A Body Weight Workout You Can Do Every Day – Guest Post

A Body Weight Workout You Can Do Every Day – Guest Post

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My name is Ben, and I run a website called BestHealthGear. Today, I’ll be sharing a simple, super-effective body weight workout with you. This body weight workout can be done in the comfort of your own home, with no equipment whatsoever!

 

I’d say that anyone can relate to not wanting to go to the gym. First of all, being a member of a gym can really hurt your wallet! Many gyms are also too small for how many people work out there, or aren’t clean. Or – and this is certainly true for me – gyms are kind of intimidating. Overzealous guys (or girls) with veins popping out of their neck, screaming and being aggressive, isn’t fun for anyone.

 

As a result, you might think of performing body weight routines from the comfort of your house or apartment. The good news here is you can find tons of ways to get an effective workout with little more than your body and the power of gravity. In this article, I’m excited to give you the framework for a great workout with just your body weight.

 

Below, you’ll find four exercises that will hit different parts of your body to provide a great full-body workout. You can follow along exactly here, or use my routine as a guide. Either way, you’re sure to see success and kick your body in to shape!

 

Exercise #1: The Push-Up

5 Sets of 10 Reps (60 seconds of rest between sets)

A complete upper-body exercise, the humble push-up is the most well-known exercise of all time. Set yourself with your body almost parallel with the floor and your arms locked at a 90 degree angle. Make sure to keep your elbows tucked in near your armpits – be careful not to flare out. Do 3 sets of 10.

 

There are two ways you can adjust your push-ups to target different parts of your chest. To make it a more intense upper-chest workout, do decline push-ups. Put your toes on a chair or small bench, so that your body is angled about 30 degrees off the ground. Alternatively, for a more intense lower-body push-up, put your hands up on a raised platform, 3 or 4 inches from the ground.

 

Exercise #2: The Plank

Three 60-second Reps (60 seconds of rest in between sets)

 

 

The plank is an extremely difficult exercise and if you’re a beginner you’ll definitely feel it!! This is one of the hardest exercises for me personally, but the absolute best for a shredded core. Get in your typical push-up form, but rather than anchoring yourself on your hands, drop yourself on to your elbows. Your elbows can sit at 90 degrees as you face down at the floor. Your back should be straight, creating a flat surface. A great test is if you feel like you could balance a glass of water on your back – if you can do this, you’re set up perfectly.

 

Try to hold that plank position for 60 seconds. If you’re a beginner, you’ll have trouble getting to just 20 seconds, but that that is 100% OK! You should do this workout at your own pace, and as you get more fit, increase the time. Indeed, whatever length of time you can hold your plank for, you have got to do three sets to make progress. Just enjoy a 60 second rest between sets. You can also make this exercise more challenging by wearing some sort of weighted clothing, like a weighted belt or shirt!

 

Exercise #3: The Glute Bridge

Three sets of 20 reps (45 seconds of rest between sets)

Here’s a great exercise to get your glutes – those tricky butt muscles – into excellent shape. Lay with your back flat against the floor and your head facing toward the ceiling. Then, bend your legs at the knee and lay your hands flat, palm-down, at your sides on the floor. As you keep your hands in place and your head against the ground, slowly lift your groin/waist area to the ceiling, until you create a perfectly flat plank from your neck to your knees. Hold that position at full contraction for a moment, then lower your waist down to the floor again. Do 20 reps in each set, for three total sets.

 

This exercise looks a bit weird, but it’s supremely effective, making it a stand-out option for doing within the seclusion of your home 😉

 

Exercise #4: Body Weight Squats

Four Sets of 20 (60 seconds of rest between sets)

Body weight squats are a fantastic total lower body exercise. You might hear people saying that squats are the absolute best exercise you can do for your body. I’m here to tell you that that’s 100% true. But for me, it was hard going to the gym and using the squat machine. It’s just a totally intimidating, crazy looking contraption, and it can be dangerous if you don’t use it right! However, once I discovered body weight squats, I got super comfortable with the exercise. I’ve now upgraded to using a smith machine at the gym, but I got my start using only my body weight!

 

Stand with your legs slightly more than shoulder width apart, and while keeping your back straight, lower your butt to a 90 degree angle. Don’t let your knees pass the tops of your feet as you bend – this indicates you’re overcompensating with other parts of your body. You want to pretend you are sitting back on a chair, rather than going straight down. This will keep your knees from flaring out. Do four sets of these, with 20 reps each.

 

Conclusion

So, how’d it go? Did you enjoy your body weight workout? I hope you found this safe, effective workout to be fun and easy to do in your own home. If you do this every day, or even every other day, you’re sure to become much more fit. This workout proves you don’t need specialized gym equipment to get in to shape!

 

Drop us a line in the comments if this worked well for you!