After you complete these two exercises, you will realize the potency of combining dumbbell and bodyweight exercises. One of the best programs I have come across which effectively combine these two training methods is the Gladiator Body Workout. Find out more about the Gladiator Body Workout here.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Intensity and time are related. The more intense a workout is, the shorter it will last. Here are a few methods to help you shorten your workouts:

Option One: Create a Circuit

What we’ll do is simply form a circuit with these exercises, performing them back to back. Instead of 2 minutes rest after each exercise, we’ll rest 3 minutes at the end of the circuit. This will cut 3 minutes time per round, or a total 15 minutes for all five rounds. Here is what it looks like:

Perform 5 rounds of:

• Squat Jumps - 10 reps
• Hindu Pushups - 10 reps
• Chinups - 10 reps
• Rest 3 minutes

Option Two: Combine Lifts

These exercises can be easily combined to form a hybrid. Simply perform 1 rep of each exercise back to back 10 times for one set. This style may actually give you a slight rest between muscle groups, thus boosting your performance and making the workout faster.

Perform 5 rounds of:

• Squat Jumps + Hindu Pushups + Chinups - 10 reps
• Rest 3 minutes

Option Three: Set a time period

If you are really strapped for time, you can set a particular time period, such as 15 minutes and just try to complete as much of the workout as possible. Record your total number of rounds performed in the following workout. Strive to perform one more round in the next workout. Perhaps you will surprise yourself and be able to perform 5 rounds in 15 minutes.

Maximum rounds in 15 minutes of:

• Squat Jumps - 10 reps
• Hindu Pushups - 10 reps
• Chinups - 10 reps

Option Four: Go 300 Style

In the “300? workout, they performed a handful of exercises at high reps. Many times when we write “10 reps” we feel that we can perform more than 10 reps at a time, but we rest because we have written the workout in that manner. By eliminating the concept of sets and reps, we may be able to finish the workout at a faster pace then we thought we could.

For time:

• Squat Jumps - 50 reps
• Hindu Pushups - 50 reps
• Chinups - 50 reps

Option Five: Break up Your Weaknesses

Lets say that we are unable to perform 10 straight repetitions of chinups. We can split the chinups up into 2 subsets of 5 reps. This will rest your back and biceps while you focus on another exercise.

5 rounds of:

• Squat Jumps - 10 reps
• Chinups - 5 reps
• Hindu Pushups - 10 reps
• Chinups - 5 reps
• Rest 3 minutes

Another option is:

5 rounds of:

• Squat Jump - 10 reps
• Chinups 5 reps
• Rest 90 seconds
• Hindu Pushups - 10 reps
• Chinups 5 reps
• Rest90 seconds

Option Six: Decreasing Repetitions

When you gradually decrease the repetitions, it makes the set seem mentally easier. Overall, you are still performing the same amount of repetitions.

25-15-10 reps of:

• Squat Jumps
• Hindu Pushups
• Chinups

Option Seven: Alternate with Cardio

Alternate your body weight exercise with a short bout of cardio. You may need to drop sets or rounds due to a dramatic increase in the intensity level.Perform 3 rounds of:

• Squat Jumps - 10 reps
• 5 Double Unders
• Hindu Pushups - 10 reps
• 5 Double Unders
• Chinups - 10 reps
• 5 Double Unders
• Rest 3 minutes

Option Eight: One Exercise for Time

Choose just one exercise and perform it for a high number of repetitions. Whole body or hybrid exercise can also be used.

Perform 100 repetitions for time of:

Burpees

Option Nine: Use Mini Time Periods

Instead of alternating between three exercises for a set period of time, perform each exercise for a mini time period in a circuit.

Perform 3 rounds of:

• Squat Jumps - 1 minute
• Hindu Pushups - 1 minute
• Chinups - 1 minute
• 30 Seconds rest

Popularity: 15% [?]

Here are six easy to follow beginner bodyweight exercises to help you develop a stronger upper body:

Pushups

If you don’t know how to perform pushups, there are a number of progressions you can follow:

• Decline Pushups - Place your hands on a sturdy surface (chair, edge of bed). Straighten out your body with your arms fully extended, back straight, and feet shoulder width apart. Let your body move towards the surface until your chest is just an inch off the surface. Now push back to starting position.
• Wall Pushups - Instead of placing your hands on a surface, place your hands on a wall. Stand as far as it takes to extend your arms fully. With your back straight and your weight resting slightly on your toes, move towards the wall until your nose is an inch away from the wall. Push back to starting position.
• Cobra Pushups - Lay down on the floor. Place your arms beside you as if you were about to perform a push up. Push your upper body off the floor while keeping your lower body on the floor. Your back should bend and your upper body should curve upwards like a “Cobra.”

Pullups

Use these pullup variations to help you perform your first pullup:

• Jumping Pullups and Negatives - Get underneath a pullup bar. Grab the bar with a hands facing away from you grip. Jump as high as you can towards the bar. Pull yourself up towards the bar until your chin clears it. Slowly lower your body back to starting position. The negative lowering portion should be done as slow as possible.
• Jumping Chinups - Get underneath a pullup bar. Grab the bar with a hands facing towards you grip. Jump as high as you can towards the bar. Complete the movement by pulling yourself up towards the bar until your chin clears it. Return to starting position.
• Jumping Pullups - Get underneath a pullup bar. Grab the bar with a hands facing away from you grip. Jump as high as you can towards the bar. Complete the movement by pulling yourself up towards the bar until your chin clears it. Return to starting position.

Popularity: 15% [?]

Yesterday I pointed out how research was very important in your quest to improve with bodyweight training. Today we will cover the research tools you can use to improve your fitness levels.

Some of these resources are free, and others are not free. Lets go over a few free ones first. The first free resource is your own training diary. If you do not have a training diary, then start one right now!

How to Start a Exercise Diary

Here are a few things you need for a successful training diary:

• Description of workout - what you did
• Method of measurement - record your progress with time, reps, sets, etc.
• Mood - How did you feel before and after your workout?
• Time - What time did you workout?
• Notes - Write a few sentences of what you liked and what you did not like about the workout.

The World of Blogging

The second resource is the Internet. Specifically, blogs. Shah Training is a blog, but there are lots of other blogs out there that can help you out with your bodyweight training.

Use google’s blog search feature to seek out these new blogs. In fact, what I do is just use Google Blog Search when I need to research a new topic. I trust individual blogs more than I trust mainstream media (well, you already knew that).

Sifting Through eBooks

The last source of great bodyweight information is eBooks. Some eBooks are cheap, some are expensive. The following are a few eBooks that I feature on this website:

• Animal Kingdom Workouts - Unique eBook which features exercises and information based on the movement of animals in the wild.
• Wild Geese Bodyweight Training - Features 200 intense bodyweight exercises based off of Martial Arts disciplines.
• Ultimate Gymless Workout - High Intensity Bodyweight Programs for Intermediate and Advanced athletes.
• Bodyweight Exercise Revolution - Bodyweight training based off the Circuit Strength Training system (try to hit your body from as many angles as possible).
• Naked Commando System - Boot Camp bodyweight training program based off of military training exercises.
• Workout Without Weights - Basic bodyweight manual for beginner trainees.

How Will You use this Information?

As you can tell, there are tons of bodyweight resources out there on the Internet. When deciding which products to feature on my website, I wanted there to be as much diversity as possible.

I was quite amazed at how many bodyweight training products are out there on the market. But each of these 6 eBooks provides a unique perspective on bodyweight exercise. While one focuses on Animal Training exercises, another is based off of the exercise that the military uses to prepare their soldiers for combat.

The question is not which approach you will take. The question is how can you use all this knowledge to create your own unique fitness philosophy. That will be your “thought for the day.”

Until Tomorrow!

- Parth

Popularity: 19% [?]

Why are so many people just missing the boat when it comes to designing an effective bodyweight workout? I mean, it’s not rocket science. What is it that world class trainers know that the average trainee doesn’t?

There are lots of little tips and tricks to make a bodyweight workout more effective at helping you reach your goals. However, there are two main things you need to know: Progression and Consistency.

Yeah, what else is new, right? But wait, what I’m telling you is actually the REASON why people fail at achieving their fitness goals. First, they don’t stick to their program long enough.

Three Reasons Why People don’t Stick to their Programs

Why don’t they stick to their program long enough? There are three possible reasons why: 1) The program doesn’t work, and 2) The program is boring, or 3) The program is too hard.

Newbies make this mistake a lot: They’ll get all worked up about some really great workout that they saw, and make all these promises to themselves. Two days later, they’ve given up on their goals because they realize how hard their workout is.

The only people that really get excited about “intense workouts” are those that have been training for a while already. Everyone else wants the easy way out.

The Last Piece of the Puzzle

So out of those three reasons, we’ve covered two: 1) Doing too much, too soon, and 2) If a workout is too easy, it won’t work. The last piece of the puzzle is making it FUN.

A challenging workout is a fun workout. But the degree of challenge must fall between these two extremes: too easy, and too difficult. This level of challenge is different for different people.

The truth is, you won’t get it right the first time. It’s going to take you a few weeks to determine what exactly your level of fitness is, and when is it that you are doing TOO MUCH, and when is it that you are doing TOO LITTLE.

Start a Training Diary

For advanced athletes, I hope you guys are keeping a training diary. Because it is in your training diary that you will find the answer to the all-time fitness question: How do I keep PROGRESSING?

The answer just may be that you need a new program, a new set of exercises, and a new set of variables. That’s when you know it’s time to do some new research.

I want to you to take a moment to determine how exactly you can do this research. Ask yourself what you can do take your fitness to the next level.

Don’t Worry…I’ll Help you Out

And tomorrow I’ll throw some more ideas your way to help you keep progressing with your training.

Popularity: 22% [?]

Most people think that they can’t get a good lower body workout in the comfort of their own homes. This is false. You can get a great lower body workout if you just combine bodyweight and dumbbell exercises. The following are 5 of the most effective dumbbell and bodyweight exercises for the lower body:

Dumbbell Rear Lunge

Hold one dumbbell in each hand and let your hands hang comfortably by your sides. Stand shoulder width apart with your back straight. Step backwards with your right foot and lower your body until your right knee touches the ground and your left knee is at a 90* angle. Return back to starting position and repeat with the opposite leg.

Squat Jumps

Once bodyweight squat get too easy, it’s time to perform squat jumps. Drop down into squat position and immediately explode upwards, catching air. When your feet hit the ground, immediately drop back down and repeat. This is a fast movement and should be done with maximum momentum.

Plie Dumbbell Squat

Take a slightly wider than shoulder width stance and hold a dumbbell between your feet by interlocking your fingers around the head of the dumbbell. Squat down leading with your hips for as low as you can go. Push back up to starting position and repeat.

Boot Strappers

Squat down and place your hands a few inches in front of your body on the floor, palms down. The goal with this exercise is to straighten out your legs while keeping your palms and feet flat on the floor. This exercise hits your hamstrings.

Dumbbell Swing

Take a slightly wider than shoulder width stance. Hold a dumbbell between your legs with two hands on the handle of the dumbbell. Squat down slightly and keep your back straight. Generate power with your hips as you extend your knees and straighten out your body. Transfer power onto the dumbbell, and make it swing using momentum. This is a hip and lower back exercise, not an arm exercise. Do not use your arms to make the dumbbelll swing.

Popularity: 23% [?]

Tabata Interval Training is an interval scheme developed by Dr. Izumi Tabata, which consists of performing 20 seconds of work, followed by 10 seconds of rest. Tabata training can be an amazing method of improving ones level of athletic conditioning, and dropping fat. There are also some who’ve reported increases in lean muscle mass. This is possible due to the amount of Lactic Acid being released into the blood stream, although I would not suggest making Tabata training the core of your mass gain program. The number one reason for this is that it is a very brutal training system that will burn you out quickly if you are not careful.

Progress Slowly

As mentioned earlier, Tabata is brutal. It’s better off to start off slow. I would start off with performing bodyweight Tabata workouts, once per week. I’ve designed a very simple, 10-week training program to help you get used to basic Tabata training:

Choose 3-4 compound exercises. Suggested exercises are pushups, pullups, and bodyweight squats.

• Week One - Perform 3 sets of each exercise with 30 seconds work, 60 seconds rest
• Week Two - Perform 4 sets of each exercise with 30 seconds work, 60 seconds rest
• Week Three - Perform 4 sets of each exercise with 30 seconds work, 45 seconds rest
• Week Four - Perform 5 sets of each exercise with 30 seconds work, 45 seconds rest
• Week Five - Perform 5 sets of each exercise with 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest
• Week Six - Perform 6 sets of each exercise with 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest
• Week Seven - Perform 6 sets of each exercise with 30 seconds work, 15 seconds rest
• Week Eight - Perform 7 sets of each exercise with 30 seconds work, 15 seconds rest
• Week Nine - Perform 7 sets of each exercise with 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest
• Week Ten - Perform 8 sets of each exercise with 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest

Tabata Training Splits

I know some trainees love to split up their training program. After the initial 10 weeks of training, your body should be used to the intensity level of Tabata training. Here are a few sample training splits you can use with Tabata training:

3 Days per Week Training

• Day One: Upper Body
• Day Two: Tabata
• DayThree: Lower Body

4 Days per Week Training

• Day One: Upper Body
• Day Two: Tabata
• Day Three: Lower Body
• Day Four: Tabata

5 Days per Week Training

Day One: Upper Body Push

• Day Two: Tabata
• Day Three: Upper Body Pull
• Day Four: Tabata
• Day Five: Lower Body

Tabata with Weights

You do not have to use exclusively bodyweight exercises for Tabata training. You can use weights, however you should follow some basic rules:

• Use Compound exercises such as Overhead Presses and Flat Bench Press.
• Dumbbells and Kettlebells work best as opposed to Barbells.
• Avoid machine and isolation exercises.

Creating your Own Tabata Workouts

Success with Tabata is consistently using more difficult exercises. I would personally stick to bodyweight training for Tabata before experimenting with other exercises. However, I have identified 9 dumbbell exercises that work great with Tabata training:

• Dumbbell Thruster
• Dumbbell Snatch
• Dumbbell Clean and Press
• Dumbbell Lunge
• Dumbbell Squat
• Dumbbell Flat Bench Press
• Dumbbell Overhead Squat
• Dumbbell Push Jerk
• Dumbbell Renegade Rows

I hope this basic tutorial proved helpful in starting out with Tabata training. And don’t forget to check out the Gladiator Body Workout for more intense interval style workouts using dumbbells and bodyweight training.

Popularity: 25% [?]

I’ve come across a lot of great intense workouts. I have found a pattern in many of the se well-designed workouts, and have decided to give you guys four templates to help you create your own effective high intensity workout. Here they are:

Effective Method One: Rounds for Time

Simply choose two-three exercises you can perform in a circuit, and perform 3 to 5 rounds of the circuit. Time the entire workout with as little rest between exercises/circuits as possible.

Sample Workout:

3 rounds for time:

• Hindu Pushups, 15 Reps
• Deadlift 135lbs, 15 reps
• Kettlebell Clean and Press, 15 reps

Effective Method Two: Maximum Rounds for Time

Choose a particular time limit such as 10 or 20 minutes. Create a circuit, and try to perform as many rounds of the circuit within the given time frame.

Sample Workout:

Perform as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes:

• Hindu Pushups, 15 reps
• Deadlift, 15 reps
• Kettlebell Clean and Press, 15 reps

Effective Method Three: Station Training

Choose 3 to 5 exercises, or “stations.” Spend a minute on each station, performing as many reps within that minute as possible, then move onto the next station. Repeat the circuit for 3 to 5 rounds.

Sample Workout:

3 rounds of:

• Hindu Pushups, 1 minute
• Deadlift, 1 minute
• Kettlebell Clean and Press, 1 minute

Effective Method Four: Pyramid Reps

Choose two to three exercises, and steadily increase or decrease the reps per each exercise as the rounds progress.

Sample Workout

Perform 21-15-9 reps of:

• Hindu Pushups
• Deadlift, 135lbs
• Kettlebell Clean and Press

As you can see from my sample workouts, all you need to do is plug in some whole-body exercises to make the workouts effective. The following are videos for the exercises that I chose:

Hindu Pushups

Deadlifts

Kettlebell Clean and Press

Use these templates as part of a full three to four day a week plan, or use them as a once a week challenge workout. The possibilities are endless. Enjoy!

Popularity: 28% [?]

The other day my cousin called me up. Three minutes into the conversation, he said to me, “Man, I’m so out of shape. I just can’t seem to get to the gym. And when I do have time, I’m just to tired to walk all the way to the gym.” There was a pause. “Can you give me a workout?”

I knew it was coming. My family and friends always try to get free workouts from me. I obliged him. Man, I’m too nice. I’m so nice that I’m going to share with you guys the exact same workout I gave my cousin.

The Exercises

Parallel Squats - Stand with feet shoulder width apart. Your toes should be pointed slightly outwards. Keep your back straight, and core tight. Now pretend that you are sitting down into a chair. You can even practice this movement with a chair at first. If you are practicing with a chair, then keep dropping down until your backside touches the chair just slightly. Return to starting position. Without a chair, what you want to do is stop until your thighs are just parallel to the floor, hence the term “parallel” squats.

Hindu Pushups - Start with your hands and feet slightly wider than shoulder width apart and your backside raised so that your body is in an upside down ‘V’ position. The key to this movement is to keep your ears parallel to your shoulders. This will ensure that your back is straight. Keep your legs straight as well. Keep your core tight. Now choose a point on the floor and dive towards that point until your nose is about an inch off the ground. Now curve forward and straighten out your body. Your body should still be an inch off the ground. Complete the movement by pushing out forward so that your back is arched.

The best way to describe this movement is to pretend that there is a bar in front of you. Do you remember that game “limbo” as a little kid? The one where you had to walk underneath a bar that kept getting lower and lower without touching it? This works the same way. The only difference is that you are going under the bar head first.

1 1/2 Chinups - These are exactly what they sound like. Perform one full chinup. On the way down, stop half way, and perform another chinup from the half way point. If you are unable to perform this movement for the recommended repetitions, then just perform regular chinups.

The Workout

Since my cousin is short on time, I told him to organize all his works into a density format. This means he chooses a particular time frame, and moves through the exercises in a circuit for as many times as he can. Here is what the workout looks like:

Maximum rounds in 20 minutes of:

• Parallel Squats, 10 reps
• Hindu Pushups, 5 reps
• 1 1/2 Chinups, 3 reps

Get a timer of some sort (most cell phones have one), and set it for 20 minutes. Move through the workout and record the number of rounds you are able to perform within the given time period. Try to complete more rounds each time you attempt the workout.

Popularity: 29% [?]

Are you ready for 4 minutes of pain? It might not seem like a lot, but there’s a TON of work you can get done within just 4 minutes of exercise.

There are two reasons why exercise takes so long for most people:

1. Too many exercises
2. Too much rest between sets

Tabata training helps you solve these two problems and helps you get a fast, intense workout in a matter of 4 MINUTES. Here’s how it works:

1. Choose an exercise
2. Perform the exercise for 20 seconds all out, then rest 10 seconds.
3. Repeat for another 7 times

That’s 4 minutes of pain. If you’re brave enough and survive the first 4 minutes, you can start adding in more exercises into the mix. MostTabata workouts have you performing 3-5 exercises for workouts that last 12-20 minutes.

If you can recover from Tabata workouts, then you can perform them 2-3 days a week and burn a tremendous amount of fat in the process. This might be the only fat loss program you need, EVER.

I’m going to share with a quick and simple beginner bodyweight workout:

Tabata rounds of:

• Jumping Chinups - get under a pullup bar. Grab the pullup bar with a palms facing you grip. Jump up as high as possible and complete the movement by pulling your body towards the pullup bar. Let your chin clear the bar. Drop back to starting position
• Parallel Jump Squat - Drop down into a parallel squat, then explode up.
• Knee Pushups - Get on the ground with you arms besides your body. Bend your knees and place them on a soft surface (mat, grass, carpet). Keep your back straight and push your body off the floor until your arms are fully extended.

Perform 8 20/10 intervals of each exercise before moving onto the next exercise. Perform this quick 12 minute workout 2-3 times a week for intense fat burning.

Popularity: 30% [?]