The no-gym beach body

Take a vacation from the weights and sculpt your best beach body ever using only your body weight

- SEAN HYSON

You don't have to spend your summer days inside of a dark, musty gym to build a head-turning physique. Simple body-weight training can be done anywhere, so scrap the dingy gym and focus on sculpting a lean and muscular body.

The Original Workout Machine

Every lift that uses your own body weight for resistance is "closed chain". That means that either your hands or feet are in contact with a surface you're exerting force on, be it a pull-up bar, tree limb, rock, or the ground beneath you. Because the force is being applied to a fixed point (i.e., the ground isn't moving), you'll need more muscles to stabilise your body than you do on an open-chain exercise, in which your hands or feet move freely. This is one reason why a squat is more effective than a leg extension, and why a push-up not only is a good chest builder but also trains the shoulders, back, arms, and core, too. With more muscle mass activation comes a greater metabolic boost, making bodyweight exercises a great tool for fat loss.