There are many benefits to performing bodyweight exercises instead of going to a gym or using weights. In my opinion, gym-centered or weight-lifting-centered exercise plans are full of obstacles and inconveniences that will ultimately either; delay your progress, or make you give up on working out altogether. There are many creative ways to use your own bodyweight to achieve amazing results. Some examples of bodyweight exercises that I recommend are: bodyweight squats, lunges, pushups, pullups, crunches, running, etc.

Going to a gym requires that you buy a membership, drive/walk/bus to the gym, scan your membership card, change clothes, and wait in line to use a station. Half of the time used in a gym-centered workout is spent waiting in line to exercise. A thirty-minute workout can wind up taking over an hour to complete!

I do not promote the use of dumbbells or weight-lifting machines for the simple reason that in order to work out with weights, you must be in a particular location- wherever the weights are located. While you can do pushups just about anywhere, weights are like a ball and chain. Even if you buy a weight set to avoid having to go to a gym, your workout is no more mobile than a gym because you have to be at home in order to work out. The only piece of exercise equipment that I recommend owning is a doorway pullup bar, because they are portable and convenient.

The added convenience of working out with your own body weight is that you can work out any time that you like, in any location that you want. You can also spread out your workout throughout an entire day to keep your metabolism fired up, and to accelerate your progress. For example, you can only do so many bench presses or pull-downs in a short period of time, but you can continually do sets of pushups or pullups throughout a day to quickly build your stamina.

And finally, bodyweight exercises are easier on your joints and have a lower risk of injury, because they use less weight, and because you cannot drop any weights on your toes or head if you are not using weights.

For more useful fitness articles and information, check out my website here: http://www.bodymakeoveronline.com

Wall Mounted Pull Up Bars are made that will fit most standard doorways. For most people, these are plenty sufficient, but make sure the bar you get will fit your doorframe and will hold your weight (or weight you’ll be wearing to increase your workout). Most bars are well built. They permit the user’s arms to move naturally, reducing strain on joints, and engages additional muscle groups as compared to the standard pullup bar. You can actually combine the standard pullup and chin-up exercises into one, and can facilitate additional workouts to core and abdominal muscle groups.

For most people, a standard pull-up is challenging enough without weights. To do a pull-up hold onto a bar with your palms facing away from you, about shoulder width apart, and and let your legs hang. Hold the handles, lift your legs to the handles and pull down while bringing your feet to the ground and trying to stand up.

There are a number of different kinds of pull up exercises; some of which, such as the standard pull ups would require one to use both hands and lift them up to the bar. Others are more complex, such as the weighted pull ups where one needs to strap some added weights on to their body while they continue on with the exercise. This thing is pretty good to get you started, but if you’re looking for a more solid solution, a permanent mount or a separate standing unit or rack would be better. Don’t get me wrong, a wall mounted pull up bar is good, but you need a solid door frame, and even then the thing might leave marks on the frames – but that’s easily paintable.

Chin-ups and pull-ups are the best functional biceps and upper-back workouts for novices. Pull-ups not only strengthen the back, they balance bench presses and guard against shoulder problems. The pull up bar allows you to do a full upper-body workout without leaving the room. I have a doorway mounted pull up bar, which works perfectly. With so many different training workouts available it can get confusing at times.

A chin up exercises your back and shoulders – a chin up workouts your shoulders. There are tons patterns of work out styles you can use the chin up bar for. Great workout equipment for hardly any money. I loved chinups on this bar. Just walking past it all the time and you just stop and do a few chinups just for fun. If you exercise at home and want to up the ante in your workout then you need to get one. It helps if you’re in pretty good shape, since pull ups are tough.