About every 6 to 8 weeks, I decide it’s time to mix up my old workout routine. I was focused on heavy strength training to help build dense muscles. Now I’m planning to take a break from lifting and focus on strength training without weights. By simply using my bodyweight, I’m confident I can perform a home workout without equipment that will help me maintain the size of my muscles while actually increasing functional strength.
Two common pieces of any home workout without equipment are pushups and squats. There are several versions of both types of exercise, so no matter your skill level, you should be able to find a technique that is still challenging. Both pushups and squats are considered compound exercises, which simply means that you work several different muscles during one rep. If you want to increase your overall functional strength, then compound exercises are the way to go. Combined, these two exercises alone could really work your entire body, but there are other upper and lower bodyweight exercises that can help round out a strength training routine as well.
Though some of the best workout routines include completion of a large number of calisthenics exercises like pushups will surely improve stamina, I would like to suggest a different strategy. In general, strength training is best done in low rep ranges. After you have completed 20 pushups, stamina, rather than strength, is what you are likely to gain. That’s why making pushups harder is critical if you want to build strength.
If you’re just starting out, you may want to do pushups by standing against a wall or from your knees. Once you can do a good number of standard pushups, then the fun really begins. Traditional pushups offer an effective workout for the arms, chest area and the abdominal core, though there are pushup variations which target different areas, thus making the movements more difficult to complete.
My suggestion is that you build your strength in different areas using the different pushup styles. After you are able to complete upwards of 15-20 repetitions, make an effort to include other variations in your regimen. It is possible that you will be capable of only 1-3 repetitions of the more difficult variations on the pushup.
Broadly speaking, I oppose targeted training of the legs, particularly in terms of weight lifting. High intensity interval training workouts (HIIT) that blends sprinting with active recovery is all I really think you need to build leg strength. I think weights lead to a bulky appearance whereas I aim for the lean, athletic look. A good alternative is bodyweight squats, which, if kept to low rep numbers, will help build leg strength without adding a lot of mass. As you probably guessed, there are several types of squats as well. Novices may wish to perform half squats, slowly building up to completion of a complete squat. Advanced trainees can make squats more explosive, and challenging, by doing squat jumps. Bodyweight squats can be made much more difficult by performing the one leg variation.
Density training is part of any strength training routine, no matter how rudimentary. Using a superset format, alternate back and forth between squats and pushups. Try to do this for 15 minutes without a break. I would recommend that you start with the standard pushup and squat, just so you get an idea of how difficult this is, then alter it as needed to keep up the intensity. Start with 5 pushups. Immediately stand up and do 5 squats. Continue these transitions as long as possible. Do not begin a repetition that you will fail to finish, however, as you do not want your muscles to grow accustomed to stopping short. Limit the repetitions for each movement or increase the recover time dividing the sets, as needed. Most of you will be amazed at how hard this really is, even just a couple of minutes in.
While squats and pushups are the most obvious movements one can complete as part of a home workout without equipment, other types of bodyweight exercises exist which can add variety to your regimen. Pull ups are a great back and arm exercise, although they require a bar or something to hang from. One possibility is to hang from the back of a door. Another exercise that usually requires a bar is the inverted row, which is basically a horizontal pull up, but you could probably make do with the side of a table. Two heavy chairs are all that you need to complete dips, which are so beneficial for the triceps and chest area. Plyometrics training exercises are great for developing the leg muscles without relying on weights as they emphasize quick and sudden explosions of force and strength. Overall you can have great success and experience strength gains simply by using a bodyweight workout routine, even if you limit yourself to variations of squats and pushups.