Muscle-building routines that rely only on your body weight
Full-body express workout
No gym? No problem. You can get into the best shape of your life without ever setting foot in a health club, panting your way through 90 minutes on a muddy pitch at the weekend, or pumping weights until your arms feel ready to drop off. Utilising your own weight, you can blast your body in record time with this equipment-free full-body express workout, courtesy of Dr Elesa Argent, personal trainer and ex-bodybuilding champion.
Squats
Works: quads; hamstrings; glutes; calves; isometric contraction of the lower back
Technique: Stand with your feet just over hip-width apart. Keeping your stomach tight and arms extended in front of you at shoulder level, bend your knees until your thighs are parallel with the floor, then slowly return to the start position. Clench your buttocks at the top of the movement before repeating. Ensure that your knees never extend over your toes.
Crank it up: Mix it up with super-slow reps, sets to failure, and concentrated pulses at the mid-point (90-degree angle) of the movement. Increase intensity by opting for plyometric squats (jump, then land, transitioning into the full squat, and repeat), or by standing with your back against the wall, slowly lowering to 90 degrees before returning to the start position. For the truly hardcore, repeat the squat with one leg only.
Technique: Stand with your feet just over hip-width apart. Keeping your stomach tight and arms extended in front of you at shoulder level, bend your knees until your thighs are parallel with the floor, then slowly return to the start position. Clench your buttocks at the top of the movement before repeating. Ensure that your knees never extend over your toes.
Crank it up: Mix it up with super-slow reps, sets to failure, and concentrated pulses at the mid-point (90-degree angle) of the movement. Increase intensity by opting for plyometric squats (jump, then land, transitioning into the full squat, and repeat), or by standing with your back against the wall, slowly lowering to 90 degrees before returning to the start position. For the truly hardcore, repeat the squat with one leg only.
Press-ups
Works: chest; deltoids; triceps
Technique: Start with your hands wide, body straight and abs tight, then lower your body until your nose touches the floor, before returning to the start position. Repeat until you hit fatigue, ensuring that you don't ever arch your back, skimp on the range of movement or speed up.
Crank it up: Make things harder by using slow reps, static hold and pulses at the lowest point of the movement, and hit those triceps harder by keeping palms parallel and very close together.Maximise intensity by incorporating the plyometric press-up (pushing up quickly and with enough force to raise your hands several centimetres off the ground, with the body completely suspended on the feet for a moment), or by channelling Rocky with the one-arm version, legs wide apart, with the non-active hand resting on the side of your waist/lower back. The best thing about squat and press-up plyometric work is that they give your core stabilisers an effective workout too.
Technique: Start with your hands wide, body straight and abs tight, then lower your body until your nose touches the floor, before returning to the start position. Repeat until you hit fatigue, ensuring that you don't ever arch your back, skimp on the range of movement or speed up.
Crank it up: Make things harder by using slow reps, static hold and pulses at the lowest point of the movement, and hit those triceps harder by keeping palms parallel and very close together.Maximise intensity by incorporating the plyometric press-up (pushing up quickly and with enough force to raise your hands several centimetres off the ground, with the body completely suspended on the feet for a moment), or by channelling Rocky with the one-arm version, legs wide apart, with the non-active hand resting on the side of your waist/lower back. The best thing about squat and press-up plyometric work is that they give your core stabilisers an effective workout too.
Hardcore abs crunch
Works: abdominals; core stabiliser muscles; hip flexors
Technique: Lie on your back with your legs extended at right angles to your torso. Touching your temples, keep your elbows extended at right angles to your body, your abs tight and your face parallel with the ceiling as you raise your head, shoulders and upper torso from the floor, contracting your stomach (rather than leading with the head and shoulders), before returning to the start position.
Crank it up: Alternate full reps with pulses at the top of the movement, or by extending arms behind your head as you perform the crunch. A super-intense adaptation is to lift into the crunch, then, before lowering back to the start position, lower one or both legs until they almost touch the floor, before lifting them back to the 90-degree position again. Repeat to fatigue, breathing out as you execute the hardest part of the movement.
Technique: Lie on your back with your legs extended at right angles to your torso. Touching your temples, keep your elbows extended at right angles to your body, your abs tight and your face parallel with the ceiling as you raise your head, shoulders and upper torso from the floor, contracting your stomach (rather than leading with the head and shoulders), before returning to the start position.
Crank it up: Alternate full reps with pulses at the top of the movement, or by extending arms behind your head as you perform the crunch. A super-intense adaptation is to lift into the crunch, then, before lowering back to the start position, lower one or both legs until they almost touch the floor, before lifting them back to the 90-degree position again. Repeat to fatigue, breathing out as you execute the hardest part of the movement.
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