#1 Bodyweight Exercise
This might be the most interesting – and shocking – workout study ever.Crazy Canadian researchers at Queen’s University tested the #1 bodyweight exercise against long cardio. In the study, 22 college-aged women did 4 workouts per week for 4 weeks.
Group A did 30 minutes of treadmill running at 85% max heart rate
Group B did 8 rounds of 20 seconds of the #1 bodyweight move with 10 seconds of rest between rounds.
Results:
Both training groups increased their aerobic fitness levels by the SAME amount (about 7-8%). That’s right, the short, 4-minute workouts with the #1 bodyweight exercise worked just as well as 30 minutes of cardio. Shocking.
BUT…only the women using the #1 bodyweight exercise increased muscular endurance in common exercises like chest presses, leg extensions, sit-ups, and push-ups. And using the #1 bodyweight move also resulted in greater overall workout enjoyment.The Crazy Canadian Scientists concluded that doing just 4-minutes of bodyweight training will give you the same fitness results as long, slow, boring cardio.
But wait, there’s more…a NEW study compared the #1 bodyweight exercise against interval training…and the results are equally as shocking.
Published in the Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research (May 2014), researchers compared the #1 bodyweight move against high-intensity sprint interval cycling.
Eleven subjects (8 men and 3 women) did these two workouts:
#1 – 30 seconds of sprint interval cycling
#2 – 30 seconds of the #1 bodyweight exercise
After a whopping 4-minute rest break, they repeated the cycle 3 more times.
The results showed that the #1 bodyweight exercise worked just as well as doing traditional sprint interval training on a bike.
That’s great news for everyone that exercises without fancy equipment. You CAN get great fat burning, fitness boosting results in just a few minutes with the #1 bodyweight exercise…
…and that exercise is Burpees.
Now wait a second…I know what you’re thinking…Burpees might be too advanced for you, or your knees might not like that movement.
Fortunately, after spending over 10,000 hours in my lab (my lab = the gym) training men and women of all ages and fitness levels, I’ve discovered equally effective exercises, like my trademarked Total Body Extensions, along with classic “narrow-stance squats”, “prisoner squats”, and the 101 plus exercises found in my bodyweight programs.
You can get all of my bodyweight exercises and workouts here
In fact, I want to take you on a tour of my current “lab”. And no, I don’t mean a tour of Bally the Dog, my Chocolate Lab. That would be weird. And gross.
Instead, I want to take you on a tour of my home garage gym. It’s not perfect yet, and I still have a few things to add, but here’s my equipment list:
– Kettlebells from 15lbs to 70lbs (next up, “The Beast”, an 88lbs kettlebell)
– Powerblocks up to 125 lbs
– TRX Straps (I also have Jungle Gym XT & Elite Fitness Blast Straps)
– Adjustable Bench (full incline and decline)
– 2 Resistance Bands
– Stability Ball
– Power Wheel
– Slam ball (20 lbs) and Med Balls (8-15lbs)
– Yoga Mat
– Dog <= My personal trainer
– with extra room for future acquisitions: Barbell, Squat Stands, & Plates for deadlifting and squatting…
Lazy personal trainer!
Yesterday I was in the lab taking a TTGPC (Turbulence Training Guinea Pig Client) through my upcoming June Workout of the Month. It’s called the “TT Bodyweight Max Reps Challenge” and will help you double the number of pushups and pullups you can do. You’ll love it. It will be ready by June 1st!…but here’s a sneak peak of it…too bad you can’t read my writing. (Don’t worry, I can’t either – ha.)
Experiment morning in the lab…working on new TT Bodyweight Max Reps for the June Workout of the month…if you want to double your pushups and increase your pullups, you’ll love it. Will be ready by June 1st!
Until then, enjoy FULL access to all of my workouts here. And YES, you get both the HWR and TT follow-along videos in this incredible fitness deal.
Get all of my bodyweight exercises and workouts here
See you in the lab soon,
Craig Ballantyne, CTT
Certified Turbulence Trainer
PS – Alright, the sun is peaking out…
…time for my morning meditation and then time to take the dog on a tour…we’ll do a big walk through the farm fields with ol’ Bally the Dog.
Have a great day…and remember this kick-butt mindset tip:
Keep on pushing, testing, tweaking, tracking, failing forward, learning, and applying these new lessons. Focus on Forward Progress. Always be improving. Baby steps and little bets every day. Keep on pushing on, no matter how dark the days. The right attitude goes a long way.