4 Easy Ways To Make Any Body-Weight Move Harder

 

 

Discover five ways to turn your body into the most effective muscle-building tool on the planet.

CHANGE POSITION

“The steeper your body angle is to your working muscles—say, elevating your feet in a pushup—the harder the move is,” says MH adviser BJ Gaddour.

DECREASE STABILITY

“Reduce your contact with the floor by raising a limb, or narrow your base of supportby moving your hands or feet closer together,” Gaddour suggests.

CHANGE TEMPO

“Slow the lowering phase of an exercise to 3 seconds, or pause at the bottom for 4 seconds to eliminate any built-up elastic energy,” says Gaddour.

COMBINE MOVEMENTS

The more muscles you engage, the harder you’ll work, Gaddour points out. That’s why the burpee, T-pushup, and chinup with knee raise are so fatiguing.

 

 

 Words by Trevor thieme. Illustation by Rory Kurtz