WHY BODYWEIGHT TRAINING WORKS
Bodyweight exercises are awesome – but don’t just take our word for it, here’s a list of evidence-based reasons why you should love them too.
There’s often confusion about what bodyweight exercises actually are, even among those in the fitness industry themselves. The clearest definition is Wikipedia’s, which considers them: ‘exercises that do not require free weights or machines as the individual’s own weight provides resistance against gravity.’
Bodyweight workouts give you results fast because you can work several muscle groups at once. It’s the opposite of isolation training (for example resistance training with weights) in which you concentrate on one muscle group at a time.
Accordingly, bodyweight exercises often require more agility and balance than weightlifting because several muscle groups, as well as connective tissues and joints, are all working in tandem.
However, body weight exercises can improve your performance of isolation exercises – those stamina, agility and balance gains are entirely transferrable.
The exercises improve as your efficiency does, so the more skilled you get at performing say, a squat or the plank, the better the impact on your body will be.
With no equipment there’s no lengthy set up times and learning curve so it’s ideal to perform at high intensity. You can perform bodyweight exercises anywhere whether that’s your living room, gym studio or exercising on the beach.
Nothing works better with high intensity training than bodyweight. Moves are quick to pick up, they can be explosive, precise, dynamic and load bearing – everything that will build the body you need, whether that’s faster, fitter or leaner.
So you can argue that although it will give you a great body, if that’s what you’re after it will also increase your overall fitness, stamina agility balance.
Bodyweight exercises are easy to switch up so regular workouts can help you break through a fitness plateau. With infinite varieties of move there’s always something new to try to challenge your body.
If you’re returning to exercise after an injury or pregnancy you can modify a move, or choose a range of exercises that work best for you. All SH1FT coaches are trained to offer modifications tailored to individuals’ needs.
Body weight exercises also build bone density, particularly the exercises that are coupled with high impact moves like running or jumping. These give a jolt to the skeleton that, according to the UK’s National Osteoporosis Society are beneficial to bone health.
Bodyweight exercises were quintessentially functional fitness before this became the fitness phrase du jour. Learning how to squat, stretch, jump and lunge effectively has a direct impact upon how well you perform general movements in daily life.