For the most part, the weather here in Tucson, AZ is absolutely wonderful right now. This is that time of year that really makes it worthwhile to live here. The temperatures are perfect. There’s very little chance of rain, and the trees and flowers are absolutely exploding with vitality.
How about you? Are you exploding with vitality? Have your workouts gotten boring and you need to switch it up? Sick of seeing the same faces at the gym and waiting for someone to finish supersetting bicep curls in the squat rack? It’s time to take it outside!
If you have an robust arsenal of bodyweight exercises at your fingertips, you can have some really great workouts at your local park. If you use the correct exercises, you can achieve any goal. You can build lean muscle, enhance your cardiovascular health, burn fat, and most importantly have fun! I love using bodyweight exercises in a fat loss program, and use almost entirely bodyweight exercises for the free boot camp I run Saturday mornings. (Contact me if you’re in Tucson and are interested in taking part in that.)
Over the years, I’ve learned a lot of cool bodyweight exercises, but when I first started out on my own fitness journey, it would have been really handy to have a nice, big list of bodyweight exercises, and some well thought out programs to show me how to best use them. If you’re starting out on your fitness journey, you can have that information at your fingertips! Craig Ballantyne has put together a great package of information for you, and has put it on sale this week.
Click here to check out the awesome deal he’s got going on.
Here’s what Craig says about these programs:
For the first time ever, you can get access to these addictive bodyweight exercises – featuring the progressively challenging 6-Month “Turbulence Training Bodyweight Manual” and the “The Bodyweight Cardio No-Equipment Workouts” – for over 75% off the regular price when you order this week ONLY!
He’s selling all three programs for only $19.95! I’ve used some of Craig’s programs before, and they’re top notch. All of his programs are well written, authoritative, fun, and effective.
These same workouts have helped tons of people get in shape or bust out of ruts in the gym. If you’re ready to see some real changes in your body, and don’t want to invest in costly workout equipment, then get these programs, get outside, and get to work!
Hi everyone! I want to take a moment to write about a topic that seems sadly neglected by many of the fitness blogs and websites out there (except for the really awesome ones). In the quest for flat abs and a perfectly shaped butt, there’s a part of our bodies that just doesn’t get the attention it deserves. I want to call your attention to it.
Chances are good that whatever your occupation, whatever your hobby, whatever type of exercise you enjoy, your hands are of utmost importance. Our hands are one of the most magnificent things we have going for us. From the crushing blow of a skilled martial artist breaking a concrete block to the deft touch of a life saving surgeon, the things we can do with our hands is simply astounding. So, why are you neglecting your hands in your workouts?
We’ve all seen the clerks in the supermarket (not 15 minutes ago I saw this yet again) who wear that tell tale wrist brace. The brace that says “I’m demanding way too much from this hand and wrist, without taking care of it.” Like so many other nagging pains that our day to day jobs can create, it can be avoided with exercises chosen to strengthen. Here are a few things you can add to your daily routine to help strengthen those hands.
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Do you find yourself aching and in pain more frequently than seems normal after your workouts? Perhaps looking to what your doing before your workout will shed some light on where your pain is originating. Often times, when people begin a workout routine, they overlook the importance of the warm up. Perhaps they don’t feel it’s necessary for one reason or another. Perhaps they read a book or magazine article that provided workout information, but mentioned little or nothing about warming up and preparing for the workout, and so it get’s skipped. Or, perhaps, they just want to jump right in to the fun of the workout, without all of that “boring, low intensity stuff” leading up to it. Another reason is that sometimes people mistake the types of activities that qualify as a warm up. Either way, failure to warm up properly can lead to poor performance during the workout (you don’t want to perform poorly in front of the hottie in the the sports bra, do you?), or worse, injury. A good warm up also prepares you mentally, and emotionally for your workout. It’s not uncommon to have a bad day at work, want to skip a workout, but after the warm up be really motivated to hit it hard!
Don’t be that person in the video, got it?
So, all that said, what is the best warm up and how long should you spend on it? The truth is that while there are good, general warm ups; the best warm ups are tailored to your individual body, and the particular workout you are doing. I’ll share both kinds with you in this article.
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Hands down, one of the absolute best bodyweight exercises one can do is the pull up. A pull up done with proper technique works the latissimus dorsi, or “wings” to develop a strong, healthy, and powerful looking back. The pull up also provides benefits for many of the other muscles of the upper body including the biceps, the brachialis, the brachioradialis, rhomboids, lower trapezius and more. The grip strength developed as a result of training pull ups will increase strength, size, and appearance in the forearm muscles as well.
So, being such an awesome exercise, why don’t more people do it?
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