Myth: Bodyweight Exercises are Endurance
Way back when I was in my commercial gym and bodybuilding days (because that was the only thing I knew about how to train…and got next to zero results with) I heard people talk about bodyweight training with scorn.
“Pushups and squats are only good for endurance.”
“You have to lift weights to get strong.”
“Once you can do fifty reps of something it builds endurance but not muscle.”
Nevermind, that few people can do 50 pushups in a single set!
Can you?
And not the partial range “you call that a rep?” that many people do, but full range chest to floor and all the way up to lockout.
Unless I’m training specifically on pushups, I can’t even do fifty.
In developing the Bare Bones Bodyweight Training Program I specifically picked exercises that people are familiar with, the pushup, bodyweight squat and plank.
But just because you’re familiar with it doesn’t mean you’re doing it right or well.
It’s kind of like breathing. Everyone does it…but few have really explored what deep breathing can do for them.
Most people flare out there shoulders in pushups, when it’s healthier for the joint to keep them in. This is in addition to cutting their range of motion short.
Many people can’t squat full range, that is with bottom of thighs resting on calves.
The plank is a basic exercise that most people can quickly move beyond. But with just a couple tweaks in position and therefore leverage it can be difficult for anyone.
The truth is bodyweight training can build way more than just endurance.
Bodyweight training has been a mainstay of my training ever since I really got into it.
And it’s going to remain that way, because it builds strength and vital force.
If you want to check out my newest program, the Bare Bones Bodyweight Training Program go here.