The top 5 body weight exercises you should always be doing

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The top 5 body weight exercises you should always be doing

Body weight training is simply that, where you use your body to lift. Body weight exercises have a number of advantages – they are all compound exercises (which means you work a hell of a lot of muscles at the same time), are free, you can do them anywhere (no need to belong to a gym) and they are so effective in improving movement and strength. You can also modify the moves depending on your level of strength. Here are my personal and practical top 5 body weight exercises that you should always be using in your training:

1. Squats

Squats aren’t called the king of exercises for nothing. It is simply the best exercise for your legs and butt (I would classify lunges as the second best exercise). Most leg exercises only target one or two muscles but the squats targets all your legs and butt – it gives you great bang for your buck.

2. Pushups

There is a reason that pushups have been around since Adam was a boy – they work. The pushup is probably the top move to build strength for your upper body. Also the perfect pushup forces you to have a really strong core – a great compound move – add this to your list.

3. Burpees

I admit I find burpees damn hard but that is the point right? Burpees are a full body strength training exercise and the ultimate example of functional fitness. With every burpee, you’ll work your arms, chest, quads, glutes, hamstrings, and abs. After a few sets of burpees, your legs should feel it too. Not only that, they burn a hell of a lot of calories, make you super strong, are great for conditioning and endurance.

4. Planks and hovers

Doing crunches is fine but to really target those deep abdominal muscles behind your six pack, start doing planks and hovers. Not only are they are a lot tougher (so you get the results faster), but they also target your arms, shoulders, legs, they improve your sense of balance.

5. Pull ups

This is probably my most hated exercises but along with the pushup, it is one of the best ways to measure your strength. It really targets the lats, biceps and back, gets your heart pumping and will give you remarkable results.