3 Steps To Body Weight Training Success

Can you get fit with body weight training?

What are the keys to a successful body weight training program?

Keep it simple to get started now. Three basic rules will help you implement a successful training program.

Rule 1: Anything is better than nothing.

It takes awhile to create a new, favorable habit. Some say you must perform a new task 10 times in a row to establish it as a new habit. Others say it will take six to eight weeks to develop a habit that sticks. Suffice it to say that a new habit has to be established and it will take some time to get it done.

So remember, during your startup phase, before the habit has been ingrained, anything is better than nothing. Suppose you normally work out in the evening when you get home. Murphy’s Law will inevitably strike at some point. You get home late. You are tired, cranky and hungry. The workout is not sitting at number one on your list. What do you do?

Anything is better than nothing. Do something. Forget the full body weight training program you had planned. But do something. Maybe some burpees in front of the TV while watching the late news. Do some push ups and wall squats. Take a power walk around the block with your spouse and de-stress a bit.

The secret is not missing the workout. It doesn’t really matter what you do in place of the original workout.The key is not missing. The key is forming the positive habit.

Rule 2: Focus on Complex Movements

Sure we used to do super-sets of biceps curls and diamond push ups before donning shirts that were too small and heading out on the town. The objective was different then. Now we want to get the maximum output in the minimum amount of time.

How do we do it?

Perform complex body weight training movements. Do the exercises that engage more than one body joint at a time. Squats engage the ankles, knees and hips. Burpees with a push up flex all the major joints in one movement. Work the large muscles of the legs, butt and back to maximize caloric burn. Forget about isolation moves like biceps curls and triceps extensions. Though admittedly, they do pump the blood into the arms, the overall benefit to fitness is low.

Rule 3: Don’t get hurt.

Rule 3 becomes more and more important as you get older. When you are hurt, you miss workouts. See Rule 1. When you miss workouts, you fall back into bad habits. When you fall back into bad habits, it is hard to get it started again.

Don’t get hurt.

Mobility is the key. Not flexibility, but mobility. Flexibility is how limber an individual joint or the muscles around that joint are. Mobility is the ability of a joint to move in a full range of motion as intended by design. Limited mobility comes from lack of or limited use (use it or lose it syndrome); bad habits; and/or injury.

If you stop squatting down to the ground, pretty soon you will not be able to squat down. If you spend a lot of time slouching in front of a computer; a whole host of back, neck and shoulder mobility issues will ensue. Injuries that are not properly healed or rehabilitated cause other areas of the body to compensate, creating a chain of mobility problems.

Focus on full range of motion movements to minimize rule 3 problems when body weight training. Don’t get hurt.

So a successful body weight training program should:

Have a plan and stick to it. Anything is better than nothing.

Focus on the complex full body moves to get the most out of your time invested.

Think about mobility. Don’t get hurt.


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