The Underrated Art of Body-weight Training

When you think of a body builder, what image comes to your mind? Most likely, you imagine someone in the gym, lifting weights. This is the most common image people have of bodybuilders. It’s also the most common way people try to train their bodies.

Unfortunately, weight-training has some drawbacks.

For one, it’s tough on the joints. Lifting large weights regularly stresses the bones and causes micro-fissures to form. That weakens joints and can eventually turn into more serious health problems.

Furthermore, each weightlifting exercise only works out one muscle group in isolation. This isn’t how the body moves in nature and can cause an imbalance in the body.

==> What Is Bodyweight Training and Why You Should Care

Bodyweight training is a style of training that uses only your body’s weight.

Think about it. You’re walking around every day with a 130 to 200 pound weight. It’s your body. Every muscle and joint in your body was designed over millions of years in order to move your body.

All other animals in the wild, including our closest ancestors like gorillas, monkeys and apes all have extremely muscular physiques. The only way they work out is through their own bodyweight. When’s the last time you saw a gorilla lifting weights?

==> A Full Body Workout

When you use your bodyweight to do your workouts, you don’t just work out one muscle. You work out many muscles that surround that muscle as well.

Take the pull-up. Sure, this works out the biceps. But it also works out your chest, your back, your abs, even your butt. You can get an extremely toned body just from doing pull-ups.

A comparable workout in the gym using weights would only work out the biceps. Not only is this less effective, it’s also less natural and less healthy.

==> A Proven History of Precedence

Looking at a gym today, it’s hard to believe that bodyweight workouts could work. After all, nobody else seems to be doing it.

Yet in reality, some of the toughest and best built people in history used bodyweight workouts.

For example, the old Persian army used to use primarily bodyweight workouts. As depicted in the “300” movie, these people had rock-hard bodies.

Today’s Navy SEALs also use bodyweight workouts as one of their primary training tools.

==> Portable, Fast, Easy

Unlike going to the gym, bodyweight workouts can be done from your home. No 30-minute commute, no packing gym clothes and no expensive memberships. You can do them while on the road or on your lunch break.

To make a long story short, if you haven’t explored body-weight workouts, you may want to look into it. You can build a picture-perfect body using nothing but your body.