1. I’ve noticed many people are interested in getting strong, lean muscles… but they want to do it without using weights or exercise machines. These people are missing the point. You don’t have to use machines or weights to get strong and lean. All you need is some basic bodyweight exercises and a little common sense. Here’s a routine I follow that works wonders for me:
2. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold a hand towel or soft cloth in front of you like a train conductor holding up a red flag.
3. Keeping your feet planted on the ground, raise your hips off the floor so your body forms a “T” with your legs.
4. Extend one leg forward and bend the other leg so it’s almost touching the ground. Hold this position for 10-seconds.
5. Switch legs and do the same thing with the other leg. That’s one rep. Do this exercise for as many reps as you can manage (it should only take about 20-seconds per set) and do it as fast as you can. After you’ve finished the whole routine, rest for a few seconds and do it again. This routine will work your calves, your glutes, and your quads all of which are important for running and jumping.
Do this routine two or three times a week for best results. You’ll notice I didn’t tell you to stretch before or after doing this routine. That’s because you don’t need to. The routine itself is the stretching. Now, let’s talk about weights: Using weights to get strong and lean is great too but using weights without working the muscle groups above is like driving a car without any tires. It’ll get you from point A to point B but it’ll do it slowly and it’ll be very uncomfortable. Just using bodyweight alone will give you the strength and speed you need to reach your goals.
