How many of you believe that picking up a heavyweight is imperative to adding more challenge and intensity to your workout routine? Most of you will raise your hands in agreement. But the question arises: Is it the only way to lose fat quicker and bulk up more? Well, it isn't necessarily the best way to use your muscles.
Wielding up heavy barbells or kettlebells might work, but several other ways allow you to be creative with your workout. You can shed fat, get fit, and bulk up way more efficiently than those weights. You can quickly achieve all of this with bodyweight tools.
Whether you want to build strength or enhance your flexibility, bodyweight tools can help you bring the gym to your home. Most of us have our apprehensions regarding picking up weights, and many struggle to find time to hit the gym. Fighting off the lethargy and then traffic is just way too exhausting.
Bodyweight tools enable you to work out within the convenience and comfort of your home without having to listen to other people's grunts. These tools are both affordable and widely available, unlike barbells.
Bodyweight exercises are excellent to build strength, enhance endurance, and improve stability. A proper bodyweight routine should target all the major muscle groups to achieve your fitness goals. Fitness FAQs explain why bodyweight training is essential.
There is a myriad of exercises that you can include in your routine, but we have prepared a sample that focuses on all major muscles. The inclusion of bodyweight tools round-up for a tremendous at-home bodyweight workout.
Related Article: How to Create the Ultimate Home Gym
Best Exercises With Body Weight Workout Tools
1. Push-Up
Targets: Shoulders, chest, arms
Push-ups are a classic movement that almost everyone has done at some point in their lives. This exercise not only builds the chest but also promotes healthy shoulder stability.
You can include push-ups in your chest, upper-body, and full-body workout routine.
How to do it
- Wear the suspension straps around your ankles. Place your hands on the floor in a quadruped pose, with your toes down, your knees below your hips.
- One leg at a stretch. Next, extend one leg and push up with your elbows extended. Then, place your head in neutral and look at the ground.
- Slowly lower to the ground by retracting your shoulder blades and unlocking your elbows.
- Continue to descend until your upper arms touch the ground or your chest touches it.
- Return to the original point by extending your elbows and pressing your palms against the floor.
- Continue repeating until you reach the desired number.
Push-up Tips
- Keep your spine straight throughout the exercise. Think of the push-up like a moving plank.
- To keep your ribcage neutral, squeeze your glutes and brace your abs before you descend.
- Keep your head towards the ground and your eyes on the floor.
- Do not sag your hips.
2. Chest Press
Targets: Arms, chest
The exercise helps develop strength in your entire torso. It also helps improve your range of motion and induces massive muscle gains. You don't need to lie down on your back to practice these. It can be done with a resistance training rope.
How to do it
- Stand with your back facing the anchor. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Grab the resistance training rope and extend it in front of your shoulders.
- Your body should be slightly at an angle to so you will have to lean forward.
- Push yourself back to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Chest Press Tips
- Make sure to engage your chest and arms as you pull back.
- Lean forward slightly to place stress over your chest.
Related Article: Exercises for a Defined Chest
3. Inverted Row
This is an excellent exercise to work on your biceps and back. Just take complete control over the exercise and keep it slow to make the most of it. Suspension straps by DMoose would be an ideal option to do this:
How to do it
- Lie down under the suspension strap.
- Bend both your knees and plant both your feet flat on the mat.
- Lift your body a few inches off the ground and extend your arms to grab the handle.
- Now pull your torso up so that your body forms a straight line from your shoulders to your knees.
- Slowly lower the torso to the starting point.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Inverted Row Tips
- Keep your biceps engaged throughout the exercise.
- Keep both your elbows as close to your sides as you can to engage your lats.
- Keep complete control of your movement by keeping the rep timing slow.
4. Kneeling Triceps Press
Targets: Triceps
It is a fantastic at-home full-body workout that enhances muscle gains. It helps you improve your body-mind connection. You can efficiently perform this with a bodyweight suspension.
How to do it
- Kneel on the floor, facing your back towards the anchor.
- Hold the handles and stretch your arms over your head using an underhand grip.
- Now lower your body and lean towards the floor such that your hands are aligned with your ears.
- Now slowly return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Triceps Press Tips
- Keep your rep timing slow.
5. Low Row
The exercise works amazingly to burn calories and build those abs. This is an ideal way to build a strong back as well. You don't need any cable extension to perform this, just the suspension straps. You can also carry out the low row with a single arm to feel more burn.
How to How to do it
- Facing towards the anchor, grab the handles of the suspension straps with palms facing each other.
- Lean your body backward till your weight is shifted to your heels.
- Your body would form a diagonal with the anchor.
- Squeezing your shoulder blades, pull your torso towards the handles.
- Lower yourself back to the starting point.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Low Row Tips
- Keep your core braced throughout the exercise.
- Keep your body straight while pulling yourself.
- Make sure your body doesn't swing.
6. Alligator
This is an excellent way to sculpt your shoulders build a more muscular back and oblique. This exercise is also commonly known as reverse fly.
How to do it
- Face the anchor and grab the handles of the suspension straps. Keep an overhand grip.
- Lean backward until your body gets diagonal to the anchor with a tight grip.
- As you pull your body up, use your right arm to pull your upper body and your left arm to pull your lower body.
- In this way, your right arm would be over your head, and your left arm would be aligned with your thighs.
- Reverse to the starting position.
Alligator Tips
- Keep your core embraced throughout the exercise.
- Engage your obliques to enhance stability in your workout.
- Keep your movement slow.
- Repeat with both sides.
7. Triceps Extension
This exercise is a fire way to build big, solid, imposing arms. It's an isolated move that stimulates the triceps solely. You will need the suspension straps around your ankles for this exercise.
How to do it
- Attach the suspension strap to an anchor point.
- Grip the handles with palms facing down; bend forward slightly.
- Start by extending the elbows and flexing the triceps.
- Pull the handles down until the elbows are almost locked out.
- Steadily lower back to the starting position in a controlled fashion.
Triceps Extension Tips
- Keep your shoulders fixed.
- Keeping the elbow static will give a better burn to your triceps.
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8. Atomic Push-Up
Atomic push-ups are more like frog push-ups that work to sculpt your body. You will need to place the straps around your ankles for this exercise. Suspension Straps by DMoose would be an excellent choice for this exercise.
How to do it
- After placing the straps around your ankle, lower yourself down in the position of a push-up.
- Keep your hands under your shoulders and knees under your hips. Pick your body up on your toes.
- Now jump to meet your elbows with your knees. This would draw your legs apart.
- Hold then return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Atomic Push-up Tips
- To keep your ribcage neutral, squeeze your glutes and brace your abs before you descend.
- Keep your eyes fixed on the floor.
- Think of your thumbs being pulled together as you complete the movement. This will increase the activation of your pecs.
Related Article: How to Get Stronger and More Defined Shoulders
9. Chest fly
The chest fly is ideal workout equipment to build strength in your chest and increase muscle mass. However, if your main aim is to build your pecs, you'd achieve the desired results efficiently.
How to do it
- Stand with your back facing towards the anchor point.
- Grab the handles of the bodyweight straps using an overhand grip.
- Pull the straps forward over your head by extending your arms.
- Bend your body as you pull the straps and spread your arms at your sides, forming a T shape.
- Slowly pull yourself to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Chest Fly Tips
- Make sure to keep your core engaged.
- Keep the rep timing slow and controlled.
10. Bicep Curl
Targets: Abs, arms
The exercise improves your grip strength and performance during compound exercises that require excellent grip strength. Whether you're looking for more profound strength or enhanced aesthetics, this exercise serves all.
How to do it
- Attach the bodyweight straps to the anchor point and stand facing them.
- Grab the handles in both hands.
- Lean back till your arms are fully extended and the straps are fully stretched.
- Activating your biceps, slowly pull yourself up to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps.
Bicep Curl Tips
- Keep the tension in your biceps intact the entire time.
- Keep complete control of the weight and slow down your rep timing to enhance the intensity of the exercise.
- When curling the weight upwards, make sure your body remains still. It should not swing as your curl. Instead, keep your focus on moving the forearms only.
Bottom Line
If your fitness goal is to enhance strength, build endurance, and gain muscles, lifting heavy weights isn't the only solution. Bodyweight tools like suspension straps or strength training rope can be sufficient enough to help you build muscles. That also without the need for any heavy equipment or gym subscription. You can quickly achieve your fitness goals within the walls of your home with lightweight equipment pieces.
Reading List
Sweat It Out With These 17 Cardio Exercises
Top 5 Ways to Gain a Muscular Body Without Going to Gym
Article Sources
- "On the Importance of Body Weight." Canadian Medical Association Journal, vol. 16, no. 1, Jan. 1926, pp. 64–66. PubMed Central, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1708613/.
- Calatayud, Joaquin, et al. "Muscle Activation during Push-Ups with Different Suspension Training Systems." Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, vol. 13, no. 3, Sept. 2014, pp. 502–10. PubMed Central, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4126284/.
- Calatayud, Joaquin, et al. "Muscle Activation during Push-Ups with Different Suspension Training Systems." Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, vol. 13, no. 3, Sept. 2014, pp. 502–10. PubMed Central, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4126284/.
