Naked Commando – Body weight Calisthenics

True to its name, the naked commando style body weight calisthenics ensures your fat gets burned off the body in real quick time. With body weight training you get an old fashioned, time tested classic combined with the latest in the art of burning fat which can cut your workout time in half. Considering you can spend a fortune every time you hire a personal trainer or go to a dirty gym or paying up front for some weight loss program that is not delivering what was promised, read on to discover how this is a bargain and just how long calisthenics have been around.

In the United States, calisthenics are exercises made up of simple movements, usually performed without weights or equipment, that are intended to increase body strength and flexibility using the weight of one’s own body for resistance.

History-Europe

Calisthenics originated in ancient Greece. It is mentioned in a Persian scout report on Spartan warriors before the Battle of Thermopylae, in which calisthenics is interpreted as a sign of weakness if one was not competent.

Repeated motions of calisthenics done over an extended period of time builds muscle endurance. The history of calisthenics is linked to gymnastics.

Gymnastics, a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, balance and grace.

Disciples of Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (1778-1852), a German Prussian gymnastics educator and nationalist was commonly known as Turnvater-sounds like terminator ? Jahn, roughly meaning “father of gymnastics” Jahn.

German Gymnastics

Gymnastics was conceived by Johann Guts Muth and Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, and they used large fixed apparatus, vaulting and marching. Jahn felt that increased fitness was essential for a strong nation. The German system had a “militaristic” view of fitness and physical conditioning: Jahn’s goal was to promote his branded ‘Turnverein’ movement to mold the German youth into strong citizens.

It later was introduced by German immigrant, Charles Beck, to America. Although they were ideas based on the work of Friedrich Jahn, America’s system was less nationalistic.

Swedish Gymnastics

Pehr Henrik Ling founded the “Swedish Movement Cure” which was a health-oriented approach and recognized for inherent medical values. The Swedish “light gymnastics” used no apparatus, consisting of calisthenics and exercises. It was freer and less rigid than the German system. The Swedish system was made popular in America from the 1880s under Hartvig Nissen and Nils Posse.

Delsarte System of Physical Culture

A French system created by Francois Delsarte in the 1890s. His system of exercise was based on the belief that certain exercises contributed more to your poise, grace, beauty and health, which were more beneficial in improving performances in the arts as well as physical education, though in the latter its popularity was limited and short-lived.

Organized systems of calisthenics in America took a back seat to competitive sports after the “Battle of the Systems”, when the states mandated physical education systems.

P.E., Physical Education Class

In most systems of education, physical education (P.E.) class is(very soon will be “was”) a course taken in lower, middle, and high school that utilize learning in the cognitive, affective and psychomotor domains in a play or movement exploration setting. The term physical education is most commonly used in this way; however, this can also mean they have participated in the subject area rather than studied it.”[1] Physical education (PE) is the interdisciplinary study of all areas of science relating to the transmission of physical knowledge and skills to an individual or a group, the application of these skills, and their results.

The initial goals of physical education have varied, based on the needs of the time and place. Most modern schools’ goal is to provide students with knowledge, skills, capacities, values, and the enthusiasm to maintain a healthy lifestyle into adulthood. However, due to recent political differences and political platforms, lobbyist’s agenda’s…fitness in America’s schools is disappearing.

Activities included in the program are designed to promote physical fitness, to develop motor skills, to instill knowledge and understanding of rules, concepts, and strategies. Students learn to either work as part of a team, or as individuals, in a wide variety of competitive activities that create a foundation of positive character traits used later in adult life.

Some Advantages

Because no weights are required, body weight exercises is an ideal choice for those you interested in fitness but don’t want to have or buy strength training equipment. Added weight can be added with med balls to increase the difficulty of most body weight exercises and some exercises do require some sort of apparatus to lean on or hang from, but the majority of body weight exercises require only the ground. For those exercises that do require equipment of some kind, a substitute can usually be improvised from typical outdoor park equipment

The Down Side

Body weight exercises use your own weight to provide the resistance for the movement. Meaning, the weight being lifted is always the same. This can be difficult for less experienced athletes to achieve a level of intensity that is near their one rep maximum, which is desirable for strength training. Other strategies for increasing intensity include using external loading with additional weights (wear a weighted vest or holding a barbell or plate during a sit up) or by changing the exercise to put yourself at a decrease leverage advantage (such as elevating the feet or using only one hand during a push-up). Gymnasts make extensive use of this last technique by doing much of their training with straight arms (such as iron crosses, levers, and planches), a mechanically disadvantaged position.

In addition, a unilateral progression scheme can be used. Instead of a two sided movement, eg. A two-handed pull-up, the practitioner may decide, for strength increases, to choose a set of exercises that will allow him/her to complete the one-arm pull up.

In the body weight-training community, Bi-lateral exercises made into unilateral movements are highly regarded and sought after.

Conclusion

The history of fitness portrays some interesting ideas that coincide with the 21st century. A common theme is the strong association of military and political might with physical fitness throughout mankind’s advancement. Several instances point to how our world leaders can play a huge influence on the health and fitness crisis in America.

The mind-body concept has had limited focus in some cultures in its development. At times, some cultures defended the spiritual side, disregarding the body where as others, in a previous Greek society, upheld the belief of a sound mind can only be found in a healthy body. Another portion in our history suggests exercise for the body and music for the soul. Present day fitness programs have evolved this concept harmoniously, with music (via ipod) being a distinctive component to the exercise experience.

It’s all too apparent that as societies focus too much on wealth, prosperity and self-entertainment that fitness levels decline rapidly. While technology “hardware” has advanced, man and his “software” physical fitness have decreased. History offers little insight how to prevent or turnaround these circumstances…but as we’ve all heard…only the strong survive. Thus, this is a resolution we are challenged with in today’s society. Perhaps utilizing all of the extensive research completed on health and fitness in combination with the creative minds now in the fitness industry, we now can solve this part of the fitness puzzle.

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Developing a strong functional core should be the goal of any serious athlete. Oftentimes people just want a ripped midsection simply for the aesthetic aspect of it but because just about every movement we make requires the muscles of the core some degree, focusing on this area of the body is extremely important for the overall functioning and health of your entire body. With the multitude of products on the market for working out the core it can be easy to forget that the only thing you need to strengthen this area of the body is, your body.

Using only your body weight to stretch and strengthen your core may not seem as exciting as getting hooked up to the latest exercise gadget that promises you a ripped six-pack in no time at all, but the results are often much more impressive. Simply grabbing a space on the floor and using your body weight for some specific exercises can give you all the core workout you’ll ever need.

One of the simplest and most effective body weight exercises for the core is the basic crunch. Just grab an empty space on the floor and lie down to knock out a few sets of this powerfully effective abdominal workout. By utilizing slight variations while doing crunches, you can twist or position your upper body to be able to hit all aspects of your abdominal muscles.

Another effective body weight exercise for your core is planks. The basic plank requires you to support yourself using your forearms while keeping your back straight all the way down to your toes which are also used to support your body as you stabilize yourself and stay rigid, just like a plank. Holding a plank position for even as little as a minute can make even the most hardened body builder begin to shake uncontrollably. Stabilizing your core muscles and keeping your spine rigid while continuing to breathe throughout this exercise provides an incredibly intense core workout. Variations of planks exist so that there will always be something new to help train your core as you progress and become stronger.

Lying leg lifts or scissors are another popular core exercise. These help to target the area of the upper thighs as well as the abdominals helping to strengthen a larger section of your core. These muscles will help to support your body through all types of functional movements and will give you increased strength in just about every exercise you perform.

The core is not just about your abdominals of course so let’s not forget body weight exercisesfor your lower back like back extensions. One simple way to hit this area of your core is to lay down flat on your stomach with your legs extended and your fingers behind your head. Then, simply raise your shoulders and chest you inches above the ground and hold for a few seconds. This simple movement will work wonders for strengthening your lower back also tying in your glutes along with hamstrings and again help to develop a much stronger core using only your body weight.

The examples above make up just a few of the multitude of exercises that you can do using only your body weight to stretch and strengthen your core muscles. Take some time to investigate some of the other ones out there that will complete theses few and make sure to add them into your regular core training regimen for a more complete core blast!

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