Top 2015 Fitness Trends for Men and Women

It’s almost 2015, and one thing you can count on is that there will be a new fitness trend on the horizon – and touted in all forms of media. Most years, those trends have been targeted to women – who are most likely to set New Year’s goals for weight loss and fitness and spend the money to purchase equipment and join gyms and fitness classes.

The IDEA World Fitness Conference, held in August of 2014, provided plenty of insight about which trends might predominate the following year. The convention is always well attended by fitness gurus from around the world who come to promote products, new ideas and inspiration for fitness.

According to top fitness trainers, Alex Isaly and Amy Dixon and CEO of SpiderFitkids,

Fitness trends such as HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), Zumba and CrossFit training are some of the hot trends that stayed the course and will continue to be popular in 2015.

Those exercise methods are always great for losing weight and getting fit and healthy. Many of the fitness trends are geared to women – like the Zumba dance trend, a high impact dance class focusing on cardio fitness with Latin rhythms.

Shake Weight was an exercise trend directed to men that involved oscillating dumbbells – and was geared to speed your fitness goals by enhancing the effects of the weights. This fitness trend turned out to be more of a fad, and its popularity is waning.

Evergreen fitness trends (such as using bands for resistance training), treadmill workouts and bicycling are always go-to forms of exercises that are not only good for your health, but can also help you lose weight, firm and tone.

One thing is for sure – people are tired of workouts where special equipment and long periods of time are involved. They want to be able to work out anywhere or any time and get the most benefits from the time they may have to devote to it.

Besides the time involved, expense is also an issue when it comes to choosing a fitness regimen. Costly gym memberships and bulky and expensive equipment can be a drain on both time and pocketbook – and large equipment also takes up too much room in the home.

That’s why the top new fitness trend for 2015 is so exciting. It’s a trend that both men and women can enjoy and benefit from – and it costs nothing!

Introducing the #1 Fitness Trend for 2015 – Bodyweight Training

Once in awhile a fitness trend comes along that’s good for everyone – both genders and all weights and ages. The coming year – 2015 — is going to be one of those years where everyone benefits.

Bodyweight training information is already beginning to infiltrate the media and all fitness circles. Everyone planning to become fit in 2015 is asking for more information about the growing popularity of this fat-burning, muscle building and toning exercise method.

In simple terms, Bodyweight training focuses on building your strength by using your own body weight as resistance rather than free weights. If you’ve performed pull-ups, sit-ups and push-ups, for example, then you’ve done bodyweight training.

The phrase, “You are your gym,” is often used when referring to bodyweight training techniques. You may not realize the benefits of using bodyweight training in your fitness regimen because most of what you know about strength training involves weights.

Bodyweight training uses nothing but your own body and can provide even more benefits than using weights. Some benefits of bodyweight training (other than the obvious that it can be done anywhere and uses no equipment) include:

Improves joint function

– Joint function is important to your overall health – especially as you age. Bodyweight training is an excellent anti-aging technique for keeping your joints lubricated and functioning properly.

Tones muscles

– You don’t need a gym or fancy equipment to get your muscles toned and fit. Bodyweight training can get the job done just as well.

Ultimate convenience

– For most of us, life gets so busy that we have to kick our fitness plans and goals to the back burner at times. Bodyweight training means that you don’t have to sacrifice your time in favor of going to the gym.

Core strength

– Many of the bodyweight training exercises are excellent to improve the core and abs.

You won’t be bored

– Bodyweight training is versatile, so you won’t be bored by repeating an exercise or class over and over again. Many treadmill users complain of boredom if every day involves walking or running and no other type of exercise.

Improves posture

– Using your own body to perform various parts of exercises improves your posture by making you more aware of your body – how you’re standing, sitting and reaching.

The belief that you need equipment to perform exercises properly is a myth that’s perpetuated by the media. Most advertisements you see about exercising show people working out on treadmills, with weights, in classes or using other types of equipment.

The new trend for 2015 – bodyweight training – should shatter that myth and help people realize that working out using your own body can be just as beneficial and give you the results you desire.

Of course, working out with equipment and in classes such as Zumba are all great for overall results in your workout routine, but try to add some bodyweight exercises into your daily regimen.

You can begin lightly and perform just a few sets of each exercise, but gradually try to push yourself to add another set periodically. One reason bodyweight exercises should be incorporated into your workout routine is that they use such a variety of muscle groups.

You’ll immediately begin to notice that you have more core strength and athletes will notice better performance. Bodyweight training is so convenient, too – and you don’t have to have nice weather or drive to a gym to get a great workout.

No Equipment Necessary with Bodyweight Training

Bodyweight training incorporates your own body to give you the workout routine you need for overall health and fitness. Using absolutely nothing except your body, you can perform exercises that will tone and build muscle for your entire body or target specific areas of the body.

If you’ve been a couch potato for awhile – or if bodyweight training is new to you – there are some exercises that you’ll want to try and some that are best left for more advanced exercise buffs.

Some easy, but effective bodyweight exercises that you may want to try include the following:

Jumping Jacks

– Such a simple routine that can get your cardio pumping is what bodyweight training is all about. You’ve likely performed this exercise many times – especially in school.

Perform 10 to 30 repetitions, depending on how fit you are. Get some rhythm going with music and this or any exercise will be much more fun.

Planks

– This exercise isn’t easy for beginners, but you should keep trying to perfect it because it’s a powerful way to build muscle.

Simply lie down on your right side, keep your legs straight and raise yourself with your right forearm – keeping your body in a straight line from your head to feet and knees and hips off the floor.

Squats

– You’ll be building muscle and strengthening your legs with this one – and, it also improves knee and hip mobility. It might help to hold a pillow in a “hug” to give you some balance.

Keeping your back straight, bend your knees and squat as far down as comfortable. Repeat about 5 to 10 times if you’re a beginner.

Lunges

– Be sure to tense your core muscles on this one. Besides building muscles, lunges will improve your balance and help your posture.

Keeping straight, shoulders back, chin up and relaxed, stare at a point in front of you. Then, step one leg forward and lower hips until your knees are at a ninety degree angle. Repeat 5 to 10 times and gradually add more to your regimen.

Push-Ups

– The lower back, torso and posture are all benefited by the bodyweight exercise of push-ups. You can build ups the triceps, chest and shoulders.

There are many forms of push-up exercises, the most popular being those with hands and feet in elevated positions. Others include push-up plus and Hindu push-ups.

Sit-Ups

– Very effective for your core muscles, sit-ups are easy and there are many variations you can try. You can lie on the floor and place your feet beneath something (or have a partner hold them down).

Lock your hands together behind your head and then slowly elevate your upper torso to a V-shape. Vary the sit-ups by performing the repetitions more rapidly to increase cardio strength or add more repetitions when you can.

Bear Crawl

– On your hands and knees, rise up on your toes with your core flexed and then reach forward slowly with your right arm and knee – then perform the same movement on your left side.

Plyometric Push-Ups

– This bodyweight exercise will fill your lungs with oxygen. On a padded surface, perform a push-up, then in one rapid motion, push up off the floor and back down again to the beginning stance. Repeat as many times as you can.

Some effective bodyweight exercises for more advanced exercisers include:

Enhanced push-ups

– Rather than the obvious push-up exercise, do a one arm or a hand stand push-up.

Roll Outs

– You’ll be forced to flex your abs during this advanced bodyweight training exercise. It looks like a plank, but you’ll be resisting extension while your torso is stiff and the upper body is moving out.

Russian Twist

– If you want to target your core muscles with bodyweight training exercises, this is a great one. You’ll need something to hold with both hands – such as a book or ball.

Hips on the floor and knees bent about 90 degrees, keep your back straight and rapidly twist your torso as far as possible to the left and then reverse and twist to the right.

Frog Squat

– More difficult than a squat, the frog squat begins with a wide stance, feet more than shoulder width apart and feet slightly turned out. With the chest up, drop to a squat position and making sure your hands touch the floor. Jump upward quickly, land and immediately jump up again.

Long Jump

– In a standing position with feet about hip-width apart, squat and put your arms back. Now, spring forward – both feet together. Land on the balls of your feet – knees bent. Immediately perform the jump again.

You get the idea. By modifying the easier bodyweight exercises, you can get a much more intensive workout. You can also accomplish this by simply adding more repetitions.

Targeting specific areas of the body simply involves a bit more tweaks of the main bodyweight exercises, like this:

Lower body

– If you want to improve your leg strength or get a more sculpted, fit look for your legs, try some bodyweight exercises specifically designed for the lower body.

For example, rev up your squats and lunges for super strong legs. Athletes who depend on their legs for performance practice these muscle building exercises to get the most out of a workout.

Not only will your legs improve, but your posterior becomes firmer and more sculpted. That pair of skinny jeans will look awesome on your new and improved body.

Upper body

– One of the main wishes of people beginning bodyweight training is to develop awesome abs. If you want to target your abs, the exercises that engage them are sit-ups, push-ups and any variations of the two.

Planks are also a great way to build core muscle and strength and also build the arm muscle and strength. When you’re working out by using your bodyweight, all of the exercises can engage your core and upper body.

Adding some of the core bodyweight exercises to your daily workout routine will make a difference. Then, you can add some simple equipment to the mix to keep challenging yourself.

Bodyweight Training with Simple Equipment

As you progress with bodyweight training, you may want to try some variations of the exercises to get even more out of your workout routine. When your muscles become more toned and the fat is less noticeable, you can add some simple equipment to enhance the workout and achieve higher fitness goals.

Adding some simple and inexpensive equipment to your bodyweight workout can take it to the next level and add variation so you’re never bored. Here are some pieces of equipment to consider adding to your workout routine:

Kettlebell

– Many fitness buffs call kettlebells a “glorified dumbbell,” but the design of the kettlebell is meant to shift the center of gravity during the exercise –providing much more emphasis on the flow of the workout and helps give you more of a metabolic burn.

One good bodyweight exercise to perform with the kettlebell is the “Windmill,” which is done by grasping the kettlebell with your left hand and bring it overhead. Now, pivot your feet so they point about 45 degrees from the weight.

Next, pivot your hips to the right and slide your right hand down your leg keeping your arm straight over your head. Slowly return to standing position and reverse movement. Kettlebells are inexpensive and can be purchased in almost any sports equipment store.

Weight Plate

– A weight plate is rounded and small enough to be able to hold comfortably in front of you. It helps you flex your core muscles while performing exercises such as squats and sit-ups.

A weight plate comes in various sizes weights and resembles a steering wheel or the end of a dumbbell. Any of the core exercises you do will be greatly enhanced by using the small and inexpensive weight plate.

Medicine Ball

– Also known as exercise or fitness ball, this exercise accessory is about the 14 inches in diameter. They vary from 2 to 25 pounds and shouldn’t be confused with the popular and larger, inflated exercise balls.

Sports medicine is a strong proponent of medicine balls for their ease and ability to target injured or other specific areas of the anatomy for healing or building muscle.

Use the medicine ball to effectively build strength and increase more explosive power needed in most athletics.

Weight Vest

– The intensity of your bodyweight workout can be greatly improved with the addition of a weight vest. It looks like and is worn like an ordinary vest, but the weights add resistance that can help you achieve your fitness goals more rapidly.

An ordinary weight vest has adjustable lateral and shoulder straps to make it an easy fit for anyone. The weights are located at the center of gravity that defines each body type.

For example, the weight in the chest works the upper body abs and core during any bodyweight exercise you perform. Most weight vests let you add more weight as you progress in your bodyweight training efforts.

Pull Up Bars

– If you have a doorway in your home or office, you can easily have an inexpensive pull up bar to enhance your bodyweight exercises. Build the muscles in your back arms and core by varying the way you pull up.

There are a variety of styles of pull up bars from which you can choose, including freestanding and those with extras that let you further improve your strength and fitness.

Sandbags

– Sandbags for bodyweight training are favorites with most bodyweight enthusiasts. It’s highly affordable (you can even make your own) and very accessible.

Sandbags don’t require other equipment or that you perform an exercise in a certain place. They’re also portable and can easily be carried along when traveling.

Use them with lifts, sprints and any type of training where you’re hoping to increase your strength and endurance.

Climbing Ropes

– If you’ve reached a plateau in your bodyweight training efforts, try adding climbing ropes to your regimen. It improves strength of the upper body, grip, coordination and agility.

If you’re a beginning bodyweight exerciser, you may need to build your biceps and upper body strength before trying this more difficult twist to bodyweight training. You’ll find various types of rope equipment at any place that carries exercise equipment.

Resistance Bands

– You’ll get a “two for one” exercise accessory with resistance bands. Improve both your upper and lower body by adding these to your bodyweight training.

You can get them in a variety of strengths and lengths and they’re easily stored and moved with you. Common and popular types of bands include loop bands, those with handles and heavy-duty ones.

Choose the bands according to your own strength and fitness goals. You may need help from a professional trainer in choosing them to fit. They can benefit both your upper body and lower by using them with any of the bodyweight exercises.

Rings

– If you have a kids’ swing set in the backyard (or a sturdy tree), then you have the perfect place to attach your exercise rings. Perform some fundamental pulls and pushes with the rings and you’ll soon see the difference in your muscle conditioning.

You’ll need to put forth more effort on concentration and tension when using

rings and pulling up your entire body with them. This mind-muscle connection is effective in the sculpting of your body.

Leg Squat Stand

– The leg squat stand is a simple piece of equipment that can help you better perform bodyweight exercises for more effect. It takes the place of a long bench – such as the type you might see in a gym.

The leg squat stand is said to be more comfortable than the bench – especially when used for squats. For more of a challenge, elevate your foot (to the rear) on the leg squat stand before bending.

One of the major advantages of using bodyweight training exercises in your workout regimen is that you can exercise your entire body with or without equipment. When you do add some of the less expensive, but effective gear, you’ll challenge the muscle groups in your body even more.

If you’re a beginner to bodyweight training, starting out using some equipment may make it easier to offset some of your bodyweight and pull up or perform any of the exercises with less effort.

If you’re an advanced bodyweight exerciser, adding some equipment to the mix can help you get more out of your repetition and bring your cardio fitness level up by repeating the exercises more rapidly than you could without the gear.

10 Reasons to Try Bodyweight Training

When you’re thinking about fitness goals for the new year of 2015, you don’t have to stress about all of the money you may have to spend to get yourself in shape during the course of the year.

Bodyweight training can provide you with great strides in your muscle, cardiovascular, strength and weight loss goals by the end of the coming year. There’s no excuse not to exercise since you don’t have to go anywhere or use any special equipment.

Below are 10 reasons to add bodyweight training into your present fitness routine – or begin a fitness routine with a tried and true way to get fit.

Lose weight

– Get rid of unwanted fat with bodyweight training. If 2015 is the year you want to be trim and svelte, try a few minutes per day of bodyweight training to highly impact your body’s metabolism.

Get heart healthy

– Finding time for cardio workouts is sometimes difficult, but a set of jumping jacks will keep your heart pumping – besides giving you fantastic strength and muscle development.

Improve your core

– The muscles and strength of your core will be vastly improved by bodyweight exercises. This means much more than simply the abs – these exercises engage all of the muscles involved. You’ll also gain improved posture and performance.

Efficient and effective

– We simply don’t have the time anymore for marathon workouts at the gym. Bodyweight training delivers much more bang for your exercising buck by providing big gains in short bursts of time.

Improve balance

– Since you’re not using any equipment, such as weights, your own body becomes the resistance within the exercise. One of the advantages of that is the fact that you’ll be increasing your own control of your body and that makes you more aware and balanced.

Increase flexibility

– Flexibility improvement is one of the advantages of choosing bodyweight training. You’ll build more range-of-motion, improve your posture and also be more likely to prevent injuries from exercising.

Cost

– The cost for a bodyweight workout? Nothing. No gym membership, special equipment or personal trainer is needed. You can perform bodyweight exercises indoors or out – as long as you have a little space.

Everyone can do it

– From kids to seniors, there’s something for everyone in bodyweight training. You can begin super slow and then progress by adding repetitions when you feel ready.

Never be bored

– You don’t get in a rut when bodyweight training is part of your exercise regimen. There’s such a wide variety of exercises you can work in to your plan – and when you’re ready to move on – there are some plateau-breaking exercises that will spur you on to reach your goals.

Fun and convenient

– Exercise with your friends or alone – and you don’t have to venture outdoors if the weather is inclement. Perform bodyweight training in your own home or in a hotel room while traveling. It couldn’t be more convenient.

Athletes of all sports are big fans of bodyweight exercises because of the tremendous results they get from the compound movements of the exercises. Lunges, chin-ups, push-ups and sit-ups are great for improving athletic performance and increasing strength.

Core strength is extremely important to most professional athletes and bodyweight training improves and strengthens all of the more than 20 muscles involved in the core.

With every progressive move of an exercise, there has to be the opposite progressive move.

Progression and regression is a part of the incredible benefits of bodyweight training. For a complete and effective workout, both types of movements must be in place. When you add reps, weight and sets to your bodyweight exercises, you’ll have both types of movements going on.

Thankfully, you don’t have to understand the scientific theory to benefit from it. This is fitness at its finest because you’re getting back to the basics. It’s not meant to be complex. That’s best for everyone because if it becomes confusing, it become daunting to carry out and level up with.

Keep Moving Your Body

Everyone has his or her own favorite way to exercise. It might involve a combination of exercises – such as combining cycling with a Zumba dance class. No matter what your exercise preference is, you’ll benefit from the body movements involved in bodyweight training.

In a world where time is precious and money can be an obstacle to better health, this is one fitness trend that might dominate for years to come. There are no excuses when it comes to bodyweight training. Everything is on your side – whether you’re rich or poor, male or female, in perfect health or out of shape.

Of course, remember that it’s always best to mix up your routines. Don’t do the same thing over and over each day. Add variety to your regimen so that every muscle gets a workout and you don’t stay stagnant with your results.

No other exercises can match the dynamics you get from bodyweight training. Check out the coming popular trend for 2015 and try it out for yourself. Don’t be afraid to push your body to its limits and search for the best equipment that might help you level up once you max out on your own bodyweight abilities.