Whenever someone asks me about body-weight training, I tell them a story: A farm kid tells his dad he wants a weight set. Dad says, “OK, but first you have to do something.” Dad ties a rope to the high rafters in their barn. He tells his son, “When you can climb to the top and back down 10 times, I’ll buy you a weight set.” By the time the kid is able to do it 10 times, he’s in such amazing shape that he no longer wants (or needs) the weights. Body-weight training builds strength and muscle as well or better than lifting. Your body was designed to run, jump, crawl, and climb. Train with these four types of movement, and—like the kid in the story—you can build the body you’ve always wanted, too.
Directions
Frequency:
Perform 40 reps of each exercise, taking as many sets as you need to reach that total. (If you find that you can perform more than 20 reps per set, make the exercise harder.) When you can perform 40 reps in two sets, increase the resistance or move on to a harder variation of the exercise, as described on the following pages. Alternate sets of chinups and pushups until you’ve completed all your reps, then alternate the leg curls and squat jumps. Afterward, perform the wheel rollouts. Rest 60–90 seconds between sets.
WORKOUT 1 EXERCISE 1
SUSPENDED ONE-ARM CHINUP
Reps: 40 total, Rest: 60–90 Seconds
Attach a suspension training apparatus (we like the Jungle Gym, as shown here) to a sturdy object and lower the handle to your sternum. Grab the handle and hang with your knees bent and feet on the floor (A). Pull yourself up, using assistance from your legs as needed (B). That’s one rep.
WORKOUT 1 EXERCISE 2
Resisted Pushup
Reps: 40 total, Rest: 60–90 Seconds
If you cannot do two sets of 20 regular pushups, stick with pushups until you can. Otherwise, use an elastic exercise band or the Power Pushup apparatus, as shown here. Let the cables resist the pushup motion and perform reps as normal.
WORKOUT 1 EXERCISE 3
Suspended Leg Curl
Reps: 40 Total, Rest: 60–90 Seconds
Attach a suspension training apparatus as you did for the one-arm chinup and hook your feet into the handles. Lie on your back on the floor and extend your hips so that your lower body is suspended in the air (A). Bend your knees, curling your legs toward you (B). Straighten your knees. That’s one rep.
WORKOUT 1 EXERCISE 4
Squat Jump
Reps: 40 Total, Rest: 60–90 Seconds
Stand in an athletic stance, and then squat as deeply as you can while keeping your lower back in its natural arch. Let your hands hang at your sides so your fingers touch the floor in the bottom position (A). Immediately jump as high as you can, reaching for a mark that’s 12 to 24 inches above your reach when standing (B). That’s one rep. Perform as many reps as you can until you begin to slow down or can no longer touch your mark. When you can do two sets of 20 or more jumps.
WORKOUT 1 EXERCISE 5
Ab Wheel Rollout
Reps: 40, Rest: 60–90 Seconds
Hold an ab wheel (we like the Power Wheel, shown here) with both hands and kneel on the floor with the wheel in front of your shoulders (A). Keeping your abs and hamstrings braced, roll forward as far as you can until you feel your lower back is about to sag (B). Roll back up. That’s one rep.
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