Cranky Goats Body Weight Workout

A body weight workout routine can help you stay fit and stay on a budget. Here's a workout routine you can do any time with no equipment. Perfect for traveling, home workouts or adding a bit of variety to your regular exercise routine.

These Calisthenics {also called Bodyweight Exercises} are one of the best ways to build muscle and keep shape - but only if you know how to use them correctly.

What are Bodyweight Exercises or Calisthenics?

Calisthenics are exercises consisting of movements which use the weight of your body as resistance to work against. Its an extremely incredible and efficient way to build muscle and stay fit as it provides short bursts of intense training and only a few exercises covers almost all muscle groups.

When to choose Bodyweight Exercises?

Although Bodyweight exercises are great to build strength and lean muscle, weight training (particularly with free weights) still is the no. 1 choice to build muscle.

HOWEVER - Bodyweight exercises have their own benefits making them an excellent alternative to Weight Training.

Perhaps the single biggest benefit is you can do these exercises ANYWHERE and ANYTIME without the need to attend a gym or purchase special equipment - which is the main reason why I like these particular exercise routines...

They should be followed in sequence as it physiologically focuses and strecthes the related mucsles being targeted.  Each workout is 100 reps in total, broken down over 4 sets. 

This program is meant to use a modified version of HIT training techniques: The fundamental principles of High Intensity Training (HIT) are that exercise should be brief, infrequent, and intense exercises are performed with a high level of effort, or intensity, where it is thought that it will stimulate the body to produce an increase in muscular strength and size.

The common thread with HIT training principles is an emphasis on a high level of effort, relatively brief and infrequent (i.e. not daily) training, and the cadebce of a lift, which will be very slow compared to a non-HIT weight training routine.

For this body weight program - the modified HIT concept is simply to perform these exercises with a slow, steady movement and hold at the peak of the motion before returning slowly to start position ... this is damn tough, no way around it - but it works.

Most HIT advocates stress the use of controlled lifting speeds and strict form, with special attention paid to avoiding any bouncing, jerking, or yanking of the weight or machine movement arm during exercise. Variations of HIT will vary in advice from lifting the weights smoothly but at a natural pace, others will time the lift, peak hold and descent. In extreme cases, it may take up to 30 seconds to complete a single repetition. 

Also emphasized when near exhaustion, doing static holds for periods of time, and negative reps (lowering the weight) are all methods to further exhaust the muscle or muscles exercised. This will stimulate further growth and strength because muscles are weakest in positive/contracting movements (sometimes referred to as first stage failure of a muscle). Although you may not be able to lift a weight for another rep you will almost certainly be able to hold it statically for a further period (second stage of failure) and finally lower a weight at a slow controlled speed (third stage of failure). Until all three (lifting, holding and lowering) parts of an exercise can no longer be completed in a controlled manner a muscle cannot be considered thoroughly exhausted/exercised.

Aerobic exercise In addition to weight training, an overall exercise program may include elements of aerobic (cardio) and anaerobic training. Aerobic training is what you will recognize as running, rowing, cycling or swimming at a low to moderate pace up to a point at which you can still carry on a conversation, even if you are breathing a little heavy. You should be able to keep this up for 30 minutes or more. Low to moderate intensity aerobic exercise is at a heart rate of approximately 50 to 70% of your maximum heart rate. At this intensity, and with reasonable fitness, you should be able to supply the exercising muscles with sufficient oxygen to keep them contracting and performing for some time. Aerobic means “with oxygen.”

Anaerobic exercise In contrast, anaerobic exercise is at an intensity at which your muscles’ requirements for oxygen exceed the amount you can supply by breathing and via your blood supply. At this exercise intensity, you will stop sooner rather than later because the muscles will fail to function. At this level of intensity, your heart rate may be at 90 to 100% of your maximum heart rate. This is clearly high-intensity exercise. Weight training for strength with heavy loads is usually anaerobic exercise for short bursts of effort.