bodyweight excercises vs lifting heavy

sunshinesaltwater
sunshinesaltwater Posts: 13
in Fitness and Exercise
Question :
Ideally I want the body that lifting heavy produces.
However, I have zero funds to join a gym (and honestly $ is so tight right now I cannot even purchase some dumbbells for home)
.

So, what kind of results (in both strength and physical appearance) can I expect to see from no-equipment / bodyweight moves.
Are there some that will yield better results than others?

Tips or advice on how to get a muscular appearance with just using body weight?
Is it possible at all?

Replies

  • BarackMeLikeAHurricane
    BarackMeLikeAHurricane Posts: 3,400 Member
    There are body weight programs like "you are your own gym" and "convict conditioning" that will yield good results. Obviously being able to lift is better, but body weight stuff is better than nothing.
  • carchie94
    carchie94 Posts: 45
    It is easier to make lifting weights more challenging just by adding additional weight. It is a bit more complicated to make bodyweight exercises more difficult.

    Since I don't like the school gym, and I canceled my PF membership last week, I do bodyweight exercise.

    That's push-ups, chin-ups, squats... etc... Then you move on to diamond push ups, pull ups, one leg squats...

    There's a book, Convict Conditioning, that I read a while ago. I haven't started the program, but it looks pretty good, IMO.

    I'm unsure what look you'd get, though. I'd also say neither is better than the other. Just depends on how much effort you want to put into it, really.
  • cats847
    cats847 Posts: 131
    I agree with the post above. Don't underestimate the power of bodyweight exercise.
  • Ainar
    Ainar Posts: 858 Member
    You have to increase resistance. For example if in gym you would do bench press for like 8 reps, and then when it becomes easy for you and you can do 12 reps you add weight so you could do only 8 reps again. Pretty simple.

    When training with body weight and doing push ups you can also add resistance. Simply elevate your legs and it will be harder. Elevate both legs and keep only one leg on ground and it will be even more harder. Do pus ups with only one arm and it will be even more harder. Do them with one arm and one leg, etc. You are increasing resistance just like in gym by weight, only here you are changing balance point of your body weight.

    Another example would be pull ups for back and biceps. You can do them with both arms, you can do them with one arm. You can take a heavy backpack full with books or water bottles, anything that's heavy, and put it on your back while doing pull ups... or push ups. Just stick to usual rep range what is 5 - 12 and increase weight with time.
  • hyper_stitch
    hyper_stitch Posts: 180 Member
    As justsomerando mentioned 'you are your own gym' there's a free app if you have a device to download on to, it's not the full program but worth checking out to give you some direction :smile:
  • campi_mama
    campi_mama Posts: 350 Member
    Bodeefit.com

    They email you free daily workouts with body weight exercises with links for proper form. Love it!
  • RunningForeverMama
    RunningForeverMama Posts: 261 Member
    I live in the sticks, too far from a gym. I am having great success with the book, Body by You (same author as You are Your Own Gym). You can also try maxcapacitytraining.com .
  • sunshinesaltwater
    sunshinesaltwater Posts: 13
    Thanks everyone- some great info. Definately going to check out that book.

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