Interested in shedding pounds and improving your fitness without stepping out of your home?
Well, as your personal trainer Etobicoke, we’ve got you covered with an excellent bodyweight workout routine suitable for ANY location: your living room, a park, or even a distant galaxy…
These are the very workouts we create for our on-the-go Online Coaching Clients, and we’re excited to share them with you today!
Let’s delve into the various components of this workout and get started!
- Can You Build Muscle Mass With Bodyweight Exercises?
- Beginner Bodyweight Workout Video (and Sheet).
- 12 Best Bodyweight Exercises for Beginners
- Is Bodyweight Training Effective for Weight Loss?
- What’s Next After the Beginner Bodyweight Workout?
Can You Build Muscle Mass With Bodyweight Exercises?
You’re curious:
Is it possible to increase muscle mass using bodyweight exercises?
Absolutely, bodyweight exercises can help in building muscle mass, provided you consistently challenge your muscles by:
- Boosting repetitions.
- Reducing your rest intervals.
- Trying more challenging variations.
- Prolonging your time under tension (by slowing down).
Just take a cue from our buddy Endy, who achieved impressive fitness using bodyweight exercises right in his apartment:
All you need is to ensure you’re following the appropriate program.
Introducing the Beginner Bodyweight Workout.
Today, I’ll guide you through a fundamental home workout that’s versatile and can be done in various locations – your house, apartment, a park, your basement, even on the moon, wherever.
Beginner Body Weight Workout Video & exercises
HERE’S THE ENTRY-LEVEL BODYWEIGHT ROUTINE (3 CIRCUITS):
- 20 Bodyweight squats.
- 10 Push-ups.
- 10 Walking lunges (each leg).
- 10 Dumbbell rows (use a milk jug or other weight).
- 15 Second Plank.
- 30 Jumping jacks
We’ve transformed this bodyweight workout into an engaging infographic, because that’s our style here:
In a circuit workout, you perform each exercise one after another without pausing in between (if possible).
After completing all exercises in the circuit, repeat the circuit.
If you still have the energy after the second round, go for a third.
Because these exercises are done consecutively, fatigue is expected – and that’s completely fine!
Stopping and taking a break is better than performing an exercise incorrectly.
Before you begin, remember to do a Dynamic Warm-Up – Ensure you elevate your heart rate and warm up your muscles to reduce the risk of injury.
You can jog in place, skip rope, do a few push-ups, pedal on a stationary bike, throw some punches and kicks, jog up and down the stairs, and/or rotate and move your arms and legs to get them in motion!
HERE’S A WARM-UP ROUTINE FOR BEGINNERS TO TRY:
Once you finish your home workout, take the time to cool down and stretch.
“How frequently should I perform the Beginner Bodyweight Workout?”
Complete this routine 2-3 times per week, ensuring there are non-consecutive days between sessions.
Muscle growth occurs during periods of rest, not during exercise. Thus, it’s advisable not to engage in strength training routines (targeting the same muscle groups) on consecutive days.
I prefer to follow this training schedule:
- Strength training on one day (such as this workout).
- 20 minutes of interval training the following day.
- Return to strength training.
- Followed by interval training or a day of rest.
The 12 Best Bodyweight Exercises For Beginners
As explained in detail in our Beginner Bodyweight Workout video, there are essential movements you can practice to initiate your strength training journey!
Here’s the technique for each bodyweight exercise we discussed today:
#1) KNEE PUSH-UP
#2) ELEVATED PUSH-UP
#3) REGULAR PUSH-UP
#4) ASSISTED BODYWEIGHT SQUAT
Employ this modification if standard bodyweight squats are still challenging for you.
#5) BODYWEIGHT SQUAT
#6) SUPPORTED LUNGES
#7) REGULAR LUNGES
Here is the correct way to execute lunges.
#8) ONE ARM ROW
Utilize a milk jug, suitcase, or a real dumbbell.
#9) PLANK
#10) SIDE PLANK
#11) WALKING JACKS
Employ this modification if you’re not able to do jumping jacks yet.
#12) JUMPING JACKS
If you’re seeking a broader range of bodyweight exercises to incorporate into your workouts, be sure to explore our extensive resource:
Note: We’ve assisted numerous 1-on-1 Coaching clients in commencing their strength training journey and achieving other remarkable feats. However, EVERYONE begins with bodyweight training, encompassing these exercises and this workout!
Is Bodyweight Training Effective for Weight Loss?
The question for today is:
Can bodyweight training effectively contribute to weight loss?
Absolutely! Bodyweight training can serve as an effective tool for weight loss, provided that your nutrition is well-managed.
However, if your nutrition isn’t in check, bodyweight training alone won’t be a miraculous solution.
This is because engaging in a solid workout while maintaining a poor diet won’t lead to weight loss.
One of the principles emphasized in is “you can’t outrun your fork” and it’s impossible to out-train a subpar diet!
This implies that unless you address your relationship with food, exercising alone won’t assist you in achieving a better physique.
It might just leave you feeling disheartened…
So, if your goal is to shed those extra pounds, prioritizing the improvement of your nutrition is essential.
Remember, in the realm of fitness, maintaining a nutritious diet is paramount!
You have two options to improve your nutrition:
- Keep track of your food intake by monitoring calories – you can determine your daily caloric requirements using this tool.
- Educate yourself about appropriate portion sizes, such as through our healthy plate strategy:
We have created a 10-tier nutrition framework and a mindset guide. Let me simplify this into fundamental principles:
- Opt for natural, unprocessed foods whenever feasible.
- Reduce sugar and liquid calorie intake as much as possible, as these are prevalent in a wide array of products.
- Incorporate plenty of vegetables and fruits into your meals.
- Be mindful of your fat and carbohydrate intake, as these are easily consumed in excess without awareness.
- Ensure an adequate daily protein intake (from sources like meat, chicken, fish) to aid in muscle recovery and other important functions
The blunt reality: a significant 80% of your triumphs or setbacks can be attributed to your eating habits.
For those engaging in bodyweight exercises primarily for weight loss, recognize that training constitutes merely 10-20% of the overall equation!
If you’re struggling to navigate through this, you’ve landed in the appropriate spot!
We’ve been guiding individuals with busy schedules, such as yourself, to effectively train at home and improve dietary choices without despising the journey!
After the Beginner Bodyweight Workout: Next Steps!
Engage in this Novice Bodyweight Fitness Routine for the upcoming 4-6 weeks, focusing on continuous improvement.
- If completing just one round of this workout felt immensely challenging, don’t worry!
- Record your performance and strive to add just one extra repetition or exercise during your subsequent attempt.
- The primary objective is to surpass your previous performance each time.
We also offer VARIOUS alternatives for your next phase. Select the option that best aligns with your objectives and timeline:
If you seek comprehensive guidance on shedding weight, improving your diet, and gaining strength, explore our exceptional personalized coaching program:
Our coaching regimen has transformed numerous lives. Discover more about it!
Execute this workout at home, sans any equipment.
Evade common blunders made during bodyweight exercises.