Exercises You Can Do In The Safety Of Your Home ...Even If You’re Deathly Afraid Of Weights, Working Out, And Sweating. (Part one of an ongoing series)  By Eugene Thong CSCS

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I’ve got a confession to make: I lift weights.  But not just any random weights – heavy ones.  So my viewpoints and advice are slanted in that direction; namely, in the lifting of big, heavy things.

 

Well, dear MCNews reader, I realized that most people don’t make it a habit to lift big, heavy things.  In fact, the very idea of lifting big, heavy things conjures up images of emergency room visits and powerlifting accidents better left for Internet chat rooms and MTV’s Scarred.

 

I realize that if most of you were interested, nay, wanted to lift big, heavy things, you’d be out doing it instead of reading this website trying to figure out how to lose that little bit of pudge around the midsection.

 

Well, here’s a reality check for you:  You MUST resistance train.  But who ever said the resistance had to come from an external source?  You’re already in possession of all the equipment you’ll need for these exercises – your own bodyweight.

 

Bodyweight exercises are great in that you can do them anywhere, anytime, and still get in a workout that will really tax you.  Just like other forms of resistance training, they can help to build strength, promote endurance, and provide metabolic load (in other words, burn fat fast).

 

Even if all you do is sit around at home recording creepy songs like this guy, you can still lose weight and feel wonderful.

 

    

I know for sure this guy ain’t lifting big, heavy things.

 

Enough rhetoric.  Let’s begin, shall we?

 

The first Bodyweight Exercise: Pushups

 

Why start with pushups? 

 

Because you know how to do them; they were drilled into your subconscious during grade school gym class. 

And, because you don’t know how to do them for maximum success.  In fact, I’d wager that 90% of gym members are not only wasting their time with them, they are potentially doing themselves harm because of improper technique!

 

Our good friend Sekou was kind enough to demonstrate hundreds and hundreds of pushups for us, in the pursuit of finding the one perfect example to show you folks (or at least, that’s what he told him – heh heh).

 

Beginning At The End

 

              

 

Here’s the bottom position.  You can see Sekou with his hands wider than shoulder width, palms flat to the floor.  His shoulders and head aren’t slumping, and his back is straight.  He isn’t sagging at the waist – in fact, his body makes a straight line, from the top of his head, down to his feet.

 

This is exactly what I want you to emulate.  Keep the body rigid: Abs tight, shoulders steady.

 

Here’s a different POV of the bottom point.

 

              

 

Note his arms begin at a 90 degree bend.  This is a heated point of contention among trainers, strength coaches, and physiologists everywhere.  Let’s say that if you start here, you are guaranteed not to overstrain your shoulder, and your upper body development won’t suffer. 

 

If you dip slightly below this position, an inch or two, the form police won’t rush out from behind your coat rack and slap handcuffs on you.  However, do me a favor – don’t do this:

 

              

 

It’s ok, I won’t tell anyone you didn’t touch your chest to the floor.  And your shoulders will thank you later.

 

The Start And The Finish

 

Ok, so what’s next?  Well, keep that beautifully rigid posture, and extend your elbows.  Like this:

 

               

 

Same great posture: Shoulders down and not slumped, abs tight, hips up.  His body’s still in one locked unit.  Note the shoulder position from this angle:

               

 

See how they’re not overly retracted or cockeyed?  How they’re exactly where you’d expect them to be if he were just standing there?  You do the same, my friends.  This, by the way, is called the starting position.

 

I’m sure you can see just how complicated this exercise science stuff is.  Well, some of it is complicated – my favorite stuff, like the chart below:

 

                

 

Sigh -  ain’t carbohydrate catabolism grand?  But I digress.

 

 

Let’s condense this bodyweight exercise into easy-to-remember steps:

 

1) Get into “pushup position”: Hands wider than shoulder width apart, shoulders down, body straight.  Don’t let your hips sag.

 

2) Keeping a rigid body, bend your elbows to a 90 degree angle.  Don’t let your head or hips drop.

 

3) Push yourself back up by straightening your arms.

 

4) Repeat until you can’t.  Write that number down, then aim to beat it the next time (and do it!).

 

Week by week, we’ll break down all the key bodyweight exercise movements we use in putting together kick-ass bodyweight workouts for our clients.  You can keep abreast of the latest by subscribing to our weekly newsletter.  It also features your questions answered, nutrition articles, and Jedi mind tricks to help you towards achieving your fat loss goals.

 

Oh, and it’s complementary.  All you have to do is let us know where (and to whom) to send it:

 

 

 

About the Author:

Eugene Thong, CSCS, was born a weak, skinny, bespectacled child. Now, thanks to a steady diet of martial arts, scientific inquiry, and heavy compound movements, he's no longer weak.  His scientific bent, Zen-like demeanor, and efficient but intense methods have made him one of New York's most sought-after personal trainers.  

 

When not helping clients cultivate their own inner 6-packs, Eugene can be found arm barring opponents at Renzo Gracie's Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy or sailing through the air on his snowboard.  Read Eugene's semi-weekly musings on exercise, fitness, and fat loss at his blog

Eugene is Mike's co-author of The Black Book of Secrets.  You can purchase it by clicking here.