How to Reduce Bodyweight for Beginners

 

 

 

How to Reduce Bodyweight for Beginners

 

 

 

 

1.Why You Should do Bodyweight Exercises

 

There are a lot of different types of fitness programs, from those you do at the gym, to

At-home workouts. Each of these varies is intensity, type, and benefits. If you are

Interested in something you can do at home without equipment, bodyweight might be for

you. Here are some of the top benefits of doing bodyweight exercises.

 

You Can do it Anywhere

 

This is definitely one of the top benefits of bodyweight exercises. You don’t have to

leave your home or find a gym. There is no equipment you need to purchase and find a

place for, plus it costs you nothing. Bodyweight exercises rely only on your own weight

and the intensity you bring to each move. You can do them at home, in the office, at a

park or the beach, just about anywhere. While traveling, it is easy to do them in your

hotel room or on your balcony, without having to look for a gym or go for a run.

 

It Works Out Your Entire Body

 

Another reason to start incorporating bodyweight exercises into your fitness routine is

because it can workout your entire body. Most bodyweight moves will target one

specific area, but also benefit others as well. For example, elbow planks are often done

for your core and abdominal muscles, but your arms, shoulders, and even your leg

muscles are also getting a fantastic workout. Moves like jumping jacks, wall sits,

burpees, and mountain climbers are similar; they are working multiple muscle groups at

the same time.

 

There is Cardio and Strength Training

 

Many people believe bodyweight is just for strength training, but a lot of moves provide

High-intensity cardio as well. If you don’t like boring cardio workouts, do the jumping and

High-intensity bodyweight moves instead! This is when you do the moves that require

Lifting your body from the ground and doing jumps. There are many different types of

Jumps aside from just jumping jacks. Plank jacks, punches, and skaters are some other

Moves that provide an excellent cardio workout.

 

Bodyweight is perfect for Lean Muscles

 

Since you aren’t adding in any weights with these moves, you are working on long, lean

muscles. You don’t have to worry about bulking up, though you will be able to lose

weight and tone your body with bodyweight exercises. You can still do some weights,

but incorporating more bodyweight moves really focuses on those long muscles.

 

2. Easy Moves for Beginners

 

One of the great things about bodyweight exercises is that anyone can do them. No

matter what your fitness level, you can try the moves, modify them, then eventually get

strong enough to complete them. It is challenging for everyone, but as a beginner, you

might want to start with some simple moves. Here are ideal moves to do when you are

a beginner to bodyweight fitness.

 

Squats

 

The first move that works great for a beginner is the squat. These are a simple move to

master, provide a lot of modifications based on your skill level, and require no jumping

or high-intensity moves. All you need to do is stand with your legs about shoulder-width

apart, then squat down with your buttocks moving behind you, bending your knees, and

keeping your back flat. You don’t want to lean forward or backward when performing a

squat. The lower you go, the harder it will be, so if you are new to squats, just go down

as far as you can. Over time, you will be able to go lower and lower.

 

Planks

 

The next bodyweight exercise to do as a beginner is the plank. There are many

varieties of planks that you can learn as you get stronger, but it is good to start with just

a basic plank. The standard plank puts you in the position of doing a full push-up, where

you are balancing with your back flat, palms on the ground, and toes bending to hold

your body up. However, you won’t go down and back up like a push-up. Instead, you

just hold this position as long as you can. Try for 10-15 seconds, then work your way up

to holding it for about 30 seconds. You can also start with an elbow plank if you find that

easier.

 

Walking Lunges

 

Everyone knows how to do a lunge, but the walking lunge takes it one step further. This

is great if you are a beginner, since all you need is some space in your home to walk

and do lunges at the same time. All you need to do is make sure your body is straight,

then step forward with one of your legs, bending both legs as you lunge down. Go down

as far as you can, walking as you do the lunge. Each time you walk forward, you will

lunge with a different leg out in front of you.

 

Moves like jumping jacks and wall sits are also great for beginners.

 

3…

5 Variations on Planks

 

Planks are one of the top bodyweight exercises you will see recommended. Even a

beginner can do them for a few seconds at first, then gradually hold it for longer and

longer. There are many types of planks from the elbow plank to the full plank, as well as

other variations. Here are 5 different types of planks to try out.

 

1. The Standard Plank

 

The first type of plank you are probably familiar with. This might be known as a full

plank, standard plank, or hand plank. All you have to do is get into the position of doing

a push-up, without actually doing the push-up. You are just going to hold it, like many

other planks. This engages your abs, but also works your legs, arms, and shoulders at

the same time.

 

2. Elbow Plank

 

The next type of plank is another basic one where you are meant to hold it for as long

as you can. This works your ab muscles even more, and can give your hands and wrists

a break if they hurt while doing a full plank. With the elbow plank, the only difference is

that you are resting your body on your elbows and upper arms, which will be flat on the

ground. This is great for people with arthritis in their hands or who have sensitive and

weak wrists.

 

3. Side Planks

 

When you get used to these elbow and full planks, you can then add the side planks.

You are resting your body weight on just one arm or elbow, so they are going to be

more challenging. You want to first do your preferred style of plank, then shift your body

so that you are resting on just one side, with your heels touching and legs together.

Hold it as long as you can, then switch over to the other side.

 

4. Shoulder Touches

 

Shoulder touches are also a more challenging type of plank since you are resting your

body on one hand for much of the workout. You want to do a full, standard plank with

your hands flat on the ground and back as flat as you can get it. You will then lift one

hand and tap the opposite shoulder with it, alternating back and forth to do the shoulder

touches. Try 10 reps, then gradually increase them as you get stronger.

 

5. Side Leg Planks

 

This move is going to really work on your core, plus giving you an excellent leg and

buttocks workout as well. Start in your preferred plank, whether it is an elbow or full

plank. Then lift one leg, bending your knee and pulling it toward your body, but on the

opposite side. Put your leg back on the ground, and repeat the same for the other leg.

 

 

4.. Bodyweight Moves With Jumps

 

As you begin increasing your endurance and get used to the basic bodyweight

exercises, you can then increase your workout intensity with jumps. Many bodyweight

moves become high-intensity moves, especially those with jumps. Here are some

different ones you can try out.

 

Lateral Jumps

 

Keep in mind all of these moves use quite a bit of intensity, so feel free to start slow with

a small number of reps, then gradually add in more reps and intensity when you build

up strength and endurance. This is also perfect for athletes who want to work on lateral

power, which is when you need to change directions faster and more efficiently. The

lateral jump is done by first standing with your legs apart, at about shoulder-width. Bend

down if you need to get power that way, jump up and to one side as high as you can.

You will then jump back and do the other side.

 

Jump Squats

 

Next up is a jumping move called the jump squat. This combines the squat, which is

excellent for your legs, buttocks, and core, with a high-intensity jump mixed in. You will

start with your legs in a squat formation shoulder-width apart. Bend your legs to go

down into the squat like you normally would, then when you come up, jump as high as

you can. Both feet should be off the ground when jumping. You really have a lot of

options for how difficult this is. As you get stronger, you can do lower squats and higher

jumps.

 

Jump Lunges

 

You can also turn simple lunges into jump lunges when you start working on your

strength and endurance. This is a good way to increase the intensity, adding in some

cardio along with the bodyweight strength training. Start by doing a regular lunge with

one leg bent in front of you, and the other bent behind you. Lunge down, then when you

come up, jump in the air, alternating your legs as you do so.

 

Burpees

 

A common jumping bodyweight exercise is the burpee. You will see these done in

fitness classes often, along with HIIT workouts, or any high-intensity bodyweight

workout routine. To do a burpee, you start by standing with your feet at the standard

shoulder width apart and your arms down. Start to do a squat by pushing your hips back

and bending your knees, then go all the way down to put your hands flat on the ground

in front of you. Jump your feet and legs back, do a push-up, then go up and repeat it.

 

5..The Best Bodyweight Moves for Your Abs

 

While bodyweight moves work your entire body, some of them really target your core. If

you are looking to tighten your ab muscles and strengthen your core, definitely add

these moves to your workout routine.

 

Reverse Crunch

 

This might sound like a simple crunch, but you are going in reverse, and it is much more

complicated. The good news is that it works your lower abdominals, which are

notoriously difficult to engage. If you have a low belly pouch you are trying to minimize

and tone, this is an excellent bodyweight exercise to do. The reverse crunch starts with

you lying on your back with your legs out in front of you. Put your hands behind your

head to support your neck, then cross your ankles. Lift your feet up and toward the

ceiling, then back down. When you lift up, you want to try to get your buttocks off the

ground. You can start this by bending your legs, but eventually you should be able to handle these.

 

Different Types of Planks

 

All the different planks you do will work out your abs in a minimal amount of time.

Crunches can only get you so far, plus planks work other areas of your body as well.

Start small with the elbow and standard planks, holding it for as long as you can. You

can then start adding more planks, like side planks, shoulder taps, and pulling your

knees in to your chest one by one. The great thing about planks is that they engage

your abs and have modifications to make them more difficult.

 

Leg Lift

 

This is similar to the reverse crunch, except you want to keep your legs straight, and

don’t need to lift them all the way up. Instead, you are going to reach your legs out while

laying on your back, lift your legs about 6 inches, then lower back down. Continue doing

this as many times as you can. If you have a bad lower back, this might not be the best

ab move for you.

 

Bicycle Crunches

 

When you get sick of standard crunches, you can easily mix it up by doing bicycle

crunches. Lay on your back, then bend your knees, lifting both legs off the ground. Lift

your upper back and neck off the ground by a few inches into a crunch. You will then

move your legs out, back and forth, while extending them in a bicycle form. Try to do 10

sets, take a break, then see if you can do 10 more.

 

6..Easy Bodyweight Moves for the Morning

 

When you wake up in the morning, you might not be prepared for a long, intense

workout, but you can still benefit from bodyweight exercises. It increases your energy,

revs up your metabolism, and can really get you in the right mindset for the day. Take a

look at these bodyweight moves you can do in the morning.

 

 

 

Jumping Jacks

 

Jumping jacks are a good bodyweight workout to start with since they really increase

your energy. It is sometimes hard to wake up and get enough stamina for a morning

workout, so start with at least jumping jacks to get your heart pumping. You can

eventually do intervals by doing jumping jacks, a few other bodyweight exercises, then

coming back to the jumping jacks. If you need a warm-up before the jumping jacks, walk

in place for a few minutes, and do moves like arm swings and shoulder rolls.

 

Lunges

 

Lunges are recommended for anyone doing a workout at home because they are easy

to do and just require a small amount of space. If you have a hallway to move around in,

try doing walking lunges where you do a lunge as you walk down the hallway or other

space. However, you can also do standing lunges, alternating feet, but not actually

moving forward or backward. This is good when you have a small amount of space, like

your bedroom.

 

Squats

 

The morning is also a great time to do your squats. You can either do them in a

sequence with other exercise, or do them while doing other activities. For example, if

you are waiting for your coffee to brew or your omelet to finish cooking, do some squats

right there in the kitchen! You can also do squats when you are brushing your teeth or

waiting for someone else to finish in the bathroom.

 

Planks

 

For the final workout in the morning before you get ready for your day, do some planks.

A simple elbow or full plank only requires holding it for about 30 seconds. You can

eventually challenge yourself by holding it for longer or doing variations on the plank by

moving different parts of your body. Planks can also be done with minimal space and

don’t take much time. If you wake up late, spending one minute doing planks isn’t going

to affect your schedule all that much, so at least try to fit that in.

 

 

7..Bodyweight Moves for the Upper Body

 

As you probably know, bodyweight exercises allow you to workout anywhere and

usually with no equipment or weights, toning and strengthening your entire body. For

some people, they really want to focus on their upper body, which is where the following

moves benefit you the most.

 

Pull-Ups and Push-Ups

 

Two bodyweight exercises that are fantastic for your upper body are the pull-ups and

push-ups. If you don’t have a bar at home, you will need to go to a nearby playground or

park for the pull-ups, or you can do them in your local gym. However, it is highly

recommended to add them to your routine if you are working on your upper body. All

you need to do is put your hands on the bar and try to pull yourself up until your chest

meets the bar. Don’t worry if you can’t do one – the stronger you get, the easier they

become.

 

At home, you can do push-ups as well. If you know how to do a plank, you know the first

move of a push-up. Instead of holding the plank, you will bend your elbows and move

your body down to the ground, then lift your body back up into the plank position.

 

Star Plank

 

Are you looking for a harder plank to do? When you feel like you have gotten used to

standard and elbow planks, and want to work your arms as well as your core, try a star

plank. For this move, you are doing a full plank, but your hands and legs are stretched

out with more space in between them, creating a four-pointed star with your body.

 

Diamond Push-Up

 

Another version of the push-up is one where you simply move where your hands are.

The benefit of this is that you work different arm and shoulder muscles, further

increasing your bodyweight upper body workout. Instead of just putting your hands

shoulder width apart, you will touch your hands together in a diamond formation. This

really works on your shoulders and arms. Do the push-ups like you normally would. As

with pull-ups, don’t worry if you can only do one or two right now. When you get

stronger, you will be able to do more of them.

 

Many bodyweight exercises work your entire body, including your upper body, so mixing

up your routine is great for a full-body workout.

 

8..Lazy Girl Bodyweight Exercise Ideas

 

If you feel that you are on the lazier end of the spectrum and want your free time to be

watching TV or listening to music at home, that doesn’t mean you have to be completely

sedentary. You can do bodyweight workouts while doing these other things, without

walking into a gym, and still gain benefits from it.

 

Decide What Moves Are Best

 

It is always good to learn the different bodyweight moves first before you decide how to

add them to your routine. There are some you are probably familiar with, like squats and

lunges, but others you may not know how to do correctly. Choose moves that are good

for your current fitness level. You want to challenge yourself, but not overdo it. If you are

a beginner and you choose expert-level moves, you will burnout quickly and lose your

motivation.

 

Choose the Increments

 

Once you know what bodyweight moves you want to try out, you will then choose

increments. This is when you decide if you want to do a certain move when listening to

one song, or if you want to do them during each commercial break while watching TV. If

you are streaming video online, you can try them during advertisement breaks, or a

slightly longer routine after each episode. You can also choose minute increments, like

if you are watching a movie, pause it after every 15-20 minutes to do 10 or 20 reps of

one type of bodyweight exercise.

 

Try Moves While Doing Other Activities

 

Even a lazy girl (or boy) can find moves to do while doing other activities at home as

well. You can stand up on your tip-toes or squat while brushing your teeth or washing

dishes, do lunges every time you walk down the hall to the bathroom, or commit to a

wall sit for 30 seconds before every meal you eat. There are many different options for

fitting in these exercises in your normal day, whether you are at home, in the office, or

spending the day at the park.

 

Make it Fun!

 

There is no reason your workout has to be a bore! Make it fun by turning up your

favorite fast-paced song and do some burpees and planks, or try jumping jacks for an

entire song. Have fun with it, involve your family or roommates, and don’t treat it like

exercise. This is what will keep you motivated.

 

 

9..At-Home Workouts That Include Bodyweight Moves

 

Just because you want to add bodyweight exercises to your fitness routine, doesn’t

mean you can’t do your normal workout as well. There are actually many popular at-

home workouts that incorporate bodyweight moves. Here are some of the top ones to

consider.

 

Yoga

 

The first type of workout that often incorporates bodyweight moves is yoga. There are

different forms of yoga, so you probably want to go for the moderate or advanced

varieties to really do a lot of bodyweight moves. For example, the downward dog is

done in yoga, which can be considered bodyweight. It is similar to a plank, except

instead of being flat, your buttocks is up in the air. Many times, downward dogs go down

to a full plank, along with many other bodyweight movements.

 

Pilates

 

Pilates is another good workout that doesn’t use weights or equipment, but can be done

at home and incorporate a lot of floor moves. This is similar to yoga, but really

incorporates more of the core movements. You will learn plenty of difficult bodyweight

moves to strengthen your core, improve your flexibility, and work on those abdominal

muscles. Mixing it in with other bodyweight moves is a great way to add more to your

workout routine.

 

High-Intensity Interval Training

 

Also known as HIIT, High-Intensity Interval Training is an excellent way to get started

with bodyweight exercises. This is really going to increase your cardio, endurance, and

strength all at the same time. This will use more jumping and high intensity moves of

bodyweight, like your jumping jacks, jumps, and burpees, along with many other moves.

Another great thing about HIIT is that it is done in less time, so even the busiest person

can get a good workout.

 

Branded Workouts

 

There are also some well-known brand workouts you might have heard of that use a lot

of bodyweight workouts. For example, if you are familiar with the BeachBody programs,

you may have heard of PIYO. This is definitely one of the top workouts that uses only

bodyweight movements, working out your entire body. It was created by Chalene

Johnson, and will do everything from multiple plank variations, to intense yoga and

Pilates-inspired strengthening moves. Crossfit is another type of workout that

incorporates bodyweight along with the weight training, but this is usually done in a gym

and not suitable for home workouts.

 

At the end of the day, adding in any sort of bodyweight moves is going to benefit you,

whether you are working out at home or in the gym.

 

 

10..Tips for Adding Bodyweight to Your Fitness Routine

 

If you want to start doing bodyweight exercises, but not rely on it 100 percent, you can

incorporate it into your regular fitness routine. Here are some easy ways to add

bodyweight moves to the workout rotation.

 

Choose Some Easy Moves to Start With

 

If you want to do bodyweight exercises, but stick to your current routine, you should first

learn how to do the moves. If you are a beginner to this form of fitness, it is a good idea

to stick to the basics and gradually add them a little at a time. This might include doing a

30-second plank before each workout, or doing some squats and mountain climbers on

the days when you do cardio just to mix it up a little. Don’t feel like you need to know

how to do everything at once.

 

Consider Workouts That Use Bodyweight

 

A really easy way to add bodyweight exercises to your fitness routine is find workouts

that incorporate them. Instead of doing a bodyweight routine separately, you are trying a

workout that uses these moves along with others to help you stay toned and fit, and

even lose some weight. This might include Pilates or yoga, gym workouts like CrossFit,

or just some high-intensity intervals.

 

Alternate the Days

 

When it gets to the point where you want to dedicate more time to doing bodyweight

exercises, start by alternating the days instead of doing them every single day. You

might want to do them on days when you are not doing cardio, and cut down your

weight training, or vice versa. There is a lot of room for flexibility and customizing your

workout routines by adding in some bodyweight moves. You can do them just a couple

days a week, or every other day with your other workouts. Bodyweight usually doesn’t

take a long time, so you can just add another 10-15 minutes to your regular workout

routine.

 

Add them to Your Current Routine

 

Don’t worry about doing something completely different from what you do now. Either

adjust your current routine, or add on as mentioned above. Here are some ideas that

might work for you:

 

Do a quick, 5-minute bodyweight routine before you do cardio for the day

Try interval training on weight training days where you do some weights, and some

bodyweight exercises

 

Start each day with a 15-minute bodyweight routine to get energy

As you can see, there are a lot of easy options to work with!