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Bodyweight Exercises for Weight Loss

How Bodyweight Exercises Work

Basically bodyweight exercises are exercises which are done using your own bodyweight as muscle resistance.  No equipment is used as one’s own weight takes the place of traditional gym weights.  A commonly known bodyweight exercise is the pushup.  You place your body in a position where it has to fight against the weight of itself.  In a pushup, the arms and shoulders are strengthened and toned by raising the rest of the body higher then lower to the ground.  Bodyweight exercises work well for weight loss and for muscle toning.

Types of Bodyweight Exercises

• Pushups.  Pushups are a great traditional exercise that helps to strengthen the arms and shoulders.  They are one of the best upper body workouts that you can do.
• Squats.  Squats are good for strengthening and toning the thighs and buttocks.  Stand with feet shoulder width apart, arms folded across your chest, and back straight.  Slowly lower yourself until your thighs are almost parallel to the ground then repeat.  They are an easy enough exercise to do but have great results.
• Lunges.  Lunges also work wonders for the thighs and bottom.  From a standing position, you step forward and slowly lower your back knee to the ground, then raise yourself back up.
• Chin-ups.  Chin-ups use the arms, back, and shoulders to pull yourself up from the ground onto a bar.  You touch your chin to the bar, then lower yourself back down and repeat.
• Dips.  Dips target the triceps and are great for toning and shaping this part of the arm.  Dips require the use of a chair or bench that is stable.  Position yourself in front of the bench with your back to it.  Place your hands on the edge of the bench with palms down and fingers forward.  Your heels should be on the ground legs’ length in front of you, and your arms should be supporting your bodyweight.  Slowly lower your bottom to just above the floor using your arms, then slowly return to the beginning position and repeat.

Advantages
There are numerous advantages to using bodyweight exercises.  They are flexible and easy for everyone to incorporate into a workout.  One of the major benefits to using bodyweight exercises is that they are free with no equipment required to buy.  Another advantage to no equipment being needed is that you can do these exercises anywhere.  If you go on a trip, you don’t need to worry about not having your weights or local gym.

You can workout in your own hotel room.  This is also nice so that you can avoid going to the gym as often.  Some people feel self conscious at gyms.  With bodyweight exercises, you can workout in the privacy of your own home.  Bodyweight exercises have a dual function to both build muscle and increase your heart rate.  Another positive is that these exercises can easily be incorporated into any other workout that you may be comfortable with.

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