Using your own bodyweight to put on muscle mass is not only possible, research suggests that it is just as effective in doing so as weight training. When it comes to exercise, remember that resistance is resistance no matter what equipment you are using, or how you are getting the job done.
This is one major reason why bodyweight exercises are starting to become increasingly popular yet again, another being that these exercises require little or no equipment to use. Excellent for both frugal types and those on the go looking for a routine they can take on the road with them.
Add These Bodyweight Exercises to Your Routine to Give Your Midsection More Work
1-Planks
Planks are an exercise that pretty much anyone can do at any fitness level as it is an isometric exercise which requires no movement. Don’t let that fact fool you though as this can be a really intense exercise for even the advanced.
This exercise can be done either with your elbows on the ground or with the arms extended-the latter involving the arms more and giving them more work. The plank is an exercise that is going to work every muscle in your core simultaneously, making it a great exercise that you will get a lot out of.
2-Burpee
This exercise is going to be one of the more difficult ones on the list, which tends to take a lot out of people. To do a burpee, your starting position should be where your feet are shoulder-width apart. Get in a squatting position and put your hands on the floor.
Then, kick your legs backwards to where you put yourself in a position to do a push-up, do the push-up, go back to the squatting position and explode up towards the ceiling-this is one repetition.
This exercise is not only going to give your core a good workout, but your lower body as well. This is an exercise best left for the end of your routine, as it works many different muscles groups-all of which will be fatigued afterwards.
3-Hanging Leg Raise
To do this exercise you need a pull-up bar, or something that you can hang from. Grab the bar using an overhand grip, and let your body hang. Then you will lift both legs to where there is a 90 degree angle where your legs and torso meets at the hips. Hold this position for a few seconds, release and lower your legs back down, which is a full repetition.
You can adjust the difficulty of this exercise by keeping your legs straight throughout the lift, or you can bend your knees throughout if you need some help.
4-Reverse Crunch
One of the most difficult areas of the body to develop is the lower abs, which this exercise helps to target. As with your traditional crunch, this exercise does not require a lot of range of motion, as in doing so you begin to deactivate the abdominals and activate the lower back.
When doing this exercise it is important to keep your knees bent, as in doing so you help to reduce the involvement of the hip flexors in this exercise. Many people already have overworked hip flexors due to problems with poor posture, so make sure to keep your knees bent during this exercise.
5-Inverted Frog Legs
This is an exercise you want to start doing if you care at all about oblique definition, or the outer core muscles. Inverted frog legs are similar to planks in that you start in the same position, but also involves some twisting and movement to target the obliques.
To do this exercise, you will start with your arms fully extended, palms on the ground, and a straight back with feet firmly on the ground. Then you will lift one of your legs up, and you will bring that knee towards the elbow of the opposite arm(left knee to right elbow, right knee to left elbow).
6-Leg Raises
This is an exercise that is going to work both the abdominals and the hip flexors, primarily targeting the abdominal region. To do this exercise you just lie flat on your back, making sure that your lower back is in contact with the ground at all times.
From this point you just simply lift your legs in to the air pivoting at your waist, which works your abdominals arguably more so than any other exercise out there.
