It’s said that variety is the spice of life. Whether or not that applies to your daily life, it’s definitely true in regards to keeping workouts fresh, consistent and effective. If you’ve made a dedication to a higher standard of fitness for yourself, switching up routines and trying new things like yoga in Cherry Hill, NJ, can be an important tool to maintain your promise.

Body weight exercises serve as one of the big tools for varying a workout. They are also a great way to determine benchmarks in fitness. Experts agree, if you’re in peak physical condition you ought to be able to lift your own body weight in a number of different ways.  Here is a look at a few exercises that utilize your own weight to achieve the results that traditional barbells and dumbbells are used for.

4253058200_4162fb7a19_o

  • Push-ups/ Pull-ups/Chin-ups- Don’t feel bad if you can’t do these, they’re immense feats of upper body strength. These exercises require working every muscle above the torso. These exercises can be an entire upper body workout by themselves. If they’re too hard, try putting your knees down when you do a pushup, or try a star plank. If these seem too easy, try using one arm for these exercises or, for a superhuman feat, try muscle-ups.
  • Squats- The squat rack is one of the most trafficked structures in any gym. Take your lower body workout outside those four columns by using your own body as the weight. Pistol squats and jump squats will work your lower body in more ways and more directions than the confines of a squat rack and they’ll help you further define your lower body, particularly your glutes and quads. If these seem a bit too difficult, try squats using just your normal body weight or try some glute bridges. If these are too easy, try a Bulgarian split squat to really work the individual muscles.
  • Full Body- If you’re looking for a challenge that will work everything at once, try burpees. Don’t worry, these exercises don’t require you to say “excuse me” if you’re in public. Burpees work everything from your upper to lower body and are a heck of a cardio workout. If burpees aren’t challenging enough, for a herculean feat of full body strength try a handstand push-up.

 

 

Body weight exercises are not the easy mode version of weighted exercises, in many cases, they are quite the opposite. Consult the staff or trainers if you have any questions.