Getting ripped without a gym membership

dart_si
dart_si Posts: 26 Member
edited November 25 in Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
Hello forum. I notice many people on here think it's impossible to get into good shape without going to the gym and lifting multiple times a week. I plan to gain about 25 pounds over the next year and a half without going to the gym once.
I have a pullups bar, I will be doing a lot of modified body weight exercise. I'm at 145 pounds right now and 5'10. My body fat stays around the single digits naturally so this may be easier for someone like me compared to others. If you want to see my progress in the future feel free to contact me.
Has anybody had any success doing what I'm doing or similar?
«134

Replies

  • dart_si
    dart_si Posts: 26 Member
    I can just put in a backpack while doing pull ups or any body weight exercise. Single leg squats are also an effective way to build the legs. There's more than one path to get a nice body.
  • dart_si
    dart_si Posts: 26 Member
    I'm going to alternate between 3 and 4 days a week. The workouts will vary, but they will target the same groups routinely. I do have some dumbbells at home, so I'm able to do more than someone with nothing can. I'm only trying to put on 20 pounds of mass so it shouldn't be difficult, especially since I've done it before already.
  • Lean59man
    Lean59man Posts: 714 Member
    edited March 2018
    dart_si wrote: »
    Hello forum. I notice many people on here think it's impossible to get into good shape without going to the gym and lifting multiple times a week. I plan to gain about 25 pounds over the next year and a half without going to the gym once.
    I have a pullups bar, I will be doing a lot of modified body weight exercise. I'm at 145 pounds right now and 5'10. My body fat stays around the single digits naturally so this may be easier for someone like me compared to others. If you want to see my progress in the future feel free to contact me.
    Has anybody had any success doing what I'm doing or similar?

    I certainly think it's possible to get in extremely good shape without going to a gym.

    But I don't think you could gain 25 lbs. in a year and be ripped. You could be in great shape though.

    "Ripped" means extremely low bodyfat levels attained by reducing calorie levels over an extended time period.

    If you plan to gain 25 lbs. over the next year I don't think you can get ripped. You'd be bulking up.

    You are very low in bodyweight presently at 5'10" and 145 so there is a lot of room to add bodyweight. Adding 25 lbs. and you'd be 170 which is still fairly light.

    Gaining 25 lbs. in a year is certainly do-able but only with increasing your bodyfat along with it. A good % of the 25 lbs. would be fat. You wouldn't be ripped anymore.

    25 lbs. of only muscle is impossible without drugs. Even impossible with drugs.



  • Lean59man
    Lean59man Posts: 714 Member
    Where did he say he was 125 lbs. in the Army?
  • jseams1234
    jseams1234 Posts: 1,219 Member
    dart_si wrote: »
    I'm not anti gym. I just don't need it. I didn't use a gym in the army when I bulked up quite a bit, and I can do it again. I've just been lazy lately. Everyone has a different body type. I've always been extremely lean and able to build muscle easy as long as I'm eating enough. There's tons of ways to work out without having to go visit a gym all the time.
    dart_si wrote: »
    I'm going to alternate between 3 and 4 days a week. The workouts will vary, but they will target the same groups routinely. I do have some dumbbells at home, so I'm able to do more than someone with nothing can. I'm only trying to put on 20 pounds of mass so it shouldn't be difficult, especially since I've done it before already.
    Lean59man wrote: »
    Where did he say he was 125 lbs. in the Army?

    The minimum weight for entry into the Army for his height is 132. You won't make it past MEPs if you are under and will be put on extra rations and medical supervision if you go under after you are in (I know, as I did this once while enlisted). His current weight is 145 - that means, if he was the bare minimum when he entered he only gained 13 pounds during his enlistment. Typically, for a technical field that is at least 4 years of active duty. Some of the combat arms MOS's can be 2 years active but they are the exception. I doubt he was a mortar butt-plate carrier or an infantryman considering his physical stature... but that is just a guess. He says he's done it "before already" when he refers to gaining 20 pounds. He also said he bulked up quite a bit - which I assume means more than 13 pounds in 4 years, or even 2...
  • billkansas
    billkansas Posts: 267 Member
    Buy a good barbell, rack, and bench and I think you could strength train perfectly well at home. I like squats and deadlifts too much to drop them. Although, I do hope to drop my gym membership someday.
  • Okiludy
    Okiludy Posts: 558 Member
    Good luck, hope it works for you again! I personally couldn’t get much stronger without progressive overloading. I am close to 2x body weight squats and 2.5x on deadlifts. I don’t believe that body weight exercises would help me much.

    Now body weight exercises and small overload from weighted backpack along with a spot in diet could get you ripped. I am just not sure if it’s super efficient. Still I wish you the best.
  • jessef593
    jessef593 Posts: 2,272 Member
    dart_si wrote: »
    I'm not anti gym. I just don't need it. I didn't use a gym in the army when I bulked up quite a bit, and I can do it again. I've just been lazy lately. Everyone has a different body type. I've always been extremely lean and able to build muscle easy as long as I'm eating enough. There's tons of ways to work out without having to go visit a gym all the time.

    Yeah well that's generally how it works.

    Okay so what about quad, glute, hamstring, and spinal erectors development? What are your plans for them?

    You are completely entitled to your preferred exercise. I just know I would never have reached this level or look the way I do without lifting hundreds of pounds over several years.

    Besides work pays for my gym so I can't see a reason not to train. Also my sport requires weights..sooooo
  • michael1976_ca
    michael1976_ca Posts: 3,488 Member
    Convict Conditioning: The Forgotten Art Of Bodyweight Training

    or

    you can get you are your own gym
  • Okiludy
    Okiludy Posts: 558 Member
    I think what people are skeptical about is the amount of muscle claimed. Yes, people can build good bodies using bodyweight programs. Bar-men (in prison the guys that do more bodyweight/pull-up bars instead of weights) can get ripped AF. They just don't get that big.

    The most efficient way to get big is progressive overload with reps in the 8-12 range as shown by research by Brad Schoenfeld. You can gain nearly as much muscle and get much stronger by going lower rep scheme but not everyone cares about strength and wants every advantage. There is no way on earth I could be squatting 435 and deadlifting 520 in less than a year by doing bodyweight stuff.

    I am not coming down on the OP. In fact, I hope he can prove many of us wrong. 25lbs of muscle and limited fat naturally from bodyweight and limited overload just seems hard to believe. I'm a relative noob to lifting at just under a year but agree with the more seasoned lifters.
  • Lean59man
    Lean59man Posts: 714 Member
    edited March 2018
    I think you can definitely put on muscle without going to gym.

    You will need progressive resistance of some sort. This could done in many ways.

    You can do dips on chairs or parallel bars and add weight as you get stronger. Can be done at home or your local playground. Dips alone can develop your chest, shoulders, and triceps tremendously. Same with pullups. Add weight as needed.

    Actually just buy one of those pullup/dip towers and away you go. Pick up a used one on Craiglist. Awesomeness awaits!

    A deadlift type movement or squat can be done by lifting heavy objects like the WSM guys do with Atlas Stones. Or just buy a barbell set and train at home.

    Combine this with lots of food and you will gain.

    My only objection to the OP's idea is his perhaps unrealistic expectations of gaining 25lbs. in a year and still being ripped. The definition of "ripped". Most likely he does not mean "ripped" in the sense of competitive bodybuilding but as in being very muscular and in great shape.
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    edited March 2018
    dart_si wrote: »
    Hello forum. I notice many people on here think it's impossible to get into good shape without going to the gym and lifting multiple times a week. I plan to gain about 25 pounds over the next year and a half without going to the gym once.
    I have a pullups bar, I will be doing a lot of modified body weight exercise. I'm at 145 pounds right now and 5'10. My body fat stays around the single digits naturally so this may be easier for someone like me compared to others. If you want to see my progress in the future feel free to contact me.
    Has anybody had any success doing what I'm doing or similar?

    I don't think any regular posters here say you can't get in good shape working out at home or without weights. You certainly can. Programs like Nerd Fitness, You are Your own Gym, and Convict Conditioning are often recommended.

    But it is borderline impossible to gain 25 lbs in a year and a half while maintaining single digit BF%. A pro athlete working with an elite trainer and nutritionist might not even be able to do that.

    I'm curious how you're measuring your body fat?
This discussion has been closed.

Categories