Bodyweight training : a fast way to become strong

Over the years I have researched extensively about the best way to improve my strength. For me, working out as always been strength-oriented because if you are looking to increase muscle mass or lose some weight, it’s also going to happen. Also, no matter how hard I worked out in the gym, I was never as strong as I wanted to be and I always felt that I did not progress quickly. It was only when I started to do bodyweight training that I realized how it is a perfect fit for me. Eventually, it led me to develop some simple, yet really good, routines (more about that tomorrow). Today, I will address the benefits of bodyweight training.

What exactly is bodyweight strength training?

We hear it all the time :  “I can do a ton of push ups, so I doubt training with bodyweight exercises is going to help me that much!”

This is bad reasoning because real strength training, weighted or not, is not about doing lots of repetition at a low force production. We are not trying to improve our endurance, but our strength. In order to become stronger, you have to produce maximum tension (without going to failure, of course). A good way to achieve that is to do exercises that challenge you (exercises that you can do  for 3 to 5 repetitions). To get back to the example, doing ”a ton of push ups”  is not going to help you do unsupported handstand push ups.  So, how can you make easy exercises harder ? If you train with weight or not, the logic is pretty much the same. When training with weights, you add weight to the bar when it becomes less challenging. With bodyweight exercises there is a little difference; it is the leverage that you change. For example, doing a L-Pull up is harder than a regular pull up. As long as you keep decreasing the leverage as you progress, you will keep gaining strength!

Strength is  about nervous stimulation. Basically, if one wants to become stronger, he has to put tension on his body with effective exercises and adapt to it. Here, the role of the nervous system  is to make your muscles contract harder, thus resulting in more force production. So, how can bodyweight training make you achieve that? Well, it is quite efficient at putting tension on your whole body, because most exercises are compound moves that necessitate force production from the whole body. Take the push up for example. Whenever you push yourself up, there is tension in the pressing muscles (arms, pecs, etc.) as well as in the core area. The capacity to produce high tension through the body is why bodyweight strength training is a good way to become strong.

What are the benefits of bodyweight strength training?

1. It is convenient. You can do it anywhere. All you need is some free time and, maybe, a few things (more on that tomorrow).
2. The tension under which the body is during the execution of the exercise is much more natural and easier on the joints. While I can’t bench press because of shoulder problems, I can do handstand push ups or one arm push ups without any problems.
3. You will gain functional strength that will transfer well into your daily activities. You will learn to use your body as a unit, which is how your body has evolved to be used.
4. You will save tons of time, because you won’t have to do more exercises, or rack and unrack weights.
5. Weight lifting teaches you to push something away from you or pull something closer to you. Bodyweight training teaches you to push yourself away from something or pull yourself closer to something. This is quite a difference and it’s reflected in the type of physique and strength both methods produce.
6. I believe it yields better results than weight lifting. Ever looked at gymnasts? Most of them don’t train with weights and they are the strongest athletes in the world.
7. It is hard to overdo bodyweight exercices. Form will decrease quickly when you tire up and it will prevent you from continuing (e.g. : there is a moment where you will stall when you do a pull up. You won’t be able to pull through and you will have to quit the repetition)

While weight training is a fine way to get stronger, I believe that bodyweight training is too often ignored or regarded as a sissy workout. Weight lifting has its benefits too. I personally like a few kettlebells exercises such as the windmill or the turkish get up. I feel that they can complement each other. The point of this article was to show an alternative way to get strong. I believe that if you give it a try, you will be pleased with the results.  As previously noted, make sure you read tomorrow’s article about programing and equipment.