List of exercises you do to gain muscle w/out weights?

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Makoce
Makoce Posts: 938 Member
edited February 7 in Fitness and Exercise
Basically the title.
I want to get into gaining/maintaining muscle & my gym membership is expiring soon.
Weights are expensive so.

Any of you do this without weight/ the gym?

What exercises?

Replies

  • Makoce
    Makoce Posts: 938 Member
    So far i know..squats, push ups, ab exercises like crunches, but thats really it
  • belgerian
    belgerian Posts: 1,059 Member
    Google "You are your own gym" tons of excercises and you can get a resistance band for about 20 dollars cheaper than weights maybe not as effective but very economical. Or convict conditioning is another resource.

    http://www.reddit.com/r/bodyweightfitness/wiki/faq#wiki_beginner_routine
    http://www.ttfatloss.com/workouts/bodyweight-exercises-fat-loss/
    http://www.bodyweightcoach.com/12/build-muscle-bodyweight-exercises/

    check out Daily HIIT used to be bodyrock tv. I have not personally checked out these links but you may find them usefull theres tons and tons more. Good luck
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    You are your own gym or convict conditioning. not as efficient as free weight lifting but it'll do the trick if you are always pushing yourself.
  • Makoce
    Makoce Posts: 938 Member
    Thanks. Sounds like it's more difficult. Great haha
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 49,355 Member
    Get a TRX suspension trainer. Uses very little room and portable. And you can still do lots of basic exercises with them.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • Makoce
    Makoce Posts: 938 Member
    Get a TRX suspension trainer. Uses very little room and portable. And you can still do lots of basic exercises with them.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Holy over 100$
  • Confuzzled4ever
    Confuzzled4ever Posts: 2,860 Member
    Get a TRX suspension trainer. Uses very little room and portable. And you can still do lots of basic exercises with them.

    A.C.E. Certified Personal/Group FitnessTrainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

    Holy over 100$

    tie rope to a hook on your wall and add and handle or loop to grip onto.. tie a slip knot so you can adjust accordingly.. google the exercises to do on ti and use that..

    instant trax system..

    ha

    PS.. 100 bucks still cheaper then the largely possible medical bills of an unfit out of shape person. and cheaper then the gym in the long run. (3 months at my gym covers that)
  • jimmmer
    jimmmer Posts: 3,515 Member
    Get a second hand kettlebell or two and a chin up bar on Craigslist. Or eBay.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    You are your own gym.

    Eventually you will need weights.
  • dbmata
    dbmata Posts: 12,950 Member
    Basically the title.
    I want to get into gaining/maintaining muscle & my gym membership is expiring soon.
    Weights are expensive so.

    Any of you do this without weight/ the gym?

    What exercises?

    rock climbing.
  • yogicarl
    yogicarl Posts: 1,260 Member
    You are your own gym.
    Definitely agree with this - good starter manual for bodyweight strength training and loads on You Tube - have a look for Al Kavadlo for inspiration.
    Eventually you will need weights.
    - with all respect to the poster of the above quote, I do not agree with this. So long as you keep your reps within the strength range in the bodyweight exercises you do and look for more challenging movements as your strength increases, you need never pick up a weight ever again.

    Weights and gyms are ok if you like them or can afford them but they are not essential.
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    Cargo straps work well too:
    handstandstrap_zps2d0541e4.jpg
  • MisterDerpington
    MisterDerpington Posts: 604 Member
    Since somebody mentioned getting second hand kettlebells, I'd like to recommend making your own T-handle for "Kettlebell" Swings.

    http://www.davedraper.com/pmwiki/pmwiki.php?n=PmWiki.T-Handle

    The pipes and flange cost $20 max. You can throw some cheap Standard diameter (much cheaper than olympic) weights on it and voila. Of course you can't do Kettlebell Cleans or things like that with it, but it's awesome for Swings. I've done 60-70lb swings with it without a problem. A KB of that size would cost a hell of a lot more than what the T-Handle cost me.
  • smc864
    smc864 Posts: 570 Member
    Watch this video!!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqgGhJywnHI

    Some of the things he does is advanced but it gives you some ideas!

    ETA: really good exercises + eye candy :wink:
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member
    Ones I do? Lots of yoga poses, and certain dance moves that take mad strength (so they are incredibly fun). The problem there is that folks could hurt themselves if they don't learn them in a class first, so I don't know how I feel about just throwing them out there in a serious way. I think a lot of the current lifters could try them because their strength is already on up there and they tend to know their bodies vs weight and leverage, etc. Flexibility is usually the big limiting factor there.

    But I certainly recommend yoga and dance for getting strength up, and beginners can advance at their own pace with the help of classes, etc :) I like Yoga Journal products for the yoga, and floorwork belly dance DVDs or Rachel Brice's products for the strength moves in dance I'm mainly talking about. All those DVDs are prepared for the possible lawsuits, I imagine ;)

    I really like the traditional weightlifter bodyweight moves, too. Those are usually the safest to try if you're new, imho. They don't have you in such crazy positions, lol :)
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    You are your own gym.
    Definitely agree with this - good starter manual for bodyweight strength training and loads on You Tube - have a look for Al Kavadlo for inspiration.
    Eventually you will need weights.
    - with all respect to the poster of the above quote, I do not agree with this. So long as you keep your reps within the strength range in the bodyweight exercises you do and look for more challenging movements as your strength increases, you need never pick up a weight ever again.

    Weights and gyms are ok if you like them or can afford them but they are not essential.
    I'm just curious if there's a bodyweight exercise equates to a 1200 lb leg press. (At ~175-180 lbs bodyweight.)
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member

    I'm just curious if there's a bodyweight exercise equates to a 1200 lb leg press. (At ~175-180 lbs bodyweight.)

    Is that question because you can do every bodyweight move out there and need more challenge? Very impressive!

    Or maybe you're just curious for real. Less fun. I certainly don't know what a 1200 lb leg press equates to in real weight, but I'd guess that it sounds a bit high!
  • sybrix
    sybrix Posts: 134 Member
    You Are Your Own Gym is a great app and only 2.99. You do need household props such as tables and chairs and a conveniently placed doorway. Some exercises are a little precarious and have you hanging off of doorknobs, but the app has an FAQ of alternatives if you aren't comfortable doing that sort of stuff on your doors. (I rent, so I don't want to run the risk of damaging anything.)

    Be forewarned though, it's not in a typical format and uses "ladders" which I'm not really a fan of. You do 7+ minutes of the same exercise with many rests. For example 1 pushup, rest, 2 pushups, rest, then 3, then 4, then 3, 2, 1, etc. I think the rests allow you to do many more reps that you would if you were doing sets, but anyway it's extremely boring sitting around in between so few reps that I would just construct my own workout using the moves in more of a circuit training format.

    The moves are solid though and will leave you sore, so I highly recommend it!

    Also, if expensive weights are a concern, have you considered a set of resistance bands and/or adjustable dumbbells?

    http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0077XVIS6/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=1YC0Y93BNIBQY&coliid=I1ONUHSVEWDXX7
  • BioDad56
    BioDad56 Posts: 1
    One alternative to weights that is considerably less expensive is resistance bands. The ones in the example below are ones that I have tried in the past and they work well and come with an instruction/workout manual and case so they are contained when not in use. You can always find more creative and additional band workouts on youtube. Hope this helps.

    http://www.amazon.com/Black-Mountain-Products-Resistance-Exercise/dp/7245456313/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1384562401&sr=8-2&keywords=resistance+band
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member

    I'm just curious if there's a bodyweight exercise equates to a 1200 lb leg press. (At ~175-180 lbs bodyweight.)

    Is that question because you can do every bodyweight move out there and need more challenge? Very impressive!

    Or maybe you're just curious for real. Less fun. I certainly don't know what a 1200 lb leg press equates to in real weight, but I'd guess that it sounds a bit high!
    I'm curious because I can do that on leg press, and I can do bulgarian split squats while holding 50 lbs of dumbells and still jump off the floor. (And from fully down, not like that guy did in the video where he barely lowered himself.)

    I don't necessarily 'need' more of a challenge with bodyweight but I do enjoy the stuff if it is still challenging (still working on handstand pushups for example.) I don't really see what other ways there are to isolate a single leg and put more than 180 lbs on it. But maybe there's another way I didn't know about.
  • cafeaulait7
    cafeaulait7 Posts: 2,459 Member

    I'm just curious if there's a bodyweight exercise equates to a 1200 lb leg press. (At ~175-180 lbs bodyweight.)

    Is that question because you can do every bodyweight move out there and need more challenge? Very impressive!

    Or maybe you're just curious for real. Less fun. I certainly don't know what a 1200 lb leg press equates to in real weight, but I'd guess that it sounds a bit high!
    I'm curious because I can do that on leg press, and I can do bulgarian split squats while holding 50 lbs of dumbells and still jump off the floor. (And from fully down, not like that guy did in the video where he barely lowered himself.)

    I don't necessarily 'need' more of a challenge with bodyweight but I do enjoy the stuff if it is still challenging (still working on handstand pushups for example.) I don't really see what other ways there are to isolate a single leg and put more than 180 lbs on it. But maybe there's another way I didn't know about.

    Impressive! Fun :)

    No, I do use weights on a lot of my leg bodyweight stuff, but most of the really challenging bodyweight-only work tends to put the focus on one main muscle and then use the lever effect to make it rough. Russian Hamstring Curls put quite a load on, so you might see if those are easy for you. I do the reverse move for the quads, but you have to keep your feet and ankles in an odd position for that one, so that adds a flexibility component in that can be bothersome.

    But I'd say there's certainly an upper limit. Usually you can add weights to the move, so that's just what I do if necessary.
  • yogicarl
    yogicarl Posts: 1,260 Member

    I'm just curious if there's a bodyweight exercise equates to a 1200 lb leg press. (At ~175-180 lbs bodyweight.)

    Is that question because you can do every bodyweight move out there and need more challenge? Very impressive!

    Or maybe you're just curious for real. Less fun. I certainly don't know what a 1200 lb leg press equates to in real weight, but I'd guess that it sounds a bit high!
    I'm curious because I can do that on leg press, and I can do bulgarian split squats while holding 50 lbs of dumbells and still jump off the floor. (And from fully down, not like that guy did in the video where he barely lowered himself.)

    I don't necessarily 'need' more of a challenge with bodyweight but I do enjoy the stuff if it is still challenging (still working on handstand pushups for example.) I don't really see what other ways there are to isolate a single leg and put more than 180 lbs on it. But maybe there's another way I didn't know about.

    It's difficult to say as there are many factors which are difficult to accurately measure with bodyweight - individual's leverage due to different limb lengths, torso shapes etc, but I wonder what equivalent a Pistol Squat is to a Leg Press and to a Barbell Squat? Is it just the equivalent of squatting twice one's bodyweight (because you are squatting your own BW on one leg) or is it more, because the lifted leg is held straight out in front? Then there's time under tension (TUT). Are you Leg Pressing 1200lbs with power (fast) or slowly to increase TUT?

    Most folk can Leg Press far more than they can squat with a barbell as the press machine isolates the quads more and factors out balance, core strength and general stability to a large extent compared to the bar squat. I see Pistol Squat more akin to the squat than a press.

    One answer to increasing the intensity of BW exercises when you have reached the most challenging movement is to slow the movement down and work on full control through the whole movement. But hey - I'm still very much a learner here, but enjoying the journey.
  • DopeItUp
    DopeItUp Posts: 18,771 Member
    Here is a comprehensive list that I've formulated for you.
  • yogicarl
    yogicarl Posts: 1,260 Member
    http://www.alkavadlo.com/ excellent bodyweight website and demos.

    http://www.beastskills.com/

    nerdfitness, You Are Your Own Gym, Convict Conditioning

    etc, etc
  • waldo56
    waldo56 Posts: 1,861 Member
    You are your own gym.
    Definitely agree with this - good starter manual for bodyweight strength training and loads on You Tube - have a look for Al Kavadlo for inspiration.
    Eventually you will need weights.
    - with all respect to the poster of the above quote, I do not agree with this. So long as you keep your reps within the strength range in the bodyweight exercises you do and look for more challenging movements as your strength increases, you need never pick up a weight ever again.

    Weights and gyms are ok if you like them or can afford them but they are not essential.
    I'm just curious if there's a bodyweight exercise equates to a 1200 lb leg press. (At ~175-180 lbs bodyweight.)

    This exercise is the closest with one modification.

    shrimp-squat.png

    For increased resistance the working leg should be elevated so that the ROM goes well under parallel.
    Note that BOTH hands are holding the back leg.

    (I can do that exercise, I'm not sure the person in that picture can, the picture is a little wrong, but close enough. If you're not back squatting 2x BW+, you aren't even close to doing it the way I describe)

    This one will hit the posterior chain at a resistance level few are capable of doing:
    IMG_9345sm_zpsccc141fd.jpg
    I'm curious because I can do that on leg press, and I can do bulgarian split squats while holding 50 lbs of dumbells and still jump off the floor. (And from fully down, not like that guy did in the video where he barely lowered himself.)

    Not sure if srs. Can you even do a single pistol? Split squatting w/ 50 lb is nothing. Start plyo pistol squatting with 50 lbs on your shoulders or doing 15-20+ at BW per leg and you're moving some impressing weight with one leg.

    ****************************************

    An example of some more stuff that can be done in the lower body:


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0hwRM1UjIo
  • eric_sg61
    eric_sg61 Posts: 2,925 Member
    You good with tools OP
    http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/13_03_Parallettes.pdf
  • LiftAllThePizzas
    LiftAllThePizzas Posts: 17,857 Member
    You are your own gym.
    Definitely agree with this - good starter manual for bodyweight strength training and loads on You Tube - have a look for Al Kavadlo for inspiration.
    Eventually you will need weights.
    - with all respect to the poster of the above quote, I do not agree with this. So long as you keep your reps within the strength range in the bodyweight exercises you do and look for more challenging movements as your strength increases, you need never pick up a weight ever again.

    Weights and gyms are ok if you like them or can afford them but they are not essential.
    I'm just curious if there's a bodyweight exercise equates to a 1200 lb leg press. (At ~175-180 lbs bodyweight.)

    This exercise is the closest with one modification.

    shrimp-squat.png

    For increased resistance the working leg should be elevated so that the ROM goes well under parallel.
    Note that BOTH hands are holding the back leg.

    (I can do that exercise, I'm not sure the person in that picture can, the picture is a little wrong, but close enough. If you're not back squatting 2x BW+, you aren't even close to doing it the way I describe)

    This one will hit the posterior chain at a resistance level few are capable of doing:
    IMG_9345sm_zpsccc141fd.jpg
    I'm curious because I can do that on leg press, and I can do bulgarian split squats while holding 50 lbs of dumbells and still jump off the floor. (And from fully down, not like that guy did in the video where he barely lowered himself.)

    Not sure if srs. Can you even do a single pistol? Split squatting w/ 50 lb is nothing. Start plyo pistol squatting with 50 lbs on your shoulders or doing 15-20+ at BW per leg and you're moving some impressing weight with one leg.

    ****************************************

    An example of some more stuff that can be done in the lower body:


    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0hwRM1UjIo
    Thanks. Yes srs. Balance shouldn't be a problem. And I had my lowbar squats up to a 340lb (calculated) 1RM.

    I'll have to try out the pistols. I'm recovering from surgery and have 5 weeks till I can do anything but I am always interested in different ways to do stuff, especially if it involves balance.
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