Once a parkour athlete has mastered basic bodyweight exercises such as squats, pull ups, and push ups, it is time to start considering the addition of weightlifting to your workouts. In many ways, weightlifting is the antithesis of parkour. Weightlifting requires special equipment, lacks creativity, and is mostly limited to specialized gyms. However, there is no denying the fact that weightlifting can increase strength and power like nothing else. When done right, weightlifting is a powerful supplement to your parkour and plyometric training; it will increase your jumps, fortify your landings, and boost your climbing to new heights.

Some people are afraid to get into weight training because they think it will make them slow, heavy, and inflexible. On the contrary, olympic lifters are some of the most explosive, mobile, and fastest athletes on the planet. If you focus on the correct exercises, weights will enhance your athletic ability. As an athlete, you are generally wasting your time if you do isolation exercises (exercises that isolate a single muscle) like biceps curls, leg extensions, and chest flies. Stick to the compound exercises (exercises that work many muscle groups together) you see below and reap the benefits that weightlifting can offer. Looking for even more on the subject? Check out my book, Parkour Strength Training.