Is anyone out there doing bodyweight training and gaining mass?

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Replies

  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    JoRocka wrote: »
    aelunyu wrote: »
    SideSteel wrote: »
    I see a lot of people around who are into barbell training, machines and whatnot. It makes me wonder if that is the only way to put on the mass.

    No, it's not the only way to put on mass. Bodyweight training can indeed work.

    Muscles respond to stimulus. If you can provide adequate stimulus AND you can increase that stimulus over the course of time and you provide the muscle with enough fuel, it will grow, basically.

    Yup! But to take that point further, you'll have to consider the fact that bodyweight training is the least efficient way to put on mass over the long term. At some point doing pushups and bodyweight dips and pullups is going to give you diminishing returns!

    that is not correct.

    it is the least STUDIED- and least PROMOTED.

    But it is not the least effective.

    Sigh- I'm sad waldo isn't here any more.

    http://strengthunbound.com/

    Waldo used to be biggest name here on body weight progression- he was living proof-especially as an aging man- it was still more than possible.
    it is difficult- and barbell training is more accessible to the masses- but its' not impossible and it's not really inefficient if you're willing to do the work.

    I have been reading a lot of his posts recently, especially the one about bulking, which recommends a surplus of about 400-500 (!) calories for guys. I'd be pretty content with strength and a physique like Waldo's. I'll see how far I can take it with my tiny frame after increasing my intake for a while. I noticed that he stopped updating in 2014 and made an isolated Facebook post in 2015. What's he up to now?

    Unsure honestly- he probably has a contact you could reach out- I have been hit or miss on following up with friends on MFP- but I haven't seen him in here in at least a few years. He was still tracking/posting so I saw him commenting on my news "Feed" but I haven't seen hide nor hair of him- you could email him- super nice guy- probably get back to you if the email is up to date!
  • s3rialthrill3r
    s3rialthrill3r Posts: 49 Member
    JoRocka wrote: »
    JoRocka wrote: »
    aelunyu wrote: »
    SideSteel wrote: »
    I see a lot of people around who are into barbell training, machines and whatnot. It makes me wonder if that is the only way to put on the mass.

    No, it's not the only way to put on mass. Bodyweight training can indeed work.

    Muscles respond to stimulus. If you can provide adequate stimulus AND you can increase that stimulus over the course of time and you provide the muscle with enough fuel, it will grow, basically.

    Yup! But to take that point further, you'll have to consider the fact that bodyweight training is the least efficient way to put on mass over the long term. At some point doing pushups and bodyweight dips and pullups is going to give you diminishing returns!

    that is not correct.

    it is the least STUDIED- and least PROMOTED.

    But it is not the least effective.

    Sigh- I'm sad waldo isn't here any more.

    http://strengthunbound.com/

    Waldo used to be biggest name here on body weight progression- he was living proof-especially as an aging man- it was still more than possible.
    it is difficult- and barbell training is more accessible to the masses- but its' not impossible and it's not really inefficient if you're willing to do the work.

    I have been reading a lot of his posts recently, especially the one about bulking, which recommends a surplus of about 400-500 (!) calories for guys. I'd be pretty content with strength and a physique like Waldo's. I'll see how far I can take it with my tiny frame after increasing my intake for a while. I noticed that he stopped updating in 2014 and made an isolated Facebook post in 2015. What's he up to now?

    Unsure honestly- he probably has a contact you could reach out- I have been hit or miss on following up with friends on MFP- but I haven't seen him in here in at least a few years. He was still tracking/posting so I saw him commenting on my news "Feed" but I haven't seen hide nor hair of him- you could email him- super nice guy- probably get back to you if the email is up to date!

    Thanks, I'll be sure to email him when I have any questions. I know your profile is exploding with friends right now but, do you mind if I send a friend request your way?
  • subcounter
    subcounter Posts: 2,382 Member
    Honestly it really depends on how you interpret mass. If you have a low percentage of fat, and have some muscles, you would look "jacked" with 6-8 packs, and defined muscles, compared to a regular joe, or even compared to a muscular guy with higher fat percentage.

    I think bodyweight training is extremely useful and efficient in certain body parts. For example:
    Chin-ups, or other variations of it like pull-ups: biceps, rear delts, all the muscles involving your thoracic extension
    Dips : chest, shoulders, triceps
    You can add weights doing these, and look really "jacked" and gain a lot of mass. They are natural movements we do too, climbing etc.

    Now do I think you can make "more mass" than a body builder doing isolated moves with weights that can focus on any part of the body? Absolutely not.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    subcounter wrote: »
    You can add weights doing these, and look really "jacked" and gain a lot of mass. .

    No one gains " a lot of mass" especially not doing body weight exercises.
  • subcounter
    subcounter Posts: 2,382 Member
    subcounter wrote: »
    You can add weights doing these, and look really "jacked" and gain a lot of mass. .

    No one gains " a lot of mass" especially not doing body weight exercises.

    ? I don't understand that sentence. You're saying you cant gain a lot of mass not doing body weight exercises? Uhhhm, I guess years of research and papers regarding bodybuilding is garbage ?
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
    subcounter wrote: »
    subcounter wrote: »
    You can add weights doing these, and look really "jacked" and gain a lot of mass. .

    No one gains " a lot of mass" especially not doing body weight exercises.

    ? I don't understand that sentence. You're saying you cant gain a lot of mass not doing body weight exercises? Uhhhm, I guess years of research and papers regarding bodybuilding is garbage ?

    ?
    I translate his sentence to mean: you will not gain a lot of body mass doing bodyweight exercises.
    @trigden1991 please could you elaborate? As a newbie who is currently only doing bodyweight,I'm interested in learning more!
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    I do body weight training almost exclusively due to previous back injuries (and surgeries) and knee injuries (also surgeries) that have left me unable to lift heavy in a lot of ways. Progress is slow but it is there. I expect it to take a couple of years to be where I want to be, a heavy lifter might get there in 6 months to a year. Part of the problem is that I stay at maintenance level for recomp, I noticed better gains if I spend a month or two bulking but I generally do very short bulks and even then only 5-10% surplus of calories because I don't want to gain a lot of fat with the muscle. However, even with 90% of my training being body weight only, I have been able to build muscle, just not a ton of it. Once you get to the point that you can do push ups, pull ups, body weight squats, etc. without much effort progress stops unless you modify those exercises to add more weight (you can do this somewhat with positioning, but they do make weight you can wear).
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,373 MFP Moderator
    subcounter wrote: »
    subcounter wrote: »
    You can add weights doing these, and look really "jacked" and gain a lot of mass. .

    No one gains " a lot of mass" especially not doing body weight exercises.

    ? I don't understand that sentence. You're saying you cant gain a lot of mass not doing body weight exercises? Uhhhm, I guess years of research and papers regarding bodybuilding is garbage ?

    ?
    I translate his sentence to mean: you will not gain a lot of body mass doing bodyweight exercises.
    @trigden1991 please could you elaborate? As a newbie who is currently only doing bodyweight,I'm interested in learning more!

    This is the way I take it, and I don't believe it. Any program designed to provide progressive overload can improve body composition and help you gain muscle. Remember, the body responds to a stimulus, not necessarily a specific load. You definitely won't become as strong as the equivalent person using a barbell, but you can still see strength gains.
  • comptonelizabeth
    comptonelizabeth Posts: 1,701 Member
    psuLemon wrote: »
    subcounter wrote: »
    subcounter wrote: »
    You can add weights doing these, and look really "jacked" and gain a lot of mass. .

    No one gains " a lot of mass" especially not doing body weight exercises.

    ? I don't understand that sentence. You're saying you cant gain a lot of mass not doing body weight exercises? Uhhhm, I guess years of research and papers regarding bodybuilding is garbage ?

    ?
    I translate his sentence to mean: you will not gain a lot of body mass doing bodyweight exercises.
    @trigden1991 please could you elaborate? As a newbie who is currently only doing bodyweight,I'm interested in learning more!

    This is the way I take it, and I don't believe it. Any program designed to provide progressive overload can improve body composition and help you gain muscle. Remember, the body responds to a stimulus, not necessarily a specific load. You definitely won't become as strong as the equivalent person using a barbell, but you can still see strength gains.

    I see - thanks for clarifying!
  • Gallowmere1984
    Gallowmere1984 Posts: 6,626 Member
    edited February 2017
    psuLemon wrote: »
    subcounter wrote: »
    subcounter wrote: »
    You can add weights doing these, and look really "jacked" and gain a lot of mass. .

    No one gains " a lot of mass" especially not doing body weight exercises.

    ? I don't understand that sentence. You're saying you cant gain a lot of mass not doing body weight exercises? Uhhhm, I guess years of research and papers regarding bodybuilding is garbage ?

    ?
    I translate his sentence to mean: you will not gain a lot of body mass doing bodyweight exercises.
    @trigden1991 please could you elaborate? As a newbie who is currently only doing bodyweight,I'm interested in learning more!

    This is the way I take it, and I don't believe it. Any program designed to provide progressive overload can improve body composition and help you gain muscle. Remember, the body responds to a stimulus, not necessarily a specific load. You definitely won't become as strong as the equivalent person using a barbell, but you can still see strength gains.

    Considering that a lot of bodybuilders use some hilariously light weights for stupid high amounts of reps, I honestly can't see where extremely high-rep bodyweight work would be much different, especially if extra resistance is eventually added via vests, though technically it's not bodyweight anymore.
  • trigden1991
    trigden1991 Posts: 4,658 Member
    Apologies for my poor grammar! Yes I meant that I don't believe that you can gain "lots of mass" doing bodyweight exercises only.

    I'm Not saying that they have no place within a workout programme though!
  • ThatSillyCat
    ThatSillyCat Posts: 12 Member
    Gimsteinn wrote: »
    I started working only with body weight in pole fitness. It did wonders for me. But then I wanted to add more so I started lifting to and then the progress really began

    Similar story here: I'm a girl and I started off with krav maga and Freeletics, which gave me strength, but little definition, even though I'm quite skinny.
    I started a bodybuilding program a month ago, and it's slowly paying off.
    It all depends what you're after, I guess.