: If you're new to squats, try standing in front of your couch or a chair. Tap the chair with your butt at the bottom, then stand back up.

Turn it up: To make the move more challenging, increase the tempo. Make sure you maintain strong form as you go fast and still drop it low—don't cut the movement short.


Push-Ups

Start in a plank position, shoulders over wrists, creating a straight line from shoulders to heels, core engaged.

Bend elbows back 45 degrees and slowly lower toward the ground.

Then, press yourself back up, maintaining strong plank form. Repeat.

Make sure your elbows hit that 45-degree angle, and avoid sending them out to the sides like a goal post—that's rough on the shoulders, said Rosanne.

Turn it down: Perform the same movement, but with hands on a couch, chair, or the edge of a table to elevate your upper body.

Turn it up: Perform a regular push-up, but slow the lowering phase. Aim to count to five or six before you touch the floor.

Bulgarian Split Squats

Stand a little less than a leg's length in front of a bench, chair, box, or couch. Place the top of your right foot on the bench behind you. Keep weight on the heel of your left foot on the floor.

Bend your left knee and lower down until your back knee touches the floor or the front knee bends 90 degrees.

Drive through the front left foot to stand back up. Repeat. Make sure to engage your core throughout the entire move and press through your front foot's heel and big toe to stand back up—like you're driving the floor away. Those glutes and quads should be on fire by the last rep.

Turn it down: This move challenges the legs, glutes, and feet and requires good balance, so if you need to keep it shallow, do so—go as low as you can, said Rosante.

Turn it up: Add a half rep by lowering down, coming up halfway, then lowering back down before you stand all the up to the top.


Superman Pull

A superman pull is one of the best bodyweight exercises to work your back—perfect for counteracting hunched-over posture. 

Lie face down on the floor with arms extended out in front of you. Squeeze the upper back muscles to raise your arms and chest off the floor. Lift your feet and engage your glutes.

Holding this position, pull the elbows down by your sides to form a W with your upper body, engaging your lats. Then, punch your arms back out in front of you. Repeat.

Make sure to engage your core, keep your shoulders down and away from your ears, and maintain a neutral spine by looking down and slightly forward. Also, make the mind-muscle connection by consciously squeezing and focusing on the back muscles.

Turn it down: Lower down after each W pull or leave the feet on the floor to focus on the upper body.


Bird Dog

Start on all fours with the shoulders directly over the wrists and knees under the hips.

Extend your right arm and left leg straight, in line with your shoulder and hip. Hold for a few seconds and place back down to the all-fours position.

Then, extend the left arm and right leg straight out. Hold for a few seconds and return to the starting position. Continue alternating.

Make sure the shoulders and hips stay square to the ground. Bird dog is a core exercise, so engage your midsection and maintain a flat back. Also, flex your feet, pressing through your heel to extend the leg.

Turn it down: Extend one arm and one leg at a time instead of an arm and a leg together.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What Does "Pre-Workout" Mean?

Image
Pre-workouts are dietary supplements that might help you do better during your workout and recover faster afterward. Even though pre-workouts are generally safe, they do come with some risks, such as interactions with medications, and the research on how well they work is mixed. If you're thinking about using these products, it's best to talk to a doctor or nurse first. You may have heard of taking a pre-workout supplement, whether you've been working out for a while or are just starting out. You can take nutritional supplements called "pre-workouts" before you work out. It has been suggested that taking these supplements will help you do better during your workouts.  If you've never used a pre-workout supplement before, you may be interested in how they work and what they contain. Here are the important facts about pre-workout. What is the point of pre-workout? These kinds of supplements claim to do a few things, including: Improving your energy levels Improv...
Read more

Common Signs and Symptoms of Kidney Stones

Image
Stones in the kidneys are solid masses that can form in the organs themselves. Crystallization in urine can occur due to the presence of calcium and other minerals, and the resulting stones can range in size from sand-like grains to small pebbles to even gravel-like chunks.  Kidney stones can be caused by a number of different things. For example, several studies have found a correlation between men using high-dose vitamin C supplements and an increased risk of developing kidney stones.  Antibiotic treatment may also be a contributing factor.  The most important contributing component is dehydration.  Maybe you're wondering: What does a kidney stone feel like? Even though stones are normally rather little, passing them can cause a great deal of discomfort. Yet, this is not the only sign of the condition. Take a look at some of the more obvious warning signs that you might have a kidney stone. A man of middle age is seen hunched over a desk, holding the side of his ba...
Read more

Is popcorn good for your health?

Image
  Popcorn, which is typically thought of as a staple snack for consumption while watching a movie, is also considered to be a snack option that is beneficial to one's health. There is some evidence that eating popcorn can be beneficial to your health, such as the fact that it contains several vitamins and minerals. There are also other elements, such as the oil that was used to pop the meal or any other seasonings that were applied, that may add other nutrients to the food. Continue reading to find out more. The Nutrients of Popcorn In general, a cup of air-popped popcorn that is unsalted comprises the following components:1 Calories: 30 calories Fat: < 1 gramme Cholesterol: 0 mg Sodium: < 1 milligramme Carbohydrates: 6.23 grammes Fibre: 1.21 grammes Protein: < 1 gramme Benefits of popcorn Even in its popped form, corn still qualifies as a complete grain. Whole grains are an essential source of a variety of essential nutrients, including fibre, vitamins, and minerals. A nu...
Read more