Is it possible without lifting?

f1redshoes

I'm almost at the goal I'd set for myself for losing fat so I'm starting to plan for gaining muscle. I'm a dancer and I've never had any trouble gaining muscle in my legs just through dance, but it's more my upper body (abs particularly) that I'm most interested in adding muscle to.

My only problem is that almost everything I read goes on about having to lift weights, and that's currently not really a viable option. 2008, I tore the muscle that holds my shoulder blade to my body. Late 2012 saw me landing a vault (gymnastics) at speed and from a height onto my neck. I'd had no physio for the first injury so the second one screwed up my shoulder and neck further still. I've since had physio but I'm still not at full strength and I still get pain and stiffness if I've been lifting anything heavier than a few pounds.

I do as much bodyweight-based work as I can for gymnastics conditioning. Handstands, pushups, a myriad of exercises hanging from the higher bar of the uneven bars, tumbling, levers and so on. I've also been doing ab workouts on apps on my phone and the Jillian Michaels one. On top of this, I've still got an hour or two of the conditioning side of dance as I work back up from a different injury. I can work with a 2lb weight on my bad arm for a short time, and often do barrework like that to try and strengthen those muscles.

My question is this: is that going to be enough to gain muscle, provided I'm doing everything right on the food side of things? I just keep being told (and reading everywhere) that I need to be lifting "properly" to gain muscle rather than just putting it all on in fat, and I don't want to embark on the journey if all I'm going to do is gain back the fat I've just lost with no muscle along with it. I've seen from the past that ballet, jazz and tap alone were enough to gain a good amount of leg muscle so I'm hoping this isn't entirely outwith the realms of possiblity.

meshashesha2012

if you can do handstands and pushups then you can also do bench presses and overhead presses.

in order to gain muscle you need to progressively overload the muscle which means you have to put more weight on it. you can check out books like you are your own gym which will give good ideas on how to progressively make body weight exercises tougher

f1redshoes

Would handstands etc while wearing ankle/wrist weight or a weighted vest be any sort of alternative? It's holding things above my head that is the big problem and it REALLY hurts, and in an "I should stop before I tear something again" way rather than a "workout/burn" sort of way. I can hold my own weight upside down, I just can't lift things and hold them up.

mikeroybal

Do you have access to a physical therapist. From the description of your injuries I think the best advice I can offer is to consult a Doctor. She/he might refer you to an orthopedist or Physical Therapy.

Aknw1

I honestly don't think that lifting is the only way to get abs- I had abs- not six packs but nice abs, with just doing body weight exercises- but I gained weight so now I can't see them, I suppose it also depends on body type, and if you want to be ripped or not- plus your a dancer- dancing requires lots of core strength doesn't it? so I would assume that you probably do have abs. I would think that what you are doing will work.

The_Enginerd

Would handstands etc while wearing ankle/wrist weight or a weighted vest be any sort of alternative? It's holding things above my head that is the big problem and it REALLY hurts, and in an "I should stop before I tear something again" way rather than a "workout/burn" sort of way. I can hold my own weight upside down, I just can't lift things and hold them up.

I'm guess by handstands, you mean just standing, not a handstand pushup. Because an OHP is almost the same movement, just with you standing up. Just doing a handstand isn't really an alternative, you need to be moving something.
I'd start with a doctor about the injury, and if necessary, you will have to cut out that lift and try alternates.

f1redshoes

Do you have access to a physical therapist. From the description of your injuries I think the best advice I can offer is to consult a Doctor. She/he might refer you to an orthopedist or Physical Therapy.

The physio I had took a year to get, after arguments back and forth with GPs and so on. Finally occupational health at my new job at the time managed to get me an NHS referral. I've already been discharged as "oh, we fixed your range of motion" (never mind that it's still screwed compared to how it used to be) and "you're not in constant agony so please go away" and I can't afford private sessions of any sort at the moment.

I honestly don't think that lifting is the only way to get abs- I had abs- not six packs but nice abs, with just doing body weight exercises- but I gained weight so now I can't see them, I suppose it also depends on body type, and if you want to be ripped or not- plus your a dancer- dancing requires lots of core strength doesn't it? so I would assume that you probably do have abs. I would think that what you are doing will work.

I did have abs, once upon a time, but after I left full-time training I was out for just over a year because I had to get a "normal" job to pay the bills. By the time I could start dancing again, I barely had any abs to speak of. Obviously I'd love to think they'll just come back once I'm dancing the right amount again, and that the addition of all the gymnastics stuff will have an impact because I'll be eating more (I mean, looking at olympic gymnasts - holy sixpack, Batman!) but I figured it was best to find that sort of thing out *before* I waste months on wishful thinking

f1redshoes

I'm guess by handstands, you mean just standing, not a handstand pushup. Because an OHP is almost the same movement, just with you standing up. Just doing a handstand isn't really an alternative, you need to be moving something.
I'd start with a doctor about the injury, and if necessary, you will have to cut out that lift and try alternates.

We do handstand pushups, handstand hops (I hate them but I'm good at them now), walking on hands up and down the gym, and I'm more of a forward tumbler so the same actions are applied in the tumbling I'm currently training. There's also pullups/chinups and various other hanging exercises. It doesn't feel too much of a strain, which is why I wondered if adding weights to any of them (which would be the natural progression anyway) would help in gaining muscle. Holding anything up, however, is a completely different strain and something my arm just isn't up to yet.

(see my post above in reply to someone about the injury side - I've already been discharged from normal physio because I could work an office job with my shoulder as-is, and I can't afford a private physio so a sports specialist is out of the question)

The_Enginerd

Since they are handstand pushups, then YES! Adding weight to a body weight exercise like pushup and handstand pushups is a perfectly acceptable substitution for OHP and bench press. To build muscle, it should be enough weight so you cannot do more than 12 reps. If you are able do 3 sets of 12 reps and still could have done more, add more weight next time! Pull ups are another great upper body exercise, and you can do those weighted as well if you are able to do that many.

ETA: Dips are a great upper body exercise too!

Abs are 90% made in the kitchen. Get your body fat low enough and they will show up. You sound like you are already doing PLENTY of work to work your core.

The_Enginerd

I'll also add for others seeing this, to build muscle it's about doing RESISTANCE training with progressive loads in the right rep range and eating at a surplus with enough protein. You don't necessary have to lift weights if that is not an option. There are things out there like You Are Your Own Gym which are body weight exercises.

mikeroybal

I'll also add for others seeing this, to build muscle it's about doing RESISTANCE training with progressive loads in the right rep range and eating at a surplus with enough protein. You don't necessary have to lift weights if that is not an option. There are things out there like You Are Your Own Gym which are body weight exercises.

I agree with this. also it might seem weird but look up prison workouts on youtube. There are a lot of examples of exercises with out the use of weights.

yogicarl

I'm surprised you haven't already got the muscular body you are aiming for if you can do handstand pushups and walk on your hands. Just keep doing what you're doing.

Could you also do pull-ups now that you are at your ideal body weight - or would that be against your injury? I would look at doing some kind of pulling work to balance out the pushing. But no, you don't need weights to gain strength and/or muscle mass. Calisthenics and gymnastics at eh level you are pursuing are more than enough.

Have you considered doing something like Ashtanga Yoga as a supplement to your calisthenics work?

f1redshoes

I graduated in 2009 and went from 30+ hours a week of dance and exercise to about 2hrs of non-dance exercise. I also had some stuff to deal with that meant I was just eating whatever I wanted - my go-to foods are always carbs so I wasn't eating much protein. My body still seemed to be in training mode so I guess I was no longer eating enough for it. Most of the weight I lost was muscle, and the majority seemed to be from my abs. They're *strong* again now, but not very big.

My legs, on the other hand, are a couple of pounds of fat loss away from looking like the pictures I've been dreaming of looking like since I was a kid! I already have all the muscle I need or want there. My arms are fairly decent too, but they're smaller than they used to be, so I reckon I'll get the rest of that size back pretty quickly.

So yeah, that's the jist of it there. Lost weight almost entirely in abs, somehow, and never quite got them back.

I do bits of yoga from time to time, but as I do so much stretching anyway it's hard to find the time and I can't really fit in a class at the moment.

steve0820

Since they are handstand pushups, then YES! Adding weight to a body weight exercise like pushup and handstand pushups is a perfectly acceptable substitution for OHP and bench press. To build muscle, it should be enough weight so you cannot do more than 12 reps. If you are able do 3 sets of 12 reps and still could have done more, add more weight next time! Pull ups are another great upper body exercise, and you can do those weighted as well if you are able to do that many.

ETA: Dips are a great upper body exercise too!

Abs are 90% made in the kitchen. Get your body fat low enough and they will show up. You sound like you are already doing PLENTY of work to work your core.

This^^^

As stated above, abs are made in the kitchen, having a low enough calorie deficit to burn that layer of fat on top of those abs.

People tend to forget that resistance is resistance, and the iron is not the only way to gain muscle. I incorporate both in my routines. There a tons of bodyweight variations to keep anyone busy to gain muscle.

Push up/push up variations
Pull up/pull up variations
Chin ups/chin up variations
Dips
Muscle ups
Pistols
Squats/squat variations
L-sits
Planks
Burpees

weighted vest helps to add some resistance or a backpack

trainingman123

Pick one of the core strongman 5x5 exercises you can do. There are about 8, but the best for oval core and recovery is dead lifts or squats. See if they hurt you, start with only the bar. Then slowly increase by max 5lbs at a time. You will amaze yourself. Good luck.