Here's A Bodyweight Exercise Routine For Aerobic Endurance and Strength

This short, effective bodyweight routine will help you to build great upper-body strength and, if you want, will also give you great aerobic endurance.

There are only 3 exercises in this routine. The first 2 will give you upper-body strength (as well as endurance) and the last one will give you aerobic endurance (as well as power and strength).

But there's also something else that will help you to build up your endurace-speed. The faster you move from exercise to exercise with this routine (or any routine, for that matter), with little rest, the better you build your cardiovascular system.

You may not be able to speed through 3-7 cycles of this routine non-stop, but you will in a few weeks. For now, just do 1 or 2 cycles (and don't go so fast, make sure you take time to really master the technique). And if you'd like more, be sure to check out my new bodyweight exercise report.

These are great for developing wide back strength, and eventually endurance.

1.Start in the position you see me in above. Notice that my arms are as extended as they can be and that my body is as straight as possible. You don't have to cross your legs, but I do so to keep myself hanging in the air; that way, I really force myself to rely on the strength of my muscles without assistance from the ground.

2.Keep in mind that this is the position you should return to between repetitions. I've seen people do chin-ups and pull-ups, and they sort of "cheat" because they don't come back all the way down like you see me in the above picture. In other words, they still have their elbows bent, and are sort of going ½ to ¾ way down, and not really exercising through the full range of motion.

3. As you see in the picture just above, you have to lift yourself up so that your chin is above the bar. Then, slowly bring yourself down to your starting position. (Now, I must admit that my buddy and I were a bit out of synch when the picture was taken, but I did have my chin above the bar.)

This is one you should try for a challenge. It really builds strength and balance when you do it the way I describe to you. Now let me caution you that you may only be able to do 1 or 2 at first, but keep at it, and soon, you'll be doing 10, 15, and even more.

1. First, it's important to know that you need to start with a good base. Unlike the normal 2-handed push-up, with this one, you only have 3 points of contact instead of 4, so to keep your balance, you need to spread your two feet and your working hand into a triangular pattern. This will keep you from rolling to the right or left. Keep your non-working hand behind you.

2. Now, look at the picture below. I've gone down, but notice that I've tried to keep my shoulders paralell with each other: one shoulder isn't lower to the ground than the other. This is important, because at first, I tended to "cheat" by dropping the non-working shoulder. That way, I'd reach the ground earlier and without going through the full range of motion.

3. When you do this-and yes, it is challenging-keep in mind that you don't want to let your knees touch the floor. Your working arm bears the load. Then, come back up and repeat one or two more times.

4. Keep in mind not to hold your breath when you do this. Breathe forcefully if you have to, but don't hold your breath.

These are a 5-count, or 5-part, exercise. (Make sure the ceiling is high enough: you'll be jumping with your hands toward the ceiling in the last part of the exercise.)

Okay, start in the standing position.

1. Now, drop into a croutching postion with your hands on the floor...

2.Then shoot your feet out behind you, so that you end up in the standard push-up position.

3. Do a push-up...

4. Quickly pull your legs back into the squatting position with your hands on the floor.

5. Jump from the position above...back to the starting position below...

Keep in mind, as you get to remember these 5 steps, you're doing this fast. It's as much an aerobic exercise as it is a strength- and endurance-building one. Also, as far as keeping the rhythm goes, you can actually think of this as a 6-count exercise, since the push-up/press-up phase can actually count as 2 movements (the downl and the up). So this is how it counts:

"One..." down into your croutch

"...two..." shoot your legs into the push-up/press-up position

"...three..." down (push-up/press-up phase where you lower your body)

"...four..." up (push-up/press-up phase where you're pushing yourself up)

"...five..." snap your legs back into your croutch

"...six" jump up with you hands and arms fully extended, reaching for the sky.

When I was writing this article, I saw a guy doing something that I think you'd really like to try, especially if you want to develop great leg power, incredible cardiovasuclar endurance and a strong heart.

And it's appropriate that I tell you about it here because what he was doing is a a portion of the burpee I just showed you.

Okay, it was this: he just kept shooting his legs out, and snapping them back into the croutching position.

That is, he started in the croutching position, shot his legs out, and then right back in.

Out, in, out, in.

Over and over he went.

Try that sometime...

...And if you want more, here are 3 more bodyweight exercises.

If you're into wikis, check out the Bodyweight Exercise wiki.