BODYWEIGHT BASICS - Bodyweight Training - Functional Fitness Without Weights

I got a chance to hear the great Reg Park give a talk a few months back and one of the things he mentioned (among many) was that in a workout you should always train your legs first.

He had learned this from ballet dancers and the reason for this was because training the legs and hips are the some of the largest muscles in the body, and therefore training them both helps you warm up by getting the heart pumping as well as stimulate the body's natural growth hormone.

Makes sense to me, and there’s no question that there are plenty of Bodyweight training movements that will build very strong, athletic legs.

One of the very first exercises that I was ever taught was the "freehand" or wrestlers squat – simply squatting for high reps with no weight.

The form is similar to what would normally be used with a barbell, with the knees kept over the toes and the chest up. I started out with sets of 100 and built from there. If you do this it should take you less than 5 minutes. Go real slow for some extra fun.

The next exercise I was introduced to is the Hindu Squat as taught by
Matt Furey in Combat Conditioning.

This variation has been used by wrestlers in India and Iran for centuries and it involved a much more rhythmic pattern than the traditional "squat."

I have also found that Hindu Squats also lend better to power breathing than any other kind of squat that I have found and the "jumper" variation is top notch.

The exercise that I am going to mention today is the simple walking lunge, a highly underrated exercise.

Now, when I train bodyweight squats, I do them in either one of two ways:

1. One hard maximum set of as many as I can on "Training" days

2. In combination with other conditioning movements, such as Hindu squats
between hill sprints etc.

Either way, you'll get a workout.

Now, a lot of people think that training for "strength" is one thing and "endurance" is another. The truth is, they are one in the same, do a hundred squats and you'll know what I'm talking about.

Train hard.
John Wood

Labels: Combat Conditioning, Indian Wrestling, Leg Work Out, Reg Park

Heres a good one from the mailbag:

"Can I simply do hindu squats, hindu pushups and bridging for cardio as well and forget stuff like running? I am training for the police test and would like to do bodyweight conditioning as my sole form of exercise. Will it be transferable to the running part of the test?

Thank you,
Brent

Good question Brent. One of the greatest values of bodyweight training is the tremendous increase in overall conditioning, something that isn't as easy to duplicate with traditional weights.

Now, the thing that must be kept in mind with bodyweight training, (and in all types of training as well) is that there are two distinct areas of adaptation -- the end results from doing the training, and the training itself.

Basically what I'm saying is that you must "do" the things that you want to get good at. Physiologically, this is known as the "SAID" principle, or Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands.

Or, as Emerson once put it, "Do the thing, and you'll have the power."

So Brent, you can certainly use bodyweight exercises to build up your cardiovascular ability, but since you are going to be tested on a specific kind of running, best to actually practice that running – thats where the greatest "transfer" can be found.

I'll comment more about the whole "transfer" effect at a later date.

Train hard,
John Wood

P.S. Brent is building up his body with the "Royal Court," -- three great Exercises. You should be using them in your program as welll and here is where youll find out more about how to do them:

Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey

Labels: Bodyweight Training, Training Ideas, Training Thought

Here at the University of Michigan, deep down in the catacombs and tombs of forgotten lore lies the dream of every serious student of physical training -- the electronic database of the UM medical school,which contains the abstracts and results of every major study ever done involving human anatomy and physiology.

That's right, if you wanted to find out about anything and everything having to do with strength training, -- the effects of certain rep schemes, styles of training, frequencies, equipment, trained and untrained bodies.

...its all there.

And so after pouring through pages and pages of material going back well over a century in the search for the “perfect” workout, essentially, the only conclusion that can be reached is this:

"Strength" in whatever form you decide to measure it in, can only be
developed through progressive resistance exercise, combined with the
necessary amount of recovery and with all nutritional requirements
filled.

Of course, it also depends on what your definition of "Strength" happens to be.

All training can make you stronger, but you will need to perform a specific kind of training if you want to build a specific kind of strength.

The muscular system doesn't know, (or care) what form the resistance takes, just that theres a job to be done.

So, with this in mind, any form or progressive exercise will do.

And what constitutes progressive exercise? Pretty much anything can be done progressively, either in terms of the amount of actual "work,"or in terms of more "intense" work.

So yes, assuming all other physiological requirements are filled, all forms of training (including bodyweight training) can make you stronger.

Now, it should also be clearly understood that the style in which bodyweight training must be performed has its own necessities.

In traditional strength training, you simply add more weight to the bar if you want added resistance. With bodyweight training, you add reps, add sets or simply change your leverage in order to progress.

Simple in theory, now lets see you do it.

Train hard,
John Wood

P.S. The exercises that have been a part of my program for nearly ten years
now can be found right here: Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey

Labels: Bodyweight Training, Training Ideas, Training Thought

Even though bodyweight workouts are very simple, they can still be very challenging. Check out this one from our buddy Sean Parini:

Hey John,
I've been enjoying your e-mails and like what you have going with your bodyweight site. I can't remember where I learned this test but it sounds like something [Michigan Strength Coach] Mike Gittleson would make us do.

It's simple enough to do and can put a 'strong' guy in his place quickly, not to mention it's a fantastic way to work your chest.

The test:

do 100 push-ups in 5 sets or less.

The catch:

every set must be done to max. reps and there is only a 10 second rest between sets. In coaching my high school kids, I've found this to be useful when they start getting a little cocky! Maybe the rest of your readers will enjoy this. Be well.

Yours in strength,
Sean

Very nice.

Train hard.
John Wood

P.S. You can use this technique with any bodyweight movement. Pick
one and challenge yourself. Heres a good resource for ideas:
Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey

Labels: Bodyweight Training, Chest Exercise, Mike Gittleson, Training Ideas