Your Body – The Real Weight Room!

I would say that your own body is the best weight-room or gym around. It amazes me that most people don’t get the concept of progression. Time and time again I see people that can bench-press a pretty good amount of weight but lack the ability to execute one correct form push-up. Their logic is backwards.

I would like to start by saying that if you are not capable of performing some basic body-weight exercises such as push-ups, squats, and planks then you have no business adding an additional load to the body like the act of lifting weights! You see these are all forms of resistance. Whether you are lifting your own body-weight or you are throwing weights around in the gym you are simply adding resistance to the muscle causing it to tense up. This tensing up or tension is what builds strength. You have to progress in order to gain optimal function and overall development of strength.

When you engage in such exercise that involve your own body-weight such as push-ups you will find that they can be pretty challenging. You can get a heck of a workout by participating in this age-old movement and others that are like it with just your own resistance. My opinion is that if you cannot execute these movements by using your own resistance effectively then you lack development in your stabilizing muscles and overall core strength.

Make sure that you understand how to progress in a fitness and exercise program before you start. Always have a plan before blindly throwing yourself into something hoping that it will all just automatically happen. Learn and practice these movements flawlessly and then move on to more difficult and challenging workouts.