In the constant pursuit of modern society for evolution and innovation, we sometimes forget the brilliance of simplicity! One of my biggest desires with this website is precisely a return to the basics and a demonstration of how fun and straightforward, yet meaningful and rewarding, training can be.
The crucial factor that will determine your long-term success in fitness, as well as in many other areas of life, is consistency! In this regard, it is much better to focus on perfecting few movements and exercises rather than being decent or just okay in a multitude of them. Repetition after repetition always leads to the greatest benefits, although, of course, seasoned exercisers also benefit from ‘shocking’ their muscles with new movements (not as often as one might think), providing a welcomed change to the program they’ve been following for a long time if parts of it maybe got stale.
When it comes to the movements, or exercises themselves, we should shift our thinking towards primal, natural, and athletic movements that train multiple muscle groups at once, rather than just focusing on individual body parts. This way, we develop both the efficiency and functional strength our body needs for everyday use, which is always a significant plus. Similarly, when we focus on movements rather than specific muscle groups, we develop our entire neuro-muscular system (not just the muscles), leading to better body awareness and coordination.
One of the biggest myths in fitness is that it’s impossible to build serious strength and significant muscle mass with bodyweight training alone. The fact is that our body recognizes tension (load) and the time it spends under it during training! In line with that, our program must involve a unique combination of high-tension exercises and sufficient training volume, or the amount of work aka sets and repetitions performed, which is key to building strength and muscle mass. As with any other form of training, you must constantly ‘push’ yourself with challenging exercises to progress. To put it simply, higher intensity leads to greater results, so keep in mind that greater training density, or the amount of work you perform in a specific time period, leads to greater progress, i.e., a stronger and more developed body.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, and through these introductory posts, I want to introduce you not only to bodyweight training but also to fitness in general, hoping that you will decide more easily to engage with this part of your life and maybe do a few repetitions of something already today.
Original release date: May 10, 2018.