No matter your level, bodyweight exercises are essential for a lean, strong, and healthy body.
But for as brilliant as they are, many people makecommon mistakeswith them.
And when you continually do them incorrectly, you’ll limit your progress and possibly cause pain and injuries.
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You’re using poor range of motion.
Using poor range of motion is the first of our seven bodyweight exercise mistakes you should quit.
Poor range of motion stresses the wrong joints and neglects the correct muscles.
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Always use the correct range of motion to get the full benefits.
With pushups, get low to the ground.
With squats, get your thighs parallel to the ground.
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If you cannot get full ROM, improve your mobility or try easier exercises until you could.
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You’re skipping your warm-up.
Invest in a weight vest, try harder variations, or do a slower movement.
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You’re ignoring your back.
There are very few no-equipment exercises that target your back muscles.
Yet if you neglect your backand only target your front sideyou’ll create imbalances and poor posture.
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You’re doing too many plyometrics.
Plyometrics like box jumps, squat jumps, hops, bounds, etc.
should not be done dozens of times for tons of sets.
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For “plyos,” keep your reps and sets low, and always use the correct technique.
You need an occasional break to recover, rebuild, and prevent overuse injuries.
Instead, take one or two days off per week from training.
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If you want to stay active, try a stretching routine or go for a hike or bike ride.
You’re skipping your cool-down.
After your exercise, spend a few minutes foam rolling and doing a few gentle stretches.
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Your body will thank you!
