Three bodyweight moves to build the foundation of your workout success.
Complex exercises might look impressive, but they’re not really necessary for results. Superman pushups and pistol squats are great exercise variations when you are looking for a challenging goal, or need to spice things up a bit, but sometimes it’s good to bring it back to the basics.
There are three main bodyweight exercises that provide a solid foundation for all other fitness moves: Squat, Pushup, and Crunches. In fact, these are moves you actually use every day without even knowing it.
Work on perfecting the form and execution of these three exercises and you will build a good base in both your fitness and everyday life.
Squats:
Builds Muscle in Your Entire Body
Obviously squats help to build your leg muscles (quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves), but they also create an anabolic environment, which promotes body-wide muscle building. Squats can also boost your sports performance, maintain mobility and balance, and help prevent injuries by building muscle and increasing range of motion in your ankles and hips.
Tips for Success:
• Sit back and down
• Weight in heels
• Knees behind toes
• Brace your core
Crunches:
Crunches help build endurance in the muscles of the abdomen.
The primary role of your abdominal region is to stabilize your midsection. A strong core helps to maintain good posture, supports you when you lift heavy objects, and assists your body so you can twist and rotate. These are all everyday actions, so it’s crucial for your abs to be able to sustain.
Tips for Success:
• Fingertips to your temple, elbows pulled back
• Slide ribs to hips
• Contract abdominal muscles
• Keep neck and shoulders relaxed
Push-ups:
Target every major muscle group of your upper body.
Push-ups help you focus on your arms, abs and your lower body, all at the same time. These exercises train your muscles to work together and become stronger. Push-ups also help to create balance, stability and reaction time by training proprioceptive muscle fibers and also help to build muscle density.
Tips for Success:
• Support your weight evenly from head to toe.
• Contract your core muscles, glutes and quads to keep them braced.
• Pull your shoulders away from your ears.
• Keep your head, neck, and spine in alignment.
