What is your favourite exercise/workout? Muscle building without weights?

shesthetype
shesthetype Posts: 45 Member
edited December 3 in Fitness and Exercise
I read an article the other day about a woman who has never lifted any weights but does boxing as her main exercise. I was blown away by how muscular and fit and toned she was, without lifting any weights at all! She looked incredible! It got me wondering what everyone else's favourite exercises are and if maybe I'm ignorant in seeing muscular people and immediately assuming they lift. What are your favourite ways to exercise and do you find it helps build muscle without weight lifting being involved? :)

Replies

  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
    Pole, silks, and trapeze. Great workouts for the upper body, back, core, and legs. If I had more time and money, I'd do lyra but 3 aerial arts is enough for right now.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    It's much harder to do it with bodyweight but of course possible if you progressively increase the difficulty. There are great bw programs like you are your own gym and convict training.
  • shesthetype
    shesthetype Posts: 45 Member
    jdhcm2006 wrote: »
    Pole, silks, and trapeze. Great workouts for the upper body, back, core, and legs. If I had more time and money, I'd do lyra but 3 aerial arts is enough for right now.

    Oh man I would LOVE to do silks and trapeze!! It looks like there's a real art form to it, but in New Zealand it's very rare to find a place to do it. I guess I could tie a bedsheet to the clothes line and swing around on that LOL. I'm a big fan of P!nk and seeing her do silks while singing in concert is just amazing! :)
  • sardelsa
    sardelsa Posts: 9,812 Member
    My good friend teaches yoga and she looks fantastic... very fit and slightly muscular (or toned). But she teaches it 3x per week and practices daily.
  • sarahkw04
    sarahkw04 Posts: 87 Member
    Barre. I only recently started power lifting, but the strength I gained from barre and the strength I see my students building - indisputable. Plus, it's helped me so much with my lifting - strong core and strong glutes going in meant I was lifting heavier faster!
  • jdhcm2006
    jdhcm2006 Posts: 2,254 Member
    shesthetype wrote: »
    jdhcm2006 wrote: »
    Pole, silks, and trapeze. Great workouts for the upper body, back, core, and legs. If I had more time and money, I'd do lyra but 3 aerial arts is enough for right now.

    Oh man I would LOVE to do silks and trapeze!! It looks like there's a real art form to it, but in New Zealand it's very rare to find a place to do it. I guess I could tie a bedsheet to the clothes line and swing around on that LOL. I'm a big fan of P!nk and seeing her do silks while singing in concert is just amazing! :)

    LOL! I'm just imagining someone swinging like Tarzan from a clothes line with a sheet. It is a lot of fun. It's also a little painful, lol, I didn't realize that it would be. But the aerial artists all make it look so effortless, you never know that something is giving them a little discomfort.
  • littlechiaseed
    littlechiaseed Posts: 489 Member
    Blogilates
  • IzzyBooNZ1
    IzzyBooNZ1 Posts: 1,289 Member
    I do thai boxing mainly. A lot of fun. Look up Grace Kavadlo on facebook or google, she has an amazing body and does a lot of bodyweight stuff. Her hubby Al and his brother Danny do a lot of bodywork stuff. I second the convict conditioning book and there is a close facebook group by the same name, people there are really helpful and supportive

    Also I am in New Zealand !
  • Unknown
    Unknown
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  • sgt1372
    sgt1372 Posts: 3,997 Member
    edited September 2016
    I've been doing a 6 station circuit t 3x's a week for a light full body workout on non-lifting days, which includes: pushups, dips, sissy squats and GHRs plus weighted barbell curls and reverse curls w/a press.

    I do 10 reps each for 5 circuits w/5 mins rest between each circuit. Except for the curls, they are compound movements which work opposing muscle groups and they assist in doing my main lifts: squats, BP, DL and OHP.

    I currently do the pushups, dips, sissy squats and GHRs with a 15# vest (but they can be done without) and do the curls and reverse curl/OHPs w/just 57.5#. Slowing increasing the weights as I go along.

    Highly recommend the pushups, dips, sissy squats and GHRs alone for muscle building workout with or without weights. The curls and reverse curl/OHPs work the arms and shoulders but do require weights.
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