4 Benefits of Bodyweight Training


Due to the current climate, bodyweight training is becoming very popular across the country. You don’t have to go to the gym or own any fancy equipment to get started with bodyweight training. This unique workout regime relies completely on using your own body as a source or resistance. Bodyweight training works on its own or as a great supplement to traditional workout methods. Here are the top four benefits of bodyweight training if you are on the precipice of giving it a try.

Increased Variety and Control

Over time a lot of cardio and strength training routines can start to feel boring and monotonous. Cycling through the same machines at the gym or running on a treadmill is hardly exciting, and if you aren’t a large exercise fan it can be hard to get motivated. When bodyweight training all of the control is in your hands. You can change your routine every day or alternate more challenging sets as you see fit. You can switch the order of everything you do to keep things fun and light.

Low Investment but High Output

Not only does bodyweight training require very low monetary investment, but it also doesn’t require a huge time commitment. For starters, since you can do bodyweight training at home you don’t have to worry at all about commute time. Most full-body routines also don’t take hours out of your day. A short set of exercises that are targeted to hit muscles all over your body is all it takes to build muscle in a sustainable and effective way. The anytime-anywhere nature of bodyweight training makes it easy to stick to a regular training schedule with measurable results.

Increased Flexibility and Balance

Since bodyweight training relies completely on your body, you naturally increase your sense of balance and overall flexibility as you progress. Each bodyweight session should engage all of our core muscles and help build limb strength. The end result is a stronger and leaner body that is able to balance and stretch much more than before. You should continue to notice the benefits the longer you practice bodyweight training, and may be interested in some classes that integrate dance and yoga into training to help perfect posture and proper alignment.

A Lean Body

Not everyone wants to bulk up, which makes strength training less desirable. On the other hand, long cardio sessions don’t often lead to weight loss. For those in the middle, bodyweight training is the perfect middle ground because it produces a strong, lean body. It is an excellent way to lose weight and strengthen your muscles without becoming a CrossFit model. There are very few exercise methods that result in weight loss as effectively as the bodyweight training model.

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Fitness under Current Circumstances

Fitness under Current Circumstances…

During a time like this perspective is everything. We are all suffering from this pandemic in one way or another and for most it is too close to home. For those who are quarantined and are not ill, making the most of the time should not be overlooked.

Intoxx Fitness encourages you to do the little things. Simply staying active is enough to maintain your current health at this time. Some examples of fitness related would be a brisk walk around your neighborhood for a minimum of 30 minutes or a basic routine consisting of calisthenics and body weight exercises like push ups, pull-ups, air squats and walking lunges. Other examples non fitness related would be home projects. Spring is upon us and cleaning out closets, attics and garages is something productive that will occupy your time for awhile. Remember how many times we all said to ourselves…” If only I had some free time to get organized.” Well here you go. Last but not least is Family activities which can be board games, puzzles or dancing. Are you seeing the point yet? Just stay busy.

Another aspect to be aware of is Food. Pandemic or not, the rules for nutrition remain the same unfortunately. So let’s keep it simple with these ti

ps. Balance and portion control are going to be your focus now. With food choices limited and lack of activity, overall calorie consumption matters. If you decide to indulge pick and choose your battles and try to at least get in a workout on that day.

Again we understand this is a difficult time but stress will only compound it. We are at a time where we are being challenged and face adversity like never before. Staying busy will relieve some of that nervous energy that will be there during this time.
We look forward to opening our doors again and getting back to normal but until then…
Stay Calm. Stay Vigilant. Stay Positive.

Michael Giliotti
IFBB PRO
NASM MASTER TRAINER CPT,PES,CES,FNS

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6 Signs You’re Overtraining – And How to Avoid It

Many athletes worry about overtraining. Overtraining can make it harder to achieve your fitness goals, as you’ll find yourself at a standstill while you recover. It can take up to two or three months to fully recover.

Fortunately, overtraining isn’t as common as you may think and can be prevented with adequate rest and recovery periods between workouts.

What Are the Signs of Overtraining?

Overtraining is more than just muscle soreness or pain during or after your workouts. In fact, true overtraining looks more like chronic fatigue than physical strain.

Some of the signs of overtraining include:

• Exhaustion and fatigue
• Depression or moodiness
• Loss of appetite
• High perceived exertion and diminished performance
• Erratic resting heart rate
• Insomnia
Are you surprised that many of these signs have more to do with your emotional state than your muscles? Overtraining manifests as overall fatigue and ill health. When it happens, only a prolonged rest period, a healthy diet, and taking care of yourself can help you get back on track.

It’s far easier to avoid overtraining than to recover after you’ve overtrained.

How to Avoid Overtraining

The best way to avoid overtraining is to be aware of the intensity of your workouts and, more importantly, how you feel before you start.

You can measure your “rate of perceived exertion,” or RPE, during your workout. If your workout feels as if it’s a “10” but you’re lifting less weight or doing fewer reps than usual, you could be close to overtraining.

RPE 10: Maximum effort to failure (you cannot do another rep)
RPE 9: Heavy lift, but could do one more rep
RPE 8: Heavy lift, could do two more reps
RPE 7: Moderate weight, can continue with reps

You can also perform a measured vertical jump before and after your workout. If you can’t jump as high as usual before the workout, it may be smart to rest for the day.

You can also use a hand dynamometer to measure your grip strength. If you’re exerting a lot of effort but not up to your usual strength, it’s probably time to take a break.

Benchmark So You Can Measure Your Progress

Of course, all these methods require having benchmarks; choose one method and use it regularly so you’ll know what’s normal for you. You should be getting stronger with continued weight training efforts. If you discover progress has slowed or stopped – or that you’re not as strong as you were last week – consider resting to regain your strength.

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