Body Weight Strength Training can Transform your Physique

For most people, their knowledge of body weight strength training doesn’t go beyond knowing how to do a pushup and that’s understandable. Its the first exercise we’re taught as youngsters in physical education classes when we’re growing up. But, what we’re not taught is it’s one of the best exercises we can do for strengthening the whole body. Yup…that little old pushup can really do wonders for your chest and core! If you’re not convinced body weight training can help you develop or even transform a flabby body, just watch prison reality shows. I like to watch these shows not only because they are raw but I like to watch how these guys work out.

Why? Because they are pretty inventive when it comes to training their bodies without any equipment and it’s amazing to see how “ripped” they get without using any weights at all.

I was always under the impression that I had to join a gym to become physically fit but after watching prison shows all that changed and it prompted me to learn more about body weight strength training.

 At first glance, it doesn’t seem like anyone could do much beyond pushups or pull ups to to add strength with body weight but this isn’t true. There are many exercises you can do if you become a bit more crafty with your approach using your own body weight.

For instance, you can transform a regular pushup by placing your feet on a chair which allows you to work different muscles in the chest or you could tuck your arms in while doing a pushup which works the triceps muscles. The possibilities are endless especially if you have some ingenuity and imagination.

Here are a couple of ways I think body weight strength training excels in transforming a person’s physique:

Weight Loss – For most people their goal is to reduce body weight. You can accomplish this by varying your sets and repetitions to help you build muscle. If you didn’t know, muscle burns fat so in essence you assist the body in helping it get into fat burning mode. The amount of muscle you have is directly tied to your metabolism. The more muscle you build the higher your metabolism will be so you can continue to burn fat and achieve your goal of weight loss.

Toning – Body weight training can assist in what is called toning the muscle or building muscle definition. I noticed by just doing different push up variations, my chest and arms became more defined in only a couple of weeks. You can also do squats and lunges with your own body weight to get toned legs, thighs, and a shapely butt which seems to be desirable for most women. It makes a big difference in the way the body looks especially during the summer months when you’re putting on a swimsuit or bikini to hit the beach.

Core Development – Everyone wants a flat stomach or sexy abs, right? Well you can use your body to perform variations of planks which are known to work the midsection and leave it looking flat and toned. Also the core is a stabilizer in many body weight exercise so you get the added benefit of it working indirectly so you can achieve the flat stomach/ ripped ab look everyone desires.

Cardio – Ever heard of body weight cardio? Well, if you haven’t you can do things like mountain climbers or speed skaters which work muscles and raise heart rate. These exercises have an added benefit of working the heart for a great cardio workout which in turn helps to burn fat and change your physique from flabby to fantastic! If you’re looking to transform your physique, you don’t have to spend money on a gym membership or equipment. You can use your body as your own gym any where, any place, and any time to get results. It’s just that simple. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you can get results and transform your physique by using body weight strength training with a great eating plan!

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