Bodyweight training: progress VERY QUICKLY at home!

Hi there 😃

Welcome to this new article!

After showing you how to ace your push-ups like a pro, today I'm going to explain how to make rapid progress in bodyweight strength training at home 🔥

Whether you're looking to master a movement that's still difficult or to further link up an exercise you've already mastered, whether for your own personal enjoyment or to pass a sporting or military test, you've come to the right place 💪

In this article, I'm going to introduce you to a simple and extremely effective method for improving yourself, which you can use every day and anywhere.

This method, known as Greasing the Groove, was revealed to me about 10 years ago in a book by Pavel Tsatsouline, and I've used it successfully on several occasions since.

The "GREASE THE GROOVE" method

It's a well-known fact that the more we repeat a movement, the more we strengthen neuromuscular transmission. Our brain then trains itself to better control our body and muscles, just like playing the piano.

What's less intuitive is that strength works in the same way. By treating it as a technical art, we can rapidly improve it.

The body needs to recover from its efforts. For example, 30 seconds of pull-ups require more recovery than 30 seconds of piano.

This method is ideal for training both technique and strength. Perfect for progressing on exercises where you're still doing few repetitions, it's also effective for increasing your muscular endurance on long sets.

In short, the method consists of performing as many repetitions as possible over a given period of time for a chosen exercise.

You divide these repetitions into several submaximal sets, with plenty of rest between each set, without interfering with your fixed training program.

Bodyweight training: Key numbers

Polyarticular exercises are those for which this method works best. This includes all the classic bodybuilding exercises, but the best options will probably be bodyweight exercises and those for which you often have the necessary equipment at hand.

In addition, you must already be able to do at least 3 full reps in a row for the desired exercise or already hold it for 3 or 4 seconds for an isometric figure.

As you've seen, it's crucial toavoid failure and fatigue with each set. Perform your sets at 40-60% of your maximum time or repetitions, which you should test beforehand.

Test your new maximum every two weeks to readjust your sets, or gradually increase them according to how you feel. Do only perfect repetitions to anchor your technique.

Choose one exercise at a time for this method. If you want to do two, target different muscle groups or objectives and alternate between them on the same day or every other day, avoiding overtraining.

For this method, you need to be completely fresh before each set, which involves long rest periods. The recommended minimum rest period is 15 minutesIt depends on the exercise and the effort involved. The longer your sets or the more advanced your exercises, the longer your rest should be.

Personally, I take 30 to 45 minutes to be sure.

A quick note on warm-up:

Ideally, choose exercises that require little warm-up so as not to waste too much time. It all depends on you and your situation. Either you warm up the important joints just enough, or you find a way around these problems.

For example, I can't do Handstand or floorboards without a warm-up, because it hurts my wrists.

On the other hand, this is no longer a problem when I make them cold on wooden parallettes!

Weekly structure

The aim of this method is to complement your normal workouts, not to replace or penalize them.

It's perfect for your rest days, as long as it doesn't prevent you from recovering sufficiently to be in shape for your usual sessions. On training days, I advise against this method if your session targets the same muscle groups as the exercise you've chosen.

If not, limit the method anyway to avoid fatigue. Even if you can do it every day, take one full rest day a week or whenever you feel the need. If you're tired, if the sets seem harder that day, or if you've had a late night, rest.

As for theexercise you choose, you can change it whenever you like, but I recommend practising it for at least 2-3 consecutive weeks and observing a measurable improvement in your maximum before moving on to another.

Improving bodyweight pull-ups

I'll give you a few concrete examples. Let's say you want to improve your pull-ups.

First step: find out your current maximum. Let's say you're doing 9, so you'll start with sets of 4 or 5, which you'll do several times throughout the day, with at least 30 minutes' rest between each one.

Continue this over several weeks, avoiding back and pull-ups. Then, either add a repetition to your sets according to how you feel, or test your maximum from time to time at the start of the day to adjust your sets accordingly.

As with your training sessions, I strongly advise you to keep a written record of all this, whether in a computer spreadsheet, a small notebook or simply in the notes on your phone.

Making a success of your first pull

As another example, you can use this method to learn how to do your first pull-up. It will be very effective and fast for that.

As your brain is not yet familiar with this movement, do sets of negative pull-ups throughout the day. Either base yourself on your maximum number of repetitions for 2 or 3 controlled seconds and do sets of a few negatives, or base yourself on your maximum duration of controlled descent and do sets of a single repetition at 50% of your maximum time.

You can also train with elastic bands.

Improving advanced figures

Personally, I use this method on my Levitate Barto reinforce my Front Lever. With a maximum of 5 seconds, I do series of 2 or 3 seconds throughout the day. This method is very effective for mastering this movement.

You can also use this method to improve your time on any figure progression, even when assisting yourself with an elastic band.

Personally, I like working with a band because it allows me to have more time under tension in the final position. This means I can do longer sets that are easier to measure and count in my head than 2 or 3 second sets.

Implementing the method on a daily basis

To conclude, here's how you can easily incorporate this method into your daily routine.

Turn it into a habit. Associate it with a regular activity, such as doing a set every time you step in front of your pull-up bar or during breaks at work.

Another effective method is to set a countdown timer on your phone. Every time it rings, do a set.

This method is a volume game, aimed at accumulating more reps and time under tension without impacting your main workouts or recovery.

Use it flexibly. No need to do X number of sets or reps, and no guilt if you miss a day. It's an extra weapon to help you improve, without requiring a lot of physical or psychological effort all at once.

Here's the how-to sheet:

I hope you find this article useful!

IF you need sports equipment, it's all in my store 🔥

In the meantime, take care 💪

Eric Flag