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Dumbbells/bands/bodyweight and gaining muscle - personal experience.
GatorDeb1
Posts: 245 Member
Anyone have any personal experience gaining noticeable muscle at home using just bodyweight, dumbbells, or resistance bands? Thanks! 
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Replies
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Yes, using bodyweight only. The key for building muscle, regardless of mode, is progressive over load and a calorie surplus.0
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Did you follow a plan or do your own, how much time were you spending a week, and how fast did you see growth? Thanks!0
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Yes, using bodyweight only. The key for building muscle, regardless of mode, is progressive over load and a calorie surplus.
Curious how one gets progressive overload with bodyweight training...its not like your body is gaining much weight. Some sort of reverse leverage? Any good references or programs along those lines?0 -
Yes, using bodyweight only. The key for building muscle, regardless of mode, is progressive over load and a calorie surplus.
Curious how one gets progressive overload with bodyweight training...its not like your body is gaining much weight. Some sort of reverse leverage? Any good references or programs along those lines?
gain weight, or move more bodies.0 -
Yes, using bodyweight only. The key for building muscle, regardless of mode, is progressive over load and a calorie surplus.
Curious how one gets progressive overload with bodyweight training...its not like your body is gaining much weight. Some sort of reverse leverage? Any good references or programs along those lines?
Engage in a bodyweight program while bulking. Gain a couple lbs each week and you've got your progressive overload!
To actually answer your question, there are more and more difficult variations of lots of BW exercises, that's how people get their overload. For example, doing a pushup versus a handstand pushup. Or decline pushups. Or clapping pushups. Or diamond pushups. You get the idea.0 -
The type of bodyweight progressions you see is like this for pushups:
1. Wall pushup
2. Counter-top pushup
3. Stair (knee-height) pushup
4. Floor pushup
5. Close-grip pushup
6. Staggered hand pushup
7. Feet elevated stair pushup
8. Tripod pushup
9. One-arm stair (hip height) pushup
10. One-arm stair (knee height) pushup
11. One-arm floor pushup
12. One-arm feet-elevated stair pushup
There are even more versions of pushups than this that I don't remember off hand. "Body By You" and "You Are Your Own Gym" list some progressions like this.
You won't get as strong as you will with a heavy barbell, but you can get pretty damn strong. Some of the exercises develop a lot more balance, flexibility, and coordination than you'll get in a barbell routine, too.0 -
Yes, using bodyweight only. The key for building muscle, regardless of mode, is progressive over load and a calorie surplus.
Curious how one gets progressive overload with bodyweight training...its not like your body is gaining much weight. Some sort of reverse leverage? Any good references or programs along those lines?
Yes it is all about leverage.
Here are some resources, many things when you get to advanced levels are basically into the gymnastics realm
Convict conditioning
Al Kavadlo
Start bodyweight
Strength unbound
Gold medal bodies
frank Medrano (Might be Medrino?)0 -
Dumbbells and bodyweight exercises, yes. Resistance bands didn't do much for me, other than assisting my early pull up attempts. Better: TRX straps (any door that can be secured from being opened at the wrong time will do.... ) Some trainers, like Bob Harper, sell their own variety for a more affordable price than the 'original'.Anyone have any personal experience gaining noticeable muscle at home using just bodyweight, dumbbells, or resistance bands? Thanks!
Good luck...
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Never underestimate the impact of 10 lbs of weight gain on your ability to do pullups....lolYes, using bodyweight only. The key for building muscle, regardless of mode, is progressive over load and a calorie surplus.
Curious how one gets progressive overload with bodyweight training...its not like your body is gaining much weight. Some sort of reverse leverage? Any good references or programs along those lines?
You can do pullups with a belt and attached weight. You can do planks with extra weight, if you have somebody to put a weight plate or something on your back.... Use ankle weights when you do hanging leg raises on a pullup bar.... Use heavier dumbbells for step-ups.... Carry something heavy up and down the stairs for a good glute workout.... Just be creative!
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There was a little dude at the gym using 100# dbs last night. Yeah, you can get swole with dbs.0
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I've seen more muscle mass and definition after listing free weights at the Gym over the past 8 months than I did doing body weight type of excercises at home. I think everyone's muscles are different in how they respond to exercise, though. What works for one persons body in terms of muscle gains might not work for another. You can always try both and see which one your muscles respond to more.0
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