Bodyweight training – 9 benefits & 10 workouts

At EVO, we like to keep fitness simple. That’s why we’re big fans of bodyweight training – you’ll find it features heavily across our workouts, equipment and philosophy.

Bodyweight training is a type of strength training that uses mainly your body as a fitness tool. This, however, doesn’t mean you can’t use some fitness tools to help you along the way. Take, for instance, the pull-up bar. It’s a piece of gym equipment, while a pull-up is a bodyweight exercise because it uses your weight to provide resistance against gravity — and, ultimately, that’s what this type of training is all about.

These workouts come with a vast range of benefits. Here are a few that may just convince you to make bodyweight training a key component in your workout regime.

1 – Bodyweight training is super effective

With zero to minimal equipment, bodyweight training makes it easy to move from one exercise to the next with minimal rest. Being able to switch to a new move within 15 seconds means it’s perfect for HIIT workouts – pushing your muscles to perform at maximum capacity in minimal time.

2 – It boosts endurance

By keeping your heartbeat raised, as well as combining strength with cardio elements, bodyweight training can significantly improve your endurance level in a shorter space of time.

3 – It builds muscle

Growing muscle doesn’t begin and end at lifting weights. Bodyweight exercises such as planks, pushups, pull-ups and lunges also help you grow muscle – just look at the physiques of gymnastic athletes in the Olympic games.

4 – It can be done anywhere, any time

Can’t make it to the gym? All is not lost! While working with a trainer in a class or personal session definitely helps you work to your maximum potential, it’s not fundamental to bodyweight training. You can be in a small hotel room, a local park, or in front of the TV and still fit in a bodyweight workout if you want to – making it a lot easier to fit a routine into busy schedules.

5 – Bodyweight training burns fat (fast!)

As mentioned above, time-short exercisers can reap the rewards of bodyweight training without having to dedicate hours to the gym every week. HIIT workouts involving movements such as running, squatting, burpees and jumping are proven to torch calories at an accelerated rate (and continue to torch them even after your workout!).

6 – Prevents the chance of injuries

Building stable joints and muscles is key to preventing injuries when exercising. It helps improve your flexibility, strength and stability – three major components in functional training. Bodyweight and functional training have that in common: they make physical tasks and natural movement that occurs throughout our daily lives easier.

7- Bodyweight training builds core strength

Another reason bodyweight training prevents injury comes down to its impact on the core. Exercises such as mountain climbers or planks strengthen your middle section (more about the benefits of this here). In turn, this improves your ability to perform in both sports and day-to-day activities.

8 – Training never gets boring

From star jumps to sprinting and swimming to squatting – there’s enough variety to prevent you from ever getting bored of this type of training. Not only are the activities themselves varied, so are the movements. Our clubs’ design supports the range of playful & purposeful movements of this type of training.

9 – It’s for everyone!

Whether you’re a seasoned runner or freshly new to fitness, you won’t have a problem finding bodyweight exercises you enjoy. It’s easy to progress with, too – simply add more reps to your sets, go faster, train for longer, or switch up your workout entirely. The possibilities are endless.