Can I build muscle mass at home?
nekiwa07
Posts: 31 Member
I can't afford a gym membership right now. I'm trying to body recomp and build muscle mass. I have a set of 3pd dumbells, 5 pd dumbells, and 10 pd dumbells. Can I build muscle all over using these? How? Do I need resistance bands?
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Replies
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With weights that low, I seriously doubt it. The 10 pd ones will be useful in the beginning, but will not last very long. Either buy heavier dumbbells, or look into bodyweight training. Or both of course.0
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You might want to ask this over in the exercise forum to get some more knowledgeable folks to answer.0
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If you can do 20 reps of any exercise straight you wont build mass with it.0
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There are a variety of different body weight exercises you can use to add muscle to your physique. If you are new to exercising you should be able to put on some mass by using them.0
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There are bodyweight progressions that will help you build strength and muscle mass (especially in the beginning). Also, there are some non-traditional things you can do that will help (e.g., lifting furniture). It is simpler if you have the traditional weight lifting equipment (barbell), so if you can find a used set, you’ll have an easier time finding a progressive program.0
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For a traditional strength program, 10 pound dumbbells are far too light. You can probably already squat and deadlift 50 or 75 pounds today. If you want to do a beginner free weight program, you'll need a barbell, bench, and squat rack, and a couple hundred pounds of plates.
If you don't have room or money for that kind of equipment, invest a few bucks in a bodyweight strength training book. You Are Your Own Gym, Convict Conditioning, or Body By You are three good ones. Owning a book is handy because the programs are pretty complicated, and it's too hard to remember all the progressions.
YAYOG has an smart phone app that people seem to like.0 -
Thanks everyone!0
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Thanks everyone!
Weights are efficient and convenient but entirely unneeded to be honest. If you make up for a lack of weight with "explosive" efforts you can do without bars and plates entirely.
Look up box jumps, tornado ball, medicine ball throwing, bar calisthenics. You may have to visit the neighborhood playground for the last one. There are lots more, I will post as I think of them.
Check out Barstarz on YouTube, Hanibal4king claims to do only body weight and eats fast food every day and he certainly has developed significant muscle.0 -
Thanks everyone!
Weights are efficient and convenient but entirely unneeded to be honest. If you make up for a lack of weight with "explosive" efforts you can do without bars and plates entirely.
Look up box jumps, tornado ball, medicine ball throwing, bar calisthenics. You may have to visit the neighborhood playground for the last one. There are lots more, I will post as I think of them.
Check out Barstarz on YouTube, Hanibal4king claims to do only body weight and eats fast food every day and he certainly has developed significant muscle.
I wouldn't go around telling everyone this. There may be a few people who managed a fair amount of muscular hypertrophy without touching weights; however, you must understand that they are the exception, not the rule. The rest of us? Well, we're the rule, because we don't have outstanding genetics. Also, explosive movements lend well to speed and , to a lesser extent, strength development but they aren't very useful for hypertrophy which is the OP's goal.
OP, bodyweight exercises are very useful but after a while you won't benefit from them as much. If at that point you have built enough muscle to satisfy your goals then that's great but if not you'll probably want to look into acquiring some weights or joining a gym.
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Thanks everyone!
Weights are efficient and convenient but entirely unneeded to be honest. If you make up for a lack of weight with "explosive" efforts you can do without bars and plates entirely.
Look up box jumps, tornado ball, medicine ball throwing, bar calisthenics. You may have to visit the neighborhood playground for the last one. There are lots more, I will post as I think of them.
Check out Barstarz on YouTube, Hanibal4king claims to do only body weight and eats fast food every day and he certainly has developed significant muscle.
I wouldn't go around telling everyone this. There may be a few people who managed a fair amount of muscular hypertrophy without touching weights; however, you must understand that they are the exception, not the rule. The rest of us? Well, we're the rule, because we don't have outstanding genetics. Also, explosive movements lend well to speed and , to a lesser extent, strength development but they aren't very useful for hypertrophy which is the OP's goal.
OP, bodyweight exercises are very useful but after a while you won't benefit from them as much. If at that point you have built enough muscle to satisfy your goals then that's great but if not you'll probably want to look into acquiring some weights or joining a gym.
You are wrong, please research.0 -
Dumbbells are great, but yours are too light to do you much good. To build muscle mass you want progressive overload and want to "lift heavy." "Lift heavy" means different things to different people and part of that is because people are at different levels of strength. Generally speaking, you want to lift in the four to ten rep range, so that your muscles are exhausted or nearly exhausted when you finish your fourth, fifth, ... tenth rep. That will cause micro-tears in your muscle. When you rest, provided that you are eating properly and getting enough protein, your muscle fibers will repair themselves and come back just a little bit stronger and a little bit bigger than before.
Note that your muscles don't care what you're lifting. It could be a barbell, a dumbbell, the back end of a car, or your own body. Given that you aren't ready to start in a gym and you don't have any real equipment at home, I'd suggest bodyweight exercises. Here's a link that's free and will give you all the info you need to start a long term program:
startbodyweight.com/p/exercise-progressions_12.html
Note that if you click on the individual exercises on the page, you'll get a progression for that exercise. The exercises listed are compound exercises which are a good way to build overall strength quickly:
Squat progression
Pull up progression
Handstand push up progression
Leg raises progression
Push up progression
Dip progression
Horizontal pulls progression
Plank progression
These progressions will give you the progressive overload that you need to build muscle long term. Instead of adding another plate or a bigger dumbbell the way a weightlifter would, you change positions so that you're progressively making each exercise more difficult. For example, you might start with pushups against a wall, then on your knees, then a standard pushup, then diamond pushups, then uneven pushups, then finally one-armed pushups. If you stick with the program, you won't need a gym for a long, long time, if ever.
I'm doing some of these bodyweight exercises along with weights, since I already had the weights. I also use a weighted vest to make some of the moves more intense.0 -
strengthunbound.com0
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Thanks everyone!
Weights are efficient and convenient but entirely unneeded to be honest. If you make up for a lack of weight with "explosive" efforts you can do without bars and plates entirely.
Look up box jumps, tornado ball, medicine ball throwing, bar calisthenics. You may have to visit the neighborhood playground for the last one. There are lots more, I will post as I think of them.
Check out Barstarz on YouTube, Hanibal4king claims to do only body weight and eats fast food every day and he certainly has developed significant muscle.
I wouldn't go around telling everyone this. There may be a few people who managed a fair amount of muscular hypertrophy without touching weights; however, you must understand that they are the exception, not the rule. The rest of us? Well, we're the rule, because we don't have outstanding genetics. Also, explosive movements lend well to speed and , to a lesser extent, strength development but they aren't very useful for hypertrophy which is the OP's goal.
OP, bodyweight exercises are very useful but after a while you won't benefit from them as much. If at that point you have built enough muscle to satisfy your goals then that's great but if not you'll probably want to look into acquiring some weights or joining a gym.
You are wrong, please research.
What a compelling argument....0 -
.... hypertrophy which is the OP's goal.
That's an assumption. I get where it comes from, based on the OP, but the likely actual reality is we're talking about someone who is trying to shed fat to reveal underlying muscle. In which case the poster you are responding too is correct.
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Your dumb bells are way too light, I would suggest to invest in some heavier dumb bells.0
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If you don't have money for equipment this is the best free advice you can get.0 -
You will very quickly out grow those dumbbells...my guess is that your purse weighs more than your dumbbells. I would personally look into more body weight workouts and supplement some movements with the dumbbells and maybe invest in some resistance bands.
You can make great progress with body weight where your physique is concerned...the difficulty is in keeping it challenging enough so that your body has to continue to adapt..this means not only identifying which exercises you should do, but identifying variations of these exercises to progressively overload your body's capabilities.0 -
.... hypertrophy which is the OP's goal.
That's an assumption. I get where it comes from, based on the OP, but the likely actual reality is we're talking about someone who is trying to shed fat to reveal underlying muscle. In which case the poster you are responding too is correct.
The thread is titled "Can I Build Muscle Mass at Home" so that is the question that I answered. If the OP is asking the wrong question then that is the OP's problem, not mine.
The only "assumption" that I made is that the OP would like the question that she asked to be answered; not some other question that she did not ask.
"What time is it?"
"Blue"
"I asked what time it was."
"Yes, you did, but you really meant to ask what color the sky was"
"No I didn't, you sound like a retard"
^That's what just happened.
-1 -
Push up reps and plank reps. And squats first without then with your weights behind your head0
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The answer is yes.
Body weight resistance exercises, what some are saying is low weight and high rep, have been scientifically proven to increase muscle mass. The key to heavy weight or light weight growth is to fatigue the muscle. Both are actually recommended to mix up routines and hit the different muscle fibers.
Plenty of research out there to support this. Look in the Journal of Applied Physiology or Science Daily.0 -
.... hypertrophy which is the OP's goal.
That's an assumption. I get where it comes from, based on the OP, but the likely actual reality is we're talking about someone who is trying to shed fat to reveal underlying muscle. In which case the poster you are responding too is correct.
The thread is titled "Can I Build Muscle Mass at Home" so that is the question that I answered. If the OP is asking the wrong question then that is the OP's problem, not mine.
Relax, dude, ain't no blame being flung here.
:drinker:"What time is it?"
"Blue"
"I asked what time it was."
"Yes, you did, but you really meant to ask what color the sky was"
"No I didn't, you sound like a retard"
^That's what just happened.
People asking the "wrong" question is a very, very common occurrence on MFP.
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this ^^^^^^ body weight exercise are fine as a starting point however in order to build any real muscle mass you have to apply progressive overload. yes if you're really dedicated and really inventive, and have good genetics then you may be able to build muscle with body weight exercises. But for the majority of people they will never achieve the progressive overload required, which in essence will leave them making some initial gains, and then just spinning their wheels.Thanks everyone!
Weights are efficient and convenient but entirely unneeded to be honest. If you make up for a lack of weight with "explosive" efforts you can do without bars and plates entirely.
Look up box jumps, tornado ball, medicine ball throwing, bar calisthenics. You may have to visit the neighborhood playground for the last one. There are lots more, I will post as I think of them.
Check out Barstarz on YouTube, Hanibal4king claims to do only body weight and eats fast food every day and he certainly has developed significant muscle.
I wouldn't go around telling everyone this. There may be a few people who managed a fair amount of muscular hypertrophy without touching weights; however, you must understand that they are the exception, not the rule. The rest of us? Well, we're the rule, because we don't have outstanding genetics. Also, explosive movements lend well to speed and , to a lesser extent, strength development but they aren't very useful for hypertrophy which is the OP's goal.
OP, bodyweight exercises are very useful but after a while you won't benefit from them as much. If at that point you have built enough muscle to satisfy your goals then that's great but if not you'll probably want to look into acquiring some weights or joining a gym.0 -
Thanks everyone!
Weights are efficient and convenient but entirely unneeded to be honest. If you make up for a lack of weight with "explosive" efforts you can do without bars and plates entirely.
Look up box jumps, tornado ball, medicine ball throwing, bar calisthenics. You may have to visit the neighborhood playground for the last one. There are lots more, I will post as I think of them.
Check out Barstarz on YouTube, Hanibal4king claims to do only body weight and eats fast food every day and he certainly has developed significant muscle.
Wow! I will def ck it out0 -
Dumbbells are great, but yours are too light to do you much good. To build muscle mass you want progressive overload and want to "lift heavy." "Lift heavy" means different things to different people and part of that is because people are at different levels of strength. Generally speaking, you want to lift in the four to ten rep range, so that your muscles are exhausted or nearly exhausted when you finish your fourth, fifth, ... tenth rep. That will cause micro-tears in your muscle. When you rest, provided that you are eating properly and getting enough protein, your muscle fibers will repair themselves and come back just a little bit stronger and a little bit bigger than before.
Note that your muscles don't care what you're lifting. It could be a barbell, a dumbbell, the back end of a car, or your own body. Given that you aren't ready to start in a gym and you don't have any real equipment at home, I'd suggest bodyweight exercises. Here's a link that's free and will give you all the info you need to start a long term program:
startbodyweight.com/p/exercise-progressions_12.html
Note that if you click on the individual exercises on the page, you'll get a progression for that exercise. The exercises listed are compound exercises which are a good way to build overall strength quickly:
Squat progression
Pull up progression
Handstand push up progression
Leg raises progression
Push up progression
Dip progression
Horizontal pulls progression
Plank progression
These progressions will give you the progressive overload that you need to build muscle long term. Instead of adding another plate or a bigger dumbbell the way a weightlifter would, you change positions so that you're progressively making each exercise more difficult. For example, you might start with pushups against a wall, then on your knees, then a standard pushup, then diamond pushups, then uneven pushups, then finally one-armed pushups. If you stick with the program, you won't need a gym for a long, long time, if ever.
I'm doing some of these bodyweight exercises along with weights, since I already had the weights. I also use a weighted vest to make some of the moves more intense.
Thanks so much for this info!!0 -
.... hypertrophy which is the OP's goal.
That's an assumption. I get where it comes from, based on the OP, but the likely actual reality is we're talking about someone who is trying to shed fat to reveal underlying muscle. In which case the poster you are responding too is correct.
Yes, I'm trying to shed fat and gain/reveal muscle;-) I've had 4 children and my stomach muscles are pretty non-existence in regards to appearance, etc. So wanting to get my whole/entire body into shape
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cwolfman13 wrote: »You will very quickly out grow those dumbbells...my guess is that your purse weighs more than your dumbbells. I would personally look into more body weight workouts and supplement some movements with the dumbbells and maybe invest in some resistance bands.
You can make great progress with body weight where your physique is concerned...the difficulty is in keeping it challenging enough so that your body has to continue to adapt..this means not only identifying which exercises you should do, but identifying variations of these exercises to progressively overload your body's capabilities.
Do you think resistance bands will accomplish/work as good as free weights?
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this ^^^^^^ body weight exercise are fine as a starting point however in order to build any real muscle mass you have to apply progressive overload. yes if you're really dedicated and really inventive, and have good genetics then you may be able to build muscle with body weight exercises. But for the majority of people they will never achieve the progressive overload required, which in essence will leave them making some initial gains, and then just spinning their wheels.Thanks everyone!
Weights are efficient and convenient but entirely unneeded to be honest. If you make up for a lack of weight with "explosive" efforts you can do without bars and plates entirely.
Look up box jumps, tornado ball, medicine ball throwing, bar calisthenics. You may have to visit the neighborhood playground for the last one. There are lots more, I will post as I think of them.
Check out Barstarz on YouTube, Hanibal4king claims to do only body weight and eats fast food every day and he certainly has developed significant muscle.
I wouldn't go around telling everyone this. There may be a few people who managed a fair amount of muscular hypertrophy without touching weights; however, you must understand that they are the exception, not the rule. The rest of us? Well, we're the rule, because we don't have outstanding genetics. Also, explosive movements lend well to speed and , to a lesser extent, strength development but they aren't very useful for hypertrophy which is the OP's goal.
OP, bodyweight exercises are very useful but after a while you won't benefit from them as much. If at that point you have built enough muscle to satisfy your goals then that's great but if not you'll probably want to look into acquiring some weights or joining a gym.
Hopefully, sometime in the near future I'll be able to attend the gym at least 1-2 times per week, building upon gains that I can hopefully make using bodyweight exercises.
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Some say yes and some say no on the bands because with a band the resistance only goes one way not both like a free weight would when you go backwards its not the same as forwards. I use bands all the time myself but keep in mind its easier going one way they are great for travel though if you are on the road a lot and can't get to the gym.0
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