When I was just starting out with bodyweight training, I thought that all I needed to do was pushups, pullups, and bodyweight squats. So I did them, got good at these workouts, and then hit a plateau.

I went through many free bodyweight programs and most of them were relatively the same. I needed something new, and something more complete. It wasn’t until I purchased Coach EddieLomax’s Workout Without Weights manual that my bodyweight training journey really began.

In a previous article, I mentioned that there were actually 7 different forms of bodyweight training. Coach Lomax’s eBook covers 4 out of the 7 methods: basic bodyweight training, calisthenics, plyometrics, and animal training. Click here to read more about the 7 methods.

What is Calisthenics Training?

It is very important to make a distinction between all the various forms of bodyweight exercise because each method can be used for a specific purpose. Basic bodyweight exercises such aspushups, pullups, and bodyweight squats can be used for overall strength and conditioning.

Calisthenics training, on the other hand, is more of a cardio-type form of exercise. I go much deeper into the difference between bodyweight and calisthenics training in a previous article. Click here to read that article.

Because I personally despise steady state cardio, I tend to use bodyweight and other training methods to replace the necessity for cardio. But besides my personal distaste for steady state cardio, there are other very important benefits to using high intensity calisthenics training as a form of cardio:

The Benefits of Calisthenics

One of the biggest benefits of Calisthenics is improved cardiorespiratory endurance, which is the ability of your body to gather, process, deliver, and sustain oxygen to produce the energy needed for the successful completion of a particular activity.

• It is characterized by a healthy and efficient heart and lung. Cardiorespiratory (cardio) endurance is probably more important than fat loss or muscle gain, but is one of the least talked about aspects of fitness.

• If you have greater cardio endurance, then you can simply do more for a longer period of time. This improves your ability to perform in sports, work, and life activities. If you combine basic calisthenics movements with bodyweight training, then you will be able train your muscles while training your heart and lungs
• This will help you perform other physical activities better. Most people get winded and exhausted trying to perform simply tasks such as lifting boxes up the stairs or trying to catch a bus.
• Well, these activities require both physical fitness and cardio endurance. Many gym rats will often face injury because they fatigue easily. When your body fatigues from heavy weight training, it is actually a sign of poor recovery.
• Your muscles are not being delivered the proper amount of oxygen for full recovery. Fatigue leads to poor form, which in turn leads to injury. Overall, you’ll be much healthier if your heart and lungs are healthier.
• Cardio conditioning basically allows you to improve your ability to live life to the fullest. On the flip side, many people are brainwashed into believing that there is a specific “target heart rate zone,” which effectively helps you burn fat and improve cardio endurance.
• This is false and no such zone exists. Athletes with the best cardio endurance – a balance of healthy heart and lung function along with good physical fitness – are ones that engage in high intensity exercise, such as sprinters.
• In short, train hard to last longer. But be warned, bodyweight calisthenics workouts are very intense and difficult. You should steadily build yourself up to it, especially if you’ve been spending most of your time following the easy, bring cardio workouts published in most magazines.

Sample Calisthenics Exercises

Coach Lomax covers a good number of calisthenics movements. Some of them you have heard of and perhaps have even performed before. But many will be completely new to you.

Here’s a list of the Calisthenic movements that Coach Lomax will teach you:

• Split Jump
• Jumping Jacks
• Simulated Jump Rope
• Standing Twist
• Reach and Bend
• The Windmill
• High Knees
• Jogging in Place
• Marching

Calisthenics movements will seem easy to you, however the key is to perform them for time. You can start off by performing each exercise for 60 seconds, then moving straight to the next movement.

This circuit style workout will be much more fun and exiting then a traditional sort of cardio workout. Once you get good at these basic calisthenics movements, you can start to learn Animal Calisthenics movements which places greater stress on your heart, lungs, and muscles.

To learn all of these incredible bodyweight exercises, check out Coach Lomax’s Workout Without Weights manual. Click here for more information.

• Gorilla Chin, 10×5, 165 seconds rest
• Bodyweight Squat, 5×20, 45 seconds rest

For more intense bodyweight workouts, check out Workout Without Weights. Click here for more Information

Getting lean with bodyweight exercises is actually quite easy. There are dozens of different ways you can set up a quick, fat burning bodyweight training routine. I will go over a few of these methods:

Tabata Intervals

Tabata Intervals are a unique interval scheme which requires performing 20 seconds of high intensity exercises, followed by 10 seconds of rest. You repeat this for 7 cycles, or 8 cycles.

That’s 4 minutes of exercise. Most Tabata workouts include 3-6 exercises, which comes out to a 12 to 24 minute workout. Beginners might need to do just 1 exercise per workout.

One of the best ways to help you with your intervals is to use the GymBoss Interval Timer. It costs just $19.95, and you can program it to help you keep track of any sort of intervals you may use. Click here to grab yours today.

Circuit Training

Circuit training can be as intense as you want it to be. The main idea is that you alternate between four different exercises with little to no rest in between each set. The more rest you take between each exercise, the less intense the workout will be.

Try to choose movements that target different muscle groups. If a particular muscle group is lagging, for example if your chest muscles are dramatically weaker then the rest of your body, then you can create a circuit with allpushup variations.

Tabata Circuits

Here’s a training method I’ve been experimenting recently. It basically combines Tabata and Circuit Training. What you do is choose 4 exercises. Perform the first exercise for 20 seconds, rest 10 seconds, then move onto the second exercise.

Here’s a sample template to help you understand how to perform Tabata Circuits:

• Exercise #1, 20 seconds
• Rest 10 seconds
• Exercise #2, 20 seconds
• Rest 10 seconds
• Exercise #3, 20 seconds
• Rest 10 seconds,
• Exercise #4, 20 seconds
• Rest 10 seconds
• Go back to exercise #1

In the beginning, you will not be able to perform 8 rounds of this circuit. But start off with 3-4 rounds, and slowly build yourself up to 8 rounds. For more interesting workout techniques and bodyweight exercises, checkout Workout Without Weights.

Click here for more information.

One of the best ways to help you with your intervals is to use the GymBoss Interval Timer. It costs just $19.95, and you can program it to help you keep track of any sort of intervals you may use. Click here to grab yours today.

Everyone talks about doing 100 pushups or a 100 pullups. Even though these feats of strength are impressive, they are simply that – feats of strength and endurance. The bodyweight squat is actually a much more important movement then thepullup or pushup.

I truly believe that everyone should be able to do 100 bodyweight squats. This is because it is the most important movement in our daily life. Each day we stand up, sit down, walk up stairs, jump into the air, sprint after things, etc.

Millions of movements throughout our lifetime all point back to the same range of movement as trained by the bodyweight squats. And when people get older, it is the hips and lower back muscles where they have problems.

Well, that’s all going to change now. Because I’m about to issue a challenge. If you are unable to do at least 100 bodyweight squats, then you need to take on this challenge. I’ll even give you a blueprint, a set of steps to achieve this goal.

Perform each level, once a week:

• 20 sets of 5 squats, 30 seconds break
• 17 sets of 6 squats, 30 seconds break
• 15 sets of 7 squats, 30 seconds break
• 13 sets of 8 squats, 30 seconds break
• 12 sets of 9 squats, 30 seconds break
• 10 sets of 10 squats, 30 seconds break
• 10 sets of 11 squats, 30 seconds break
• 9 sets of 12 squats, 30 seconds break
• 8 sets of 13 squats, 30 seconds break
• 7 sets of 15 squats, 45 seconds break
• 6 sets of 17 squats, 45 seconds break
• 5 sets of 20 squats, 45 seconds break
• 4 sets of 25 squats, 60 seconds break
• 3 sets of 34 squats, 60 seconds break
• 2 sets of 50 squats, 120 seconds break
• 1 set of 100 squats, as fast as possible

If at any level, you are not able to maintain the recommended rest break, then repeat the workout again the following week. Keeping the rest periods short is extremely important.

For more bodyweight workouts, exercises, and training ideas, check out Workout Without Weights. Click here for more information.

I honestly don’t advise people to do any sort of exercise daily. Everything has wear and tear. Even walking. People who walk 5-10 miles on a daily basis – whether it be a part of their weight loss routine or work related – will eventually feel the burn out and exhaustion from the routine.

Exercise works in a very simple way: High intensity exercises will cause burn out quicker. Lower intensity exercise will cause burn out slower. Of course, this is all based on frequency.

Going back to bodyweight squats, I’ve heard of people doing a mini morning routine consisting of pushups, pullups, and squats. Perhaps such a routine using only a fraction of the repetitions you are able to do in each movement would be beneficial as a warm up and a way to get the blood flowing early in the morning.

I’ve used such a routine in the past. But the key to using a daily wake up routine is to make sure that it in no way interferes with your regular training. Mine did. Or I should say that my regular training interfered with my morning routine.

Try doing a set of pushups first thing in the morning when your shoulders are dead tired. Or, try doing a set of squats when you cold calves from the lower body work you did the day before.

So, like most things in life, I can’t give a straight answer to this question. However, what I can say is to be careful with such a high frequency routine. Carefully track your level of intensity and frequency and keep recovery in mind.

In fact, your recovery should be your number one concern.

For more insights, ideas, workouts, and bodyweight exercises, check out Workout Without Weights. Click here for more information.

Everyone out there is talking about pullups, pushups, and squats when it comes to bodyweight training. However, what about some really unique exercises? The reason why people believe that bodyweight training alone can not help them achieve the kind of fitness they desire is because they do not take the time to seek out some unique exercises.

Well, I’m going to show you a few unique movements that will really help you spice up your bodyweight workouts:

Reverse Pushups

• Lie face down with your arms at your sides as if your were doing a typical pushup. However, instead of the fingers pointed towards the front of your body, reverse the grip and have your fingers point towards your feet.
• Keep your hands and elbows close to your body and push your body up until your arms are extended. Lower and repeat.

Side Plank

• Lay on your side on the ground. Prop your right elbow under your right shoulder and raise your hips up until your body is straight. Keep your abs tight and hips straight.
• Hold this position for the time desired, then return to starting position.

Elevated Pushups

• Get three chairs or surfaces of the similar height. Place them in such a way that you can place your hands and feet on them as if you were doing apushup.
• Keep your body straight and abs contracted as your lower yourself towards the ground. Keep going past the point of parallel. You should feel an extra stretch on your chest.
• Push back up to starting position and repeat.

For more intense and unique bodyweight exercises, check out Workout Without Weights. Click here for more information.

The 300 workouts, from the film “300″ is still a widely popular workout for people who want to challenge themselves with super intense workouts. However, many people are unable to do perform the full 300 workout because they lack a barbell and kettlebell.

Well, you can easily set up your own 300 workout using just your bodyweight. The idea behind the 300 workout is to perform 5-10 exercises with high repetitions each, and to complete the workout as quickly as possible.

The original 300 Workout looked something like this:

• Pullups – 25 reps
• Deadlifts with 135lbs – 50 reps
• Pushups – 50 reps
• 24-inch Box jumps – 50 reps
• Floor wipers – 50 reps
• Single-arm Clean-and-Press with 36lbs Kettlebell – 50 reps
• Pullups – 25 reps

Mens Health, who was the first magazine to publish the workout, actually did come out with a Bodyweight version. It looked something like this:

• 15 bodyweight rows
• 25 bodyweight squats
• 15 pushups
• 50 jumping jacks
• 20 mountain climbers
• 10 close grip pushups
• 15 bodyweight rows

As you can see, this workout only has 150 repetitions. You can double the repetitions to make it 300. There are hundreds of different variations to the this workout that you can perform.

All it takes is a little creativity. For example, if you wanted to create a workout that trained your body to be more explosive, then you can perform a workout like this:

• 30 Chinups
  
• 50 Squat Jumps
  
• 30 Clap Pushups
  
• 100 Jumping Jacks
  
• 40 Tuck Jumps
  
• 20 Dive Bombers
• 30 Pullups

Keep experimenting and come out with your own 300 workouts. To learn more bodyweight exercises and training techniques, check out Workout Without Weights. Click here for more information.

Calisthenics exercise has often been confused with bodyweight movements such as pushups and pullups. In reality, Calisthenics refers to movements such as Jumping Jacks and Running in Place.

Click here to Learn how to Perform over a Hundred Bodyweight Exercises

The best way to use these movements is during your warmups, or to replace Cardio. Calisthenics is great during the winter where you can’t workout outside.

So for those that run or perform sprints outside as their cardio, they can easily perform interval training with Calisthenics movements. One of the best resources packed with unique calisthenics and bodyweight movements along with sample workouts and training templates is Workout Without Weights.

Difference Between Calisthenics and Other forms of Bodyweight Training

In Workout Without Weights (WWW), author Coach Eddie Lomax goes into further detail about the difference between calisthenics and other forms of bodyweight training.

Coach Lomax’s definition of Calisthencs is, “any systemic, rhythmic bodily exercise performed usually without apparatus…or a type of exercise using explosive movements to develop muscular strength, power and/or endurance.”

There are many other forms of bodyweight training. In a previous article, I identified 7 different bodyweight training methods:

1. Animal Exercises (Bear Crawls, Duck Walks)
2. Dance (Break Dancing)
3. Basic Bodyweight Training (Pushups, Pullups)
4. Gymnastics (Bridge, ring training)
5. Yoga (Prasara)
6. Calisthenics (Jumping Jacks, Running in Place)
7. Plyometrics (Squat Jumps)

Creating your Own Calisthenics Workout

As you can see, you have many options when developing your own bodyweight program. I’ll end this article by giving you a simple, basic template you can use to create a bodyweight workout which combines traditional bodyweight exercises with calisthenic movements:

• Calisthenics Exercise
• Upper Body Exercise
• Calisthenics Exercise
• Lower Body Exercise
• Calisthenics Exercise
• Trunk Exercise

Perform this workout in a circuit, performing each exercise one after another with little to no rest in between each set. Work your way up to doing 5 circuits.

Click here to Learn how to Perform over a Hundred Bodyweight Exercises

This article promotes a product. If you purchase the product, I get a percentage of the sale. Click here to read my disclaimer.

One of the best ways to help you with your intervals is to use the GymBoss Interval Timer. It costs just $19.95, and you can program it to help you keep track of any sort of intervals you may use. Click here to grab yours today.

When I first started this blog, I did not realize how popular bodyweight training would become. But more and more people are realizing the benefits of a bodyweight-only program.

If you’re a complete beginner to bodyweight training, then you’re probably completely confused as to where to start your bodyweight training. There are tons of guides, eBooks, and videos out there catering to the complete beginner.

One of the best guides out there for beginners is an eBook called Workout Without Weights. The author Coach Eddie Lomax has created concise bodyweight training manual for beginners, intermediates, and advanced trainees.

For complete beginners, you want to start off with the Basic Calisthenics, Lower Body, Trunk, and Upper Body movements. I actually made a list of all the exercises you will learn through this eBook.

Click here to access the list.

The Benefits of Purchasing a Bodyweight Training Manual

Most people are sceptical when it comes to purchasing anything online, much less a bodyweight training eBook. One of the arguments is, “There are so many free workouts and sources out there. Why should I buy anything?”

Well, you’re right, there are so many free resources out there, including this very blog. I have lots of great free bodyweight workouts on this website. But here’s the thing: with every blog post, you’re only getting a snippet of the information.

There’s a distinct advantage to purchasing something that’s complete and concise then basically “operating blind” by “guessing” and creating your own workouts. Let someone else who’s been doing this for years teach you how to create effective workouts.

You’ll save so much time and you’ll get greater results in the long run.

When I first started training, I used to stay up all night, trying to get free information. I had so many questions, but very little of them were answered by all the free resources out there.

In fact, after a while, you get to see the same things over and over again. If free resources were so great, then why isn’t everyone that trains in great shape? The truth is that you’re getting something more when you pay for a product.

There’s also a mental aspect to it. When you pay for something, you care for it more. You’re going to “want to get your money’s worth.” So you’ll actually try it. There’s very few people out there who’ll shell out $50 for a product and completely ignore what it tells you to do.

So if you’re a complete beginner, then I suggest you check out buying Workout Without Weights. You’ll save yourself a lot of time and energy on pointless Google searches.

Click here to Learn more.

This article links out to products. If you purchase these products, I get a percentage of the sales. Read my disclaimer.

Workout Without Weights is a bodyweight training manual written by Coach Eddie Lomax. It’s a step-by-step plan that features exercises, workouts, and intensity techniques to help you improve your body with bodyweight training alone.

The most interesting aspect about Workout Without Weights (WWW) is that it’s a blueprint to help you improve your fitness level, not just a handful of done-for-your workouts.

This means that if you effectively implement the techniques taught to you in the eBook, you can literally develop intense workouts for the rest of your life. Hence, it’s a complete resource.

What You’ll Learn: List of Exercises

The following is a list of all the exercises you will learn in the Workout Without Weights manual:

1. Yes Neck Nods
2. No Neck Nods
3. Side Neck Nods
4. Wall Push
5. Incline Push Up
6. Push Up From Knees
7. Cobra Push Up
8. Classic Push Up
9. Corner Push Ups
10. Floor Pulls
11. Assisted Pull Up
12. Frog Stand Hold
13. Decline Push Up
14. Knuckle Push Up
15. Dands/Hindu Push Up
16. Dive Bomber Push Up
17. Walk Out Push Up
18. Push Up and Alternating Inverted Crunch
19. One Leg Push Up
20. Pike Push Up
21. One Arm Wall Push
22. Plyo Wall Push
23. The 8 Count Push Up
24. Dips
25. Chin Up
26. Pull Up
27. Over Under
28. Commando Pull Up
29. Headstand Hold
30. Handstand Hold
31. Handstand Wall Walk
32. Handstand Walkout
33. Front Bridge
34. Back Bridge
35. Fingertip Push Up
36. Reverse Push Up
37. Elevated Pike Push Up
38. Table Maker Push Up
39. Elevated Push Ups
40. Rotating “T” Push Up
41. Knee Raise to Side Push Ups
42. Bridging Push Up
43. One Arm Push Up
44. Curious Pull Up
45. Leg Raising Pull Up
46. L Sit Pull Up
47. Handstand Walkout with Push Up
48. Handstand Push Up
49. Plyo Push Up
50. Plyo Decline Push Up
51. Farmer Burns Stomach Flattener
52. Stretch and Contract
53. Vacuums
54. Jiu Jitsu Situp
55. Crunch
56. Reverse Crunch
57. Combination Crunch
58. Ankle Wiggles
59. Knee Hugs
60. Seated Abdominal Tuck
61. Single Leg Circles
62. Plank
63. Reverse Plank
64. Side Plank
65. Bow Glute Hold
66. Good Morning
67. Superman
68. Acuaman
69. Kneeling Bridge
70. Floor Get Up
71. The Rower
72. Twisters 6 Inch Crunch
73. Flutter Kicks
74. Leg Scissors
75. Alternating Toe Touch Crunch
76. Chinnies
77. Lying Hip Rollers
78. Ab Infinities
79. The Leg Tuck and Twist
80. The 10 Second Crunch
81. Dynamic V
82. Punch Up Crunch
83. Straight Leg Reverse Crunch
84. Balance Crunch
85. 100’s
86. The Saw
87. Plank Butt Ups
88. Plank with Leg Lift
89. Plank with Knee Touch
90. Chair Plank Hold
91. Reverse Plank with Leg Lift
92. Bow Glute Hold with Leg Lift
93. Side Plank Ups
94. Hanging Knee Raise
95. Hanging L Sit
96. Hanging Leg Thrust
97. The Prone Row
98. Single Leg Hip Bend
99. Handstand Leg Tuck
100. Janda Situp
101. V-Ups
102. V-Twists
103. Candlestick
104. Hollow Rock
105. Arch Rocks
106. Flying Acuaman
107. Star Plank
108. Side Plank Twist
109. L Sit
110. The Human “X”
111. Headstand Leg Raise
112. Knees to Elbows
113. Free Squat
114. Boot Slappers
115. Sumo Squat
116. Revese Squats
117. Wall Squat
118. Bootstrappes
119. Lunge
120. Rear Lunge
121. Side Lunge
122. Calf Raises
123. Butt Raises
124. Bethaks/Hindu Squats
125. Squat with Leg Lifts
126. Chinese Wall Squat
127. Squat and Press
128. Squat and Twisting Press
129. Ankle Grabbers
130. Split Squat and Trunk Rotation
131. Rear Lunge and Reach
132. Forward Lunge and Reach
133. Diagonal Lunge and Bend
134. Crossover Lunge
135. Donkey Calf Raises
136. One Legged Deadlifts
137. One Legged Bootstrappers
138. One Legged Step Squat
139. Butt Lift Leg Raise
140. Hamstring Leg Lift
141. Step ups
142. Side Step Ups
143. Semi Squat Jumps
144. The Rock Up Squat
145. Dragon Walking
146. One Leg Bird Squat
147. One Leg Squat
148. Squat Jumps
149. Knee Tucks
150. Start Jumps
151. Alternating Jumping Lunges
152. Marching
153. Jogging in Place
154. High Knees
155. The Windmill
156. Reach and Bend
157. Standing Twist
158. Simulated Jump Rope
159. Jumping Jacks
160. Split Jump
161. Steam Engine
162. The Woodchopper
163. Squat Thrust
164. 8 Count Body Builders
165. Squat Plyo Pushup
166. Mountain Jumpers
167. Mountain Climbers
168. Burpees
169. Burpees Plus
170. Ice Skater Hops
171. Bear Crawls
172. Alligator Walks
173. Crab Walk
174. Monkey Walk
175. 3 Legged Dog Walk
176. Seal Walk
177. Duck Walk
178. Rabbit Hop
179. Frog Jump
180. Inch Worm

Wow! That’s an exhaustive list of exercises, don’t you think? You can literally keep progressing for years on end before you’ve performed all 180 exercises on this list.

Coach Lomax’s Alternative Options

If you don’t want to learn about intensity techniques and movements, but instead just want a handful of workouts already done for you and organized into a program, then I’d suggest UltimateGymless Workout.

Ultimate Gymless Workout is another Coach Lomax eBook which features 6, 4-Week bodyweight only programs designed to help you drop fat, build lean muscle mass and increase strength.

The workouts are titled as General Fitness Workout, Fat Loss Workout, Strength & Size Workout, Juggernaut Workout, Rounds of Fury Workout, and Utterly Nasty Interval Training Workouts.

Click here to Learn More about Workout Without Weights

Best Option: Combo Package

Coach Lomax also gives you the option of purchasing both the Ultimate Gymles Workout and Workout Without Weights eBook together for a lower price.

His combo Package also includes Commando Calisthencis, which is a set of 3 audio workouts valued at $27. All three products would cost you $73.95.

But Coach is giving it all to you for just $47. That’s over 6 dozen workouts for just a fraction of what it would cost you if you hired a personal trainer or joined a gym.

But Wait! There’s More!

If you grab a copy of Workout Without Weights Combo Package today, then I’ll send you a bonus gift. This bonus features 6 high intensity bodyweight programs based on the teachings of Coach EddieLomax.

What I have done is put together some of my best routines using Coach Lomax’s intensity techniques featured in his eBook. Here’s how you can claim your bonus:

• Step One: Purchase Workout Without Weights Combo Package using the link below.
• Step Two: Forward your receipt number to shah@shahtraining.com so that I can confirm that you purchased the product through my link. If it checks out, I’ll send you the bonus via email.

Click here to Grab your Copy of Workout Without Weights today! But remember, you’ll only get the bonus if you purchase the Combo Package!

This article promotes a product. If you purchase this product, I get a percentage of sales. Click here to read my disclaimer.