As Gyms Reopen, Don’t Forget What COVID-19 has Taught Us
Using Bodyweight to Stay Healthy –
During these difficult times with Covid-19 changing the world before our eyes, fitness programs and trainers need to change their perspective on exercise theories. People are more resourceful and creative using makeshift everyday home appliances to use for gym equipment.
One invaluable piece of equipment we need to continue using is our own bodyweight. Significantly safer than weight/resistance training, it is a good idea to continue strengthening functionally by using our bodyweight and supersetting or circuit training with resistance training once gyms open.
True strength lies in our ability to move freely and also move our bodyweight. Yes, it is fun to pick heavy things up and put them down, but calisthenics prove to be a reliable and cheap way of functional strengthening. Using bodyweight with resistance training is the most holistic way of strength training. Calisthenics will increase the strength during your conventional lifts and offer different variations that can focus on specific, ‘hard to reach’ muscles weight training just does not seem to be effective in training.
Simple examples of supersets are back squats and bodyweight squats, pull ups with lat pull downs, bench pressing with push ups, etc. Clients have often told me during the bench/push up superset how much harder the bodyweight push ups are when comparing to the bench pressing of dumbbells or a barbell. Just because you aren’t lifting heavy weights does not mean your own bodyweight is not producing gains. The reason why bodyweight exercises are more difficult than the resistance training is bodyweight exercises are more endurance training movements while resembling functional movement patterns.
It is perfectly fine to resume your heavy weights when gyms open up and equipment is readily available, but let’s not lose the overall goal of exercise: to move our bodies freely while promoting longevity. Remember these hard times, implement the bodyweight exercises in your training. You will surely see a faster progression in strength and functional mobility while reducing the times sidelined from the gym because of injury.