Below are a few peices of advice I have to give you about bodyweight exercise and training. They’ll help you to avoid some of the problems I ran into when I started. By being aware of these 4, you’ll be able to overcome some significant obstacles, so that they don’t impede your prorgress.
For more info on bodyweight training, be sure to check out the Bodyweight Exercise Report.
If there were 4 things I would’ve liked to have known when I started diong bodyweight training, it would be these:
1. If at first, it seems that you can’t do a lot, don’t be discouraged. You’re learning a new form of exercise. It’s better to focus on proper execution and movement technique, rather than on speed or numbers.
Like anything else that’s new for you, it takes practice and patience to become proficient at your new bodyweight exercises. This brings me to my second piece of advice…
2. …You don’t always have to work yourself to exhaustion–at least not at first, so go easy on yourself.
3. I advise that you work on mastering only a few exercises at a time. No more than 2 or 3 at a time. That’s what I do. In a workout, I may do up to 8 different exercises, but I really work on 2 or 3 of the ones that I need the most work on. I tend to do extra sets or perform these exercises slower than I do the ones that I’ve already mastered.
My reason for telling you to focus on just 3 exercises (heck, you could even just pick one) is to help you avoid being overwhelmed by having to get good at all of the exercises at the same time. When you find that you’ve gotten good at one exercise (when you can do it a certain number of times, with proper technique), it’ll give you the confidence to conquer the next move.
Last week, I learned that you can never really overlearn the basics. During a workout, I found myself getting a little bit light-headed, because I forgot something that’s basic…
4. …Breathe. Try forcefully pushing or whistling the air out of your lips as you push yourself past a tough spot. In fact, keep breathing, no matter how hard, throughout the entire movement of the exercise. Make sure you don’t hold your breath; or, at the very least, make sure you don’t become light-headed like I did. If you hold your breath at some sticking points, just make sure it doesn’t become a habit. Don’t perform a movement faster than your body can keep up with.
Be sure to check out this bodyweight workout for strength and explosive leg power.
Be sure to check out this Hubpages entry if you’re into bodyweight exercises for aerobic endurance and strength.
If you like this article, you’ll love this free report. You can effectively double your arm strength, develop incredible muscular endurance (if you’re up to the challenge), and a lot more…just from bodyweight exercises.
