Many people assume bodyweight training is easy and ineffective, or at least is inferior to training that involves using heavy resistance. This is anything but true. This week I am sharing 5 bodyweight exercises that will humble you.
#1) Pike Alternating Flutter Kicks
This exercise strengthens the hip flexors, and improves lumbo-pelvic stability. This exercise is SO much tougher than it looks.
Coaching Tips:
- Sit on the floor. Fully extend your knees and plantarflex your feet. You should have a slight forward lean in your torso.
- Place your hands so they are ahead of you and are on either side of your legs, and rest your fingertips on the floor.
- While keeping your knees fully extended and feet plantarflexed, perform alternating flutter kicks.
- With this exercise, some spinal flexion is okay.
- Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso, spine, or hips to rotate, or weight to shift from hip to hip.
- For the duration of the exercise, keep your core muscles braced.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#2) Reverse Nordic Curls
This exercise strengthens the quads (particularly eccentrically). If you are struggling to perform this movement, start out by performing the bodyweight eccentric component alone, and use assistance on the way up.
Coaching Tips:
- Get into a tall kneeling stance. Adopt your preferred knee width. Your head, torso, hips, and knees should be in a stacked position. While I prefer to keep my feet plantarflexed, do what works and feels best for you.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection), and squeeze your glutes.
- Now, while keeping your body in a stacked position from your head to knees, take 3-5 seconds and use your quads to control the movement as you lower your body down to your full range. Use a range that allows you to maintain proper form.
- Once you’ve hit the bottom position, use your quads to bring your body back to the starting position.
- The more you lean back, the more challenging the movement will be. Conversely, the more upright your body remains, the easier the movement will be. Start out very conservatively.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, or your weight to shift from knee to knee.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Get a package of The Ultimate Pull-Up Program and The Ultimate Push-Up Program for $157. Both programs regularly cost $97 each, so you save $37.
#3) Russian Push-Ups
This extremely advanced push-up variation strengthens the chest, shoulders, and especially triceps, and improves lumbo-pelvic stability, and shoulder and scapular controlled mobility.
Coaching Tips:
- Set your body so it is in a straight line from your head to heels, tuck your chin, and keep your neck in neutral alignment.
- Unlike regular push-ups where you are on the tips of your toes, you want the top of your feet (laces) to be in contact with the floor.
- Place your hands so they are slightly closer together than during regular push-ups. Your elbows and upper arms should remain tight to your sides.
- At the top of the push-up, your shoulders, elbows and wrists should be in a stacked position. Spread your fingers, and pretend you are suctioning them to the floor.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection), and squeeze your glutes.
- Now descend into the push-up by “rowing” your body down to the bottom position.
- In the bottom position, your elbows should be positioned over your wrists. Do not allow your elbows to flare out.
- Once your upper arms are approximately parallel to the ground, press your body backwards and touch your forearms to the floor. Your feet should glide along the floor during this component.
- Then pull your body forward, and press back up the starting position.
- Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, hips to collapse or pike, or neck to collapse.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#4) Pistol Squat Challenge
This extremely humbling exercise strengthens the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, and improves balance.
Coaching Tips:
- While technically this is a bodyweight exercise, holding a weight will serve as a counterbalance. Extend your arms.
- Stand on one foot, and have a slight bend in your knee. As for the non-working leg, fully extend your knee, and dorsiflex your foot.
- Form a tripod base by placing your weight on the back portion of your foot, and keep your toes down, particularly your big and baby toes. These parts of your foot should remain in contact with the floor for the duration of the exercise. Pretend you are suctioning or screwing your foot to the ground.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), and tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection).
- Now perform a pistol squat, and lower yourself down to the ground. Aim to do so in 2-3 seconds.
- Once your hips touch the ground, lie down, and reach back with your arms so the weight is overhead. Do not allow your lower back to hyperextend or ribcage to flare. Maintain the “canister” position.
- Then use a little momentum from your upper body and bring your arms and weight forward, push back up and return to the starting position.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend or round, ribcage to flare, or your torso, spine or hips to rotate.
- Do not allow your knee to fall inside or outside of your foot.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
#5) Bodyweight Skull Crushers
This exercise is likely my favorite ‘’isolation’’ exercise for the triceps. This exercise also improves lumbo-pelvic stability. You can perform this exercise using a wall, a fixed bar in a squat rack, a Smith Machine bar, or a TRX.
The more parallel to the ground your body is, the more challenging this will be. Start out very conservatively as this exercise is WAY tougher than it looks.
Coaching Tips:
- Place your hands so they are relatively close together.
- Set your body so it is in a straight line from your head to heels, tuck your chin, and keep your neck in neutral alignment.
- Before each rep, take a deep breath in (360 degrees of air around your spine), brace your core (360 degree brace around your spine), tuck your ribs towards your hips (close the space in your midsection), and squeeze your glutes.
- Now bend your elbows to a range where you are able to maintain proper form. Once you hit your end range, contract your triceps, extend your elbows and press up to the starting position.
- In the bottom position, do not allow your elbows to flare out.
- Do not keep your shoulder blades pinned. They are meant to move.
- For the duration of the exercise, do not allow your lower back to hyperextend or round, ribcage to flare, torso, spine or hips to rotate, hips to collapse or pike, or neck to collapse.
- In terms of breathing, do what works and feels best for you.
Join THOUSANDS Of People From 86 Countries Worldwide And Get The Ultimate Pull-Up Program Now
