PULL YOUR OWN WEIGHT
I often speak with high school Athletic Directors, Coaches, youth sport organization presidents and representatives pertaining to workouts their athletes may want to consider. The obstacle many of them think they have is lack of facilities and equipment. Workouts, resistance training and energy system development, do not need the assistance of free-weights and cardiovascular machines, only creative minds and the know how to keep it safe and exciting.
I am not a big fan of kids using resistance stack machines. Although, depending on biological development, free-weights can be helpful and allow for greater variety, however they are not necessary for athletes of all ages and abilities to receive the benefits of a demanding workout. Understanding the basic movements our bodies produce everyday, the major pillars of movement as JC Santana terms it, push/pull, hip level change, rotation, and locomotive, enables one to use their own body weight resistance to produce an exhausting workout.
Let’s take these four pillars and put them to the test. Using body weight only and challenging work-to-rest intervals one can feel how difficult it can be to move ones own body weight.
Here are some basic movements for each pillar.
Push – Push-ups
Always start in the traditional push-up position; if you need to go to a modified position (hands on an elevated surface) do so when you cannot complete a full range of motion push-up.
Pull – “W”
Lie on your stomach, extend your arms out to the left and right, bend your elbows to make a 90° angle, thus making a “W” if you think of your head as the center. While keeping your arms in this position, move your arms up and down, as if conducting a flying motion. Keep you toes on the ground.
Hip Level Change – Squats
Set your feet hip-width apart. Keep your weight on the outside of your feet, thus your in-steps are off the ground. Shift your hips back. Keep your eyes up and descend to a squat position as if trying to sit in a chair. Lastly, stand-up with your body weight pressure in your heels, and repeat.
Rotations – Russian Twist
While seated on the ground, knees bend, feet off the ground, place hands together touching the ground next to your right hip. Rotate the trunk bringing your hands to the ground next to your left hip, and repeat for duration of work interval.
