Bodyweight circuits, are weight free workout routines that provide an excellent way to burn fat One of the important characteristics is to use exercises that activate large and multiple muscle group. The quad-glute combination constitutes the largest group of muscles in your body. The beauty of bodyweight exercise is that we seek to work muscle groups in combination for both functional strength ad increased heart rate for maximum fat loss. The exercises that follows are excellent leg exercises choices for your weight free workout routines.
Bodyweight Squat
This exercise is the lower body push up. It activates almost every muscle between your waist and your toes;
1. Stand up as straight as possible with your feet approximately shoulder width apart.
2. While keeping your back straight, lower your torso as low as is comfortable then raise your body back up until you are back at the standing position.
3. If you have knee problems, you should take care that you don't go down too far. A good guideline for those with knee difficulties is not to let your knees extend beyond your toes.
Split
1. Start standing up straight. Step forward as if you are doing a forward lunge.
2. From the lunge position, jump up high enough to switch the positions with your feet such that when you land, you are in the lunge position again with the opposite forward.
3. Repeat until you reach the desired number of repetitions.
4. Just as with the squat, if you have knee difficulty, gradually work into this exercise, testing how low you can squat, and your knees are comfortable with the impact.
Bodyweight Jump Squat
This is an excellent plyometric exercise. It is great, sport specific exercise in sports that demand a vertical leap like basketball, or in my case, as a soccer strength coach.
1. Lower your torso as low as is comfortable with your hands down at your sides.
2. As soon as you reach the bottom,explode into the air as high as you can, reaching for the sky.
3. When you land, return to the starting position.
Wall Squat
1. Stand with your back against against a wall with your feet approximately shoulder width apart.
2. With your back against the wall, lower your body by bending your knees until your legs are approximately at a 90 degree angle.
3. Hold the 90 degree position for the specified time, usually 30-60 seconds.
Now that we have the exercises down, we are ready to use them in a bodyweight circuit. Not only will you gain leg strength, the large muscle groups used in these exercises will send your heart rate through the roof, speeding up your fat burning engine.
Jumping Jacks 60
Bodyweight Squat 20
Hindu Push ups 15
Wall Squat 30 sec
Spiderman push ups 15
Bodyweight Jump Squat 20
Pull ups 5-10
Split Squat Jump 10 per leg
Clint Grimes, is a retired US Navy commander. He is certified by the California Interscholastic Federation and is currently the strength and conditioning coach for the boys soccer teams at El Toro High School in Lake Forest, CA.
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