Because Workouts Shouldn’t Take Up Your Whole Day
If there is one form of training that will never go out of style it’s bodyweight training. Using your own body weight as resistance allows you to improve your fitness level and work out anywhere. Bodyweight exercises can be progressed like any other exercise, and using them keeps your workouts simple.
Perks of Bodyweight Workouts
Like most people nowadays, your schedule is probably a bit hectic. This means that squeezing time in at the gym doesn’t always happen. And that’s okay.
There is much more to staying fit and active than slogging away at the gym!
Using your own body weight as your resistance allows you to work out anywhere, thus saving you a little bit more time on those hectic days! And while there are a lot of awesome bodyweight programs out there, most at-home workouts involve some sort of plyometrics (jumping). If you like plyometrics, then have at them!
While plyometric training can work up quite the sweat, jumping isn’t for everyone. Unless you’re already conditioned and your glutes are strong, jumping can cause discomfort on both the knee and ankle joints. This defeats the purpose of any workout.
But not to worry, there are other options!
This bodyweight program is great in the sense that it can be done anywhere and that it’s a low-impact option for anyone who doesn’t much care for jumping.
One of the other setbacks to bodyweight training is that many programs focus on the anterior muscles of the body (think the front of the body) dominating in exercises—like squats and push-ups.
While these are amazing exercises, they do create a bit of an imbalance between front and back. This particular program uses exercises from both the anterior and posterior chains of the body to give a well-rounded, full-body workout.
Lastly, the perk of this workout is that it can be done in under thirty minutes! Perfect for anyone short on time who just needs to work up a sweat.
The most important part of any bodyweight exercise program is to focus on muscle contraction. In other words, make each repetition count. Just going through the motions to ‘get it done’ will get you nowhere. Instead, pause, contract, and truly challenge your muscles.
Simple & Effective Bodyweight Workout
Bulgarian Split Squats with Bottom Pause 10 reps per side
Close Grip Push Ups 10
Squat with Sideways Leg Slide 8/leg
Reverse Plank with Leg Lift 8/leg alternating
Side Plank with Leg Abduction 10/side
Hollow Hold 10s x 2
Perform each exercise for the prescribed number of repetitions, back-to-back, without rest. Once completed, rest for sixty seconds and repeat the circuit for a total of two to three sets, depending on time.
A few quick tips:
- When pausing on the split squats, pause at the bottom of the exercise for two full breaths. Make sure to drive the knee of the front foot out and not allow it to cave in. Hinging slightly forward (through the hips and not the upper back) will target the back of the legs more than the front.
- On the reverse plank, turn your hands outward only if you need to as it is quite the chest and wrist stretch. Also, get your hips as high as possible and keep them there by squeezing your bum! This exercise targets the glutes as you need them to both stabilize as well as help lift the leg.
- Make sure to scale back and perform the hollow hold correctly. This exercise is nothing without focus. Hold for ten seconds, release for three seconds, and hold for another ten.
This at-home bodyweight workout may seem simple, but it relies heavily on the glutes for stability and execution. Targeting the glutes in multiple ways helps improve their strength and thus improve posture and prevent imbalances.
Use this workout when you’re short on time and need to work up a sweat.
Wrap-Up
This at-home bodyweight workout is simple, effective, and—most importantly—quick! It is balanced between the posterior and anterior chains with an emphasis on the glutes. While there are no jumping exercises listed, you’ll be sure to work up a sweat through contraction alone.
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