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Bodyweight workouts are, as the name suggests, exercises using our body weight. Although these practices have grown in popularity recently, their basic form dates back a long time...
- Theorem -
When it comes to sports or physical exertion, it makes sense to go to the gym and lift weights. But there is an alternative: body weight workouts. In the field of body weight, everyone has their own approach, vision and name. And whether we are pro or novice, there is only one golden rule : « Strengthen our muscles ! ».
Because we do not use (or just a few) external loads in our training, we have less possibility of injuring ourselves. Let’s be careful, however, the key lies in the right positioning and avoiding abuse of confidence in our abilities (clowning has consequences). This is why calling on a coach (live, via videoconference or on video) to learn the correct form of each movement is essential. Practicing in front of a mirror is very useful, to make sure that we respect the correct execution of the movements.
And even if the mechanics and the engaged muscles are almost the same, we must not confuse pushing and pulling, because these two divergent movements, solicit the sets of muscles in different ways (stabilization and core strengthening).
FOR EXAMPLE : Push-ups primarily use the chest, the shoulders, and triceps muscles, while pull-ups primarily engage the back, the shoulders, and biceps muscles. Thus, it goes without saying that we will obtain better results, by practicing these two physical efforts.
Basic body weight workouts are easy to learn. Therefore, if we do the same exercises over and over again, day after day, month after month, our body can quickly get bored and stop paying attention. We will have to change our routine frequently, either by finding different exercises to practice or by going further with our current exercises (making them more complicated/difficult), while maintaining the work of our muscle groups and improving our condition, or even, our physical prowess. Often, the simple act of changing the position of our hands/feet totally transforms the effort required.
FOR EXAMPLE : A regular push-up requires our hands to be shoulder-width apart. The exercise becomes more difficult if we move our hands inward or outward to turn them into diamonds or wide push-ups. Suddenly, what may have become easy for our body, becomes a new challenge.
- Practices -
Varying styles is a great way to make sure all of our muscles are working. And what is very satisfying is that there is no shortage of body weight workouts styles : gymnastics, Pilates, calisthenics, street workout, plyometrics, etc.
Here is a small, non-exhaustive list of practices:
CALISTHENICS : It is not practiced the same way by everyone. Some focus on its pure muscle building and movement-perfecting aspect, while others see a more artistic/freestyle side to it, with gymnastic transitions. Calisthenics is basically an intensive training designed to increase strength, flexibility, agility, balance and coordination (push-ups, lunges, pull-ups, stabilization, etc.).
PLIOMETRICS : It is the cornerstone which is superimposed on calisthenics. It's about taking basic exercises and making them more explosive. It is a set of strength training exercises focused on sudden changes in direction (jumping, sprints, etc.).
THE LAFAY METHOD : This formula consists of developing different athletic qualities (flexibility, endurance, relaxation, power and resistance) to refine our silhouette and/or shape us. It is a combination of several resistance and body weight training exercises that only require the help of everyday objects (chairs, walls, etc.).
PILATES : During its practice, our muscles strive to defy gravity, with resistance and stability. Concentration is essential and breathing is specific (rib/lateral breathing, inspiration through the nose, expiration through the mouth). All movements start from the energy centre of the body, that is to say, everything starts and is controlled by the abdominal strap.
SWEDISH GYMNASTICS : It refers to gymnastic exercises that involve two or more participants helping each other perform the exercises. Usually one person does the exercise and the other person adds resistance (acts as counterweight). The downside is that it is difficult to measure the degree of resistance added by the partner, compared to free weights or lifting a specific load. The advantage is that it allows relatively high resistance levels to be obtained.
HIIT : High intensity interval training is much more than what the name suggests. In fact, « HIIT » refers to a very specific and particular type of training. training. The hallmark of HIIT is the repetition of extremely difficult periods of work (because in maximum challenge), interspersed with periods of recovery. The benefits of HIIT are based on performance (endurance, speed), increasing VO2 max (amount of oxygen we can use during exercise), improving our insulin sensitivity (the responsiveness of our insulin cells) and our cardiovascular functions. This also makes it a convenient form of cardio and weight training when we’re short on time.
- Applications -
No matter the chosen style, there is no miracle, we will have to get started, so here is the list of the most common exercises :
PUSH-UPS : We will have to be careful to keep our back straight, and to not pull back the buttocks, drop the hips or forget to sheath. Let's position our hands on the floor so that they are slightly more apart than our shoulders. Then we either get on our knees or on our toes. The weight of the body forward, on the palms of the hands. We will bend our arms, keeping our elbows outward, until our chest is between our elbows. Then, press the ground with our hands to go back up. Once we can do 12 reps correctly, let's try some other variations.
LUNGES : We will have to be careful to keep our back straight, and the abdominal muscles sheathed. In a standing position, the feet more apart than the shoulders. We can either bring one leg forward or one leg back, bending the knees at 90 °. Then let's get back to our original position. We can put our hands on our hips to help us with our movements or if we don't know what to do with them.
CRUNCHES When we perform this exercise, we have to be careful to not place our hands behind the neck, to not contract the perineum and to not do the movements too quickly. Lying on our back, heels on the floor. We will put our hands on the temples, elbows open and the chin tucked in. Next, let's lift our torso by contracting our abdominal muscles. At first, we don't have to get up completely. We will have to pay attention to our breathing : inhale when we are on the ground and exhale when we bring the chest up.
SQUATS : We will have to make sure to keep our back straight and our chest high. And to not put our weight forward, it will have to stay on the heels (which remain anchored to the ground). While standing, we will place our feet farther apart than our shoulders with the toes pointing outward. We are going to push our glutes down, slightly back (as if to sit on a chair). The legs should be in line with the ankles. When our legs are bent at 90 °, we go back up. We can put our hands together to help us perform the exercise with more balance.
THE PLANK : During the plank, we engage several muscles. Therefore, we should be careful to maintain the alignment of our neck and spine and to not pull up our buttocks. Either resting on our elbows (aligned under our shoulders), or in a high plank position with our arms outstretched (as for push-ups). Let's tuck in our stomachs, and not forget to breathe. The aim of the game is to hold the position as long as possible. When the effort becomes too hard, we will put our knees on the ground to rest. In its full version, we will raise one leg and the opposite arm, and again we will have to hold the position as long as possible, then repeat with the other leg and the other arm.
Obviously, the list of exercises is much longer and their variations too. So let's surf the Web to find one or more ideas and most of all let's have fun!
Conclusions
Many of us spend our days sitting in front of a computer or the television, and modern life has a way of making us feel overwhelmed by time and forcing us to find the most effective ways to use every minute that presents itself to us. Body weight workouts are the answer to keeping us in shape, no matter the style and place we choose.
What do you think?
