P.S. For The Elite Trainer - Advanced Bodyweight Exercises

Are you ready to try some more advanced Bodyweight Training exercises? These are great for after you establish a strength and fitness foundation and are ready to take things to the next level. 

The idea Bodyweight Training is just for fitness newbies and the inexperienced is so far from true it's laughable. If anyone ever tells you that, challenge them to get their butt off the leg press and have a battle of Burpees. Or to leave the Lat Pulldown alone and try to do a Muscle Up. Should they accept prepare to have a huge laugh at their expense! 

Incorporate these Advanced Bodyweight Training Exercises into your routine and the world better beware! 

* The Burpee. The Burpee is a favorite total body conditioning exercise as well as cardio builder. Beloved by American and British Special Forces as well as maximum security prisoners (!!!) world wide. When you can do 500 in a row you are officially approaching superhuman. 

1. Stand up straight feet shoulder width apart. 

2. Drop into a squat. 

3. Kick feet back into a push up position. 

4. Lower into push up. 

5. Push back up. 

6. Kick feet into bottom squat position, explode upward into a jump extending arms overhead. 

7. Repeat. 

* The Hindu Pushup. Also called the Dand this is an exercise that built explosive power in Indian wrestlers for a thousand years. It's now used by mixed martial artists who are addicted to the total body workout it provides. One of my favorites. 

1. Feet on the floor hand in pushup position form a "V" with body. This resembles Downward Facing Dog if you are familiar with yoga. 

2. Lower yourself down elbows tucked in as if you were ducking under a rope. 

3. Immediately curl up your spine as if you were coming up on other side of rope. 

4. Return to start position. 

5. Hindu pushups are similar to dive bomber pushups which you may have seen at one time or another. 

I saved the toughest for last... 

* The Muscle Up Pullup. Make no mistake when you start pounding out Muscle Ups you are officially a Bodyweight Training master. It takes many fit trainers YEARS to get their first full Muscle Up. If you apply yourself and hit your Pull ups and Dips without fail it won't take you nearly as long, When you are ready here's how they are done: 

1. Do a normal pull up, but end as high as possible. Ideally the bar should be touching your waste. 

2. Kick (or "kip" to use a CrossFit term) your legs to give you added momentum if necessary. However you make it the goal is to get your body on top of the bar! 

3. Immediately do a press up as if you were on dip bars. Lock out your elbows for a second and look at your amazed admirers. 

4. Dip down and up again. 

5. Return to bottom pull up position. 

6. Repeat. If you can! 

7. Put video on YouTube. You are now a Bodyweight Training Jedi! 

There's plenty more where these come from, but after the basics in our Guide and these extras to look forward to I think you will be busy for quite some time. Nothing feels better than being able to master your own body and I wanted to say thanks for letting me be your coach for the process. 

Stay fit! I'll be in touch soon! 

Conclusion - The Mind as A Muscle (Positive Thinking And Goal Setting)

Before we end our Guide I'm going to reveal what may be the biggest secret of them all when it comes to developing the body of your dreams. It's not exclusive to Bodyweight Training, though it does apply to our beloved form of fitness as much or more so than any of the other many methods.

The secret? 

That no matter what your are doing, how hard you are training and how well you are eating and supplementing - if your Mind is not working with you rather than against you, you will never be living up to your fitness potential. Your Mind is a muscle - the most important muscle of them all in fact when it comes to getting fit! 

How can we get our Mind working with us rather than against us while Bodyweight Training? Read on and find out... 

* The Power of Positive Thinking 

Now I'm not trying to go all New Age on you, but facts are facts - when you think positively you are much more likely to accomplish or surpass your physical goals than when you are drenched in negativity. This is why professional athletes engage in rabid levels of positive self talk before an event and some even use sports hypnosis to implant positive thoughts in their minds to give them every edge possible. You've never heard of anyone engaging in negative self talk before a big Olympic event have you? Of course not. 

How can we take advantage of this in our training? The simplest way is to first try to block out negative thoughts as best we can whenever they pop in our heads. By following these with a simple affirmation like "Every day I am getting stronger, faster, healthier, more attractive and smarter" we really set the foundation for success. Saying the affirmation in a mirror first thing in the morning a few times in front of the mirror as well as before going to sleep at night will pay off huge dividends too! 

At first you may feel a bit silly when you use your affirmations. I know I did. Once you see how well they work, however, I guarantee you will join me in respecting their power! 

* Goal Setting and Bodyweight Training 

When you set clear and achievable fitness goals (preferably writing them down) you are programming your subconscious mind to join in the fight to get you fit. While Bodyweight Training invest in an inexpensive notebook to use as a journal and be sure to write down weekly, monthly and quarterly training goals. 

Are you doing 20 pushups in a set now, but would like to be up to 35 in a set by the end of the month? Write it down! 

Is your goal to lose twenty pounds of fat in the next ninety days? Write it down! 

As long as these goals are realistic and achievable you will find yourself achieving many more of them before you began to goal set. It's the way mind works and we should use it to our advantage whenever possible. 

There two simple tactics can get your Mind on board as the most important muscle of them all. Expect tremendous results! 

The Next Article :  P.S. For The Elite Tainer - Advanced Bodyweight Exercises

Diet Ideas And How To Set UP Your Schedule

What follows are two areas that are pretty wide open for Bodyweight Trainers to put their own personal spin on things. Diet and how to set up your schedule. I'll give you my own ideas, but your own lifestyle and individual needs may call for something a bit different. Either way Bodyweight Training as described in this Guide will get the job done much more efficiently than any Crunch Fitness circuit of machine training ever will!

Broad But Effective Diet Ideas 

Your diet is dictated by just what type of shape you are in now and what your end goals are. If you are too fat and looking to get lean obviously your diet strategy is not going to be in line with someone who is a tooth pick and looking to put on mass. 

* For the Overweight. The most important thing is to establish a calorie deficit. There's many different ways to achieve this and quite a few "specialty" diet plans that will absolutely work for you to lose weight. One that fits perfectly with the minimalist approach of Bodyweight Training and is near miraculous as far as torching body fat goes is intermittent fasting. I've wrote quite extensively about it please feel free to check out my work on the subject and shoot me any questions you may have. Low (or no) carb diets ala the Ketogenic Diet or Atkins also have been shown again and again to produce solid weight loss results in most dieters should fasting not be your thing. They aren't easy to follow, but they do work. 

* For those looking to Bulk Up. If you are looking to put on mass, up your calorie intake and make especially sure you are consuming enough protein - the building blocks of muscles. I'd suggest aiming for roughly 1 gram of protein per pound you weigh split over five or six meals. When in doubt eat (or drink) more protein! 

How to Set up Your Training Schedule 

I'm going to suggest while you take a shot at Bodyweight Training and ignore other training methods, you also ignore any of the ideas on how to schedule your work outs you picked up from mainstream body building and fitness sources. 

Try this instead... 

* "A" Days. Full body Bodyweight Training and choice of cardio. 

1. Warm up and stretching. 

2. Push ups. 5 sets. 

3. Choice of Dips. 3 sets. 

4. Pull Ups. 5 sets. 

5. Back Bridges. 3 sets. 

6. Bodyweight Squats. 5 sets. 

7. Bodyweight Lunges. 3 sets. 

8. Leg Raises. 5 sets. 

9. Choice of Ab exercise. 3 sets. 

10. Choice of Ab exercise. 3 sets. 

* "B" Days. Rest - light stretching possibly cardio depending on level of fatigue and need to cut body fat. 

Now this is hardly the only choice of how you can set up your Bodyweight Training sessions - you can choose to do your split according to body parts or by some other criteria, but this simple schedule sky rockets metabolism and conditioning levels in everyone I've ever seen use it. Think outside the box and give it a shot before you try something else. I think you will be seriously glad you did! 

The Next Article is : Conclusion - The Mind as A Muscle (Positive Thinking And Goal Setting)

Core of Steel

Bodyweight Training has huge advantages over other training methodologies in many areas. The most shining of them is an area that's dear to nearly everyone interested in getting into great shape - developing a ripped and powerful core. Let's be clear - no other style of training will give you six pack abs as quickly and with as extra little effort as Bodyweight Training. 

Bodyweight Training is the perfect storm for getting the perfect core. There's many reasons for this - first and foremost your abs and lower back are trained in nearly all of your major training movements. Pushups, pull ups, Bodyweight squats - they all help build their target muscles groups while also as a bonus carve out your six pack. How's that for win / win? 

Say good bye to the endless reps on the stupid abdominal crunch that never produced any results anyway. I doubt you'll miss it! Here's a look at some Core Bodyweight Training exercises that shouldn't be neglected on your path to the abs of your dreams... 

• The V Up. Also called by old school Bodyweight training enthusiasts the "Atlas sit up." Lay on your back with your legs fully extended and curl your upper body up while also bringing up your legs. Touch finger tips to toes. This can be somewhat difficult if you are a bit out of shape - if so start with normal floor crunches and sit ups until a bit more core strength is developed. Just be sure to add the V ups as soon as possible they are more than worth the effort. 

• Leg Raises. Hanging from a pull up bar (which will also build your grip strength) raise your legs to a "L" position using your lower ab muscles. Beginners feel free to start by doing knee rather than full extended leg raises until more strength is built. Many fail to achieve a six or eight pack simply because they've neglected their lower abs. 

• Plank. Lay in push up position. Come up on elbows and forearms keeping your body straight tightening your abs as if you were about to be punched in the stomach. Hold for time - twenty seconds in a good start, working up to sets of sixty seconds or more. 

• Side Plank. Perhaps the best overall exercise for building powerful obliques. Lie on your side and come up on your elbow keeping your body tight and in a straight line, tightening your core again as if preparing for a punch to the stomach. Hold for time. 

• Mountain Climbers. This is a powerful total body exercise with an emphasis on abs. It is also hugely effective as a cardio technique. Go into push up position. Press up and stay up. Alternate bringing knees to chest as quickly as possible. Go for time and expect to break a serious sweat. Mountain climbers are a true warrior's exercise - if you want a body that looks like something out of the movie 300 throw it all into your mountain climbers! 

Ninety days of Bodyweight Training may well leave you with a bullet proof core - the type of abs no machine could ever produce. Let's do it! 

The Next Article is : Diet Ideas And How To Set UP Your Schedule

Back And Neck Bridges From The Wrestler's Tool Box

It may not be the first thing people check out when you sun tan on the beach, but a strong lower back can save you all sorts of headaches in life. From making you less injury prone at work or protecting the spine if you engage in any hard contact sports, time spent training the lower back can be rightly thought of very much as a health insurance policy in all the best ways.

A Bodyweight Exercise from the wrestler's tool box - the Back and Neck bridge offer us the best of the best lower back builders, once again completely ignored by mainstream trainers and fitness gurus. Never use one of those dumb back extension machines ever again! 

Here's some thoughts concerning the Wrestler's Bridge... 

• Try to Get a First Hand Lesson in Bridging. It's important before you try to do your first back bridge to ideally get a lesson from someone with bridging experience face to face. If this isn't possible take the tips from this guide, read a bit further on the internet and watch some of the many YouTube demonstrations before you try your first go at it. When done correctly they are more than safe, but having a clear visual lesson on the proper technique is a must just to be sure no mistakes are made. 

• Start with Wall Walks. Stand with your back to a wall roughly two feet away. Arch your back and slowly and securely wall walk down with your hands continuing to arch your back. This will condition your lower back for full floor wrestler's bridges in a short time. 

• Back Bridge Details. The wrestler's back bridge is when you arch your back and your bodyweight is on your palms. Hold for time. 

• Neck Bridge Details. The wrestler's neck bridge is when you arch your back and your bodyweight in on your forehead and neck. Also hold for time. 

• Shoot for Duration NOT for Reps. With bridging you are aiming to hold the bridge for longer and longer times at full extension, rather than working for reps. This builds tremendous strength, makes your stabilizer muscles powerful and even helps to develop supreme will power and force of mind. Using a small stop watch or kitchen timer is the best way to increase time under pressure without having to distract yourself counting. 

• Always Stretch After Doing Bridges. It's a great habit to get into doing "toe touch" leg stretches after back bridging to make sure you are conditioning both sides of your muscles as a injury prevention measure. Take around five minutes (or more if you'd like) to engage in stretching after your back and neck bridges. 

• Skip if You Have Previous Back Injuries. If you have prior lower back issues either skip the wrestler's bridges or get your Doctor's okay before you dive in. Remember safety always comes first! 

Pushups, pull ups, back bridges. Bodyweight Training is very much akin to old school fight training. It's real hard once you get momentum going to not feel like you're preparing for a prize fight and that's a great thing. 

Our challenges may not be in a ring, but a fighting spirit and strong and healthy body makes all of life's obstacles much easier to overcome. I can tell you that much from hard earned personal experience! 

The Next Article is :  Core of Steel

Wheels of Steel - Leg Training Without Weights

You may have heard one of the ignorant claims that it's impossible to build powerful and aesthetically pleasing looking legs without throwing half a ton on the leg press machine or squatting 500lbs. Never mind what that type of non-stop pounding often ends up doing to the knees. Ask anyone who has power lifted or follow exclusively heavy bodybuilding leg routines for over ten years if you don't believe me. I guarantee many mention a knee surgery or two.

The great news is that legs respond exceptionally well to high rep training Bodyweight methods. Size, strength, endurance and shapeliness are all within reach doing the following bodyweight exercises alone. You will also be much more likely to stay injury free! Can't beat that can you? 

• Bodyweight Squat. The foundation of your Bodyweight leg training routine. Lock your fingers behind your head and drop glutes to the floor. Explode up. Repeat. Also called prisoner squats for their popularity behind bars these will build true explosive leg power, flexibility and endurance too. Aim for a few hundred a session. A close friend uses these as his full cardio workout and twenty to thirty minutes of Bodyweight Squats a day has left him ripped to the bone! Much cooler than running on a treadmill that's for sure. 

• Bodyweight Lunges. Lunge forward with one going as low as possible. The knee of your rear leg should come close to touching the floor. Step back to standing and repeat with opposite leg. A good secondary movement to the Bodyweight Squat that can strengthen your glutes and cut up your quads even further. 

• Toe Raises. Stand on stairs or box with one leg. Raise up on tip of your toes engaging your calf muscle. Drop down as far as possible. Repeat. When finished switch legs and do the same amount of reps. Excellent calf builder where you should aim for as many reps as possible. 

• Jumping Jacks. I'm sure you remember these as a kid don't you? Use jumping jacks as both a leg builder and cardio tool. Rather than reps, set an alarm clock for a certain time and try to beat it at each session. Don't be surprised when your body fat quickly melts away as your lower body gets more toned and stronger. Those old gym teachers in physical education class seem to have had much more actionable knowledge than they often are given credit for... further proof that in the field of strength and conditioning newer is not always better. Sometimes falling back on old near forgotten methods represents the true cutting edge in building a new and better body! 

All in all see for yourself what a great leg workout you can get using a few fairly simple exercises, focused with power and intensity while never touching a weight or stepping on a machine. After you do, try your best not to laugh in the face of the next person sweating on the Stair Master or doing 150lb leg extensions. Once you are in on this secret and powerful fitness knowledge I can tell you it's definitely tempting! But don't forget we all have to start somewhere! 

The Next Article is :  Back And Neck Bridges From The Wrestler's Tool Box

Pull up Power

You should not consider yourself anywhere near being strong, fit or in shape if you can't do a pull up. Thanks to the modern age of "all show - no go" fitness machines we've had at least a generation of trainers doing everything they can to avoid hitting the pull up bar. Pull downs, back machines, bands, on and on and on trying to "fix" a exercise that was never broke in the first place. We all know not to fix things that aren't broke don't we? If not we certainly should! 

With that behind us many may start their Bodyweight Training journey with the need to build strength and power in their pull up ability. This will reap tremendous benefits - the more pull ups you do regularly the better you will look and feel. Ninety days of pull ups will likely leave you looking like an action movie star or superhero. 

Follow these suggestions and you'll be doing sets of twenty in no time! 

• Avoid Going to Failure. In building Pull Up strength and power it's been shown again and again it's best to avoid going to failure in sets. Always leave a rep or two in the bank. Do more sets while avoiding going to failure rather than blowing out all your energy on only one or two sets. Even though this may seem counter intuitory this will quickly turn into huge jumps in strength. Olympic athletes swear by this method. Try it and you will too! 

• Pull With the Lats First. Pull with your back muscles first NOT with your arms. Obviously your lats being much larger muscles they possess more power and endurance than your biceps. Use this to your advantage. 

• Keep Your Elbows Pointing Back and Down. This will aide you in firing your lats in the movement. Try to image elbowing someone behind you in their stomach. Like the guy who convinced you to add this grueling exercise to your Bodyweight training sessions (just kidding!) 

• Get your Chin over the Bar. There's no need to go chest to the bar like some trainers claim. Anything much beyond your chin does little to add further to your back development. Instead consider your chin going over the bar as a good solid rep. 

• Lose Body Fat. The leaner you are the better your pull up ability will become. Fat people don't do many pull ups and pull up masters are very rarely (if ever) fat. When you set a goal of putting up massive numbers on the pull up bar it's good encouragement in the quest to also get lean. One drive compliments the other quite nicely! 

• Switch Up Your Grips. Okay technically speaking pull ups are when your palms are facing you. Chin ups are when your palms are facing away from you. Neutral grips are when you are using a bar that allows your palms to be facing each other. Do a few sets of each when you train upper body. This will help build your back from different angles and also do wonders for your grip strength! 

There's no better feeling than being able to hop up and grab the bar pounding out easy reps of pull ups. It's a lost art even the big and strong in bodybuilding gyms are usually unable to manage. Put in smart and steady work and you'll be leaving jaws open and fielding questions on how you built up your new found pull up power! Feel free to tell them about our guide. 

The Next Article is :  Wheels of Steel - Leg Training Without Weights