Top Body Weight Exercises For Each Muscle Group 34/84

A couple weeks ago,  I did a post on the top exercise that I like to use for each muscle group. Today, I'm going to expand on that and  do one specifically for body weight only exercises. There will still be some equipment necessary for some of them but that really just comes down to a pull-up bar and some kind of suspension strap like a TRX or rings. Sine it's friday night we'll just get right into it!

Neck

Neck bridges will be your best bet for this one from a body weight perspective. Note that that these are more advanced exercises and you should have some prior neck training under your belt before you try these. They can be pretty dangerous and there are better neck training options, but for a body weight exercise it's an option. I do these from the front and from the back and never, ever go to failure.

Shoulders

Handstand holds and handstand pushups are the best bodyweight shoulder builders. Start with isometric handstand holds against a wall before you try to do pushups and just working on holding it for an extended time. Unless you are a competitive CrossFit athlete, you have absolutely no use for kipping handstand pushups so don't even worry about those. That even goes for people who workout at CrossFit gyms but don't plan on competing. Build up you strength and don't try to progress too fast.

Chest

The ring pushup is still my pick for this one. The rings adds an extra stability factor which lights your pecs up and the rings also increase the potential range of motion to get a huge stretch in the pec. Just be careful not to go too low and put too much stress on the shoulder joint. Just like any exercise, focus in squeezing the muscles that you're trying to work the whole time. If you want to add even more tension, turn your palms forward at the top of the pushup.

Back

I'm gonna go with 2 here; pull-ups for vertical pulling and an inverted row for horizontal pulling. Obviously, the inverted row will be much easier for most people and it is important to build up proficiency in those before you attempt pullups. The rows can be done on a bar, smith machine, rings, or TRX Straps. If you want a good progression to help you get your first pullup you can look HERE

Biceps

We're limited here but my favorite is the TRX curl. Stand facing the TRX with your arms out in front of you. Keep your elbows high as you curl your hands up towards your face. Having your arms out in front of you will give you a great contraction in the bicep and you'll really feel these if you do them right, Be sure not to let your elbows drop as you go through the motion.

Triceps

You can get a ton of stimulus in your triceps withthe HSPUs and Ring Pushups but if you want more isolation then a TRX tricep extension is a good one to try. Start face down with the handles in front of you like a pushup position. Instead of bringing your hands down to your chest, let your arms come over your head and bend at the elbow. Use you triceps to pull you back up into the starting position.

Abs

I love leg raises! They allow you to work the abs and obliques like situp and other trunk flexion exercises but I like them better because you spine doesn't actually move. You can do these lying flat, in an ab tower, or hanging from a bar. I'll also add side planks to the mix here because I think they're an amazing exercise to build everything on your lateral chains like shoulders, lats, obliques, and hips.

Quads

My go-to lately has been the front foot elevated split squat. It give you all of the benefits of a rear foot elevated one but people seem to have an easier time with the balance here. You only need to raise your front foot up about six inches to really feel the stretch and work. Make sure you touch your back knee all the way to the ground each rep

Hamstrings

Two here as well; the TRX hamstring curl and the single leg RDL. I did one for knee flexion and one for hip extension to give you a couple options. You can also substitute the TRX for an exercise ball and get just as good of a stimulus. There is a good progression here that you can learn and I'll do a video on it pretty soon that will take you from the easiest to the hardest versions of this exercise.

When doing the single leg RDL, make sure not to let you back hip raise (that would be the leg that is going back). Keep your hips square and you'll really feel your glutes light up as well. The motion is the same as a regular RDL where you keep your knees soft and focus on pushing your hips backwards

Glutes

Glute bridges are where it's at here. For bodyweight you'll want to do higher reps to still get a good burn but these are a great butt builder when you add a barbell or band. Do them on one leg to increase difficulty. You can also raise your shoulders up onto a box to increase the range of motion.

Calves

Sprinting wins here. Calves raises aren't my favorite but have their place. If you really want to light you calves up with no added weight then sprint you butt up a hill and I guarantee you feel it tomorrow!

I'm planning on writing up a bodyweight only program to give to you guys but this one is only for subscribers. Follow the pop-up prompt and join the Facebook group to get access to this program! Finally, My Free Fat Loss and Free Muscle Gaining Tips are done! And I have to say that they're looking pretty awesome. Those will be free to anyone who subscribes here. Subscribing will also let you join the private Facebook group that will give you the ability to see this new program. This group will allow for much more engagement with each other than my Facebook page so I can make sure you guys are getting all of the info you need.

See you tomorrow!

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