Are you looking for a bodyweight training guide?

Anyway, I love bodyweight training.

It is simple, functional, effective and feasible .

And that’s why I have packed in this Bodyweight Training Guide why you should train with your own body weight and how you can do it in seven simple steps .

You even get a free – tailored to your training level – training plan for it.

The Bodyweight Training Guide rocks!

Did you know that bodyweight training (BT) was the hottest fitness trend in 2015? Worldwide!

There is actually a large-scale annual survey among “fitness professionals” – trainers, gym managers, etc. – in which BT has clearly taken the lead. This survey is carried out by the renowned American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). I’ve blogged about it here.

So that you too can rock with your own body – if you stick to it, you will really learn a few cool exercises (for example pistols) – here the promised bodyweight training guide for you:

1.  Find out more!

If you train with your own body weight, it has many advantages:

• You up to location-independent. 2 × 2 meters of space is sufficient in most cases.
• You are independent of the weather. If it storms and snows outside, you just do your training at home.
• You are independent of time. You can always do it: During the lunch break (if you have a shower), in the morning, in the evening, etc.
• BT is extremely effective. Here you will find a study in which remarkable increases in strength and speed were proven in just 6 weeks.
• You always train functionally. If you train with your own body weight, you cannot train isolated muscle groups at all, but always target entire muscle chains, which ultimately makes your movements smoother and makes you less prone to injury. In this study you will find out why it is important to think in terms of kinetic chains and to train their most common beginning – the core of the body (and you definitely do that with BT).
• The Bodyweight Training Guide also helps you well with fat loss, especially if you combine weight training with high-intensity interval training. Because you can, for example, increase your metabolism rate for hours after training (afterburn effect).
• It’s challenging. No matter how good you are. There are still ways to improve.
• It’s free. You don’t have to pay a monthly fee or great equipment.

• You also train your mobility and flexibility at the same time, as these are conditions for the correct execution of exercises. This in turn has a positive effect on your performance. You can find more information on this in this study.
• During bodyweight training you address your core during almost every exercise, which is often neglected when training on fitness equipment.
• You always train your core and thus your stabilizing muscles. This is not only good for your posture, but also has a performance-enhancing effect. Here is a study on it.

• You train your coordination skills and balance – especially with one-sided exercises.
• You can do BT as a lone wolf or in a group – depending on how you enjoy it more.
• Bodyweight training never gets boring. You can always do new variations of the exercises and workouts.
• BT can improve your endurance and strength at the same time. Once you’ve done 100 burpees in a row, you know what I mean. (You can find a study here)
• By combining it with HIIT (high-intensity interval training) you – as an advanced user – can save time and set new stimuli that will keep you and your body going even further bring forward. Here you can find a good English summary about the combination between HIIT and bodyweight training.

But hey!

I don’t want to be whitewashed here.

Therefore, you should also be informed about the downsides of BT in the Bodyweight Training Guide. Even if there is much more light than shadow:

• You have to learn the correct technique of the exercises so that you do not put the wrong strain on your joints.
• The training is a little harder than an easy run or lifting a few weights in the gym.
• If you don’t feel like overcoming yourself and sometimes pushing your – current – physical limits, you won’t keep your motivation high for long can.
• The resistance or the difficulty of the exercises is not as easy to change as in the gym.

Interim conclusion

The benefits outweigh.

Definitely .

Or what do you mean?

2.  Set yourself goals!

The thing is: Without a goal, you lose the motivation to stick with it much faster.It may sound trite, but is really important .

Only those who know their goal will find the way. Laotse

Goals in bodyweight training can be varied. Most of the time they are oriented towards mastering a certain exercise.

So it was for me, for example, with the pistols (one-legged deep squat), the muscle ups (combination of pull-up and dip) and the one-handed push-ups.

But it could also be that you want to do a certain number of repetitions of an exercise, for example 10 pull-ups in a row.

Or 10 push-ups in a row.

Of course, a body transformation or fat loss or muscle building without equipment can also be a goal. In this article, I’ll tell you what data you should collect.

So in order to achieve goals, you definitely have to set yourself some.

You can find small but fine instructions here: Set and achieve goals.

Because if you’re already setting goals, you should get it right.

3.  Learn the right technique!

I want to be honest with you.

If you consistently do the exercises incorrectly, you run the risk of injury.The Technique is critical in the Bodyweight Training Guide. The point that makes the difference between success and failure.

Let yourself be accompanied by a professional trainer at the beginning and show you the most important exercises.

Learn the exercises and make the right technique your own. And check yourself over and over again.

If you like books you will love these two. They show you the correct technique of the most important exercises with many illustrated instructions:

Of course I have prepared videos and exercise instructions for you too. More on this in the next point.

First of all: work on yourself and your technique. With every training!

4.  Get a suitable training plan!

I have written three training plans for you (a fourth one is still in preparation), each of which lasts 12 weeks, contains 12 different exercises and is available in different levels of difficulty (actually 36 exercises):

• Rookie
  The program for beginners. It is suitable for you if you have little or no experience with training.
• Advanced
  The program for advanced learners. If you are a returnee or already have training experience, you can choose this training plan.
• Pro
  The program for professionals. It suits you if you train regularly, you are fit, but you want to be even more efficient.
• Master
  The master level is still a big challenge for me. It is a training plan for those who could successfully complete the Pro Level with ease. You can find the master level (exercises difficulty 5+) in P.A.T. Bodyweight training.

Only 12 exercises and still a lot of variety. This is what you can expect from my training plans, which I present to you here in the Bodyweight Training Guide.

So that you can imagine something about it, I have put the 12 exercises for each level in a video guide packed.

You should do at least 6 repetitions of each exercise in a row so that you can tackle the level. If you are not ready yet, start one level further down or at the rookie level or just swap the one difficult exercise for the one from the easier version.

The equipment

The following equipment is what you need for my training plans. Don’t worry, you’ll have most of it at home anyway:

That’s it.

Sure: a pull-up bar is an advantage if you are already advanced, but it doesn’t have to be.

Another additional app recommendation: With the Madbarz * app (incl. Platinum Pack for a fee) you can create your own workouts and track your progress. (Attention: Sometimes you have to select a different exercise, as not all exercises in the training plan are available in the app)In the Madbarz app you can create the workout challenges and follow your development very well.

The exercises

First take a look at the video for the Beginners Level . There I’ll explain the simple exercises to you.

If you think these are too easy for you, dare to go one level higher.

Or two.

In the video for the Advanced Level you will find many classic exercises of medium difficulty.

The video for the Pro Level shows you what is possible with your own body weight. Here you will be really challenged!

The training plans

How do you get the promised 12-week training plans with the exercises presented and in different degrees of difficulty?

It’s very simple: by subscribing to my mailing list. It’s free and you will also receive regular items from me delivered to your mailbox (once a week on average). You will also get my free e-book “Finding time to train” with it.

deal? Deal!

Enter your best email address here and get your training plans.

5.  Follow your progress!

An important point in the Bodyweight Training Guide!

When you train on a training plan, it is important that you track your progress.

This is the only way you can take countermeasures in a conversation with your trainer, for example if the training is too hard or too easy.

Very simple: You write down how long you trained, how many reps you did, etc.How do you do that?

You can do that directly in the training plan prepared by me, for example if you print it out.

So that you are always up to date about your achievements.

I have also set up a leaderboard on my Google Drive, on which you can immortalize yourself. You can find the link for this in the training plans.

Again, I would like to make a recommendation for the Madbarz app incl. Platinum Pack *, in which you can also track your progress.

6.  Increase the number of strokes!

If you already have experience with bodyweight training, you should definitely include high intensity interval training in your training routine.

By the way: I have already included HIIT for you in my training plans.

Of course, you can also increase the number of strokes in other ways.

For example, by registering with Freeletics.

Or by also doing a sport with friends that you enjoy: football, beach volleyball, tennis, etc.

Or when you switch to the next level of my training plans.

You can also do an endurance sport such as running, swimming or cycling on the side.

7.  Stay tuned, reach your goals and set yourself new ones!

So that you stay motivated during the hard training weeks, I have put together a few good articles for you:

I really wish you can manage to achieve your goals.

For example, to completely master a level of my training plan.

I can hear you ask:

“Hey Pat, what if I’ve achieved my goals?”

If you have achieved all your goals, you have chosen them as too low. Herbert von Karajan

Then you simply put new ones in again.

Even if you are in better shape than ever after 12 weeks of training, you run the risk of losing your motivation and momentum if you don’t set new goals again. Do not underestimate the importance of this task!

By then, at the latest, it is time to go through the seven steps in the Bodyweight Training Guide again.

Bodyweight Training Guide – the conclusion

You now have a bodyweight training guide at hand, with which you can start immediately.

In seven steps you can get fitter than you ever dreamed of:

1. Find out more!
2. Set yourself goals!
3. Learn the right technique!
4. Get a suitable training plan!
5. Follow your progress!
6. Increase the number of strokes!
7. Stay tuned, achieve your goals and set yourself new ones!

I really wish that you will recognize the benefits of training with your own body weight and that you will also put my training plan into practice.

Now is the best time to do it!

Yesterday is gone – tomorrow is not here. So live today! Pythagoras of Samos