The Bodyweight Training Advantage

Bodyweight Training just keeps getting more popular.  Obviously, we love training with bodyweight exercises and we believe they are one of the most efficient ways of achieving your training goals.  But that’s always been the case.  So why, all of a sudden, is bodyweight training becoming so huge?

I see two trends in the use of bodyweight exercise right now.  The first has to do with the ever more mobile lifestyles that people are adopting.  Working or living from one fixed location seems to be on the wane.  Ryan calls this the Virtual Nomad phenomenon.  And as people’s lifestyles change, the services built around those lifestyles also have to change – and exercise is no exception.

The other trend I see – which is only building steam in this economy – is the tendency for people to want to migrate away from the mainstream commercial gyms.  This could be to save money, save time, or simply because people are no longer enamored with the hustle and bustle of busy gyms and the never ending slew of fancy machines.

But for whatever reason, people are migrating towards more primal or simple training methods.  And obviously bodyweight exercise is emerging as one of the most popular choice in this category.

Portable fitness on the hurry-up for today’s virtual nomads

Portability is obviously one of the biggest benefits of bodyweight training.  It truly is a do anywhere exercise solution.  You don’t even need shoes…  So people with busy schedules are able to slip bodyweight exercise in wherever and whenever it fits.

And that brings up another point – bodyweight training is time efficient.  There’s no battling through rush hour traffic to get to the gym.  There’s no waiting around for machines or weight stations to free up at the busy gym.  I have one client who closes his office door at lunch to train every day.  Then, when he gets home at night – which is much sooner since he doesn’t stop off at the gym anymore – he can devote his time to his family and his interests.

Superior results with bodyweight training

As far as the exercises themselves go, if done right bodyweight training is actually one of the highest quality training methods available.  This has a lot to do with a concept called Relative Strength.  This basically has to do with your ability to handle your own bodyweight as you move it through space.  This relative strength is often a good indicator of injury risk and it also improves performance in sport and recreational activities.

And the real advantage we have in our approach to bodyweight training in the Circular Strength Training® system is our application of Relative Strength through complex ranges and movement patterns.  By using our 6 Degrees of Freedom concept, we’re able to systematically move the body through every conceivable plane and angle of movement, thus multiplying the benefits of Relative Strength.  There are very few tools that can truly embrace the 6 Degrees of Freedom.  Clubbells are one of the best, but I find that bodyweight training is particularly well suited.
Bodyweight training wins hands down for return on investment

Bodyweight training requires almost no cash investment.  It is extremely time efficient – allowing you to get a complete workout in a very short time.  And it requires very little space.  That’s pretty hard to beat considering the excellent physique and health benefits that bodyweight training delivers.

Check out our BodyweightCoach TV page for some cool exercise ideas.  Also, be sure to grab your free Bodyweight FUN-damentals Workout.  Just leave your information in the form to the right of this page and you’ll get instant access.  The FUN-damentals program has everything you need for weeks or even months of training, at absolutely no cost.  And it is an excellent primer for jumping into the Bodyweight Exercise Revolution programs.

Give Circular Strength Training bodyweight exercise a try through our free program and we’re convinced that your perception of bodyweight training will change forever.

You may also enjoy:

1. Quick, Effective (and somewhat nasty) Bodyweight Training
2. Dynamic Bodyweight Training Warm Up
3. Bodyweight Training And Muscle Mass – Building The Functional Physique