Bodyweight-based workouts have become increasingly popular in recent years. These workouts use your own bodyweight as resistance to build strength, endurance, and muscle. Many people have turned to bodyweight workouts as a convenient and affordable way to stay fit, especially during the pandemic when gym access was limited. But how do bodyweight-based workouts really work?
The Science Behind Bodyweight Workouts
Bodyweight workouts work by using the resistance provided by your own bodyweight to build strength, endurance, and muscle. When you perform bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, squats, or lunges, you're using your own bodyweight as resistance against the force of gravity. This creates tension in your muscles, which stimulates them to grow and become stronger over time.
Bodyweight exercises also require you to use your own body as a stabilizer, which engages your core muscles and helps improve your balance and posture. Additionally, bodyweight exercises can be done at high intensity, which can improve your cardiovascular endurance and help burn calories.
How Bodyweight Workouts Compare to Traditional Strength Training
While bodyweight workouts may not require any equipment, that doesn't mean they're less effective than traditional strength training exercises. In fact, bodyweight exercises can be just as effective as lifting weights when it comes to building strength and muscle.
Studies have shown that bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, and squats can activate the same muscle groups as traditional weightlifting exercises. In some cases, bodyweight exercises can even be more effective at building muscle because they require more activation of stabilizing muscles and can be done at a higher intensity.
Bodyweight workouts also have the added benefit of being more functional than traditional weightlifting exercises. When you lift weights, you're often working in a fixed range of motion, whereas bodyweight exercises require you to move through a full range of motion that mimics real-life movements.
Getting Started with Bodyweight Workouts
If you're new to bodyweight workouts, it's important to start slowly and focus on proper form. Begin with exercises that are appropriate for your fitness level and gradually increase the intensity and complexity of your workouts over time.
To make your bodyweight workouts more challenging, you can add variations to your exercises, such as performing single-leg squats instead of regular squats, or doing push-ups with your feet elevated. You can also increase the intensity of your workouts by decreasing rest time between sets or increasing the number of repetitions.
Conclusion
Bodyweight workouts are a convenient and effective way to build strength, endurance, and muscle without the need for equipment or a gym membership. By using your own bodyweight as resistance, you can engage multiple muscle groups, improve your cardiovascular health, and burn calories. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced fitness enthusiast, bodyweight workouts can help you reach your fitness goals and improve your overall health and wellbeing.
Check out our Bodyweight Blast workout today.
