Training with your own body weight: the best tips!

Sometimes you just don't feel like hitting the gym or your home gym. Or maybe you don't have a membership or a decent home gym (did you know this is possible for even just a few square meters? Read more here ). Is a weight-training workout just as effective as one with barbells and weights? That depends on your training goal. If you want to be a true bodybuilder, you can't avoid equipment.

Many people wonder if they can achieve the same goals with bodyweight training as with all sorts of weight stations and machines. However, it all depends on the goal itself. Do you want to get in shape and fit? Bodyweight training is the answer! However, if you're looking to significantly increase muscle mass, we recommend using barbells and weights as well.

The best exercises with your own body weight

Squats

Squats have been a popular exercise for years, primarily for strengthening the glutes and leg muscles (quadriceps and hamstrings). They're a great exercise on their own, but also important when training for a variety of sports. Because they improve your flexibility, balance, and mobility, you're less likely to suffer injuries during endurance sports.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and bend your knees. Make sure your knees don't extend past your toes and lower yourself until your legs form a 90-degree angle. Then rise back up at the same pace.

You can vary this exercise by holding it in a squat position for a moment or turning it into a jump squat: instead of slowly rising, jump with your arms in the air. This last variation trains your explosiveness.

Push-ups

The good old push-up is a must-have in this article. This exercise works many muscle groups, including triceps, chest, shoulders, and abs. Push-ups also build endurance. However, the exercise must be performed correctly, otherwise you might as well not do it at all. In fact, you increase your risk of injury. A common mistake is not keeping your entire body straight: your toes should be as straight and rigid as a board!

You can do push-ups with your hands flat on the floor, but a set of push-up bars is a must. You can lower yourself deeper (which is good for your shoulders) and you're less likely to injure your wrists thanks to the better grip.

Dips

Perhaps a little less well-known, but certainly no less important. Dips are easiest to do at home using a chair (or a fitness bench or weight bench). Place your hands behind you on the chair or bench, with your fingers pointing forward. Tighten your abs and lower your torso. Then slowly push yourself back up and repeat.

Lunges

This is another great exercise that doesn't require anything! You can simply do it while walking. Here's how it works: take a step forward with one leg and then bend both knees. Make sure your front knee doesn't go past your toes. When both knees have formed a 90-degree angle, come back up and switch legs.

Pull-ups

You'll need a pull-up bar for this, but pull-ups are a fantastic bodyweight exercise. I don't think we need to explain why... check out that back!

If you need some explanation, pull-ups are the best indicator of physical strength. You pull your own body weight upwards, primarily using your arms and shoulders. Someone weighing 90 kg with a low body fat percentage will be able to repeat this exercise more often than someone of the same weight with a bit more body fat, and is therefore stronger.


There are many more bodyweight exercises, but these are the most popular ones that can be performed without gym equipment. Need advice? Contact us!