Strength Training Without Weights - Bodyweight Exercise Secrets

Strength training without weights is one of the latest fads to hit the fitness world. Exercises without weight, or bodyweight exercises as they are better known, are for people who primarily want to build stronger and leaner physiques but don't want to go to the gym.

One of the biggest myths is that you need to go to the gym and spend long hours lifting heavy weights in order to achieve a sleek looking physique.

Here are a couple of bodyweight exercise secrets that you might not be aware of:

1. You Don't Need To Do Hours Of Cardio To Get Ripped Abs - What you actually need is a consistent and diverse workout routine that features somewhat challenging exercises that simultaneously target multiple muscle groups at once including your upper and lower abdominal muscles. For example, take an ab exercise called the 3 chair push up. 

With this exercise you will be performing a traditional push up except, unlike with push ups, your feet will be placed on the seat of a chair rather than on the ground. This exercise will increase your range of motion that you normally experience with push ups and will cause your abdominals to rapidly contract in order to stabilize your body. While this exercise can help you achieve seriously ripped abs you will still need to maintain a balanced diet and a proper mix of carbs, protein, and unsaturated fats.

2. Injuries Are Not A Prerequisite For Becoming Strong And Muscular - There seems to be this idea common among bodybuilders that in order to develop massive muscles you need to get injured a few times. Injuries are apparently seen as a mark of honor by some weight lifters because they symbolize that you are moving up in weight and therefore becoming stronger.

In reality, injuries are a massive setback to virtually any training routine not to mention the accompanying and often debilitating pain. If you become injured lifting weights you will likely be unable to perform certain exercises for several weeks or even months depending on the severity and location of your injury.

A week off from weight training can actually be beneficial but several weeks or months can easily reverse your strength and muscle gains. One of the principal advantages of bodyweight exercises over heavy weight exercises is that it is very difficult to sustain an injury during a bodyweight workout routine.

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Exercises For Lower Abdominals – Medicine Ball Workout Routines

I'm not exactly sure what it is but just about everyone these days is interested in getting really nicely defined abdominal muscles. It could be because of the media culture that we live in or perhaps it's because 6 or even 8 pack abs are are really pleasant to look at. Whatever the reason, chances are good that if you are reading this article you too want to know how to get ripped abs.

Your abdominal muscles consist primarily of three different muscle groups: upper abs, lower abs, and obliques. Many fitness enthusiasts simply do not understand the basic concepts behind lower abdominal exercises and unfortunately waste much of their precious time doing ab routines that just don't work For example, you have likely tried doing sit ups, crunches, and leg lifts in the hopes of developing your abdominal muscles.

While recommended by fitness professionals and coaches the world over, sit ups, crunches, and leg lifts only really work the upper abdominal muscles. If you want to get 6 or even 8 pack abs then you are going to need to incorporate a few medicine ball exercises into your abdominal workout routine. Gyms have varying degrees of medicine balls some of which weigh as much as 25 pounds. For these exercises an 8-10 pound ball is recommended. Also, you should aim to do 8-10 sets of each exercise with 8-10 reps per set.


Knee Lifts – Lay flat on your back and place the medicine ball tightly between your knees. While still keeping your back firmly against the ground, raise your knees along with the medicine ball ¾ of the way towards your head and back down again for a total of 8-10 sets. Remember to keep your head and back firmly planted against the ground.

Upright Leg Raises – To do this exercise you will need a standing dip machine. A standing dip machine will allow you to remain upright and raise your legs at the same time. Once you have secured yourself in the dip machine place the medicine ball between your feet and lift your legs upwards until they reach a 90 degree angle with your body and then lower them back down again. If you are unable to locate a standing dip machine then you can lay down on your back instead of standing upright.

Medicine Ball Passes – Lay completely flat on the ground with your arms stretched behind your head and your legs pressed firmly against the ground. Place the medicine ball in your hands that are stretched behind your head and simultaneously raise your arms and legs towards one another and pass the ball from your hands to your feet while lowering your arms and legs back down to the ground. Then raise your legs and pass the ball back to your hands. Rinse and repeat.

Oblique Twists – Assume the same position you did for the knee lifts. Place the ball between your knees and twist your knees left and then to the right and back again. Alternatively, you can place the ball in your hand and with your knees in the upright position twist your body toward your left knee then your right knee and back again.

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Building Muscle Without Weights – 3 Killer Bodyweight Exercises

There's nothing I love more than going to the gym to socialize, work out and be seen. However, there are also those times when I just don't have time for the gym or happen to be on one of my off days. Admittedly, I know there are also some muscle building enthusiasts out there who are not fond of gyms and prefer to stay at home. This is somewhat understandable as gyms can be uncomfortable places to be at times not to mention that they all require a monthly fee.

Bear in mind that if you are interested in getting truly ripped you are going to have to do some actual weight lifting as bodyweight exercises tend tone and condition rather than build muscle mass. It's entirely possible to look and feel great with just bodyweight exercises but getting really ripped is another story.

That being said, here are 3 killer bodyweight exercises you can do without weight that will build your chest, arm, shoulders, and abdominal muscles: 

1.¾ Ab curls – Forget everything you've ever heard about plain sit ups. For the average person sit ups are a joke and will likely not result in defined abs. In sports practice, boot camp, and gym class sit ups are designed more to punish than to actually build muscle. Here's how you do a ¾ ab curl that will work your lower and upper abs: lay on your back with your hands behind your head and your legs and knees in an upright position. While keeping your head and feet one inch off the ground lift your head until your elbows touch your knees. Rinse and repeat. 20-30 reps per set and 12-15 sets total is ideal here.

2.Pull-Ups – These are a tried and true bodyweight exercise. For this exercise you will need a bar installed securely in either your ceiling or wall. There are actually two types of pull-ups: long grip and short grip. With the long grip your hands will need to be about shoulder width apart and you should aim to raise yourself 6-8 times per set. With the short grip you will need to place your hands squarely in the middle of the bar and you should raise yourself 8-10 times. A good pull up workout consists of 6 sets each of long and short grip pull-ups. 

3.Incline Push Ups – These are also a tried and true bodyweight exercise. For this you will have to have access to a step or stairway. Place your hands shoulder width apart and place the toes of your feet at the bottom of the stairs. Now simply raise yourself up as you would with a normal push-up. For a more concentrated push up you can place your hands next to each other rather than shoulder width apart. 20-30 reps per set and 10-12 sets total is ideal here but you may be able to do more or less depending on your bodyweight.

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