WEIGH TRAINING:

The Bodyweight

Challenge:

Numerous books have been written on training with one’s body weight.

Most include a compendium of exercises common to bodyweight train-

ing. However, a large collection of exercises is only part of the package. The

results you achieve depend on a variety of factors, and it’s important that you

perform the best exercise variations and adhere to a well-balanced routine.

Although I’ve been resistance training for 20 years, I’ve spent the past decade

delving into the world of strength and conditioning. I’ve learned from the world’s

best coaches, biomechanists, physical therapists, and researchers. So I speak

from experience in stating that when you've been in the game for long enough,

you can simply glance at a program and know right away whether the program

is efficient and will deliver optimal results.

When it comes to program design, I trust strength coaches over just about

anyone. Not only do they have a vested interest in optimizing their athletes’

strength, power, and conditioning, but they also must consider the crucial issues

of joint health and longevity. As such, their job is to put together sound programs

that will ensure progression while preventing dysfunctional adaptations.

Pushing and Pulling:

It’s important to understand that bodyweight training is highly skewed toward 

pushing over pulling. Because of the wonders of gravity, all it takes to get a 

great pressing workout is to sink your body toward the ground and then push 

your body upward. Think of squats, lunges, push-ups, and handstand push-ups. 

These are great pressing movements that you should definitely be performing. 

But what about pulling movements? You can’t grip the ground and pull yourself 

anywhere.

Bodyweight pulling exercises require the use of a pull-up bar, suspension 

system, or sturdy pieces of furniture if the other equipment is unavailable. You 

can maneuver your body around the furniture in order to strengthen the pulling 

muscles that provide structural balance to your body and counteract the postural 

adaptations imposed by the pressing movements.

Nearly all of the at-home bodyweight programs I’ve seen are in fact slanted 

toward pressing movements. Although these pressing exercises are highly effec-

tive, programs must devote equal attention to exercise order as well as the number of exercises, sets, and repetitions dedicated to pulling movements. Otherwise 

structural imbalances result. Quadriceps dominance and knee pain, rounded 

shoulders and shoulder pain, and anterior (forward) pelvic tilt and lower-back 

pain are just some of the negative effects that someone could experience after 

following a poorly designed program.

I took on the challenge of writing this book for two reasons. First, a high-

quality bodyweight training book centered on proper exercise selection and 

balanced program design was sorely needed in the industry. Second, I’m pas-

sionate about bodyweight training. I don’t believe that anyone else has devoted 

as much consideration to bodyweight exercises for the muscles on the back of 

the body. As noted, it’s easy to work the muscles on the front of the body with 

bodyweight training because these are the pushing muscles. But an athletic 

and fit person requires strong muscles on the back of the body as well, and the 

bodyweight pulling exercises that work these muscles aren’t so straightforward. 

They require creativity.

The Bodyweight Advantage:

Many folks absolutely love the prospect of being able to train efficiently in the 

convenience of their own home. Most fitness enthusiasts have gym memberships 

and have become highly dependent on machines and free weights to work their 

muscles. While I’m a huge proponent of using all types of resistance, bodyweight 

training is without a doubt the most convenient type of resistance. All you need 

is your own physical being, and you’ll never be without equipment or a facility 

and you’ll never need a spotter. In other words, if you learn to use your body 

as a barbell then you’ll always have the ability to obtain a great workout. You 

can gain tremendous functional fitness in terms of strength, power, balance, and 

endurance from progressive bodyweight training, and recent research shows that 

you can enhance your flexibility to the same or even a greater degree through 

resistance training than from a stretching routine.

I like to watch all types of athletes train. As a strength coach I’ve watched 

thousands of athletes lift weights. Two types of athletes have always stood out to 

me in terms of superior muscular control: gymnasts and bodybuilders. In awe, 

I watch the gymnast on the rings or the pommel horse maneuvering around the apparatus with precision. I watch the bodybuilder contract his or 

her muscles against the resistance with total concentration. When training with 

body weight, you want to learn from these athletes and develop a tremendous 

mind–muscle connection, which will allow you to achieve an amazing workout 

anywhere you go.

In this book I will teach you the best bodyweight exercises and show you 

the most effective way to combine them into cohesive programs consistent with 

your fitness goals. You will learn how to progress from the simplest variations to 

the most complicated and advanced bodyweight exercises. You will learn to use 

your abdominals and gluteals to lock your torso into position and create a stiff 

pillar of support while you move your limbs. You will become lean, limber, and 

athletic. Push-ups and pull-ups won't intimidate you. Your glutes will function 

like never before, and the confidence you gain from this program will shine 

through in every aspect of your life.

You will never fear having subpar training sessions when you go on vaca-

tion because you’ll be able to perform an effective workout from the comfort 

of your hotel room. You'll realize that you don’t need barbells, dumbbells, or 

elastic resistance bands. With sound knowledge of the biomechanics of body-

weight training, you can learn to create just as much force in the muscles as if 

performing heavy resistance training.

Better yet, you’ll save thousands on gym membership fees without compro-

mising the quality of your workout. You can use these savings to make healthier 

food choices so you can realize even better results from your training. All in the 

comfort of your own home!

I was recently asked whether or not I believed that I could maintain my 

muscularity and fitness solely by performing bodyweight exercises. Without 

hesitation I answered, "Yes." As you progress to more difficult variations and 

increase the number of repetitions you perform with the various exercises, you will continuously challenge your neuromuscular system. Your body will respond 

by synthesizing more protein and laying down more muscle tissue. In essence, 

your body adapts by building a bigger engine. Recent studies have shown that 

high repetitions can provide a potent muscle-building stimulus, more so than 

most experts imagined. I’m glad you’ve decided to take the bodyweight chal-

lenge and learn how to manipulate your body to achieve a world-class workout. 

I’m glad that you’ve decided to no longer be a slave to the gym. Now the world 

is your gym and you are the resistance.

 

Safety First!

Although I will teach you how to perform many exercises using standard 

furniture, I don’t want you to get injured if a chair slides or a door comes 

off its hinges. Remember that standard fitness equipment such as chin-

up bars and weight benches are viable options as well. If you do choose 

to use furniture, I emphatically remind you that every piece of furniture 

you use when training must be secure, stable, and strong. Placing the 

furniture against a wall or on top of a sturdy rug will prevent it from slid-

ing around. Wedging a book beneath an open door will provide extra 

support. If there is a risk you might slip and fall, perform the exercise 

over a soft surface such as carpeting or turf. Test the safety of your set-

up with one or two repetitions before beginning your full workout. If 

a particular setup seems unbalanced or insecure, switch to a different 

exercise or explore a safer alternative.