First Cut Fitness

A few weeks ago, I made mention of the Rack workout bar I noticed on an infomercial. The verdict was that although this is a great piece of equipment, it is still grossly overpriced, and not absolutely necessary.

Just recently, I caught wind of this great product sold at Wal*Mart of all places. It is a standalone power tower that pretty much allows you to do all of the most effective upper body exercises, such as pull ups, dips, push ups, v-sits, , levers, planches, and it looks even sturdy enough for muscle ups as well.

If you have space in your room, garage, or even backyard (not sure about how rustproof it is), I would definitely recommend grabbing one of these for the bargain basement price of just $117! I just might order one myself.

 

 

 

So, I was up late the other night, and noticed an infomercial for the latest piece of home exercise equipment called The Rack. In all honesty, it really isn't all that special - basically a run of the mill foldable dip rack - something that's been in existence for awhile now.

For upper body development, the dip is without a doubt one of the best exercises you can perform, with a myriad of variations for adding resistance, from altering the time period of each rep, to changing the angle, to even adding some external weight.

What makes this ad interesting is the giant $14.99 plastered all over, leading people to think that this is the final price. However, if you click on the links on the site, you will soon realize that this is merely for a one month trial, and the actual sticker price is $160! Granted, this is certainly not mindblowingly exorbitant, but why even bother when the local park has this very same set up... for FREE?! Better yet, you can just set up a couple of chairs at home, and do the same exact workout!

To this day, the only piece of infomercial exercise equipment that is worth the money is the Iron Gym pull up bar, one of my favorites, and something I use on almost a daily basis. You can easily find it at many retailers for as little as $20, and is definitely a wiser investment than The Rack.

P.S. Do you seriously think these fitness models in the commercials really got this ripped solely from using said product?

 

I usually reserve this space to generate my own content, but today I came across a simple, yet to the point article that really hammers home the benefits of calisthenics. There is a reason why the movement for bodyweight training has blown up recently, and will only continue to do so in the near future and beyond.

Top 6 Reasons Why Bodyweight Calisthenics Are Important

by Coach Eddie Lomax

When I look at many popular physical fitness training programs I am often shocked at the overwhelming absence of bodyweight calisthenics exercises.

Do you really need a costly gym membership and access to all the shiny machines or expensive equipment and magic powders to improve strength, conditioning and fitness?

Absolutely not!

Bodyweight calisthenics exercise is one of the most versatile, effective and beneficial training methods available to both the serious athlete and non-professional fitness enthusiast.

1. Bodyweight Calisthenics Can Be Done Anywhere

You don't need expensive gym memberships or costly equipment to benefit from bodyweight calisthenics... you have everything you need right here and now.

Indoors or out... there are a multitude of bodyweight calisthenics exercises that you can perform to greatly improve strength, conditioning and fitness. 

2. Bodyweight Calisthenics Are The Perfect Place To Start

If you are just starting a physical fitness training program... bodyweight calisthenics are the perfect place to start.

Bodyweight calisthenics will prepare you with a physical base from which to effectively and safely add more advanced resistance training.

Learn how to control the weight of your own body first before exploring other training methods.

3. Bodyweight Calisthenics Can Be Adapted For Any Fitness Level

There are many variations to bodyweight calisthenics exercises... giving you the ability to make them easier or harder.

This is why they are great for beginners as well as seasoned fitness enthusiasts.

4. Bodyweight Calisthenics Train Natural Body Movements

Often, resistance training methods do not directly improve movement patterns that are naturally used in everyday life... but this is not the case with bodyweight calisthenics.

Fitness excellence is often measured by your ability to control the movements of your own body... and not your ability to control the movement of an object.

Train the way you naturally move to see more physical improvements applicable in the real world.

5. Bodyweight Calisthenics Can Improve Muscular Strength, Power And Endurance

Depending on the exercises used, the reps and sets and the intensity... you can effectively target strength, power and endurance separately or collectively.

Vary rarely are the challenges of sport, work and life one dimensional... but rather a combination of strength, power and endurance weaved together.

Bodyweight calisthenics are a great way to train all three and the seamless flow from one ability to another.

6. Bodyweight Calisthenics Can Simultaneously Improve Strength And Cardiorespiratory Endurance While Burning Fat

When most of us participate in a fitness training program we want to improve strength and cardiorespiratory endurance... and simultaneously burning off unwanted fat.

Bodyweight calisthenics can do all three... in the same workout.

By varying the exercises, stresses and intensities of your workouts you can effectively and efficiently get stronger, better conditioned and leaner.

Conclusion...

Don't let the simplicity of bodyweight calisthenics fool you... they are one of the best tools you have for the improvement of strength, conditioning and fitness.

And just because they look simple does not mean they are easy or ineffective... just try a one-armed push up, one-armed pull up of one-legged squat if you don't believe me.

Bodyweight calisthenics exercise should be the foundation for any physical training program... It is the perfect place to start, and should remain an important part of your fitness workout program as you add more training methods.

People often ask me what the true definition of "calisthenics" is. In the simplest terms, it basically constitutes performing strength building exercises using nothing more than what good old mother nature gave you. This means not doing any type of "weight training" in the typical sense.

Now, this does not mean that I am anti-weightlifting, not in the slightest. I actually have a background of going to the gym for 10+ years before ever getting into this whole calisthenics movement, so I definitely endorse the merits of both. As a matter of fact, for many, it would be most beneficial to dabble in a mixture of the two. However, for the most part, I currently pretty much do nothing but calisthenics, and also endorse that to my friends and clients.

Here comes the tricky part. Every once in awhile, someone will "catch" me with some sort of weight in my hand, be it a sandbag, dumbbell, etc., and ask me if I'm cheating on my own principles. Well, not necessarily. There indeed is a fine line, and some people may have differing definitions, but here is my take on it. By adding weight to an exercise that I already perform consistently without weights, it is merely making it more challenging through increased resistance. For example, slapping on a backpack full of rocks when doing pull ups, doing dips with a weight belt, running with a weight vest, or practicing punching drills with light dumbbells are all effective methods of taking your skills to the next level.

In a nutshell, I am still lifting my body as the main source of resistance, and not solely relying on external weights to provide it. The idea is that you do these same exercises regardless of whether you have the weights or not. The weights are only to compliment the movement to make it more difficult.

Here is a great article about adding weights to simple calisthenics.

Well, it's about that time of year when the kids are all back in school! What does that mean for us exercise enthusiasts? The parks and playgrounds are all free! Join me as I partake in a quick workout at the local park, one of many more to come as I kick off the new season!

Now that I've reposted all of my old blog entries, I thought I'd acquaint you (or reacquaint if you have been following me for awhile) to some of my YouTube videos over the years. As my philosophy states, there is nothing but pure calisthenics here. All you need to train your body to maximum fitness and strength... is the body itself. Check out the videos below to see how! Of course, always be safe, and don't try anything beyond your ability level.

Many more are in the pipeline, so keep posted! In the meantime, please enjoy these I have arranged for you. Also, don't forget to subscribe on YouTube if you haven't done so already! Have a nice workout!

The Local Bar is My Gym - All you need is a pull up bar for the best upper body workout you can ask for.

Office Workout - No time for the gym after work? Why... you're already there!

"Thug Workout" at the Local Park - A thug in name only! Based on the popular street style workouts, this is one of my earlier works.

"Thug Workout" Redux - At long last, an amendment to my popular first edition.

Push Up Variations - Tired of the same old, boring push up routine? Try some of these to switch things up!

Stay tuned for more on my YouTube!