If you don’t have a gym membership or your home gym is not up to snuff you can still get a great workout that builds muscle, melts fat and gives you the body of your dreams.
The truth is you don’t need a gym or any equipment and that you can get an awesome workout in just using your own bodyweight.
You can get an incredible workout that is just as good as you get in the gym just by using bodyweight exercises. Don’t believe me? Just look at a gymnast, these guys and girls have lean muscled bodies and all they do is bodyweight training. The same can be said for mountain climbers as well.
These athletes are strong, no doubt but they don’t look like bodybuilders. They are lean and have a body that is made for strength and function rather than pure muscle mass. And all of this is achieved through training with their own bodyweight.
The Bodyweight Workout
When you are designing a kick-butt bodyweight workout it is important to hit all the major movements. Pushing, pulling, squatting, crawling, sprinting and jumping. When you incorporate all of the movements into a workout you work almost every muscle in your body which gets your heart pumping and will have you breathing hard quickly.
This workout will tax your body quickly, this is why it uses the descending ladder system. This means you will keep up a good pace but not so fast that you will have a break down in your form on the exercises. As we move through the rounds the number of reps and distances will decrease to match your fatigue level and keep you motivated.
Directions
Start off with a quick warm-up. Perform these exercises in a circuit for the given number of repetitions and distance. Work through the exercises and the rounds with as little rest as possible.
Jump Split Squats
Reps, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2
Jumps split squats will really hit the quads, glutes and hamstrings. This exercise looks a bit like a lunge but it is a bit different. While you start in a lunge position you then jump as high as you can and switch your legs so the opposite leg is forward with each rep. This means if your right leg is in front when you jump then you should land with your left leg in front and vice versa. You will perform the recommended number of reps on both legs.
Pull-Ups
Reps: 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2
This exercise will hit the back, shoulders, biceps and the abs. You will need a bar for this one or something safe you can find around the home, even a sturdy tree branch will work. With your palms facing out grab the bar and pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar. Lower yourself down all the way and repeat. If you are someone who is unable to do a pull-up or can only do a few them then check out this article on how to do more pull-ups.
Dips
Reps: 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, and 2
When you combine dips and chin-ups you get a serious muscle building combo for the upper body. Dips are great for hitting the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Find something stable you can use like 2 counter tops, 2 sturdy chairs might work or a parallel bars if you are lucky enough to have one. Make sure you go down as far as you can and extend all the way at the top.
If you don’t have anything you can do dips on or are unable to do dips its ok, you can do some close grip push ups instead as a substitute.
Burpees
Reps: 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, and 5
I know burpees suck but they are a great exercise that works the whole body and they are great cardio. Burpees are a simple exercise but I would not call them easy. From a standing position simply drop to the ground and have your chest touch the ground get back up and hop when you get up. Also be sure to keep both feet together the whole time. Use the gif above for good example.
Sprints
Reps: 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 yards
If you have spent any time on this website you would know that we love sprints for building muscle and getting you ripped. Try and run these bad boys at 85-90% of your top speed. Make sure you use quality form too, no weird Forest Gump stuff.
Putting it All Together
As we said earlier this workout is to be done in circuit fashion. Rest as needed between exercises and sets but try to push yourself. The more you push yourself the more you will improve and the more you will get out of it.
This workout is harder than it looks and your muscles will be on fire with lactic acid and you will be fighting to catch your breath. This workout will teach you that bodyweight exercises are no joke and that you can still get a great workout that will burn serious fat and builds muscle without going to the gym. Get this workout on and get shredded
