There are many different reasons for using bodyweight exercises for increasing strength, but these five reasons are considered by many to be the most important.

No fear, no excuses.

Anyone can do bodyweight exercises to build strength. There are exercises to meet every fitness level from beginner to advanced.

Think you don't have enough energy to exercise? Take just ten minutes to add a few bodyweight exercises to your day for one week, and see how fast you increase your energy.

Think you don't have time to exercise because you travel or work long hours? You can do bodyweight exercises anywhere, even when traveling. You don't even need to pack anything special.

You don't have spend a lot of money or leave your home.

You don't need to purchase an expensive gym membership or purchase expensive equipment for your home. Bodyweight exercises may be done at home in any room of your house. You can even do them with your children. Go outside, do them on the patio, who knows, you may get a neighbor involved to cheer you on or as an exercise partner.

Worried about what you may look like at the gym? Out of "shape?" Not accustomed to exercising? Don't have the "right" clothes. None of that matters when using bodyweight exercises to gain strength. Wear whatever you like, forget the make up and hair and trying to compete with the person next to you by doing bodyweight exercises.

Rent DVD's with bodyweight exercises instead of hiring a personal trainer. Save the money that you would spend on expensive equipment or trainers and by some things that you really want - like new clothes to show off your new body.

Variety is the spice of. . . bodyweight exercises.

Bodyweight exercises are never boring. There are several tried and true exercises familiar to everyone, but with so many different variations in technique, position, leverage and resistance exercises. There are over 100 different types of push ups that can be done. Not only do these variations in bodyweight exercises increase strength but they keep even the experienced exerciser from becoming uninterested in exercising regularly. The more interested in your bodyweight exercise you are the more likely you are to do it consistently.

Bodyweight exercises for strength are safer and cause fewer injuries than other forms of exercise.
Some other forms of muscle strengthening can cause injuries. Quite often these injuries occur in the forms of sprains, strains, and injuries to muscles, tendons, ligaments and joints. The form and technique of bodyweight exercises actually strengthens your tendons and ligaments, building overall body strength not just muscle.

Benefits to your whole life, not just your strength, through bodyweight exercises.

- Your body is physically fit, and attractive.
- Your stamina, flexibility, and endurance are increased.
- You can achieve results in by increasing your circulation, lowering your cholesterol, and making yourself "heart-healthy."
- You will have more energy.
- You will have more time to do the other things you want to do.
- You can add to your enjoyment of life.

Bodyweight exercise is the best place to begin when starting a physical fitness training program, should be added to programs that otherwise neglect bodyweight exercise and should be diversified with resistance training for programs that use bodyweight exercise exclusively.
Some people love bodyweight exercise and some people hate it. . . similarly, some people think bodyweight exercise is valuable to a physical fitness training program, and others don't.
I believe that bodyweight exercise is not only the best method to start a physical fitness training program. . . but I believe that it should remain an active part of any well balance physical training program.
Let's look at bodyweight exercise from three different perspectives. . . from the beginner just getting started, from the experienced weight lifter that neglects bodyweight exercise and from the bodyweight exercise only crowd.
1. Bodyweight Exercise For Beginners
Most commercial gyms will prescribe an exercise regimen of strength training, usually in the form of machines, and cardiorespiratory endurance training, normally in the form of stationary "cardio" equipment.
This is a generalization of course. . . but these two types of training are the predominant forms of physical training in most gyms, regardless of how they are put together.
Notice. . . bodyweight exercise is missing.
Answer me this. . . should a beginner with no prior experience with physical training start by jumping right into resistance training with free weights or machines, or would they be better served by learning more about the movement of their bodies by using bodyweight exercise?
Physical training allows you to improve the body by supplying increased stimulus that is not normally found in your daily lifestyle.
For the beginner, bodyweight exercise is the logical place to start. . . because most beginners are actually going from a state of complete inactivity to a state of activity.
The beginner has not even scraped the surface of what their body can perform without resistance. . . and should therefore strive to make improvements using bodyweight exercise first.
Once the beginner has made sufficient gains and reached an improved state with bodyweight exercise. . . then they can add resistance.
2. Bodyweight Exercise For The Experienced Weight Lifter
Many people with a great deal of experience and expertise in physical training completely neglect bodyweight exercise. . . or believe it to be ineffective.
They notoriously use all types of resistance training methods. . . while neglecting bodyweight exercise all together.
I propose that the goal of any physical fitness training program is to improve performance that can be used to meet the challenges of sport, work and life with excellence.
Many of those challenges will be met by the effective control and movement of your own body. . . and not the movement of other objects through space.
And what is the best way to train the improvement of body movement and control of your own body. . . that's right, bodyweight exercise.
Here is an example. . .
Many people that have trouble doing a push up will focus on the bench press with hopes of improving their push up numbers. . . with limited results.
If you want to be able to do more push ups. . . do more push ups!
The point is this, the improvements you will see from physical training are specific. . . so if you want to see improvements in a bodyweight movement, use bodyweight exercise to do so.
3. Bodyweight Exercise For The Bodyweight Only Crowd
As you can already tell, I am a strong advocate of bodyweight exercise. . . but not exclusively.
There are various physical fitness training programs that use bodyweight exercise almost exclusively. . . like Yoga or Pilates.
While I have no problem with these forms of training. . . I believe they can take you only so far on the road to physical fitness excellence.
We must remember. . . Yoga exercises are performed in conjunction with meditation and Pilates was originally developed as a form of rehabilitation for war veterans.
The point is this. . . bodyweight exercise only programs will only take you so far, and then some form of resistance training must be applied to see further improvement.
In Conclusion. . .
Bodyweight exercise is an important part of any well balanced physical fitness training program.
If you are just getting started. . . bodyweight exercise is the perfect place to start.
If you have notoriously neglected bodyweight exercise in your training. . . add it to improve the physical abilities you have been neglecting.
If you only use bodyweight exercise. . . diversify your fitness training program by adding some form of resistance training.
In this way, each group can optimize the use of bodyweight exercise.
Do not underestimate the importance of bodyweight exercise. . . Use it effectively and in the right proportion to meet your goals, needs, abilities and limitations and meet the challenges of sport, work and life with excellence.

Bodyweight exercise routines were developed so that an individual can use their own body and movements to exercise as opposed to expensive gym or weight lifting equipment. Instead of building strength and endurance in just one area of your body it allows you to build it throughout your whole body. Many of the exercises are familiar ones, or a new "take" on an old bodyweight exercise, but don't be fooled into thinking that it's not effective because it is familiar. Many newer forms and methods of the familiar exercises have been created as well as ideas for increasing the difficulty level of the exercise; things like adding ankle or wrist weights to your routine or different positioning of legs, arms or hands can change the set of muscles being used. So you have decided to use bodyweight exercises as your workout routine? But how can you get the most from this routine?. These five tips, when used consistently, will do just that. First, be sure to use several cardio vascular exercises as part of your over all bodyweight exercise workout. By alternating between first cardio warm ups and stretches and then bodyweight exercises then returning to cardio exercises you will naturally increase your heart rate, exercise your whole body and stretch the muscles preparing them for bodyweight exercises. One suggestion is to begin with a quick walk prior to your exercise routing, but the most effective method is to alternate between cardio, then bodyweight, returning to cardio and so forth. Exercises to best achieve a higher heart rate as well as to stretch and lengthen muscles are: stepping while rotating your arms, lunges with windmills or punches which alternate sides, marching in place, jumping jacks or jump rope, knee lifts, or front kicks. To achieve the best possible fat burning results, break your exercise routine into two or three short segments. Try to implement a 10 minute routine while at work as opposed to a visit to the coffee pot. You will definitely return more revitalized. Another technique as part of your routine workout that will help you achieve more results from your bodyweight exercises is using timed circuits. Timed circuits are "a series of exercises, performed one after the other, with little rest in between, according to the International Sports Science Association. This method is the one used by the British Royal Marine Commandos, many professional gymnastics and trainers. To perform timed circuits you simply do a bodyweight exercise a certain number of times in a specified period of seconds. For example, thirty pull ups in thirty seconds would be a timed circuit bodyweight exercise, and then you would continue on to the next exercise and do it also a certain number of repetitions in a specified period of time. To achieve the best results of a timed circuit routine you need to the number of repetitions that you complete, without increasing the period of time to complete it. A third tip for making the most of your bodyweight exercise routine is to keep a training log. Be sure to include the date, time, number of repetitions, time of repetitions and cardio exercise routines, and a start and stop time. This will allow you to do several things: track the exercises; the total workout time also and provide you with the information needed to determine when an increase is appropriate as well as how to vary your routine. Training logs are available online, (however some require you to join to use); you can create one on your spreadsheet program, or you may purchase one in a bookstore or online at Amazon. com such as The Body Minder and Exercise Journal, by Francis Wilkins; or The Ultimate Workout Guide by Suzanne Schlosberg. The last tip is easy and fun. Vary your routine; don't perform the same familiar exercises over and over again. Many people from beginner to professional are familiar with over 25 standard exercises, many of which include variations on Jumping Jacks, Pull Ups, Sit Ups and Squats. Try some of the more advanced bodyweight exercises such as the Russian Twist, Hindu Pushups, and Burpees. You can also add variety to your bodyweight exercise routine by: changing the weight, leverage or resistance of a specific exercise, recruiting an exercise partner, and renting videos. Using these tips can make help you achieve the maximum results possible in your bodyweight exercise routine and you don't have to spend hours at the gym slaving away at weight lifting equipment or purchasing expensive equipment for your home. It only takes minutes a day with a consistent bodyweight training program and these tips to increase your metabolism, increase and build muscle.