Bodyweight Burn: Get Slim Without the Gym!

Listen up! I have a five-month old baby, a husband who works crazy hours, two large dogs who demand daily runs, a full-time job, and friends and family who I’d like to see more often. I don’t have time to drive to the gym, wait for the machines or dumbbells I need while homeboy checks himself out in the mirror, and then drive back home. I need workouts that are efficient, effective, and can be done anytime, anywhere. So, when Kate told me that July’s workout program “Bodyweight Burn,” was all about bodyweight exercises, I was pumped!

I read all of your comments on Facebook and I know you are super busy too. I also know that many of you (myself included) have vacations planned for this month. Have you ever tried traveling with dumbbells? Not only is it kind of ridiculous, it also makes your bags super heavy! This month, we have made sure to simplify your summer training so that you still get the amazing results you want, but with no equipment, no gym, and no excuses!

So, can you really get slim without the gym? YES! Many people believe you can’t get a good workout without lifting heavy or spending at least one hour doing cardio-WRONG!

 

Feel the Bodyweight Burn!

Bodyweight training scorches fat, blasts calories, and helps build strength and stability for functional movement. Functional movements are actual movements we use in our everyday life-loading and unloading the washing machine; lifting the kids out of the car; squatting down to get that cheerio that fell just out of reach. Bodyweight training will help you be more deliberate with your movements and hopefully reduce some of the grunts and moans you do when you get up off the floor. No judging-I do them too! I am 5’9…it’s hard to get up off the floor.

3 categories of bodyweight exercise training  

  • Calisthenics: basic bodyweight exercises like pull-ups, push-ups, squats, jumping, planks, lunges, and jumping jacks
  • Plyometrics: explosive bodyweight exercises like jumping lunges, jump squats, box jumps, and the infamous burpee
  • Gymnastics: technical movements you see gymnasts do like levers, planks, muscle-ups, pull-ups, and dips

 

Now, for all the BeyondFit Mom Alums who are shaking their heads and saying, “But Kate says you have to weight train to get results,” you’re right. Bodyweight training, when done correctly, is weight training. We are overloading the muscles with progressive moves so that we burn fat and build muscle. For our pregnant mommies, you’ll be lifting a little extra something-something. I only gained 30lbs with my pregnancy, so believe me, bodyweight squats work!

Along with getting you toned, bodyweight movements also help you burn fat two days after your workout! I am not making this up people, studies show that you can burn extra calories and fat for up to TWO DAYS after your workout when you take advantage of Excess Post-Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC, a.k.a. “after burn”). Basically, we want your body to continue to work long after the workout is over, so we have created workouts that cause your body to need additional fuel to recover (EPOC Process). Yes, please.

Are you still doubting the effectiveness of bodyweight training? Here is a little sample of a Bodyweight Burn workout. Do the following moves in succession with no breaks in between moves. Your booty will be on fire!

  • 7 Full Range-of-Movement Squats
  • 7 Upper Half Pulse Squats
  • 7 Lower Half Pulse Squats (get deep!)
  • 7 Full Range-of-Movement Squats

 

No excuses!

You don’t need a gym!
You don’t need dumbbells!
You can workout while on vacation!
You can complete the workout in 20 minutes (that’s shorter than my son’s nap!)
You can burn calories and fat for up to two days after the workout!
You can tone and strengthen your muscles!
WIN-WIN-WIN!

Let’s do this, sisters!

By Candace Heeney


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bodyweight workout, home gym