Bodyweight strength training is exactly that, using the weight of your own body to develop physical strength. Not only will you be stronger and healthier, there’s a bonus: You’ll have toned muscles that’ll make you stand out from the crowd once it’s safe to go out and start socializing again.

The top two tips from sports practitioners for beginners are: one, learn the correct technique, and two, start slow. The second tip fits today’s context, as we still have plenty of time ahead to tone our muscles.

“There are plenty of types of weight training that strengthen different parts of the body, including the upper body and our core. These workouts include push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, planks and many more. Before you start doing them at home, make sure you use the right technique to avoid injury,” Teuku Aufra Maretto, a certified fitness trainer and member of the Indonesian Fitness Trainers Association (APKI), told The Jakarta Post.

“There is plenty of information on how to do these exercises on the net. The challenge is to find information that is accurate,” Teuku said, suggesting beginners to watch video tutorials on APKI’s official YouTube channel, under Asosiasi Pelatih Kebugaran Indonesia.

Teuku also offers some tips on his Instagram account, @marettoaufra.

As for starting slow, medical exercise specialist Sophia Hage advises beginners to avoid pushing themselves too hard.

“Try doing one set of workouts first. Let’s say one set of push-ups has 10 reps. [Complete one set], then take a break for 15 seconds, and if you feel tired already, just end the [workout] session,” she said.

Sophia also noted that people often pushed themselves too hard because they compared themselves to other people.

Mumtaza Rizky, a 23-year-old university student in Surabaya, East Java, applies this advice. “Sometimes I feel tired after doing five push-ups and I feel that’s enough,” he said.

Teuku also said that beginners could also modify exercises to make them easier to do, which was one way of starting slow. For example, rather than trying to attempt a push-up starting in the fully extended, horizontal position on the floor, beginners could place their hands on a stable surface positioned higher than the floor, like on a sofa arm or a stair.

“Then, as your endurance and strength grow, you can lower the position of your [hands] bit by bit until you can do a fully [extended] push-up,” he said.

Teuku pointed out that people should do simple stretches before starting any workout.

“Dynamic stretches are more suitable for the body weight training. For instance, rotating your wrists. You can also find tutorials on how to do stretches on the APKI YouTube channel,” he said.

Starting safely: Some precautions before starting any exercise regimen

Jumping in headfirst is exactly what you don’t want to do with any new exercise regimen, even jogging.

Medical exercise specialist Sophia Hage advises beginners to consult your doctor first before starting any workout, including body weight strength training. This is especially so if you have hypertension, diabetes or high cholesterol, or if you are overweight.

“It doesn’t necessarily mean that you shouldn’t do resistance exercises if you have the following conditions. [But] you need to take care of some extra homework before starting your resistance sessions,” she cautions.

Sophia also stressed that this was general advice, and should by no means replace individual consultations with your private physician.

Keep in mind that the operative word here is “safely”, so see your doctor first before you get cracking – even if you don’t have any of these conditions!

Hypertension

When you do resistance training, your blood pressure rises each time your muscle contracts. This can spell trouble for people with hypertension, or high blood pressure, as it could cause your blood vessels to rupture. It can even be fatal if the blood vessels in your brain rupture. See your doctor first to get a professional evaluation on the safest way for you to exercise. The plus side is that regular exercise can help lower and control your blood pressure.

High cholesterol

People with high cholesterol may have fatty deposits in your blood vessels that obstruct blood flow. It is not advisable for people with high cholesterol to perform high-intensity resistance exercises, which significantly increase blood flow and circulation. Doing so with blocked vessels could result in dislodging blood clots that could become stuck somewhere else, a condition called thromboembolism. A blood clot that becomes lodged in the brain could be fatal. Again, see your doctor first for professional advice before you start exercising. As with hypertension, regular exercise can help lower and control your cholesterol level.

Diabetes

When people with diabetes exert themselves by exercising, they could develop hypoglycemia, also known as low blood sugar. This is because your muscles burn sugar for energy. The more you exercise, the more you need energy, so you could deplete your body’s sugar supply if you’re not careful. And just like driving a car with low fuel or an empty tank, it could have adverse effects on the entire system and cause a stall. In the human machine, this could be clumsiness, confusion or loss of consciousness, to name a few. Regular exercise can help people with insulin resistance and people with type-2 diabetes, but as always, see your doctor for the best way to start exercising and the best exercises for your specific condition.

Overweightness

People who are overweight are not necessarily obese, and both terms refer to people who are carrying more weight than is ideal for their height. But overweightness and obesity usually have with the other health conditions mentioned above. Another precaution is that when doing resistance exercises, you will be adding extra physical pressure that could exceed your strength and endurance levels and lead to injury. While regular exercise is a recommended way to help reduce weight in combination with a healthy diet, see your doctor first for the exercises you can start with. As your strength and endurance develop, go back to your doctor to see what other exercises you can add to your workouts.