It is no secret that exercise is something that should be a part of everyone’s lifestyle. The reasons or motives to exercise may be different for each person. Some want to lose weight and burn fat. Some want to build muscle. Some want to improve health and performance. But regardless of the reason for exercising, everyone wants the “best” exercise program.
This is where the problems start. What is the “best” workout? And the fact is, there is not one workout program that is right for every person and every goal. So, instead of trying to find the absolute, ultimate best workout… use the workout that is best for you and your goals.
In my opinion, the use of bodyweight calisthenics and dumbbells is the best way to exercise for just about any goal. So, regardless of what workout program you decide is right for you, they should include bodyweight and dumbbell exercises. Here’s why…
Exercise Is About Movement
Unfortunately, when people think about exercise, they think about muscles. “This exercise works this muscle”. This way of thinking originated and was made popular by bodybuilders an is now mainstream. The problem is, the majority of exercisers are not bodybuilders!
The truth is, exercise is about movement. It is about being able to move your body around in an efficient manner. It is also about being able to move around other objects, of a variety of weights. That is why bodyweight calisthenics and dumbbells are great for training the body to move either with or without weighted resistance.
Bodyweight Calisthenics Are Perfect For Training Unweighted Movements
Many people have been trained to think that exercise is weight lifting and cardio. Use weight lifting to improve strength and build muscle. Everything else falls in the vague category of “cardio” and improves heart and lung function. This is the wrong way to think about it.
Just think of all the challenges of work, sport and life that require the ability to move your own body around. The real world is full of challenges that don’t fit into the weight training/cardio format. So, use bodyweight calisthenics to train the body to move the way it was meant to move… without added resistance.
Dumbbells Are Perfect For Training Weighted Movements
The other type of challenges you’ll face in sport, work and life requires the movement of a weighted object. And more often than not, this movement will be done with both limbs in unison, one at a time or in an alternating fashion. So, train yourself for these real world challenges by using dumbbells as your weighted resistance.
The furthest away from real world training you can get is using gym machines. Being strapped into these machines train muscles, not movements and make only small improvements to real world abilities. You do want to perform great outside the gym don’t you?
As you can see, the combination of bodyweight calisthenics and dumbbells is perfect for training the body to move both in weighted and unweighted situations. Not only will this improve performance for real world challenges, but it builds great looking bodies as well. To better prepare you for the challenges of bodyweight and dumbbell workouts, your body will shed that ugly fat, build athletic muscle and improve cardiorespiratory endurance. So, if you’re looking for the “best” workout, look no further than bodyweight calisthenics and dumbbell workouts.