BODYWEIGHT BASICS - Bodyweight Training - Functional Fitness Without Weights

I looked through the ol mail bag this morning and picked out a good one: Our friend Hal B. writes: Hi John, Many of the old body weight programs like Atlas, Mike Marvel, etc. said to train very day. Does the principle of taking a day or two off to promote muscle growth not apply to body weight training as it does to weight lifting? - Hal

Hi Hal, that’s a great question, one that gets asked very frequently when it comes to bodyweight training. As usual my take on things is a little different than you might see elsewhere:

Yes, you can absolutely train with bodyweight exercises every day -- and many people do. They have their daily routine; they do their thing, and then move on to the next.

Tis certainly one way to do it and many people have had a lot of success with daily training. And while we are at it, let’s look a couple different ways to "slice" a daily training routine.

1. You could do a set number of repetitions without fail; say 50 pushups, 50 sit-ups, 50 squats or something along those lines.

2. You could have a "free for all" workout where there is no structure and the only goal is to keep moving (and keep the heart rate up) for an extended period of time.

3. You could have a very-rigid, very-regimented program devoted to specific exercise goals, like progressively increasing your pull-ups or high-rep squats, hand balancing etc

4. You could perform a "hard training" day followed by an easier training day which isn’t quite as challenging. The goal of the hard day is to improve while goal of the easier workout is to work out soreness, increase blood flow etc,

5. You could combine some of these – say "rigid structure" on Monday/Wednesday/Friday with a "free for all" on Tuesday and Thursday.

Of all of these I tend to favor #5 since it involves a greater variety. And don't forget, bodyweight training involves much more than calisthenics. It could be rope jumping, rope climbing, hill sprints, breathing exercises, muscle control etc.

It should be well understood that one of your greatest enemies in physical training is boredom. If you find yourself dreading your workout it is going go become harder and harder to stay motivated to do it. Involving a bit of "chaos" or unpredictability is good for your training because it keeps you on your toes.

It should also be understood that if your goal is gain muscle mass, like a bodybuilder, there are going to be some choices that make more sense outside of the boundaries of what bodyweight training can offer. You’ll have to supplement your program with other exercises.

I personally feel that the most productive programs must incorporate several different ways of training for the most well-rounded approach but, as you can see, bodyweight training offers a lot of possibilities.

Train hard,
John Wood

Labels: Bodyweight Squats, Bodyweight Training, Daily Bodyweight Training, Handbalancing, Jumping Rope, Rope Climbing