Top 10 Bodyweight Exercises Making You a TRUE Beast!
June 19th, 2009
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by admin · Filed Under: Articles · Q & A · Strength Building · Success · muscle building
Wow, I’ve been getting a lot of questions regarding bodyweight training since all the bodyweight videos have been released.
Check out the last few videos and add your answers or comments by posting a comment below.
QUESTION: Zach, can someone get endless strength gains from Bodyweight Training?
ANSWER: Awesome question!
I use Bodyweight training to supplement how I personally train & how I train with my athletes – Bodyweight training is a HUGE part of what we do, but, NOT the ONLY part.
Then again, have YOU maximized your potential in bodyweight training if you can not perform the below bodyweight movements:
1) pistols x 10 ea. leg
2) 1 arm push ups x 10 ea. arm
3) 1 hand pull up x 1 rep ea. arm
4) muscle up on bar / rings x 5 in a row
5) 100 consecutive push ups
6) 10 handstand push ups
7) handstand walking
20′ rope climb without leg assistance
9) parallel bar dips x 50 reps (upper arms parallel to floor)
10) 20 pull ups (overhand or underhand grip)
The above list of exercises are the toughest movements for bodyweight training.
Remember, strength is a skill and it must be practiced regularly, and bodyweight training gives you the power to practice anywhere, anytime and with no equipment.
So until you are able to perform the above list of 10 bodyweight exercises I honestly believe you are NOT strong enough in bodyweight training.
Can I perform the list above? Not all of them, so this tells me I need to get stronger in those movements and that comes through more practice in bodyweight training and reduction of body weight.
Obviously, being heavier will not make the performance of those 10 bodyweight exercises easier, but, this is NOT an excuse as I have shown you many videos of myself and my own clients performing many of these feats.
So if you’ve been thinking you’re strong enough with bodyweight exercises and the only exercises you’ve been doing with your own bodyweight training are push ups, pull ups and dips…..well, it looks like you have your work cut out for you.
You better get busy because we ALL need to get stronger.
You CAN maximize your physical potential by making bodyweight training an integral part of your workouts.
I highly reccomend you do so.
In Strength,
–Z–
PS: With 243 exercises, progressing you from beginner to advanced, Bodyweight University will put you on the fast track to being a True BEAST. Click HERE and get busy.
PPS: How important is bodyweight training? An NFL Strength Coach and a Strength Coach for one of the best high school Football teams in the nation just purchased their copy of Bodyweight University yesterday, SMART DUDES!
Click HERE to get your copy of Bodyweight University.
15 Responses to “Top 10 Bodyweight Exercises Making You a TRUE Beast!”
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That’s awesome Zach! I’ve been working the handstand pushups, that dude on your video makes them look so freaking easy, but I can only crank out one or two at a time. And then I tried jumping from my knees to the feet today, I think you called these get ups, but that was a complete fail, going to keep working at it though. A lot of my clients are always asking for more ab work, maybe you could include some bodyweight ab work soon…plz.
U rock.
Dustin
Hey Zach,
That’s a good top ten…I have most of them licked but on the dips I fail at around 40.
The muscle ups, I’ve never tried on rings and I know they are easier that way, but off a bar I can do them but need to improve.
Consecutive Push ups I can hit about 75 before I fail.
And the rope climbing…one of my fav’s. Check out my 30 foot rope climb at my blog here http://tinyurl.com/n6ruvl
Other top 10 type bodyweight exercises, maybe bridging and reverse push ups as a few examples.
Keep strong,
Danny Wright
Zac
What are “pistols” ~ single leg squats?
What are “muscle ups” on bar or rings
I’ve been waiting for this all bodyweight to come out for ages!
Thanks Zach man!
Two questions:
Do you have a substitute for dips? I don’t have any dip bars at home nor is parks around.
#2 How far should one be going for handstand walking? Do you have tips on stability and strength and all for that?
Thanks a lot, man.
Take it easy,
–Steve
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfFZMZf9pBw&feature=related
Are those the leg pistols you were talking about?
Thanks, bud.
And p.s. I can NOT do muscle ups on bars! Please give me a tip before it makes me go nuts. I try so hard, but its just not happenning.
Zach, I just did a post on body weight training using football and gymnastics as the two sports that require the greatest amount of strength in sports.
see here: http://www.thefatlossauthority.com/fat_loss_tips/incredible-muscle-gains-without-weights/
I popped by a gymnastics training center not too long ago and it was ridiculous to see them train. Killer situps and rope climbs just like Danny Wright above were just one of the many body weight exercises they completed that day. I talked to one of the guys after wards and asked him if does any classic weight training on the side? He shot me a funny look and told me he hasn’t picked up a dumbbell in 3 years. Amazing!
YUMMY!! I do bodyweight all the time.. but I can’t do the number of reps listed on ANY of those (although if I had a rope I bet I could climb it). Something to shoot for.
thanks Zach. awesome post, as usual.
J
Stephan re: your post #5
Quote: “And p.s. I can NOT do muscle ups on bars! Please give me a tip before it makes me go nuts. I try so hard, but its just not happenning.” End of Quote.
If you have access to rings it is easier but otherwise the trick is to put your hands past the bar with your wrists leaning on the bar itself, taking the weight.
Then, as you come up over you slide your hands onto the bar.
But, hey! How do you get up there in the first place?
Try giving yourself a little leg up, cheat a little. By doing a tiny jump off the ground-or a big jump if you need lots of help you will get the momentum to lift yourself up past the bar. As you get stronger and develop the groove you will need less and less of a jump start.
Hope that helps-
Danny from http://www.DumpTheGymFitness.com
Yeah Simon – single leggers without assistance – great for man strength –
Who needs a gym? Not us! (unless it’s USG)
Awesome list, Zach! I’m a big fan of the muscle up, rope climb, and pistols myself.
I glad to see the ‘re-birth’ of bodyweight exercises. The rope climb is probably the most challenging.
lol…I thought this was designed as a single workout and not a guide. Thanks Z for the Bodyweight University and hope to see more products like this in the future.
Tim
in the 70’s I served in the Navy in Vietnam on an
ammunition ship,where we supplied ammo and other
supplies to ships at sea.I was a Boatswains Mate and
I was stationed at the “lizard line” (a rope that
steadied the load as it was being passed to another
ship).I got many”job well done” from the Capt because
of my strength steadying the line.
after discharge,I joined a local gym ,owned by a
Chiropractor (they make good personal trainers).
after about 2 years training with the Dr,I had a job
that allowed me less time at the gym-so I started
doing “dips” on a steel railing they had in their
garage.I weighed about 240 lbs at the time.At the
gym I did a lot of incline presses-among other
things……..
so,as a result,30 years later-at 58 y/o…….
I still have a 56 ” chest……at 6′2″
and I am still strong…….
push ups won’t hurt ,either……..
All natural is the way to go………
I’m a huge proponent of body weight exercises as they give you the ability to measure your true strength to mass ratio. Great post.
Rafi Bar-Lev
Great list Z! I guess I need to step up my bodyweight training!
What do you guys think about isometrics?
I’ve found the use of 3-4 sets of 3-5 sec holds at three angles through a movement 2-3 times per week to be effective in developing those exercise where at first you have no hope of even getting one rep.
This is pull ups for some, single arm push ups, handstand push ups – the usual suspects! Give it a go if you’re struggling to get that first rep. After 4 weeks you’ll be there if not sooner.
Wrote an article here on the pros and cons if anyone wants to know more… http://worldstoughestworkouts.com/isometric-strength-training-for-anywhere/