Need to Get in Shape for Little or NO money? Go for Body Weight Training!

Losing weight can be expensive. Just turn on the TV at any hour of the day and you’re bound to see a commercial for a new potion or product that guarantees a slimmer waistline and ripped abs in just a few weeks time as long as you give them your credit card information. Some of the exercise equipment they are selling looks like it came straight from a medieval torture chamber with some promising to actually shock you into shape. Now, I look good on the beach as much as the next guy but I’m not willing to electrocute myself to do it.

Another route you can go is to simply join your local gym. A gym can offer many benefits in that they are usually stocked with the latest fitness equipment and have expert staff on hand to show you how to use it. Again, however, it comes down to an issue of money. Monthly gym memberships can cost as much as $80. There is another alternative though and the only thing it costs you is your commitment to the training.

Body weight training is not only inexpensive it can also be incredibly productive. For those of you who are uninitiated, body weight training simply means to use the weight of your own body as the resistance to help you get in shape. There are as many exercises that you can do using just your body weight as there are machines in your local gym. In fact, you can get in incredible shape using your own body weight in just three simple exercises that you can do anywhere, at any time, and it won’t cost you a dime.

bodyweight training

The first of these is the body weight squat. The squat is often referred to as the king of exercises because it has the ability to work so many muscle groups at one time. Don’t worry about building huge thigh muscles because when just using your body weight you will simply define and tone the existing muscles. To perform body weight squats simply squat down pushing your butt back in keeping your knees behind your toes. Go down into your thighs are parallel or just a little below parallel with the ground and then stand straight up. Perform a few sets of 25 body weight squats and you will feel just how effective and intense this exercise can be.

push-up-biel

The next exercise, and one of my favorites, is the push-up. While the squat takes care of your lower body, the push-up takes care of almost all of your upper body including your chest, shoulders, triceps, and upper back. Focus on keeping your body straight and rigid and your core tight while performing the exercise. Lower yourself straight down into your chest touches the floor and then push yourself back up.

To complete our trio of power and no money body weight exercises we look to the pull-up. There are two versions that you can do which will cost you no money. The first one requires a broomstick and two chairs. Simply set the broomstick on top of the two chairs that are placed several feet apart. Then lie underneath flat on your back with the broomstick positioned in-line with your upper chest. Now simply grab on to the broomstick at a little farther than shoulder width and pull yourself up doing reverse pull-ups. These may take a bit of getting used to but once you do they are extremely effective at building your biceps and your entire back area. The other method is simply to go to your local park or playground and find a set of monkey bars and do your pull-ups there. These are my favorite since it allows me the ability to get outside and get in shape while enjoying fresh air.

So if money is tight, don’t let it be your excuse for not getting in shape because simply by performing the above three exercises or any of the other multitude of body weight exercises, you can get in fantastic shape for little or no money.

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