Anyone gotten in shape w/ body weight exercises?

kelsiehoagland
kelsiehoagland Posts: 107 Member
edited November 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
It seems like every fitness resource claims that we can only get fit from lifting heavy, but I have some physical limitation that won't really allow that (at least not now).

I've been doing body weight exercises for 6 weeks now and I feel much stronger and I can tell I'm making progress, but I'm worried that I'll never look really good unless I use weights.

Have any of you gotten into good shape with body weight exercises? Show me your results!

Replies

  • arditarose
    arditarose Posts: 15,573 Member
    I'm in to see pictures too. There are some people at my gym who do almost only body weight exercises and look amazing, but then again I don't really see what kind of physical activity they do outside of the gym.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    Don't know what you would consider "good shape" but look at your average gymnast. They go that body with mainly bodyweigt movements. Of course the movements they are using are pretty difficult.
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Do a google search for "you are your own gym". :smile:
  • rybo
    rybo Posts: 5,424 Member
    90-95% bodyweight only here. I think I'm in decent shape
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    Most pilates and yoga instructors I know are in awesome shape by doing mostly, if not exclusively, bodyweight stuff.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
    Just every person that served in the armed forces and went thru boot camp ever
  • SingRunTing
    SingRunTing Posts: 2,604 Member
    Seconding the "you are your own gym" advice.

    It's body weight training that progresses you through to harder and harder movements.
  • sheldonklein
    sheldonklein Posts: 854 Member
    I too have some limitations that make lifting heavy unwise. I don't know if you would consider it bodyweight exercise, but about 90% of my strength training is now TRX. I am seeing much better results from TRX than when I was focusing on machines. The only thing that I can't do through TRX is heavy leg work, so I still do machine leg presses.
  • kryss247
    kryss247 Posts: 120 Member
    Yup lost 100 pounds with insanity ( beach body program with Shaun T). Which is hiit workouts and sports interval training using only your body weight
  • AsISmile
    AsISmile Posts: 1,004 Member
    Google nerdfitness. The guy who writes the blog took an extended world trip and managed to improve his physique doing only bodyweight exercises.
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Waldo from strengthunbound.com focuses mostly on bodyweight strength training.
  • mbaker566
    mbaker566 Posts: 11,233 Member
    so glad this is posted. bf was just trying to say I had to go to the gym to get these sort of results.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    edited August 2015
    kelsiehoagland wrote: »
    It seems like every fitness resource claims that we can only get fit from lifting heavy, but I have some physical limitation that won't really allow that (at least not now).

    I've been doing body weight exercises for 6 weeks now and I feel much stronger and I can tell I'm making progress, but I'm worried that I'll never look really good unless I use weights.

    Have any of you gotten into good shape with body weight exercises? Show me your results!

    I think you're misinterpreting those resources...most resources I've ever read emphasize resistance training in addition to cardiovascular work as a matter of general fitness...body weight work is resistance training. Most resources are probably going to focus more on weights and weight training (that doesn't necessarily mean "heavy") as it can be more efficient than body weight work due to it is much easier to progressively overload the body...all you have to do is add plates, etc...it's more difficult to keep overloading your body with body weight work as there are limitations to how difficult you can make any one particular exercise.

    "heavy" lifting refers to lifting in a rep range of 1-6 reps...this is where you maximize strength...the vast majority of people working out in the gym aren't lifting "heavy". For every power lifter I see, I probably see a dozen people lifting moderately heavy weight in the 8-12 rep range...which technically isn't "heavy"...

    There are *kitten* tons of people who do nothing but body weight work...

    images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR3JkkPR7lOepvjfvDcuvQEk1dAPZktqzrtq4HSAt8DuYdf8HZH

    Gymnasts do nothing but body weight work...I think they do ok for themselves...
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
    Robert did.
    d36a57cc8b681cc6c6734780b259f09c.jpg
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