{"id":2704,"date":"2017-10-02T12:06:36","date_gmt":"2017-10-02T19:06:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bornfitness.com\/?p=2704"},"modified":"2017-11-07T13:36:42","modified_gmt":"2017-11-07T20:36:42","slug":"bodyweight-workouts-for-fat-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bornfitness.com\/bodyweight-workouts-for-fat-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"Bodyweight Workouts For Fat Loss: Do They Work?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every month I write a column for\u00a0Muscle & Fitness\u00a0magazine called \u201cBorn Fit.\u201d In it, I answer real questions asked by real people on Twitter. These are my unedited answers to those questions. If you want to potentially be featured in the magazine tweet at me and ask a question using the\u00a0hashtag #BornFit and #AskBorn. -AB\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Can I Become Shredded With Bodyweight Exercises?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

You know what\u2019s funny? Even in 2014 the fitness world is still highly influenced by infomercials. Back in the day it was Jack LaLanne and Body By Jake, then the BowFlex and 8-Minute Abs<\/em>, and today it\u2019s P90X and Insanity. Each of these approaches had elements of success\u2014but they all spawned massive trends in the fitness industry. And right now it\u2019s fast-paced, high intensity workouts that usually require bodyweight exercises.<\/p>\n

So do the programs work? Yes\u2014but much like learning how to successfully fold a fitted sheet\u2014the devil is in the details.<\/p>\n

By now, most of you know that high intensity interval training (the ever popular \u201cHIIT\u201d) is great for fat loss. But there are some rules for really making it work. You\u2019ll read all about effective forms of HIIT lasting as short as 4 minutes (the Tabata method) and topping out around 15 minutes. The reasons being the workouts are effective because of the intensity<\/em> and not the duration.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where the limitation of bodyweight comes in: if you\u2019re going to do HIIT bodyweight workouts, you might need to train a bit longer or make sure you hit large muscle groups. The book on fat loss is pretty clear:<\/p>\n

Exercises using multiple large muscles + little rest between sets = aerobic and metabolic benefits.<\/p>\n

The greatest benefit of high intensity training is when you can add resistance and progressively make your workouts harder. While there are definitely bodyweight variations that are more difficult (or you can add weighted vests), bodyweight movements make it harder to progress and maintain a level of max intensity during intervals.<\/p>\n

Put in other terms: Imagine doing 70- or 80-percent of your 1-rep max on back squats for 20 seconds compared to doing bodyweight squats for the same time period. I think you know what will crush more fat cells.<\/p>\n

What does it all mean? Bodyweight workouts can help you get shredded, but you\u2019ll want to keep 2 things in mind:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. If you\u2019re just doing bodyweight, you\u2019ll want to make your workouts a little bit longer to make sure you create enough overload and metabolic stress.<\/li>\n
  2. Focus on big muscle movements like squats, pullups, pushups, and inverted rows. Don\u2019t select movements like planks and side planks if you really want to see big results. Sure they\u2019ll work your abs, but they won\u2019t burn that many calories, which is the real reason why high intensity workouts are so effective.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    But wait! There\u2019s more\u2026I don\u2019t care what workout you do, if your diet isn\u2019t in order, even the best workout in the world won\u2019t uncover your abs. You might not hear it mentioned on TV, but that\u2019s as good of guarantee as you\u2019ll ever find.<\/p>\n

    Beyond Bodyweight…<\/h2>\n

    Tired of bad and misleading health information? You\u2019re not alone.\u00a0Now you can learn:<\/p>\n