What are the best body weight training ideas for weight loss?

Can you lose body weight quickly using just body weight exercise?

Yes. And No. The good and the bad.

Yes the good news is that body weight training is a very effective exercise approach. There are great exercises for every area of the body. They are simple to learn and can be done almost anywhere. You don’t have to belong to a gym to get a great body weight training workout. The chance for injury is reduced because you’re not lifting loads that change your center of gravity and require technique and balance. Body weight training can build muscle, improve mobility and be a catalyst for weight loss providing you get your eating under control.

Yes the bad news is that your ultimate success with a weight loss program is overwhelmingly dictated by what you are eating. This is not really bad news but it is often news to people. The idea that you will just start training and the pounds will melt away without addressing your nutrition plan is surely a plan for failure. Remember, you cannot out train a bad diet. It is often said that abs are built in the kitchen.

So knowing all that, what are the three best body weight training ideas for weight loss.

• Eat real food. This is all you need to remember before eating. Real food is a recognizable item from nature. Fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds, meat, fish, eggs and poultry. Good oils from avocado, coconut, olives and grass fed butter are superior fuels that your body not only desires but needs to thrive. Real food is not, unfortunately, what your pantry is full of. Bread, pasta, crackers, chips, baked goods and similar stuff are probably part of your every meal. But that doesn't make them good for you. Highly processed and refined carbohydrates are not your friend. They break down quickly to glucose in the body and if are not needed for immediate fuel, end up in storage as fat. Just remember, real food is energy. Real food is vitality and health. Highly refined frankenfood is fat.
• Do body weight training circuits. Circuit training is very efficient training. You can really burn the fat with circuit training. Just line up some exercises back to back to back. Go from one to the next with little or no rest in between. A great body weight training circuit could be:

1. Body weight squats 10 reps to
2. Jumping Jacks 10 reps to
3. Push ups 10 reps to
4. V sit ups 10 reps
5. Plyometric jumps 10 reps to
6. Horizontal rows 10 reps
7. Repeat for 3 circuits and sleep well. Do this or a similar body weight circuit 3 times a week with at least 24 hours rest between workouts.

• Utilize active rest days. Instead of plopping on the sofa on your off days, engage in active rest. Active rest is walking, riding a bike, playing tennis or kicking the soccer ball with the kids. An easy hike, water skiing or playing volleyball is active rest. You are moving the body but not really breaking down muscle. This kind of activity will gradually raise your basal metabolic rate (BMR) over time. Your BMR is the amount of energy (calories) you burn on a daily basis just getting through your day. As you move more, your BMR increases meaning you need more fuel to support the activity. If you are doing #1 well (eating), this fuel will come from stored body fat. So crank up your BMR.

There are many body weight training ideas for weight loss but a focus on nutrition, high intensity circuit training and active rest is a sure winner.