Get stronger, more powerful and more athletic with these 5 self-weight exercises!

Do not neglect exercises with your own weight. Moreover, if you are over 100 kilos, your own weight can be quite a load. Improving in relative strength and ability with your own weight will not only make you stronger, but also more powerful and better athletically equipped.

Try these five heavy exercises with your own weight that, except for the first one, can be practiced at home with a little variation.

1. Circle push-ups

Ten push-ups on the rings is not the same task as ten on the bars, especially if you have some weight. The instability of the circles engages the middle of the body much more and essentially eliminates the need to load something onto your belt.

I like this exercise mainly because of the principle of irradiation - the need for contraction in the muscles around the one you're exercising increases the demands on strength and stability.

The instability of the rings will force you to work much harder to stabilize your shoulder joints. This means that your triceps will have to help your pectorals, upper back and traps with their involvement, which is a saving grace for sore shoulders.

Plus, with the rings, you can adjust how much you want your hands and arms to be internally or externally rotated. If you're a real star, try rotating your palms forward on each repetition.

2. Modified L seat

L sed is a true testament to the power of the center of the body. Unfortunately, most of those who master this gymnastic element are competitive gymnasts.

Remember that the best performances in any sport will usually be given by people who have the best physical aptitude for that sport.

The best gymnast is a short person with a long torso and short legs. However, if we want to perform the same exercises with someone who is taller, has longer legs and lots of muscle, we will have to get a little creative.

If your long legs don't allow for physics to be on your side during the L-sit, these two variations will help you get started.

The first one, in the video above, is easy. Stretch a rubber band between the two stops of the squat rack, place your heels on the rubber bands, and lift up. Keep your legs extended and toes extended. Don't put all the weight of your feet on the rubber. Try to raise your heels as much as possible to help you lift as if you were not standing on the rubber support.

It is good to start with a 20-30 second hold. Once it becomes easy, don't extend the interval, just take a thinner rubber.

The next progressive step is to wrap the rubber around you and hook it by the tips.

It's going to be harder because you won't have anything to rest your heels on. Your legs will have to lift your hips, your quadriceps and your mid-body.

You'll notice I'm not wearing shoes. The rubber doesn't slip as much, but more importantly, it forces me to push through my toes, which is essential to doing a proper L sit. Plus, it's a good habit to get into if you want to learn to properly curl the entire posterior chain.

Although the loading angle is a little different with the rubber around the body, it still provides the support that will allow an L sit to be performed by a person who is 193 cm tall.

The goal is to use progressively weaker elastics until you can do it completely unassisted. Since this execution is harder, start with sets of 15-20 seconds.

3. Suicide push-up

I like this exercise better than the standing push-up. It requires a bit more musculature in the upper chest and gets the head below hand level, which is a nice depth for the push.

Compared to shoulder presses, it's much easier to slow down the eccentric part of the movement here. This will ensure healthy shoulders.

The goal is to assume the "crowbar" position and look directly at your feet at the bottom of the exercise. In a perfect world, you would be pushing towards your butt. The pressure will not be completely vertical, but at a slight angle to engage the shoulders and upper chest.

Controlled sets of 10-15 reps will be great for the development and health of your shoulders. As a bonus, you'll be super pumped.

4. Rocker

Now we're going to talk about your poor mobility. If you have a lot of mass and long limbs, the integrity of your joints may not be the same as someone smaller. However, never sacrifice your ability to achieve full range of motion, especially when it comes to your hips and shoulders.

The rocker exercise is a harsh reminder of hip and shoulder extension. I like to practice it during breaks in conditioning exercises because it keeps my mobility level and gives a good workout for my midsection and lower back. Try sets of 8-12 reps.

Assume a starting position with your toes pointing forward, and raise your hips until you reach a supinated position as if you were a table top. Aim for a 90-degree angle in both your knees and shoulders. If you are stiff, it will be difficult.

Contract your buttocks, try to get your chest as high as possible and pull your shoulders back. Hold this position for one second and slowly "rock" your arms until you bend your knees like in the video.

Note: I have pretty long arms compared to my torso, so my butt doesn't hit the floor. If you have shorter arms, put small bolsters or discs under your arms.

5. Squat knees

The ankles and knees are the places where chronic pain and dysfunction most often occur. Weak dorsiflexion will earn you shallow and improperly executed squats, which will ultimately affect the health of your knees.

I like this transition from kneeling to squatting because it forces me into a strong dorsal flexion that trains my knees to move in front of my toes without external load (trust me, you won't need the load) and builds ankle mobility and knee strength. The feet are also exposed to a strong plantar flexion that strengthens all their internal muscles.

If you're worried that it's going to hurt because you rarely squat under the parallel bars, I have a solution for you. Just shorten your range of motion. In the video, I'm kneeling on one mat. You put three or four on top of each other so you're in a shallower position on contact. As you get better, gradually remove the mats. Practice sets of 15 reps.

What I love about this exercise is the constant tension. Even in the kneeling position, you have to be clenching to be able to lift. You're also in a squat position the whole time. You don't stand up fully until the set is over. It's a very good exercise for the quadriceps and will give you stronger and healthier knees.

Source: www.t-nation.com - 5 Bodyweight Challenges for Big Guys
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