Burn with Kearns: No equipment? No Problem – Kevin Kearns

by Kevin Kearns, owner Burn with Kearns, contributing writer

Sometimes people have a tendency to forget the best piece of fitness equipment out there is your own body.  I have been around martial arts and strength training for over 37 years now. It’s great to have all this fancy equipment around. Believe me, I used to get all “jacked” when I walked into a gym and all you could see where rows and rows of equipment. It would remind you of walking into an airplane hanger and seeing F-15’s as far as the eye could see. In the end, however, using your own body weight is a time tested and proven formula. It has been around since the dawn of man. The military uses it and some of the best fighters in the world use body weight exercises. You may ask why do these elite people use bodyweight exercises?  I will give you 5 simple reasons.

1. Portable (your body is always with you) 

2. Reliable (it does need a lot of maintenance, just feed and water it regularly)

3. Functional (you make exercises that mimic your activity)

4. Ease of use ( \no need to read a fancy manual)

5. No rules (the possibility of exercises is endless)

With a little inspiration and a lot of perspiration (Albert Estein quote), you can get a great workout just like a fighter. Just remember 4 simple concepts – we move in 4 basic ways. Here they are – locomotion, level change, rotation, and push/pull. If you want to work your muscles effectively and efficiently, remember to exercise with that in mind.

In this article I will show you my top 5 body weight exercises, that I have used for my pro fighter clients, such as UFC lightweight contender Kenny Florian,  Stephan Bonnar, Kurt Pellegrino, Marcus  Davis, Nate Quarry, Daniel Gracie, Patrick Cote, Alberto Crane, Jorge Gurgel, Spencer Fisher, and WEC fighter Alex Karalexis.

1. Exercise one is The Squat. The reason I start with a leg exercise is because it’s generally the first thing to go in a fight. It makes ups 50% of your body!
   1. Body weight squat beginner – 1. stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder with apart. 2. keep the weight on the on the heels as you sit into your glutes. 3. lower your body and keep your head up. 4. go as low as your flexibility allows and then return to start position. Rep range 20 to 100, if you want to be evil.
   2. Body weight squat intermediate – 1. stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder with apart. 2. as the same as above 3. same as above 4. as you come up out of the squat you are going step laterally and squat again 5. you will be moving sideways as you squat. Rep range 20 to 30.
   3. Body weight squat advanced. Now we are going to try a one legged squat. 1. Stand one foot and elevate the other leg. 2. place a chair if needed behind you, squat down until your butt hits the chair. 3. return to top position. Rep range 5 to 20.

2. Exercise 2 is The pushup. Pushups are as much about upper body strength as they are about core strength.
   1. place your hands under your shoulders and your knees off the ground. 2. keep your head up as you lower your chest down to the ground keeping your back straight. 3. push off the ground and return to top position. Rep range 10-100.
   2. Push up intermediate. This time we are going to add a laterally component to it, same as the squat. Same as above 1 thru 3, then you are going to move your hands and feet laterally as you push up again. Rep range 10 to 20 left and 10 to 20 right.
   3. Push up advanced. Follow the same principles as beginner the difference is as you push up you will lift one arm off the ground and rotate your body. The end motion is that arm will be facing the ceiling now and repeat on the other side. Rep range 10-20.

3. Exercise 3 Chin Ups. Chin ups are one the most important exercises. You need to be able to pull your own body weight as well as push! If no chin up bar is available go to a local playground and use the monkey bars or top of a door will do. You will not like the later.
   1. Chin-ups beginner 1. place your hands about shoulder with on the bar. 2. place a chair behind you if need to decrease body weight. 3. raise your body up and chin above the bar. Rep range 5 -10.
   2. Chin-ups intermediate mixed grip 1. place one hand over and one hand under on the bar. 2. pull your self up and try to touch your chin over the bar. 3. return to start position. rep range 10-15.  
   3. Advanced chin-ups 1. place a towel or gi top over the bar or bars. 2. grasp the towel or gi.  3. pull your self up to the bar.  Rep range 5-10.

4. Exercise 4 Lunges. Lunges are great for the legs and your wind. 1. step forward with one leg as you leave the other leg behind. 2. bend your front knee and make sure it does not pass your toes. 3. lower your body so the back knee almost touches the floor. 4. explosively, as if stepping on a nail, push back to start position. Repeat on both legs for 10 to 20 reps.
   1. intermediate lunges. Now you are going to move in a different plane. 1. step outside ways with one foot. 2. sit into that leg that you stepped out with. 3. lower your body to your own flexibility. 4. push off and  back to start position. repeat on both legs for 10 to 20 reps.
   2. intermediate lunges. Rotational lunges. 1. step out and on a  diagonal towards the corners the room. 2. rotate the foot that is left behind. 3. bend your front knee as you lower your body towards the ground. 4. push off and back to start position. Rep range 10-20.

5. Exercise 5 prone walk outs beginner. This is a core killer.  a. place your hands and knees on the ground. 2. lean forward so your body is at a 45 degree angle. 3. keeping your core tight walk your hands forward until your face almost touches the ground. 4. return your hands to the start position. 5 to 10 is the rep range.
   1. Prone walk outs advanced. Now it gets interesting. 1. hands in the same position except this time your knees will not be on the ground. 2. you are in a push up like position. 3. walk the hands forward until your face almost touches the ground. 4. return the hands to start position. rep range 10-15.
   2. Prone walk outs advanced . this is the same as the above, except one foot is off the ground! these are not that fun. Rep range 5-8.

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Kearns is hosting a fundraiser to help remove the stigma of mental illness. More information can be found by visiting  https://gofund.me/5a15b749.

Both of Coach Kearns’ books may be purchased on www.Amazon.com. For more information about Coach Kevin Kearns, including scheduling speaking engagements and classes (both online and in person), please contact him at 508-404-8503 or [email protected].

Coach Kevin Kearns has been coaching in the world of fitness, nutrition, and tactical self defense for over 3 decades. As the former conditioning coach to 15 UFC Pro Fighters, and ranked in the Top 5 in the UFC , he is no stranger to the the importance of proper nutrition and proper mindset programming. He has long advocated to all his clients – athletes or the general population – about the importance of programming mind, body and spirit. 

Coach Kevin Kearns BS FMS CPT – Former conditioning coach to 15 UFC Pros Ranked in Top 5 by the UFC Personal Fitness Coach, Author, Columnist, Motivational Speaker, Corporate Wellness Consultant, Youth Wellness Program Provider, Certification Specialist, Personal Self Defense, and Law Enforcement Defensive Tactics Specialist Www.BurnWithKearns.com