BODYWEIGHT TRAINING
- Kennet Bath
- Jul 6, 2022
- 3 min read

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO BODYWEIGHT TRAINING Bodyweight training is not something new or trendy. It has been practiced for thousands of years and was often the chosen training method in the recorded history of the ancient Greeks, Romans and Egyptians. The training is effective and is used today by the US military. Bodyweight training, simply put, is any exercise that involves using the body as a weight or resistance to perform work against the law of gravity. BODYWEIGHT TRAINING TODAY Common types of bodyweight training include calisthenics, which include push-ups, situps, and squats. jumping training to develop fast and explosive power. Bodyweight training is also performed with straps that can be attached to a door or with ceiling mounts. There you get a variety and can create almost any number of exercises. BENEFITS OF BODYWEIGHT TRAINING Although traditional training methods, such as free weights and machines where you train in the gym, make an individual absolutely stronger, bodyweight exercises provide the same strength but have the advantage that it can be varied more and can be exercised anytime and anywhere. The debate about which training method is best, bodyweight training or strength training, generally concludes that bodyweight training does not provide significant increases in absolute strength. Strength training provides an absolute strength that is defined as the ability to move a given load. Bodyweight training and, on the other hand, develops relative strength, which is defined as the ability to move a load as a certain percentage of one's body weight. An individual who uses bodyweight training exercises uses his body weight as a means of resistance unless an external load is added. This type of "relative strength training" is not a substitute for traditional lifting, such as bench press or squats, but develops strength that contains more core stability. Apart from the physiological benefits of bodyweight training, the most obvious advantage over strength training is that it is a much more accessible and versatile form of exercise. Bodyweight training is portable - it can be done anywhere and anytime and equipment is not necessary for many of the exercises. If you have a limited budget, it is an advantage with bodyweight training that costs nothing but time, effort and a little imagination.
DISADVANTAGES OF BODYWEIGHT TRAINING One of the biggest disadvantages of bodyweight training is that it is perceived as too easy for the experienced and too difficult for the beginner. If you can do bench press on almost twice as much as your body weight, push-ups can seem like an easy exercise. This is just about imagination. You can challenge an exercise such as the push-ups by running several repetitions, or on the knuckles, with a pat between the repetitions or running the exercise extremely concentrated. There is an infinite amount to do to make the exercise heavier. Push-ups also require much more core strength and stabilization than a bench press. PROGRESS Progress in bodyweight training can be a little more challenging, but the key to effective bodyweight exercises is the same as with all exercises, proper technique, time and concentration. Choose exercises that load the muscles effectively throughout the range of motion, and choose a movement speed that is controlled and eliminates excessive speed. As with traditional strength training, the real key is to have a progressive goal for bodyweight training. Bodyweight training can also be made heavier by using weight vests or weight belts with hooks for extra weights. CONCLUSION Bodyweight training is a very effective way to train and just like with traditional strength training, it gives favorable results in both physical strength and endurance. Although bodyweight training requires instruction in technique and proper progression, it does not require any special equipment or a specific place to do so. Bodyweight training and strength training are both beneficial. Using both training methods effectively will give optimal results and a strong and functional body. The Kickstart Team