Can bodyweight training be a viable replacement for the gym?

Now that we're all in the same boat and looking to get good quality training in from the comfort of our home, many of us are turning to bodyweight exercises.

Let's get realistic. Bodyweight training can be fantastic for fat loss, building up a good sweat and burning calories, it's why fitness classes are so popular! However, when it comes to muscle building, many people don't see it as a good substitute for weights. 

Weighted exercises will always have an advantage over bodyweight when it comes to building more muscle, but don't let this fool you into thinking that bodyweight alone can't help you maintain your gym results. You can build lean muscle and it will help you get hella strong! 

Here's our top 5 benefits of bodyweight training:

There's hundreds of bodyweight exercises you can do that require no equipment and little space. You can target every muscle group and challenge your body from all angles. Your body is a gym!

Putting exercises together in circuit intervals will provide you with a fantastic calorie burning routine. HiiT is way more enjoyable than just sitting on a bike pedalling for 15-20 minutes. By doing HiiT, you can also target different muscle groups in one workout.

This style of exercises can increase the intensity of any workout. Not only that, but isometrics, exercises where you hold in a position under tension are fantastic for building pure body strength. Think gymnasts for this one. 

Don't believe us? Try adding in wall sits (back flat against the wall, upper legs parallel to the floor), or push up holds (at the bottom position) 2-3 times per week and watch how much quicker you build strength in your upper and lower body.

One amazing way you can overload your muscle groups is by simply slowing down!

The speed of your reps, especially on the lowering, stretch phase of an exercise. Take the push up for example, start at the top position, lower slowly under control for 5-6 seconds, hold at the bottom for a second, then power up fast. This slow eccentric movement on any exercise will beat up your muscles to build and strengthen.

During the Covid-19 outbreak we can set ourselves some positive fitness goals, let's learn something new and master something we couldn't before. 

Try to do more push ups, or your first push up. Try to hold a plank for longer. The challenge aspect of doing bodyweight exercises will drive you, it's easy to monitor and you will physically see your progress over the weeks. 

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We have bodyweight only plans for fat loss and for building strength that you will find Discover screen. We're working hard to bring more awesome content to the app for you with new and exciting exercises.