Hello everyone hope you are having a wonderful week? If not,
don’t worry, I’ve got something for you to look forward to this weekend. As promised and in continuation of our series
on bodyweight exercises you can do at home, today I present 8 more bodyweight
exercises you can do at home with minimal equipment and saves you a lot of time
and money.
If you liked our first part last week, you are going to love
this, I guarantee it! If you missed the first part, don’t fret, just check back
at www.corefitnessngr.blogspot.com
Thanks and do have a wonderful weekend!
1.
PULL UP:
This is a wonderful bodyweight exercise and
a test of strength for every red blooded male alive out there. If you want to
build upper body strength, this is the workout for you! The pull up strengthens
your arms, shoulders, chest and back at the same time and can be very
challenging for first timers.
EXECUTION:
For this you need a strong platform higher
than your grasp but strong enough to take your weight, at home I use the
staircase landing as my anchor, stretch your arms above your head and grip the
ledge firmly, cross and fold your legs as illustrated and pull yourself up slowly
until your chin is at the platform level and then gradually lower yourself till
your arms are full extended and then repeat the exercise.
2.
CLOSE GRIP PUSH UP:
Another variation on the classic push up (there
must be like a million!) this one is one of my favourites, master it and you
will not only have a chest to rival Superman’s but you will have arms the size
of legs too! The close grip push up specifically targets the inner chest and
the triceps, giving you that wonderfully cut chest you have always wanted. It takes
more effort than the regular push up, but the results are well worth the extra
effort.
EXECUTION:
Assume the push up position with your body
parallel to the ground, on your hands and toes, but push your hand closer
together not more than 6 inches apart close to the inside of your chest, then
press up until your arms are almost fully extended, hold the position for a
second, then lower yourself slowly. Do not let your chest touch the ground,
repeat until fatigue sets in.
3.
BURPEE:
This is one workout you must do, that’s it!
The Burpee is an all in all bodyweight exercise you need in your arsenal, why? The
burpee is an intense cardio workout, great for fat loss; it will work your
arms, legs, chest and back at the same time, don’t forget the cardio workout
too! The burpee can be mastered in a relatively short time.
EXECUTION:
Stand straight with your arms at your side
and legs shoulder width apart, go down into a squat position, on hitting the
down position, you immediately switch into a push up position hands planted and
your legs straight out behind you (as illustrated) that’s part one. Then draw
yourself back into a squat position and immediately switch from that to the initial
standing position, done it? Then repeat again! It will take you a few workouts
to get the rhythm and timing right, but as you build stamina you will be able
to execute this move faster, and without thinking!
4.
PRONE BACK EXTENSION:
Don’t worry if you look like a fish out of
water while doing this, there’s a method behind the madness! The prone or “lying”
back extension helps develop strength in your lower back and helps you keep
good posture and improves your strength for lifting weights and heavy objects. The
lower back is not a very “glamorous” body part, so it’s often neglected, don’t make
that mistake.
EXECUTION:
Lie down on the floor or an exercise mat,
face down, with your arms at your side, your head and chin should be tilted up.
Raise your chest and shoulders off the ground as high as you can, while at the
same time raising your feet off the ground also (see illustration) hold the
position for about 5 seconds, squeezing your lower back muscles as hard as you
can. Then release and relax for a few seconds and repeat the squeeze.
5.
DIAMOND PUSH UP:
Did I mention that there are a million push
up variations? The diamond push up is another fine gem for building strength in
your upper body, the advantage of this variation is that it engages more
muscles in your chest back shoulders and arms and as a result is one of the
more effective push up variations, its major drawback is the arm positioning
which can put stress on your shoulder joints if not executed properly.
EXECUTION:
Assume the push up position, however
position your hands in such a way that your elbows are in a more flared
position and make sure that your hands are directly under your chest (see
illustration). Flex your chest and arm muscles and push up off the ground, do
not let your arms extend fully; hold the position for a second. Then lower
yourself back down without letting your chest touch down and repeat again. It’s
a tough one but it’s worth it!
6.
BOX JUMP:
The box jump is a wonderful conditioning
exercise everyone should try, it helps to burn fat, build muscles in your
thighs and helps develop explosive power in your thighs which can be used in
other physical activities. The box jump will also help develop your stamina
through cardio vascular conditioning and will also help you burn fat, you need
only minimal equipment, if you don’t have a workout bench to use then the
pavement outside will do the job just fine!
EXECUTION:
Stand in front of the bench or pavement, it
should be at least a foot higher than the ground to make the jump challenging,
make sure the box/bench is sturdy enough to bear your weight, or as I prefer,
just find a raised pavement on your jogging route, it will do nicely and is total
unmoving. Stand before the object and then in one motion, jump off the ground
with both feet and land solidly on the jump surface, immediately you land go
down in a squat position and jump off, rest for just a few seconds and repeat
the jump on and off again, repeat the movement until you are totally fatigued!
7.
MOUNTAIN CLIMBER:
This is a wonderful workout that targets
your core muscles, that is your abdominals, sides (obliques) and your back at
the same time, the mountain climber has a few variations and they all have one
thing in common, PAIN! The mountain climber is a modification of the plank, If you
are tired of sit ups, crunches and the boring old plank, then I highly
recommend this ab building exercise for you, it’s even got a bit of cardio
conditioning thrown in for good measure.
EXECUTION:
Get down on your toes and elbows, in a
plank position, tense your abs and hold them in, making sure your butt is not
sticking up in the air or sagging towards the ground. Then moving the one at a
time, bring in your right leg, knee bent, as close as possible to your chest
but just outside your elbow then extend it back out again immediately do the
same with your left leg and repeat the process again until exhaustion, which
will come soon!
8.
BODY WEIGHT SQUAT:
Last but by no means least, comes another all-time
favourite of mine, the bodyweight squat. Its pretty self-explanatory as an
exercise and I love it because its basic, simple to understand and super
effective. It helps to burn fat throughout your body, while developing strength
and definition in your legs; it’s also a good cardio workout that will leave
you struggling from breath after a good set. If you have plans for going into
the gym later but need to build fundamental strength in your legs first, you
can never go wrong with this exercise.
EXECUTION:
Stand straight with your legs shoulder
width apart and your arms down at your sides; keep your back and shoulders
straight. Go down into the squat, be sure to bend first at your hips, as if you
are trying to sit down in an imaginary chair, bend at the hip before bending at
the knees. Go down into the squat as deep as you can, with your butt lower than
your knees or at worst parallel to them. Hold the posture for one second, them
go back up slowly to your standing start position and repeat as required.
exercises to help you burn fat, build
muscle and get strong, don’t be a stranger and do try them out today, what have
you got to lose? For more information on workouts, diet, nutrition etc. please
go to www.corefitnessngr.blogspot.com
Thanks! Have a wonderful weekend!
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