18 "I" Bodyweight Workouts For Full Body Strength and Fat Loss

Introduction to Workouts That Start With "I"

When it comes to getting in shape and improving your fitness, often the simplest approaches are the most effective. Bodyweight exercises require no equipment other than your own body and can be performed virtually anywhere. Many excellent bodyweight workouts just happen to start with the letter "I," making them easy to remember.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore 18 fantastic bodyweight workouts starting with the letter "I" to help you get fit and healthy. From classic moves like pushups to more advanced exercises like the iron cross, these diverse workouts target all the major muscle groups in your body.

The Benefits of "I" Workouts

Bodyweight workouts are renowned for providing the following excellent benefits:

• Build strength
• Improve cardiovascular fitness
• Burn calories and fat
• Enhance flexibility
• Prevent injuries
• Easy to perform anywhere

Furthermore, the intuitive "I" naming convention makes these workouts easy to remember and integrate into your fitness regimen. Whether you are a beginner looking to get started or a seasoned pro seeking new challenges, these incredible "I" workouts offer something for everyone.

Upper Body "I" Workouts

The following "I" exercises provide phenomenal full upper body training without any equipment required.

Inverted Row

The inverted row predominantly targets the lats, biceps, and upper back. To perform:

1. Take an underhand grip on a sturdy horizontal bar at hip height
2. Hang underneath the bar with arms and legs fully extended
3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull chest towards the bar
4. Slowly lower back to the start under control

Inchworm Pushup

The inchworm pushup is a dynamic exercise working both upper and lower body. Here is how to complete it:

1. Start standing with feet together and hands on the floor
2. Walk hands forward while keeping legs straight until in a pushup position
3. Perform one pushup
4. Walk hands back towards feet until upright

This exercise engages nearly all major muscle groups in one fluid motion.

Iron Cross

The iron cross is an intense advanced calisthenics move requiring full body tension:

1. From rings or pullup bar, hold body horizontally using straight arm strength
2. Engage core, glutes, arms and shoulders to stabilize parallel to the floor
3. Brace entire body while balancing without swinging

The iron cross is renowned for building exceptional upper body stability and strength.

Core "I" Exercises

Carving out 6-pack abs or a strong midsection? These "I" core moves should definitely be in your routine:

Incline Situp

Adding an incline increases intensity of the classic situp exercise. Perform as follows:

1. Lie with shoulders on inclined bench, holding stabilized bar/rack behind head
2. With feet anchored, flex spine to raise torso towards thighs
3. Slowly lower under control back to bench

Focus on pulling from the abdominals rather than straining the neck.

Isometric Side Plank

The side plank strengthens obliques tremendously. Engage as follows:

1. Balance on one side, with forearm and hip on the floor
2. Create straight rigid line from head to feet by contracting entire core
3. Hold solid plank position without allowing hips or middle to sag

Maintain good breathing patterns rather than holding breath.

Lower Body "I" Exercises

Sculpting incredible legs or a firm butt? Include these must-do "I" lower body exercises:

Inchworm Squat

The inchworm squat integrates core strength with lower body movement:

1. Assume pushup position with hands and toes on floor
2. Walk feet towards hands until in squat stand
3. Stand up from squat back to pushup position

Focus on keeping back flat and engaged throughout motion.

Ice Skaters

Ice skaters mimic a dynamic side-to-side skating movement to blast legs and glutes:

1. Take wide sideways stance with feet
2. Push explosively off one leg crossing behind opposite leg
3. Land laterally on other foot with knee bent as if skating

Increase intensity by jumping higher sideways and pushing more powerfully off each stride.

Isometric Wall Squat

Wall squats build tremendous lower body endurance. Simply perform by:

1. Slide back down wall until thighs are parallel to floor
2. Hold this seated squatted position as long as capable without sliding down further by engaging quads and glutes

Work towards holding for 60 seconds or more as you build strength.

Integrated "I" Workouts

Once you have perfected the individual "I" exercises separately, combine them into supersets or circuits to take your training to the next level.

Some excellent full body "I" workout combinations include:

• Circuit of inchworm pushup, incline situp and inchworm squat x 3-5 rounds
• Superset inverted row with side plank x 4-6 sets
• Giant set of iron cross, ice skaters and isometric wall sit x 10-15 reps each

Get creative mixing and matching the "I" exercises above into challenging routines that suit your personal training goals and ability level.

Final Thoughts

Integrating several of these tremendous calisthenics "I" workouts into your regular training regimen is sure to give fantastic fitness results all year round. Their intuitive letter association ensures you will always remember how to perform them properly even when training outdoors away from the gym.

Bodyweight training helps develop a mind-muscle connection and proprioception that complements all other training modalities wonderfully.

So next time you plan a workout, look no further than this list of 18 incredible "I" exercises that offer a full fitness solution for minimal equipment required!

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.