If you’re in your thirties, twenties, or younger, then it’s quite easy for you to stay in shape. It’s the middle aged men and women who have full time careers, and a families to be responsible for that have a really tough time to stay in shape.

If you fall within this category, then I’m going to show you some basic tips on how you can stay in shape despite a hectic schedule. The first question that pops into most people’s minds is: What kind of workout should I follow?

Well, if….

…You don’t have time to go to a gym
…You don’t want to spend a whole lot of money on expensive equipment
…You just want a very basic, simple program you can follow with little time commitment

Then the best workout for you is a bodyweight routine.

Click here to Learn how to Perform over 100 Bodyweight Exercises

Start from the Basics

There are only four exercises you really need to get started: push ups, bodyweight squats, situps, and pull ups. The only equipment you’ll need for your workouts is a stop watch and a pullup bar. Most cell phones have a stop watch or timer feature.

As for a pullup bar, you can probably get a really cheap one from eBay or Craigslist. Now that you know that you won’t be spending a whole lot of money on your fitness plan, lets learn how to perform these basic movements:

Push Up

• In order to perform a proper push up, simply get down on all fours. Your body should be balances on the palms of your hands and your toes. The starting position of the push up is extremely important. Focus on finding the perfect, comfortable position for you.
• Don’t change this position half way through the set. Every person has a slightly different pushup starting position, but the execution of the pushup should look exactly the same. Keep your back straight, abs contracted.
• Slowly drop yourself towards the ground. Stop until your chest is just an inch off the floor. Push back up to starting position. This is one repetition. If you are unable to perform a full pushup, then you can place your hands on an elevated surface.
• The higher the elevation, the easier it will be to perform the movement. Another way to improve your push up strength is to stay at the top position of the push up, and hold that position for around 30 seconds.

Click here to Learn how to Perform over 100 Bodyweight Exercises

Bodyweight Squats

• Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Push your hips back as if your were sitting down on a chair. Keeping your back straight, and head looking forward, lead with your butt and lower your body towards the floor.
• Focus on a backwards and down movement. Most people move their body forward first, then bend their knees. This causes their knees to move past their toes, hence placing undue strain on their knees. This is how you get injured.
• If you lead with your butt, then you’ll be performing a much safer and practical movement. Keep going as low as possible. Ideally, you want a very deep technique, with your thighs going past parallel. Parallel refers to a position where your thighs are parallel to the floor.
• Another cue to look out for is that your shoulders should right in front of your toes. You should be able to draw an imaginary straight perpendicular line from your toes to your shoulders.

Situps

• Lay down on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your head and shoulders slightly off the floor. Place your hands underneath your head as support. Squeeze your abs, and let your body move up naturally.
• Do not pull on your head, or use any other part of your body to move up. Your upper back should naturally come off the floor as you squeeze your abs. From this position, continue the movement, contracting your abs even more until you’re able to lift your entire back off the floor and sit up.
• In the beginning, don’t worry if you are unable to do a full situp. The worst thing you can do is to use momentum to do the exercise for the sake of performing the exercise. Practice proper technique in the beginning, and it will help you more in the future.
• If you are able to sit up fully, then when you go back down, do not let your head and shoulders fall on the ground. Keep your head and shoulders off the ground for the duration of the set to maintain tension on your abs.

Click here to Learn how to Perform over 100 Bodyweight Exercises

Pullups

• A pullup is one of the hardest movements for most people. But the movement is incredibly beneficial and should be incorporated in your fitness program. Grab a pullup bar with your palms facing away from you at shoulder width distance.
• Hang from the bar by bending your knees and tucking your feet behind you. Squeeze your back muscles, look up towards the pullup bar, and pull yourself towards the bar. Keep going until your chin clears the pullup bar.

• Slowly lower yourself to starting position and repeat. If you are unable to move your body past the beginning starting position, then you can perform a little jump, just to give you a small boost. Then complete the movement as instructed.
• If you are unable to clear your chin, then just go as high as possible. Even a small range of motion will help you strengthen your back and arm muscles. Finally, if you are really unable to perform a pullup, then find a way you can get yourself up to the bar (like standing on a chair) and just do negatives.
• Negatives are where you slowly lower your body towards the ground. Negatives will train the same exact muscles that a regular pullup does.

If you’re ready to incorporate bodyweight training as part of your fitness plan, then you should check out Workout Without Weights. Coach Eddie Lomax shows you how to use bodyweight training to lose fat, build muscle, increase strength, improve athletic fitness, and enhance longevity.

Click here for more information.