Working with your own weight at home. Bodyweight exercises at home. What benefits do exercises with your own weight give?

There is a lot to be said about the benefits of bodyweight training. With their help, you can keep yourself in good shape, however, as your physical condition increases, the required level of load will inevitably increase, and for full strength work you will need sports equipment and additional working weights.

Some features

Bodyweight training programs can vary greatly depending on your goals. So, for example, if you are interested in gaining muscle mass or developing strength qualities, the repeated repetitions typical of bodyweight work will not provide positive progress.

At the same time, the goal of the student is often weight loss, and a high number of repetitions would be very helpful, but due to his large body weight, he may not be able to do this. In fact, this is one of the disadvantages of such training, which can only be effective for a certain target audience.

However, the difficulty level of many bodyweight exercises can vary significantly. Both serial work and improvised items that everyone can find even at home help with this. In addition, you can change the intensity of the exercise, and if you are leaning toward fat-burning programs, you can use the same Tabata complexes, or you can do cardio.

Advantages and disadvantages of bodyweight training

In order not to talk too much about the advantages, we will limit ourselves to a few main points. Benefits of bodyweight training:

• do not require special equipment;
• do not have a negative effect due to the increased load on the joints and spine;
• allow you to comprehensively work out all muscle groups;
• are built from exercises that can be performed in a large number of variations with different intensities;
• can be carried out at home;
• Easily included in any training program.

Not without its drawbacks:

• limited audience of practitioners (most of the exercises will be too much for obese people);
• at some stage, for further progress it is necessary to add additional weights and equipment;
• bodyweight workouts– not the best solution for a significant increase in muscle mass.

In general, the large number of existing exercises and the wide variability of their implementation will allow you to create a fairly effective training program.

Exercises for training with your own weight

Let us immediately note that the main goal here may be to improve your physical shape, maintain it, and also get rid of extra pounds if you work conscientiously.

Pull-ups and push-ups

The most effective bodyweight workout. These exercises are multi-joint, so they can be classified as basic, developing all the muscles of the shoulder girdle, strengthening ligaments and affecting the abdominal muscles.

Many variations of work on the crossbar allow you to use wide range of muscle groups. This issue is described in more detail. When doing push-ups, you can also experiment with the width of your arms: the wider, the more the chest and front deltoids are involved in the work, the narrower the triceps. If you want to strengthen your hands, do push-ups on your fists and on your wrists, and to increase the load, just raise the level of support for your feet by placing them on a chair (stand, bed, etc.). To reduce the load, place your feet as low as possible relative to your hands.

Do you want to improve explosive force– try doing push-ups with clapping, and to engage small muscles and stabilizer groups, use soft or unstable support (BOSU, fitball, etc.).

This applies to training with your own weight at home. On the street, parallel bars are suitable for push-ups, on which you can perform not only classic push-ups, but also do it with swinging and at different amplitudes, involving many muscles in the work.

Squats

If we are considering bodyweight training at home, you can learn everything about squats from this article. The emphasis on different muscles here is also shifted due to different positioning of the legs. You can also vary the pace of execution. An advanced level can squat on one leg - to begin with, you can hold on to something with your hand. As the stabilizer muscles become stronger, this need will gradually disappear.

Ab exercises

Despite the fact that the abs and core muscles work secondarily in the exercises already listed, directed load will not hurt. There are many options for abdominal training, and you can learn more about them. The basic option is body raises in a lying position.

Gymnastic exercises

This can include all elements of stretching, a traditional bridge, and for more developed athletes - a handstand press with emphasis on the wall. If the last exercise turns out to be too much for many, then stretching your muscles, making them elastic and increasing the flexibility of the joints, is very useful, including for the subsequent improvement of physical condition.

Standing on the bridge, you work your shoulders and strengthen your lumbar and thoracic spine.

The listed elements can be called basic bodyweight exercises that can be performed at home. The list goes on:

1. Jumping out of a deep squat. Excellent exercise for the legs and core muscles. This also includes jumping onto a stand (on any suitable elevation).
2. Jumping on the spot (or jumping rope). Excellent cardio that develops coordination and strengthens leg muscles.
3. Burpee. An exercise that became famous mainly thanks to CrossFit and is aimed at functional training of all muscle groups.
4. Run. Both traditional and local.
5. Plank.

Working with your own weight can be built in much more variety than it might seem at first glance. Don't forget about warming up, comfortable clothes, fresh air, exercise regularly, and soon you will see the first results.

The main advantage of the method is the accessibility of classes for every person. With the help of a group of exercises, each person can achieve high levels of endurance and muscle growth at home.

Developing muscles through systematic repetition of a set of basic exercises that are included in bodyweight training helps thousands of people every year to get their bodies in order. The main advantage of the method is the accessibility of classes for every person. Some exercises require additional equipment, such as dumbbells or a chair, however, at first this is not the most important thing. The training complex can be fully performed without special equipment.

What is bodyweight training?

Admirers of an active lifestyle have recently flooded gym sections, finally abandoning bodyweight exercises. Now this topic is of no interest to anyone, although this system of physical activity is highly effective. Going to the gym has evolved from a wellness activity into a popular trend that has quickly attracted a large following of followers.

However, bodyweight training is considered a relevant niche that can provide worthy competition to any sports establishment. With the help of a group of exercises, each person can achieve high levels of endurance and muscle growth at home. The intensity of the training determines the speed at which results appear.

For weight loss

Visiting the gym is not considered a prerequisite for eliminating body fat. Working with your own weight allows you to restore muscle tone and lose excess weight; you can do it both on the street and at home. Regular exercise guarantees a stable result in the form of muscle growth for representatives of any gender, be it women or men.

Basic movements for weight loss include: warm-up, plank, push-ups, lunges and squats. Such a circular set is the initial stage for the formation of a slim figure and takes no more than fifteen minutes of free time. Classes should be carried out at a predetermined pace, since slow training with your own weight will not have the desired effect on the body:

• warm-up (10 min.);
• squats of any kind (3x10);
• torso twisting (3x15);
• horizontal push-ups from the floor (2x10);
• lunges with jump (4x8);
• plank (1 min.).

For weight gain

There is an opinion in sports circles that gaining weight without additional weights is a hopeless endeavor. However, a balanced and multifunctional set of exercises can help develop not only endurance, but also strength and muscle mass. A good result can be achieved if you train using weights from improvised objects (backpack or canister of water). The training program includes the following exercises:

• push-ups (2x15);
• push-ups between supports to pump up the pectoral muscles (2x10);
• reverse grip pull-ups (3x8);
• vertical push-ups (3x10);
• back push-ups (3x6).

Bodyweight training program

Purchasing all the necessary equipment helps you perform bodyweight exercises at home much more effectively. The main equipment for indoor training is: a pull-up bar, a gymnastic roller and a rubber expander. All this simple paraphernalia was created with one purpose - to provide the necessary level of comfort, so training with your own weight will not cause unnecessary inconvenience. The first step is to perform pull-ups on a bar or horizontal bar. You should lower yourself up and down smoothly so as not to injure your muscles.

Bodyweight strength exercises

By following simple rules, you can avoid mistakes during training and pump up to the desired level. A bodyweight training program involves competent execution of a set of exercises that simultaneously engage several different areas of the body. It is very important to try to monitor your breathing and take breaks on time, because excessive physical effort can lead to depletion of the body's resources.

After a couple of weeks of intense sets, the first changes in the body will become noticeable, however, they will affect not only appearance. Since the active work of metabolic processes is launched, throughout the day you will feel a persistent surge of energy and a charge of vivacity. Strength training is aimed at developing endurance, which is clearly visible from the initial load parameters:

• quick jog (15 min.);
• squats (3x15);
• lunges (3x12);
• plank (1-2 min.).

Functional exercises with body weight

There are different periods in life, and it is not always possible to pay for sports activities. In such circumstances, functional training at home becomes the last option. It is convenient to use this scheme not only during a financial crisis, because sometimes professional athletes need rest. Beginners will first have to familiarize themselves with all the necessary theoretical knowledge in order to increase their level of awareness regarding the exercises.

The dynamics of classes should become more complex step by step, slowly moving from simple sets to more advanced ones. Making a master of sports out of an unprepared person in a couple of months is an impossible task, but achieving visible results in a few weeks is quite possible. It is recommended to start with the easiest types of exercises that are easy to perform:

• one-arm push-ups (2x6);
• vertical push-ups (2x8);
• push-ups (3x10);
• squats (3x10);
• triceps push-ups (3x8).

Bodyweight exercises at home

You can lose the desired amount of kilograms with the help of a balanced diet and intensive exercises that simultaneously involve all parts of the body, from the upper to the lower. A set of exercises with your own weight will help you do without individual trainers and save a decent amount of money, while achieving dramatic changes in the condition of your body.

You can think through the training program yourself or find it in sports pages. The first basic exercise is push-ups, which work the triceps, pectoral and deltoid muscles. To pump up your abdominal muscles, you need to perform a series of lifts of the upper body from a starting position lying down. For effective back training, parallel bars or horizontal bars are best suited.

A set of exercises for girls

Most girls go to the gym as part of one mission - to burn accumulated fat deposits and restore their body to its original appearance. Bodyweight training for women is mainly about developing an aesthetically pleasing figure, especially parts such as the chest, buttocks and abs. These areas are emphasized in all sets of exercises designed for the health of girls:

• warm-up (5-10 min.);
• lying leg raise (3x12);
• crunches on the floor (3x10);
• dumbbell press (3x15);
• bench push-ups (2x15);
• calf raise with dumbbells (3x12).

Home workouts for men with body weight

Home workouts are designed to create sculpted sports-type muscles, but they have a limit. If the main goal is to achieve the level of a professional bodybuilder with a huge mountain of muscles, then no set of bodyweight exercises for men can help develop muscles to the desired level. But pumping up your biceps and shoulder girdle will not be difficult. The main thing is to perform the set correctly and alternate the load.

Immediately after the warm-up, intensive exercises begin, the first of which are dips. The exercise may seem simple to some, but if you complicate it a little, it will be difficult for even the most resilient athlete. You need to perform push-ups as follows: lower your body to the lowest point and try to stay in this position for a couple of seconds, then quickly pull yourself up. The rest of the classes include:

• exercise “cat” (5-10 repetitions);
• head tilts (2 min.);
• hyperextension (3x12);
• pull-ups on the bar (3x15);
• push-ups from the floor (3x10).

Bodyweight circuit training

If repeated approaches are too tiring, then circuit training will prepare the body for the upcoming loads. Pull-ups are an ideal exercise for beginners; when performed correctly, they help build the muscles in the front of your back. The width of your grip during exercise should be slightly greater than the length of your shoulders. Another version of the same exercise is pull-ups with a narrow grip, the principle is still the same, the main thing is to monitor the position of the hands.

It is possible to work all muscle groups at the same time with the help of burpees. This is a multi-functional set of movements that starts on all fours. It is important that the knees are moved as tightly as possible to the chest; the result of the exercise depends on this. From this position, the legs are pushed back with a sharp movement, becoming a plank. Then you need to return to the previous position and jump up from it.

Squats

These physical exercises stimulate the development of the gluteal muscles and train the back of the thigh, which reduces the risk of knee injuries. In addition, bodyweight squats help pump up your quadriceps and gain elastic, round shape. Any sports activity is a prevention of age-related diseases and pathological changes in the body. Bodyweight squats are the simplest exercises in this category, but their effectiveness is undeniable:

• chair squats (2x8);
• squats with pulsation (3x12);
• squats on one leg (2x6);

Leg exercises

Powerful legs are essential for survival in any environment. If there is no danger, this tool will also be useful for solving all sorts of everyday problems that place additional stress on the body. Bodyweight leg exercises do not require any special equipment. Squats of various types stimulate the work of several muscle groups, so experts recommend alternating exercises with each other. During classes, you are allowed to make changes to the program at your discretion:

• classic lunges (2x15);
• squats with dumbbells (3x10);
• back lunges (3x12);
• squats with crunches (3x8).

Back exercises

Training to strengthen the body should include a variety of exercises that activate the entire muscle frame. The training microcycle is divided into several stages, each of which involves a specific muscle group. It is allowed to perform complex back exercises with your own weight during one set, after which you need to switch to other body movements:

• classic pull-ups (3x10);
• pull-ups with a wide straight grip (3x12);
• deadlift (2x20);
• close grip pull-ups (3x8);
• Bent-over dumbbell rows (3x6);
• reverse grip pull-ups (3x15).

Multi-joint exercises

A set of exercises directly affects the effectiveness of sports activities. For professional athletes, repeating entry-level sets will not bring visible results, so multi-joint bodyweight exercises have been developed, making it possible to achieve the desired goals in a minimum amount of time:

• warming up (5 min.);
• push-ups (3x10);
• lunges (3x12);
• squats (3x10).

Biceps exercises

To pump up your biceps without visiting sports sections, you should purchase dumbbells. An alternative can be any heavy household items that are comfortable to hold in your hands. By using them as weights in classes, you will be able to develop muscles in a short time and use all muscle groups. Any workout that includes bodyweight shoulder exercises will promote gradual biceps growth:

• pull-ups on the horizontal bar (3x12);
• hammer dumbbell lift (3x15);
• curling arms with dumbbells (3x8).

The benefits of bodyweight training

Every person, with rare exceptions, has enough free time to devote to improving his own body in the gym. However, due to a lack of knowledge and experience in the sports field, people often prefer to avoid additional stress. Fear of heavy physical activity makes you forget about the effectiveness of exercise and the potential development opportunities for the body. However, home workouts can be the first impetus towards the desired changes.

Video about bodyweight exercises

Independent exercise without additional paraphernalia is perfect for people who have long dreamed of getting their body in shape. Intense cardio exercise affects the functioning of the cardiovascular system, which stimulates the rapid burning of calories. With the help of intensive home workouts, most people manage to pump up their muscles and say goodbye to fat folds on their body forever.

Many people believe that if there are no exercise machines at hand, then there is no need to exercise. In fact, you can train with your own weight - this is an ideal option for a home workout program. Of course, gaining muscle mass without dumbbells and barbells and exercise machines is not an easy task. But you can keep your muscles toned or lose some extra pounds at home, if you want!

There are enough exercises to work with your own weight. And if you have an assistant, you can even diversify the exercises and increase the load.

If you travel or simply do not have any equipment that could be used in training, at least purchase an expander. It will easily fit into any bag.

Who do we recommend this training program for? Of course, not for experienced athletes! We recommend it for beginners - boys, girls, women, men. For everyone who does not have the opportunity to go to the gym, but has a desire to start training.

What result can you expect? Everything will depend on your perseverance and regularity of training. Even if you just do push-ups every day, in six months you can reach 100 push-ups in 1 approach. This is serious endurance and muscle strength from push-ups alone. The program is a set of exercises for the whole body.
For those looking to lose weight, this is a great way to burn extra calories. And thanks to strength training, your metabolism will spin up faster than from simple cardio training (for example, on an exercise bike).

Now we will list the exercises that are used in our home workout program(link "Download" below). We tried to choose the simplest, safest and most effective exercises possible. All of them can be done at home, but some require additional equipment. What did you want?

Pushups
This is a great upper body workout. It allows you to work the pectoral muscles, triceps, anterior deltoids and many stabilizer muscles. The proposed program focuses on increasing the number of repetitions, after which you will increase the load. For example, you can wear a backpack filled with water bottles. This will be an excellent weight for push-ups.
Let's say your limit is 12 push-ups in 1 set. In this case, there is no need to add weight. Work on increasing the number of push-ups. Then, when you can do 20 push-ups, you will add weight so that you only have enough strength to do 12 push-ups.

Push-ups between chairs
A good exercise to develop and strengthen the triceps. Typically, no equipment is required for this exercise. You can place 2 bedside tables or chairs next to each other and do push-ups on them. But don't forget about your safety. Furniture is not as stable as exercise equipment.

Incline push-ups
These are regular push-ups, but your feet are on a bench, chair, sofa, etc. This allows you to focus the load on training the upper chest.

Pull-ups
This is one of the best exercises for training the latissimus dorsi and arm muscles. You can do pull-ups on a wall bars or on a removable horizontal bar in the doorway. If you can do more than 12 pull-ups, use additional weights.

Reverse grip pull-ups
In this case, most of the load is transferred to the biceps. You can even train your biceps with your own weight!

Hyperextension
This exercise helps strengthen your lower back, buttocks, and hamstrings. It can be performed lying on the edge of the bed. The body hangs at waist level. Someone needs to hold your feet to prevent you from falling to the floor.

Squats
It is better to do deep squats with your own weight. You can use dumbbells or a heavy backpack as additional weight. During deep squats, the quadriceps and buttock muscles work.

Lunges
A good exercise for training your legs. You can pick up dumbbells or other weights and thereby increase the load.

Single leg squats
This exercise is effective without additional weight, because you lift your entire body weight on one leg. For balance, you can hold on to something with your hand.

Calf raises
It is better to perform alternately on one leg. Thus, the load will be 2 times greater and you will pump up your calves better. You can pick up any weight.

Bend forward on straight legs
An excellent exercise that works the entire body, especially the back of the thighs and buttocks. As a weight, you can use a canister or bottle filled with water.

Press standing or sitting
You will need dumbbells, or any heavy thing that can be held in one hand.

Lying crunches
An excellent exercise for working the upper abdominal muscles.

Lying leg raise
Exercise for the “lower” abs.

Program

When pursuing specific goals, a bodyweight training program certainly produces results. Its main aspect is the correct order and technique of exercises.
Bodyweight training is a great start to building a beautiful and lean body. If you are losing weight or want to emphasize your relief and figure of your body, working with your weight is a completely suitable option.

The most important principle in training is the motivational components. What goals are you pursuing? Let's look at two methods of training with your own weight at home:

1. Development of muscle mass and increase in strength indicators
2. When losing weight

Bodyweight training program for developing muscle mass and increasing strength

Strength training will mainly include basic exercises such as push-ups, squats, and crunches. Thus, during cardio training, we will develop endurance, and during strength training, legs, chest, back, abs, and shoulder girdle. Which will be quite enough at the initial stage.
Then you can add horizontal bars, parallel bars and weights, dumbbells - this will become the main strength training.

Training program

1. Exercises: wide grip push-ups (4 sets of 25-30 reps)
2. Exercises: close grip push-ups (4 sets of 25-30 reps)
3. Exercises: classic squats (4 sets of 25-30 reps)
4. Exercises: push-ups with emphasis on the legs and arms (4 sets of 25-30 repetitions)
5. Lunge exercises (4 sets of 25-39 reps per leg)
6. Exercises: jumping from a low squat with your legs behind your head (4 sets of 25-40 reps)

1. Exercises: push-ups with hands resting (4 sets of 25-30 repetitions)
2. Exercises: reverse push-ups (4 sets of 25-30 reps)
3. Exercises: leg raises from a lying position (4 sets of 25-30 repetitions)
4. Exercises: burpees (4 sets of 25-30 push-ups)
5. Exercises: plank (2 minutes)

Bodyweight training program for weight loss

Monday:

1. Exercises: squats (4 sets of 25-30 reps)
2. Exercises: lunges (4 sets of 25-30 reps)
3. Push-up exercises (girls from knees) 4 sets of 25-30 repetitions
4. Exercises: classic crunches (4 sets of 25-30 reps)
5. Burpee exercises (4 sets of 25 reps)
6. Exercises: side lunges (4 sets of 25-30 reps)

Cardio workout: running for 40 minutes or intense walking for 120 minutes. There are also bike rides and a swimming pool. Choose comfortable shoes, a uniform and a place, and warm up well.

HIIT: The workout involves intense exercise with short rest intervals.

1. Exercises: Burpees (45 seconds, 15 seconds rest)
2. Exercise: bicycle (45 seconds, 15 seconds rest)
3. Exercises: classic squats with wide legs (45 seconds, 15 seconds rest)
4. Exercise: bicycle (45 seconds, 15 seconds rest)
5. Exercises: Low Squat Jump (45 seconds, 15 seconds rest)
6. Exercises: plank 1 minute

Bodyweight training program for beginners

1. Bodyweight pistol exercise

Is it possible to pump up with your own weight? Your muscles don't know whether you're shoulder squatting, leg extensions, or single-leg squats. Don't tell your muscles what you are doing and then they will start to grow.
When performing the exercise, distribute the body weight and try not to stand on your toes. If it's easy for you, just go a little slower.

Another nuance is holding your breath.
In the first exercise, the anterior thigh muscle was more involved; in the next exercise, we will shift the load to the back of the thigh and buttocks.

2. Lunge exercise

The core muscles will also be involved if you do not have a very developed sense of balance or you have not trained for a long time.

3. Side lunge exercise
4. Glute Bridge Exercise
5. Exercise “wide grip push-ups” Provided the perfect technique and correct perception, most of you will forget about such numbers as 40.50 repetitions. At 15.20 repetitions, the chest will begin to burn and acidify. Because with a wide grip, the chest muscles do not relax.

6. Exercise “narrow grip push-ups” The triceps extends the arm at the elbow, the grip should be narrow. Ideally, the hand comes to the shoulder.

7. Exercise “imitation French press” Next, we move on to the final exercise on the back.

8. Exercise “pull-ups with a classic wide grip” The main load is on the latissimus dorsi muscles.

9. Exercise “reverse close grip pull-ups” The best exercise for biceps. All exercises are performed in 4 sets of 12 repetitions. Depends on your physical fitness. Particular attention should be paid to the ideal execution technique. 1-2 minutes of rest between sets, 2-3 minutes between exercises.

Bodyweight training program at home

We start our workout with a warm-up. Each new circle begins with jumping rope for three minutes. In order to warm up the cardiovascular system and joints well. Next will be lunges, we will work our legs. After this, push-ups on straight legs or on your knees. After this, press with the ball and finish with a plank.

Here is a program for training with your own weight at home. Where we will work the legs, upper body and abs, as well as the heart because there will be a jump rope.

Jump rope: three minutes

Abdominal exercise with a ball(20 reps)
We lie on our backs, bend our legs at the knees. Raise your body and throw the ball at the wall. As you lower your body, touch the ball to the floor to stretch your abdominal muscles.

Elbow plank
An excellent exercise strengthens the abdominal muscles, buttocks, lower back, and legs. The main thing is the correct position. The shoulders, pelvis and lower back are in the same plane. There should be no deflection in the lower back so that you do not load the back muscles, but work at the expense of the abdominal muscles.

This is the first round of exercises, this circle needs to be repeated 3-4 times. 1 minute rest between exercises.

The workout is not difficult, well suited for those who are starting to train, or on a rest day when there is no strength training.

One of the most popular questions from beginners is whether bodyweight shoulder exercises will help you gain muscle mass? It worries, first of all, those who cannot or do not want to go to the gym. And also those for whom weight training is contraindicated due to problems with the spine. For this reason, today we will look at both home workouts for the shoulders and exercises for the gym, which do not put a dangerous load on the spine.

It is important to understand that the correct combination of both bodyweight exercises and weight training will be correct. Only in this case will you be able to increase the load, which will have a positive effect on the growth of muscle mass and strength. You can train without performing axial load exercises and achieve good results, but it is important to design the program correctly.

Why would it be difficult to make your shoulders bigger by training only with your own weight?

Before moving on to describing a set of home exercises, you should warn about the complexity of such a path. Deltas, just like any other muscles, develop effectively if several conditions are met:

1. Presence of stress. This means a load that is excessive for the current capabilities of the body, leading to micro-tears of muscle fibers.
2. Sufficient rest period. It is during recovery that an increase in body volume occurs, since during the healing process micro-tears are filled with new tissue.

By training only with your own weight, at a certain point your body will completely adapt to the load and muscle growth will stop. It is impossible to increase the intensity of training only by increasing the number of repetitions ad infinitum. In this way, you will move away from building mass towards developing endurance. All that remains is to come up with different variations with the range of motion and resort to supersets (a combination of different types of load without rest between them). But only a professional, and not a beginner practicing on his own, can create a competent training program taking into account such subtleties.

Exercises without weights and in terms of targeting certain areas of the shoulder muscles are limited. The deltoid muscle consists of 3 types of bundles:

• the front one, responsible for moving the arms towards oneself and upward;
• middle (lateral), allowing you to spread your arms to the sides;
• posterior, responsible for abducting the arms behind the back.

Most bodyweight exercises work the front and side deltoids, while the rear deltoids are often neglected.

Training at home makes sense in two cases:

1. At the initial stage, when the body is completely untrained. Exercises with your own weight will tone your muscles, teach you to feel your own body and help you pump up a little.
2. In the absence of great ambitions, when it is enough to acquire at least some kind of sports form, without building powerful muscles.

It is effective to start your sports journey with home workouts, and when the load is not enough, you can already go to the gym.

Shoulder exercises with body weight

If the goal is to increase the volume of the deltoid muscles, then there is not such a large arsenal of exercises with your own weight. They can be divided into 2 groups:

• various types of push-ups;
• pull-ups and push-ups using a horizontal bar and parallel bars.

In order for all deltoid muscle bundles to develop evenly, a home bodyweight training program should include multidirectional exercises from each of these groups.

Classic push-ups work 3 types of muscles - pectoral, triceps and deltoids. But regarding the deltas, we are talking only about the anterior beam, since the middle and rear ones remain unused in this exercise. If your anterior muscle is lagging, then only push-ups while lying down will be enough to solve the problem, otherwise this exercise can only be part of a shoulder training with your own weight.

Technique:

1. We take an emphasis lying on straight arms. Place your palms at a distance slightly wider than shoulder width. The feet rest with their toes on the floor, the distance between them is 15-20 cm. The whole body is elongated in an even line.
2. We lower ourselves down by bending our elbows until our chest touches the floor.
3. Let's go back up.
4. Breathing - inhale when lowering, exhale when rising.

We do 4 sets of 15-20 repetitions. In push-ups, it is customary to change the direction of the load by rearranging the hands. So, if you place your arms a little wider, the emphasis shifts to the pectoral muscles, and with a narrow position, the emphasis shifts to the triceps. However, such manipulations have virtually no effect on the effectiveness of pumping the deltoid muscles, so you can stick to the classic version.

After the body adapts to the load from classic push-ups, you can move on to more complicated versions of this exercise. For example, use a medicine ball (medicine ball) in it.

Technique:

1. The starting position is a classic prone position, only the hands are placed not on the floor, but on the ball.
2. Balancing on the ball, we slowly lower ourselves down and then rise back up.

In such push-ups, due to the narrow placement of the arms, the emphasis is on the triceps. But instability of the support significantly increases the load on all muscle groups involved in this basic exercise, including the anterior deltoids.

Another way to make push-ups harder is to place your feet higher than the front of your body.

Technique:

1. The starting position is the same as in classic push-ups, only we place our legs on an elevated platform. To do this, you can use a step platform, a bench, or any homemade means.
2. Slowly lower yourself down, trying to bring your chest as close as possible to the floor, then rise back.
3. We carefully monitor the position of the body. It should stretch into a straight line without bending in the lower back, both inward and outward.

The higher the elevation, the more we load our arms and shoulders. You can start by positioning your body to the floor at an angle of 35-40 degrees (when lowering to the lowest point). In the future, you should increasingly increase the load by increasing the angle of inclination.

Handstand push-ups are a logical continuation of the previous exercise. In a vertical position, we remove the load from the pectoral muscles, directing it as much as possible to the arms and shoulders. Moreover, unlike horizontal push-ups, in this case all bundles of the deltoid muscle are involved.

Technique:

1. We stand opposite the wall at a distance of 1.5-2 meters. Then we take an energetic step forward, place our hands on the floor and, due to inertia, throw our legs up. The distance between the hands and the wall should be 10-15 cm, and between the palms a little more than shoulder width. Keep your legs straight.
2. Slowly lower yourself down by bending your elbow joints, bringing your head closer to the floor. We do not lower our head to the floor completely, so as not to create a compressive load on the spine and to avoid injury from a sharp blow.
3. We also slowly rise back.

The exercise is complex, and you can move on to it only after mastering simpler methods of push-ups. Moreover, it is better to start with half-push-ups with an incomplete amplitude until your arms are sufficiently strong. The number of repetitions should gradually be increased to 10-15 in 2-3 approaches.

Just as in the case of the prone position, dips on the uneven bars engage only the front delta. But the more varied exercises you include in your training program, the more stress your muscles will experience, thereby accelerating their transformation. Therefore, the bars should not be neglected.

Technique:

1. We take the starting position, placing the body perpendicular to the bars. Arms are straightened, legs are crossed.
2. As you inhale, move your body forward, slowly bending your elbow joints.
3. As soon as you feel a slight burning sensation in the pectoral muscles, we stop for a couple of seconds, after which we return to the original position.
4. We repeat the movement 10-12 times, and so on for 3-4 approaches.

It is important to choose the correct width of the beams. It should not be much wider than the width of the shoulders, otherwise it creates a dangerous load on the joints.

There is a horizontal bar in almost every yard, so everyone can afford to include exercises on it in their training program. In the classic version, pull-ups load the front deltoids.

Technique:

1. We hang on the crossbar with straight arms. We bend our back at the lower back, cross our legs. The palms are located away from you, the distance between them corresponds to the width of the shoulders.
2. As you exhale, slowly pull yourself up until your chest touches the horizontal bar. At the top point your face should be above the bar.
3. We lower ourselves down, inhaling.
4. We repeat the movement 15-20 times. We do 3-4 approaches in total.

If you perform the same exercise with a reverse grip (palms facing you), the rear deltas will be activated.

Not everyone can immediately start doing pull-ups using the classic method. Therefore, you can start with lighter horizontal pull-ups, or, as they are also called, Australian pull-ups. To perform them you will need a low horizontal bar. In the hall it can be replaced with a bar located on racks.

Technique:

1. We hang on a low horizontal bar, stretching our legs forward until the body is completely straightened. In this case, an acute angle should form between you and the floor. We place our palms as wide as possible in order to maximally direct the load on the rear delts, and not on the back.
2. As you exhale, pull your chest toward the horizontal bar, bringing your shoulder blades together.
3. As we inhale, we go back.
4. We do 15-20 repetitions in 3-4 approaches.

When performing the exercise, it is important to bring your shoulder blades together completely. If you do not have time to do this before touching the bar, you need to move your legs forward a little more.

Exercises without stress on the spine using a 70-75 degree bench

In many sports exercises, the load is directly or indirectly placed on the spine. This can be harmful for people with back pain, as well as for teenagers whose skeleton has not yet fully formed. These are mainly exercises with free weights in a standing or sitting position without support. Many of them are easy enough to secure using a bench with an adjustable backrest. The angle of the backrest to the floor should be 70-75 degrees. Let's consider options for shoulder exercises from this position.

The seated barbell press allows you to pump up your front deltoids.

Technique:

1. We hold the bar with a straight grip at chest level. Shoulders straightened. With a narrow position of the arms, only the front deltas are involved, and with a wide position, the middle beam is involved in the work.
2. As you exhale, straighten your arms, lifting the barbell up.
3. As you inhale, slowly return the projectile to its original position.
4. We do 10-12 repetitions in 3 sets.

If the weight is incorrectly selected, the exercise can cause injury to the shoulder joint. Therefore, at first it is important not to overestimate your own capabilities.

Smith machine barbell press

The exercise is similar to the previous one, but is safer for the joints due to the movement of the bar along the guides. In addition, when exercising in a Smith machine, there is no need to control the balance of the barbell, which eliminates the stabilizer muscles from the work, making the exercise more isolated.

While sitting on a bench, you can perform 3 types of exercises with dumbbells:

• breeding;
• rise in front of you.

The seated dumbbell press loads the front and side muscles. To perform it, arms with dumbbells are spread to the sides and bent at the elbows at a right angle. As you exhale, the projectiles rise upward until your arms are fully straightened, and as you inhale, they return to their original position.

To perform arm raises with dumbbells, you must not sit down on the bench, but lie down on your stomach. In this case, your arms, slightly bent at the elbows, should hang on both sides of the back. As you exhale, slowly raise your arms up through your sides until your shoulders are parallel to the floor. As you inhale, lower back. The exercise involves the rear deltas.

Raising dumbbells in front of you allows you to work your front and middle deltoids. The movements are performed with slightly bent elbows so that the load falls exclusively on the shoulders. As we exhale, we raise our arms no higher than the level of the chin, after which we slowly return them back. The movement can be performed with both hands at once with a distance between them equal to shoulder width, or alternately.

We have already mentioned the low effectiveness of exercise without weights for gaining muscle mass. If you can't go to the gym, you can add a strength component to your program with free weights. To do this, you need to purchase dumbbells or weights, and if this is not possible, replace them with improvised means. For example, load the backpack with something heavy, or sew weights yourself and fill them with sand.

Different types of exercises must be performed sequentially - first we train with weights, then we “finish off” the muscles with pull-ups or push-ups. This program will allow you to work out your muscles better with less time. You can also use the principle of pre-fatigue. By working with your own weight before doing dumbbell exercises, you can get more benefits from your strength training. These types of workouts are high intensity, so before you start, be sure to warm up your muscles well and stretch to eliminate the risk of injury.

When it comes to building muscle, nutrition is even more important than the workout itself. Muscles will only grow if you receive enough nutrients, which is not always possible to provide with regular foods. For those who are unable to eat a lot often, sports supplements will come to the rescue. When training for weight, you cannot do without the following products:

Protein. Supplies the body with protein – the main building material. Absorbed 10-15 times faster than regular food. It does not contain excess fats and carbohydrates.

Amino acids. They perform the same functions as protein powder, but are absorbed faster, since the protein is already in a split form.

Creatine. Increases explosive muscle strength.

Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids. Accelerate muscle growth and generally have a positive effect on health.

Vitamin and mineral complexes.

Sports nutrition will only give results if the rest of your diet consists of balanced meals. No matter how useful it is, it is still only an addition to the main diet.