Body Weights

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ruggedshutter
ruggedshutter Posts: 389 Member
in Goal: Maintaining Weight
I've been reassessing my goals this past weekend and I've decided to transition into maintenance. I've lost 65 pounds over the past 4 years (half of it in the past 7 months). I'm at 175 pounds and I'm 5'11" which puts me just a hair under the upper limit of my healthy BMI. I am happy with this weight so I'm not worried about trying to get down another 10, which is where my final goal was.

With all of that said, I still want to recomp a bit. I don't want to get huge but I would like to get a little bit of the love handles and lose skin in my triceps area firmed up. I would like some definition in my chest and arms. I don't have a lot of extra income for a weight set but I have a suspension trainer (similar to a TRX). Would this be enough to add some definition or do I need to invest in some weights before I would see some results? I plan on a full body routine 3x's a week. Thoughts or advice?

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  • AsISmile
    AsISmile Posts: 1,004 Member
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    Well, from Nerdfitness I know it is possible to bulk doing bodyweight exercises, so in theory it should be possible.
    However, when I asked something similar in the recomp thread I was warned it might be difficult.

    I guess just try to make it a bit harder every time just like you would do when lifting weights.
    Also, perhaps try to find the trx exercises that use muscles in a similar way as when doing compound lifts.
  • BigGuy47
    BigGuy47 Posts: 1,768 Member
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    Do dips and feet elevated push ups to work the chest using the suspension trainer. Get a doorway pull up bar, it's a small investment ($30). I made a decent amount of progress on BWF alone. Eventually I started adding dumbbells, mainly for OHP work.

    Consistency is far more important than the choice of tools. Bang it out for a few months with what you have and then decide if you need to add weights. The difficulty of some of the bodyweight progressions is often underestimated; L-sits, V-sits, Levers (front and back), dragon flags, HSPU and others
  • ruggedshutter
    ruggedshutter Posts: 389 Member
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    Thanks for the feedback. I have mine setup on a punching bag eyelet suspended from a floor joist in my basement right now. Looking at finding a pull up bar that would work for it right now.
  • RaspberryTickleChicken
    RaspberryTickleChicken Posts: 629 Member
    edited July 2015
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    First of all CONGRATS!

    And I think it's a general misnomer that you have-to-have an extensive weight set or gym membership to tone & define. There us a current fitness trend which requires ZERO equipment, can be done anywhere, using nothing but your own body weight.

    You can check out some of the exercises & routines HERE and HERE

    And personally I have gained better results using this approach compared to when I was lifting.

    Best of luck to you!
  • KarlaH9801
    KarlaH9801 Posts: 362 Member
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    TRX is fantastic for building muscle. More resistance= feet closer to the wall. Some of the moves like push-ups, rows, etc. you can even elevate your feet so you are on an incline for even more resistance. Good luck!

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