This pushup variation is a bodyweight exercise like standard pushups, but adds focus on muscular strength and stability of the shoulder and obliques. To increase the challenge of this exercise you can use a Weight Vest
This exercise is more commonly found part of group exercise classes, but is just as effective on your own. It works the chest, arms, core, and legs effectively with only bodyweight. If an additional challenge is needed though, a Weight Vest is the best way.
From the standard plank or pushup rest position, there are a number of ways to train stability. All of these variations will increase stability in the shoulders and the core. Should the exercise require an additional challenge, a Weight Vest can be used for an additional challenge.
This video contains proper form for:
Shoulder Taps
Plank Walks
Sandbag Drags
Freaky Planks
Plyo pushups are the power version of pushups that emphasize explosive movement. This will improve the core stability to some degree, but mostly improve the muscular power of the chest and arms. It doesn’t require any extra equipment but if you want to use weight for an extra challenge, a Weight Vest is the best option. This is an effective way to create diversity in your pushup training.
Pushups are great exercise that work the shoulders, chest, and core in the style of stamina, strength, and stability. They are a common staple in fitness tests from grade school to special operations. For an additional challenge you can add a Weight Vest to this exercise.
This video contains proper form for:
Traditional Pushups
Knee Pushups
Wide Grip Pushups
Diamond Pushups
Dips are a bodyweight exercise that can be done on any two bars about shoulder width apart. This exercise increases the muscular strength and endurance of the shoulders and arms quite a bit with just bodyweight. If needing an extra challenge, a Weight Vest or attaching plates to a weight belt can increase the resistance.
Squat jumps are a good way to practice lower body power generation when lacking the equipment for box jumps or space for standing long jumps. When done with intent for max height, this exercise can be just as effective at improving muscular strength of the legs as other jumping exercises while minimizing requirements for exercising. If an added challenge is desired, use a Weight Vest vest to increase the force required for the jump.
Flutter kicks are a great training exercise for the muscular endurance of the abdominals and hip flexors. They primarily target the lower abdominals which means that they target the muscles that people care about aesthetically and are imperative for activities such as running, swimming, and stability during dynamic movements for other sports.
This video contains proper form for:
Flutter Kicks
Scissor Kicks
Mountain climbers are a dynamic core exercise that train muscular endurance and power with abdominal muscles. Also helps with developing stability strength with the abdominals and shoulders. This exercise should always be done in a fixed time interval. To increase the challenge, you can add a Weight Vest while training.
This exercise is the base plyometric exercise. It can be done with boxes in a gym, a solid bench, or even a short wall. The exercise increases the power generation capacity of the legs. Burpee box jumps can add variety to this as you’re training explosive power of both the upper and lower body in the same exercise. For an additional challenge, you can add a Weight Vest while training.
This video contains proper form for:
Box Jumps
Single Leg Box Jumps
Burpee Box Jumps
This plyometric exercise is all about training power of the legs and core. By absorbing the landing and immediately jumping up again, the body is being trained to generate and absorb force rapidly. Bodyweight is more than enough to make this exercise a challenge. That being said, it is also beneficial to mix in weight training via a Weight Vest for this type of exercise.
In terms of strengthening the shoulder, there is no avoiding the value of rotator cuff exercises. This particular exercise increases stability in and around the shoulder joint critical for the protection of the joint during most athletic activity. It involves active work on the way up with the pull, and negative resistance work on the way down in the controlled motion. A TRX can be found at this link.
Using a TRX this focuses on using bodyweight to train for muscular endurance and stability. This exercise benefits the core, the shoulders, and the chest. The important factor in this is to keep the core engaged so that the body doesn’t wobble during movement. A TRX can be found with this link.
This is a tennis derived exercise, but it carries great benefit to all other athletes and people trying to improve their fitness. Using a doubles alley of a tennis court is the ideal size, but you can do this same exercise at home with two pieces of tape/wood 4.5ft apart. The important part is being able to balance upon landing without falling over or taking any adjustment steps. This strengthens the legs and core for both power generation and stability around joints and overall balance. If an additional challenge is needed, do this exercise while wearing a Weight Vest with adjustable weight.
Air squats are good for building leg/glute strength and endurance without additional weights. The full range of motion of the bodyweight activity helps with mobility as well as functional lower body strength. For an additional challenge, you can add a Weight Vest while doing this exercise.
Burpees are one of the overall best bodyweight exercises as they train muscular strength, endurance, balance, and power. Especially when working with limited time, burpees can provide an excellent workout. Of the ways to increase their challenge, increasing reps is the best. If you want to add resistance, a Weight Vest is the safest option.
This video contains proper form for:
Traditional burpees
Single-leg burpees
Burpee Long Jump
Lunges are a highly effective exercise for training muscle strength, endurance and stability of the legs, glutes, and lower back. Stability is one of the most important and yet most overlooked physical training attributes, so controlled lunges are best for that. The addition of lunge jumps introduces the aspect of power into the training, and magnifies the stability aspect of the exercise. For an added challenge, a Weight Vest can be worn, or weights can be held in hand.
This video contains proper form for:
Lunges
Lunge Jumps
Usually thought of as a basic exercise from grade school PE class, Jumping Jacks are actually a great exercise for active rest and quick twitch training when mixed into workouts. When done alone for time, it can be a very good exercise for muscular endurance. For an added challenge, a Weight Vest can be worn during the exercise.