Sometimes your upgrade is from no exercise to BodyWeight Exercise. READ ON
The Bodyweight Revolution By PCC Founder, Paul "Coach" Wade
If you have been keeping track of the fitness world over the last five years, you have definitely heard the term bodyweight revolution used by writers and teachers.
Lots of folks have used this term, but few—if any—have defined it.
To me, if there is a common theme behind the modern bodyweight strength revolution, it’s this:
Cutting edge athletes and coaches are starting to break down the distinction between bodyweight training and externally-weighted methods for adding strength and muscle mass.
If you have been keeping track of the fitness world over the last five years, you have definitely heard the term bodyweight revolution used by writers and teachers.
Lots of folks have used this term, but few—if any—have defined it.
To me, if there is a common theme behind the modern bodyweight strength revolution, it’s this:
Cutting edge athletes and coaches are starting to break down the distinction between bodyweight training and externally-weighted methods for adding strength and muscle mass.
What does that mean?
Well, up till fairly recently, the fitness “status quo” treated bodyweight training and, say, weight-training very differently. Weight-training was done to get ya big and strong as possible. To achieve this, you were supposed to follow three basic rules:
1. Train hard for strength and mass. (A given. No pain, no gain, bitches!)
2. Be progressive. (The goal is always: add weight to the bar!)
3. Focus on load, not reps. (Folks will ask: how much can you bench? Not: how many reps?)
Fairly simple, huh?
And it worked, too. For the last fifty or so years, barbells and dumbbells have been the “go-to” method for bodybuilders and strength trainers alike. Some coaches and exercise ideologists have gotten so wrapped up in the romance of the iron, that they have told us that these tools are the only way to maximize muscle and power. (This is horseshit, but you know that already, right?)
Compare this model with bodyweight training. Over the last forty-plus years, personal trainers, writers and fitness coaches have been force-feeding the world with a philosophy of bodyweight training which is built on the following three principles:
1. Train moderately for skill or conditioning. (e.g., soccer drills, circuit training)
2. You can’t be progressive with load. (Sure, you can add weight to pullups, but then you are weight-training, right?)
3. Build to high reps. (How many pushups can you do?)
Notice something? The bodyweight training principles are pretty much the diametric opposite of the weight-training principles! Why? Because it was figured that there was no point in treating calisthenics like a PROPER strength and muscle discipline, coz there was no way to make the load progressive. For this reason, bodyweight training ceased to be viewed as a power and strength method. It became relegated to a “fitness” method, or for a warm-up, prior to the weights. Worse still, it was viewed as a means for “light toning”. (Puke now, ye who have the buckets readied.)
Recent conditioning icons have shattered... read the complete PCC blog post here: http://pccblog.dragondoor.com/the-bodyweight-revolution
Well, up till fairly recently, the fitness “status quo” treated bodyweight training and, say, weight-training very differently. Weight-training was done to get ya big and strong as possible. To achieve this, you were supposed to follow three basic rules:
1. Train hard for strength and mass. (A given. No pain, no gain, bitches!)
2. Be progressive. (The goal is always: add weight to the bar!)
3. Focus on load, not reps. (Folks will ask: how much can you bench? Not: how many reps?)
Fairly simple, huh?
And it worked, too. For the last fifty or so years, barbells and dumbbells have been the “go-to” method for bodybuilders and strength trainers alike. Some coaches and exercise ideologists have gotten so wrapped up in the romance of the iron, that they have told us that these tools are the only way to maximize muscle and power. (This is horseshit, but you know that already, right?)
Compare this model with bodyweight training. Over the last forty-plus years, personal trainers, writers and fitness coaches have been force-feeding the world with a philosophy of bodyweight training which is built on the following three principles:
1. Train moderately for skill or conditioning. (e.g., soccer drills, circuit training)
2. You can’t be progressive with load. (Sure, you can add weight to pullups, but then you are weight-training, right?)
3. Build to high reps. (How many pushups can you do?)
Notice something? The bodyweight training principles are pretty much the diametric opposite of the weight-training principles! Why? Because it was figured that there was no point in treating calisthenics like a PROPER strength and muscle discipline, coz there was no way to make the load progressive. For this reason, bodyweight training ceased to be viewed as a power and strength method. It became relegated to a “fitness” method, or for a warm-up, prior to the weights. Worse still, it was viewed as a means for “light toning”. (Puke now, ye who have the buckets readied.)
Recent conditioning icons have shattered... read the complete PCC blog post here: http://pccblog.dragondoor.com/the-bodyweight-revolution
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