Top 10 Bodyweight Exercises Making You a TRUE Beast!

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

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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

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Zac

What are “pistols” ~ single leg squats?

What are “muscle ups” on bar or rings

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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

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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.

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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!

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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

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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

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Yeah Simon – single leggers without assistance – great for man strength –

Who needs a gym? Not us! (unless it’s USG)

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Awesome list, Zach! I’m a big fan of the muscle up, rope climb, and pistols myself.

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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

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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………

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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

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Great list Z! I guess I need to step up my bodyweight training!

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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/

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Z,

Killer post as usual bro!

Bodyweight is an essential and often overlooked strength tool.

I’m making them a PRIORITY in my program.

Each week I got a different “Hardcore Hundred” workout I’ll be cranking full blast.

I like the Big Three – Rope Climbs, Muscle Ups, and Pistols.

Pistols are my weakness and I’ll be working on those big time.

I want to build up to cranking 30 each side no problem!

BEAST STATUS!

Keep it up Z!

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I only have one question. Who were the maniacs busting their you know whats in the woods. That black and white footage was sweet. Like you I love the old school approach. Even better is getting a chance to watch those trail blazers in action. Best part was the coach leading the way. When I’m coaching, whether its a football team, a crossfit class, or group x at the y I work hard to lead by example. Thanks for all the great info Z. Its definitely savage worthy.

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Ha… I can see some blast from the past footage from east European Olympic weight lifters training. Am I right?

I think I recognise my “country men”

Good post man! your list nearly freaked me out. I am sooo disappointed and sad to say that probably half of them are beyond me at the moment.

You get me going now! Promise!!!

Thank you for your updates.

B.

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Wow that is quite the challenge! I once thought that one could only get so strong with body weight training but over the past 2 years I keep discovering more hard core ways to use body weight in training and the bar keeps getting raised higher and higher. I guess that’s why they always say, the more you know the more you grow. Our own potential is only limited by our ignorance.

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First of all, this is awesome info!
Second, When you say “1 handed pullups” do you mean pullups literally with no assistance whatsoever from the opposite arm? Simply grab the bar with one arm (let the other arm hang) and perform a pullup?

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Yes, guys, the one arm pull up is unassisted, BUT, in Convict Conditioning, Coach Paul Wade teaches you progressions for the unassisted one arm pull up.

We have a wrestler who can do it!! I gave him the book as a gift http://ConvictConditioningWorkout.com

–z–

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awesome stuff! i suggest adding the “dragon flag” to that top ten challenges! i bet it’s worth it’s place there!

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I am a huge fan of the spiderman pushup or the mountain climber with pushup. Just to be clear as I may be calling them the wrong things: a spiderman pushup is doing a normal pushup but while your nose is on the ground you bring one knee to your elbow and then do the same on the other side.

A mountain climber pushup is you do a pushup and when you come back up, you bring your right foot to your right hand and back and then left foot to left hand and back. Repeat this until dead! I sweat more on this one that a lot of other stuff I do.

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Great list to check our progress by!
Got more work to do, glad I’m still young enough (at 61) to go after it

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Yo Zach:

Awesome video and exercises, where did the vintage training footage come from?

Keep the awesomeness coming!!!

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Been pushing real hard on the BWBB and have made significant gains. I am really enjoying the program. I will be working hard to complete the ten. I will be working the six in convict conditioning soon, as I am almost finished with phase 2. This is where I feel I excel, not putting down the barbell just postponing it until 5×5. Your thoughts on this? Thanks for helping me become a beast at 43, not there yet (BUT WORKINGRMING HARD JUST THE SAME). Much respect!

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I think that your list is good, but I also think that you are missing a couple of things. One is 100 hindu pushups and another is 150 hindu squats. This of course is just my opinion. I use ‘em and I find them wicked. I cant do the numbers I just posted though. I can do 52 hindu pushups and 78 of the squats.

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Hi when you say hspu do you mean to or forehead or do mean to nose or full range on pushup handles.

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By the way i stopped doing standing db press 3week ago and do hspu to forehead most days can do ten reps now and my db press went up four reps and i aint trained it for four week.hspu seem good upper body exercise.im 100kg

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