Maybe I’m a little late to the party since it seems as though the world is slowly starting to open up again, but I got inspired to write this after someone kindly asked if I’d be open to doing various recommendations in the fitness realm. (Thank you again to whoever wrote that kind comment, you have no idea how much it brightened what was a not-so-great week!) Anyway, as someone who has explored various physical activities throughout the years from martial arts, professional wrestling, dance, and more, I wanted to break down my favorite body weight workouts that you can do at home, and hacks to up your workouts and get maximum benefits.
Before we begin, let’s break down what a bodyweight workout actually is. Bodyweight exercises are exercises that use the individual’s own weight to create resistance against gravity. I love bodyweight exercises especially for females because they’re designed to work, sculpt, and tone the muscles rather than increasing them and building them up. But don’t get it twisted—bodyweight exercises still increase strength and firm muscles, they just do so without adding extra bulk. They’re also great because they can be done by anyone at any fitness level, and they can easily be done at home. These types of workouts are what I’ve found work best for me. Although I’m more limited now due to my neck injury, these are still some of my all-time favorites and ones I find I’ll always try to go back to.
Below I’ve broken down my favorite bodyweight workouts, the areas they target, and my biggest hack for upping my workout routines for maximum benefits.
Pure Barre
TARGET AREAS: CORE, ARMS, LEGS, GLUTES
Pure barre is a whole body workout that takes ballet-inspired movements, pilates, and yoga to work and build alignment, strengthen the core, and stretch the muscles. Pure barre works to sculpt and work the muscles by using small, deliberate movements, and body weight for resistance. These low-impact, high-intensity movements work to not only lift and tone muscles, but improve flexibility, agility, flexibility, and posture as well. When combined with elements of HIIT (high intensity interval training) pure barre gives you get an added dose of cardio and sweat, too.
The first time I tried pure barre was before my accident in 2017, and my God, was I sore. I was wrestling and very much active at the time, and yet my body still felt like it’d been run over by a train. I fell in love with pure barre, of course I did. I unfortunately haven’t been able to do it as of late thanks to this never-ending neck injury, but I highly recommend that everyone try this at least once. Though there are pure barre studios across the United States, I’ve done all of my pure barre workouts right from my living room. There are a lot of amazing YouTube channels out there that offer free, at-home pure barre workouts—no equipment necessary. Check out some below:
This 45 minute, no equiptment barre workout that fuses cardio + toning.
This 30 minute, no equiptment, barre sculpting workout.
This 10 minute, standing core barre workout. Tip: repeat 2-3x for a major burn.
Pilates
TARGET AREAS: ALL OVER/ENTIRE BODY
Pilates is a killer of a workout that was created in the 1920’s by Joseph Pilates for rehabilitation. Soldiers returning from war and world-famous dancers such as Martha Graham and George Balanchine were among the first to use Pilates to aid in healing aches, pains, and strengthening their bodies. Taking slow, controlled movements, Pilates uses ones own body as resistance and strength to help tone the body, build strength, and improve flexibility. Though Pilates doesn’t use the traditional route of cardio, it still gets your heart rate up for a calorie-burning workout.
Pilates is an amazing, tried-and-true workout loved by many people of all ages. Whenever I’ve done Pilates in the past (which, unfortunately hasn’t been in a very long time, thanks to my neck), every muscle in my body has been shaking by the end of my workout. Pure barre and Pilates are similar and will both give you amazing results, but pure barre, IMO, is slightly looser. You’re moving your body and muscles around more freely than you are in Pilates. Pilates workouts really focus on that intensity and tightness, ensuring that you’re using all your own body weight and resistance against yourself. The controlled, slow movements are what give you the burn and tone.
Again, like pure barre, Pilates studios and classes are everywhere, but YouTube channels like Fitness Blender offer free, full Pilates workouts that you can do right from the comfort of your home. Again, no equipment necessary. After people have become acclimated to Pilates classes, it’s not uncommon for them to incorporate resistance bands and ankle weights into the workouts. I personally only opt for a resistance band when I do Pilates, but to each their own!
Check out some of my favorite Pilates workouts below:
This at home, Pilates butt and thigh workout for your lower body.
This 35 minute, fat burning HIIT Pilates workout.
This Pilates workout for your thighs, butt, and core.
My ultimate hack: resistance bands
AN ELASTIC BAND USED FOR STRENGTH TRAINING. ALSO COMMONLY USED IN PHYSICAL THERAPY TO ALLOW SLOW, REBUILDING OF STRENGTH.
This is, by far, my absolute favorite tool for upping your workout game and physical gains. Much like the workouts mentioned above, when incorporated, resistance bands provide that added resistance against your own bodyweight, ultimately forcing you and your muscles to work harder. Resistance bands are great for movements that typically don’t require you to use your own bodyweight against yourself.
My ultimate hack when it comes to using resistance bands is incorporating them into my cardio workouts. When I was healthy in the past, I’d place the resistance band around my legs and over my knees, and I’d then use the stair master like this for a time period between five and fifteen minutes out of my normal cardio workout. Now, since I can’t use the stair master anymore, I use resistance bands the same way on the treadmill for the entire duration of my workout. Using resistance bands on the treadmill ensures you’re really adding resistance to each step, and also ups the intensity of the workout. This is especially great for people who are beginning to get back into working out after suffering injuries, those who are looking to switch up their cardio workouts, and people who are limited to movements more than walking/jogging.
I use the SlingShot Hip Circle as my resistance band. Designed with level 2 resistance, the Hip Circle is perfect for activating your glutes and entire lower body–trust me, you’ll feel it. It’s also gentle on your skin, meaning there’s never any tugging, rolling, or snapping. I use size large, and I use this size because it gives me room for leg movement and ultra resistance. Plus, the fact that it’s pink makes me happy 😉
Shop my favorite resistance band:
PRICE: $20 $18 WHEN YOU USE CODE WRIGHT10 AT CHECKOUT
