I first learned bodyweight exercises and calisthenics in gym class in elementary school. In gym class, we mainly did push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks. I think we’ve also learned how to do burpees and mountain climbers. Our physical education teacher even made us crawl from time to time.
When I was a wrestler in high school, we used bodyweight exercises and calisthenics as part of our warm-ups and for conditioning purposes. We did push-ups, sit-ups, and jumping jacks as part of our warm-up. From time to time we would get into a big circle and do calisthenics at the end of practice. We went around the circle and each fighter chose an exercise to do. In other practices, we would do a countdown. One countdown involved doing 10 reps of push-ups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, burpees and laps around the wrestling room. Then we would do nine repetitions of each exercise. Then we would do eight repetitions of each exercise and so on until we finish the full countdown.
We did a lot of wind sprints in the wrestling room and the adjoining gym. Every once in a while we would do something called hit ’ems. We’d run on the spot until our trainer yelled, “Hit him!” Then we would drop face down and get back up as quickly as possible. I remember leading this exercise myself once. Sometimes he would give us a break while we ran in place and other times he would do a quick succession of punches immediately after we got back on our feet.
Some people make some pretty big claims when it comes to bodyweight exercises. Some claim that bodyweight exercises are superior to lifting weights. Some believe the opposite. Some simply believe that endurance is endurance and that neither option is better than the other when it comes to strength and conditioning. I think bodyweight exercises can certainly play a role in general wrestling conditioning.
matt furey
Matt Furey wrote a popular book called combat conditioning explaining the benefits of bodyweight training. Matt Furey is a former NCAA Division 2 wrestling champion and Shuai Chiao Kung Fu world champion. So it might be a good idea to read what he has to say on the subject of bodyweight training. He claims that bodyweight training is more functional (meaning strength you can use). He reminds the reader of him to consider how much stronger and more flexible animals are compared to humans. He also mentions how his mentor, wrestling legend Karl Gotch, told him that dancers have the strongest legs in the world. Dancers often squat with just bodyweight. Matt has many exercises and routines in his book, but he calls his three favorite exercises Royal Court.
Royal Court of Matt Furey:
- hindu squats
- hindu push ups
- Back bridge (if you’re a wrestler, I’m guessing you already back bridge in practice every day)
Videos and descriptions of these exercises are easily found with a simple online search.
Pavel Tsatsouline
Pavel Tsatsouline is a former Spetsnaz (Russian Special Forces) physical training instructor. He now lives in the US and trains members of the US military and law enforcement. He wrote a book called the naked warrior discussing his views on bodyweight training. He believes that bodyweight training can be beneficial when weights are not available. He cites the strength and musculature of gymnasts as an example of the value of bodyweight exercise. Most of us have seen how well-built gymnasts are. Have you ever seen a gymnast do a plank? Have you ever seen a gymnast do an Iron Cross? They don’t lift weights, and yet they are incredibly strong. Christopher Sommer wrote an interesting article titled Building an Olympic Body Through Bodyweight Conditioning that you might be able to locate through an online search.
Three of Pavel’s favorite bodyweight exercises:
- Single leg squats (also known as pistols)
- One arm pushups
- dominated
Pavel doesn’t believe in doing endless sets of reps. He suggests doing a more difficult exercise by manipulating the leverage involved. For example, push-ups done with your feet elevated are more difficult than regular push-ups. Pavel also believes in Greasing the Groove (GTG). This involves doing a few reps multiple times throughout the day. He always leaves a representative at the bank. Don’t work to failure. He can do push-ups multiple times a day, but only a few reps in any given workout. Pavel also believes in making “stairs”. For example, you do a push-up and then rest for a second. You stay in the position and then do two push-ups and rest for two seconds. You keep going up the ladder until the reps start to get difficult. Then make another ladder.
Some of Pavel’s articles are easily found online.
marcus fisher Marcus Fisher advises MMA (mixed martial arts) athletes and fighters on conditioning. He notes that some very successful wrestlers and wrestlers have primarily used bodyweight training instead of weight training. He’s not claiming that bodyweight training is superior or that weight training is ineffective, but he does believe that bodyweight exercises can definitely be beneficial. He likes bodyweight workouts because they train the body to function as a single unit. Like Matt Furey, Marcus finds bodyweight training more functional.
Marcus Fisher articles are easily found online.
Advantages of bodyweight training:
- Some trainers claim that it develops more functional strength.
- Can be done almost anywhere
- No weights or machines required.
Disadvantages of bodyweight training:
- It can be difficult to continually add resistance to some exercises
- Building a strong posterior chain is difficult with bodyweight-only routines.
Bodyweight exercises to consider:
- hindu squats
- Single leg squats (pistols)
- Lizards
- plyometric push-ups
- hindu push ups
- Dive bomber push-ups
- One arm push ups
- hand push-ups
- ABS
- ABS
- legs raised
- jumping jacks
- seal cats
- random shots
- mountain climbers
- dominated
- standing long jump
- slalom jumps
- sprints
- hill racing
- the bear crawls
- belches
Special note on burpees
Many trainers believe that burpees are the best bodyweight exercise an athlete can do. According to Ross Enamait, “Burpees will condition your entire body. This exercise will build strength, explosive power, and anaerobic endurance.” Burpees can also be combined with push-ups or pull-ups and other variations.
Matt Wiggins has a show called working class cardio which uses burpees, jumping jacks and other bodyweight exercises. The circuits used in his program also use dumbbells and medicine balls. He claims that burpees can give you a great aerobic workout and are extremely versatile. Matt is a bit of a burpee fan.
Conclusion: do burpees!
Bodyweight training is not magic. Weight lifting can and should be part of your overall conditioning program. However, bodyweight training can definitely be a great addition to your conditioning program. Bodyweight exercises and calisthenics aren’t just for gym class and warm-ups. Try including some bodyweight exercises in your training and see if your conditioning and fighting performance improve.
