| Bodyweight exercise is the best place to | | | | performance that can be used to meet the |
| begin when starting a physical fitness | | | | challenges of sport, work and life with |
| training program, should be added to programs | | | | excellence. |
| that otherwise neglect bodyweight exercise | | | | |
| and should be diversified with resistance | | | | Many of those challenges will be met by the |
| training for programs that use bodyweight | | | | effective control and movement of your own |
| exercise exclusively. | | | | body... and not the movement of other objects |
| | | | through space. |
| Some people love bodyweight exercise and some | | | | |
| people hate it... similarly, some people | | | | And what is the best way to train the |
| think bodyweight exercise is valuable to a | | | | improvement of body movement and control of |
| physical fitness training program, and others | | | | your own body... that's right, bodyweight |
| don't. | | | | exercise. |
| | | | |
| I believe that bodyweight exercise is not | | | | Here is an example... |
| only the best method to start a physical | | | | |
| fitness training program... but I believe | | | | Many people that have trouble doing a push up |
| that it should remain an active part of any | | | | will focus on the bench press with hopes of |
| well balance physical training program. | | | | improving their push up numbers... with |
| | | | limited results. |
| Let's look at bodyweight exercise from three | | | | |
| different perspectives... from the beginner | | | | If you want to be able to do more push ups... |
| just getting started, from the experienced | | | | do more push ups! |
| weight lifter that neglects bodyweight | | | | |
| exercise and from the bodyweight exercise | | | | The point is this, the improvements you will |
| only crowd. | | | | see from physical training are specific... so |
| | | | if you want to see improvements in a |
| 1. Bodyweight Exercise For Beginners | | | | bodyweight movement, use bodyweight exercise |
| | | | to do so. |
| Most commercial gyms will prescribe an | | | | |
| exercise regimen of strength training, | | | | 3. Bodyweight Exercise For The Bodyweight |
| usually in the form of machines, and | | | | Only Crowd |
| cardiorespiratory endurance training, | | | | |
| normally in the form of stationary "cardio" | | | | As you can already tell, I am a strong |
| equipment. | | | | advocate of bodyweight exercise... but not |
| | | | exclusively. |
| This is a generalization of course... but | | | | |
| these two types of training are the | | | | There are various physical fitness training |
| predominant forms of physical training in | | | | programs that use bodyweight exercise almost |
| most gyms, regardless of how they are put | | | | exclusively... like Yoga or Pilates. |
| together. | | | | |
| | | | While I have no problem with these forms of |
| Notice... bodyweight exercise is missing. | | | | training... I believe they can take you only |
| | | | so far on the road to physical fitness |
| Answer me this... should a beginner with no | | | | excellence. |
| prior experience with physical training start | | | | |
| by jumping right into resistance training | | | | We must remember... Yoga exercises are |
| with free weights or machines, or would they | | | | performed in conjunction with meditation and |
| be better served by learning more about the | | | | Pilates was originally developed as a form of |
| movement of their bodies by using bodyweight | | | | rehabilitation for war veterans. |
| exercise? | | | | |
| | | | The point is this... bodyweight exercise only |
| Physical training allows you to improve the | | | | programs will only take you so far, and then |
| body by supplying increased stimulus that is | | | | some form of resistance training must be |
| not normally found in your daily lifestyle. | | | | applied to see further improvement. |
| | | | |
| For the beginner, bodyweight exercise is the | | | | In Conclusion... |
| logical place to start... because most | | | | |
| beginners are actually going from a state of | | | | Bodyweight exercise is an important part of |
| complete inactivity to a state of activity. | | | | any well balanced physical fitness training |
| | | | program. |
| The beginner has not even scraped the surface | | | | |
| of what their body can perform without | | | | If you are just getting started... bodyweight |
| resistance... and should therefore strive to | | | | exercise is the perfect place to start. |
| make improvements using bodyweight exercise | | | | |
| first. | | | | If you have notoriously neglected bodyweight |
| | | | exercise in your training... add it to |
| Once the beginner has made sufficient gains | | | | improve the physical abilities you have been |
| and reached an improved state with bodyweight | | | | neglecting. |
| exercise... then they can add resistance. | | | | |
| | | | If you only use bodyweight exercise... |
| 2. Bodyweight Exercise For The Experienced | | | | diversify your fitness training program by |
| Weight Lifter | | | | adding some form of resistance training. |
| | | | |
| Many people with a great deal of experience | | | | In this way, each group can optimize the use |
| and expertise in physical training completely | | | | of bodyweight exercise. |
| neglect bodyweight exercise... or believe it | | | | |
| to be ineffective. | | | | Do not underestimate the importance of |
| | | | bodyweight exercise... Use bodyweight |
| They notoriously use all types of resistance | | | | exercise effectively and in the right |
| training methods... while neglecting | | | | proportion to meet your goals, needs, |
| bodyweight exercise all together. | | | | abilities and limitations and meet the |
| | | | challenges of sport, work and life with |
| I propose that the goal of any physical | | | | excellence. |
| fitness training program is to improve | | | | |