A Few 6 Minute Body Weight Workouts For The Weekend
Even if you’re going to be away from your workout equipment with limited time this weekend (hopefully because you’re out having a nice weekend), you can still get in a quick body weight workout. Here are a few quick and easy body weight workouts you can do, interval training style, to quickly get in some exercise:
[With this picture, you can now be confident that you have the proper form when doing "fence pull ups"!]
Beginner Body Weight 6 Minute Training:
Push Ups / Planks / Body Weight Squats
If you’re not able to do full push up and body weight squats yet, you can do kneeling push ups and squats without going all the way down. Anyway, here’s the workout:
Three Sets of (no breaks in between the 3 exercises, one minute in between each set):
5-40 Push Ups(depending on level)
15 second – 2 and a half minute plank (depending on level)
5-30 body weight squats (depending on level)
Intermediate Body Weight 6 Minute Training:
Push Ups/Planks/Pull Ups
Three sets of (no breaks in between the exercises, one minute in between each set):
5-40 Push Ups (depending on level)
15 second – 2 and a half minute plank (depending on level)
1-15 Pull Ups (depending on level)
Advanced Body Weight 6 Minute Training:
Pull Ups/Chin Ups/Muscle Ups/Parallel Bar Dips (You’ll need a playground…or a tree)
3 sets of (no breaks between the exercises, 1 minute in between each set):
1-20 Dips (depending on your level)
1-15 Pull Ups (depending on your level)
1-15 Chin Ups (depending on your level)
1-5 Muscle Ups (depending on your level)
Make Your Own Interval Body Weight Training Workout
Once you get the hang of it and get to know your body better, you can fool around with different exercises and make your own quick, interval training style workout to challenge different muscle groups. Remember, there is no “best” workout and the sky is the limit in using creativity to make them!
What do you think about quick body weight workouts? Leave a comment and let me know. And have a great weekend!
August 28th, 2009 at 10:28 pm
Good list. I’ll slip in a few pull-ups and the like sometimes when I take my kids to the playground. But I still can’t master the monkey-bars like I could when I was a kid. Weight to strength ratio still isn’t good enough I guess. It’s actually amazing just how strong kids are for their body weight!
August 29th, 2009 at 9:41 am
Rafi, can you suggest a way that I can do pull-ups at home, without buying a pull-up bar? I don’t want to drill holes in my door frame. I read that you can do a overhand grip pull-up by grabbing onto the top of an open door… uh, but even though I’m not particularly heavy, I don’t think the doors in my house can support my weight. I’ve wracked my brain for other ways, but have come up empty. Thanks!
August 29th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
I do bodyweight circuit training, 40s on a exercise bike, 20 pushups,20 crunches,20 bicep curl,20 lateral raises, a back exercise that is inferior to pullups but can be done at home without a pull up bar. I do that circuit about 10 times every day. What would be the benefit of dropping crunches for planks as is often recommended? Crunches seem to work well and they are very easy to perform.
August 29th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Can I just correct a mistake I meant hyperextensions instead of lateral raises
August 30th, 2009 at 2:33 am
Greg – Just keep on training. Kids are strong because they are active and don’t make a big deal out of activity. Adults that are active are stronger.
Palidor – It depends how strong you are, but you can do pull ups literally anywhere as long as it’s not dangerous. (When I was a kid, I used to do “fingertip” pull ups on the banister of my home. I figured that was a great way to train because I had a great incentive to do well…not falling. I kept this up until one day my mom walked in and saw me hanging there and needless to say I never did it again lol.)
You can literally do them anywhere. On a wooden beam, on a tree outside, on a tall fence, and in the worst case at the playground. At the playground you’ll probably get a lot of looks though because a girl doing pull ups is really impressive.
Henry – Doing that circuit ten times a day is pretty amazing. I better heal up my injury already or you’re going to be the one writing this blog! I just want to say that while I personally have never added hyperextensions to my workouts, they’re not inferior to pull ups. They just work the lower back instead of the upper back.
As for planks versus crunches. I think planks are better than crunches because 1) They’re harder, 2) They’re better for your back and 3) For toning up the abs isometric exercises seem to be better and when I started doing them I immediately started noticing more definition in my abs. Still, since you’re getting ready for the army it’s probably not a bad idea to keep doing crunches or sit ups, while adding planks into your routine.
Also, since it seems like you’re starting to get pretty strong, here’s an amazing exercise you should try out for your core and legs. Hold by a pull up bar (or parallel bars) and lift your legs straight out, knees totally straight at a 90 degree angle and hold it for as long as you can. Just keep doing repetitions of those and your core and legs will get REALLY strong (like S.A.S. strong).
Great comments!
-Rafi
August 30th, 2009 at 8:39 am
Thanks, Rafi! The playground is a great idea! But I’m gonna find a way to practice at home first, maybe from a wooden beam in my basement. LOL, I’d rather get stared for being impressive, than stared at for embarrassing myself.
August 30th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
Ha, I’m sure you wouldn’t embarrass yourself. Anyway, the wooden beam is a really good idea but just be careful that it’s not too high…and it might be a good idea to wear gloves so you don’t get splinters!
-Rafi
August 30th, 2009 at 11:24 pm
Nice post.
In response to Palidor, you can do pull ups on an open door. Simply put a wedge uner the “open” end, grip the top and away you go. Otherwise you can wrap a towel aound the door handle stair bannister for towel bodyweight rows.
As for the Planks vs Crunches debate, planks all the way! If you can’t hold a plank for 2 minutes, don’t even think of crunching. The primary function of the core is stability, not mobility. Plus the fact that the majority of us sit in a “crunch” possition all day in the office/car/sofa.
Stick to Planks, ther are enough brutal variations to keep most busy. Crunches are less effective than other ab drills. The L-sit as was recommended is particularly brutal
Great Blog, can’t wait to read more
Regards
Dave
August 31st, 2009 at 4:53 am
Great post Rafi! I had absolutely no idea about bodyweight exercises and how good they are until I started reading various fitness blogs. I used to think people doing bodyweight exercises at home were lame and only exhausting cardio was exercise. (Yes poor deluded woman me!).
I have become a big fan now. Thanks for the readymade sets. I will start with the first one (from tomorrow though: I hate Mondays!).
August 31st, 2009 at 8:12 am
[...] Few 6 Minute Body Weight Workouts For The [...]
August 31st, 2009 at 12:58 pm
Dave – Yeah, the L-sit on the pull up bar is definitely a tough exercise. Anyway, thanks for the compliment and I hope to see you around here often!
Sangita – I’m glad you’ve turned into a body weight exercise fan now. Enjoy the workout.
-Rafi
August 31st, 2009 at 2:15 pm
Rafi,
Thanks for clearing up the planks vs crunches debate. I’ve been doing both and can say for sure that the planks are murder compared to crunches.
August 31st, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Rob – I’m not against crunches. I just think that planks are better.
-Rafi
September 18th, 2009 at 6:43 pm
Hi Rafi,
I’m really getting into bodyweight exercises, they’re so minimalistic and can be done anywhere, anytime. My only issue is, what about leg workouts? Apart from pistol squats, what other leg exercises can one do with just their bodyweight? Or is there no alternative to iron when it comes to good leg exercises?
Elliot
September 20th, 2009 at 4:54 pm
There are isometric leg exercises that I do for physical therapy, and you can do exercises like sitting on the wall and squats. For your inner thighs you can also sort of lean on the wall and squeeze a ball in between your legs. That being said you probably do get better strength gains if you use weight.
Make sure to check out the new site http://www.passionatefitness.com and become a member there (it’s free)!