Anyone else do bodyweight workouts for strength?

[Leigh]

I'm trying to replace lifting weights with bodyweight exercises and it's not that easy. Many bodyweight exercises do not provide enough resistance and those that do often require some other qualities, such as balance, flexibility etc. Whilst those are great qualities, I am looking for exercises to build muscle, which means compound movements in the lower rep ranges (ie under 10).

My strength program is pretty simple, so it's just a matter of finding bodyweight alternatives. The hardest challenge has been finding a posterior chain builder (deadlift replacement). And also finding progressions to increase resistance for a guy weighing about 150lbs LOL. I think I'll need to add a little bit of weight to my lifts.

So far I have dips, chins, handstand pushups and single leg squats. I'm going to add some stuff off youtube like some kind of lever for my lower back, glutes and hams or maybe bridges. I'll give it a month and see how it goes

 

[Bozy]

I'm a big fattie. The past few weeks I've been doing a lot of body squats and other stuff. I've lost a few pounds and can move a lot better. More spring to my step and so on.

 

[Pitbull9]

I love Bodyweight dips, pullups and even squats, sissy squats. Push ups of course are the shit do them every night.

 

[Lord Vutulaki]

@Leigh why are you dropping the weights? Looking to never leaving the house?

That said ill be adding chins to my arsenal of excercises. Ive maxed out the lat pull down machine at the gym 110kg @ 90kg bw but can hardly do two chins. Doesn't make sense.

 

[Leigh]

@Leigh why are you dropping the weights? Looking to never leaving the house?

That said ill be adding chins to my arsenal of excercises. Ive maxed out the lat pull down machine at the gym 110kg @ 90kg bw but can hardly do two chins. Doesn't make sense.

Yeah just looking for something I can do without a gym. I have absolutely no issue with lifting weights. I'll probably mix and match, this is simply trying something different.

Chins require full body control and are more difficult than pulling a cable. With a bit of practise, I think you'll pick them up

 

[Disciplined Galt]

Strong core is key to chins.
@Leigh you should ask PenxV Matt Masterson about bodyweight shit, dude's a yoga master.

 

[Leigh]

Strong core is key to chins.
@Leigh you should ask PenxV Matt Masterson about bodyweight shit, dude's a yoga master.

Who?

 

[Disciplined Galt]

A guy that banned for making fake fighter profiles in the first week this place was up. He's on @masatotoys and EY.com trains with Stipe Miocic. Has a bit of an obsession with fightsport but so does Barnett so I guess I get that

 

[Topsy]

@Leigh love me some BW circuits. Great for grappling too.

Have you tried doing them using Time Under Tension? Pull ups, 4 sec contraction, 2 sec hold at top (max contraction) 4 sec eccentric phase. (Don't let arms fully lock, ie don't take the tension off) repeat this for say 6 reps.

That's a minute under tension. Brilliant stuff.
Pull ups on a door? Place a towel over the door. Grab the top and start to pull up. Due to the angle being slightly anterior it places the bias.....well I'll let you feel it .

Have a go. Be interested in some feedback sir.

 

[Leigh]

@Leigh love me some BW circuits. Great for grappling too.

Have you tried doing them using Time Under Tension? Pull ups, 4 sec contraction, 2 sec hold at top (max contraction) 4 sec eccentric phase. (Don't let arms fully lock, ie don't take the tension off) repeat this for say 6 reps.

That's a minute under tension. Brilliant stuff.
Pull ups on a door? Place a towel over the door. Grab the top and start to pull up. Due to the angle being slightly anterior it places the bias.....well I'll let you feel it .

Have a go. Be interested in some feedback sir.

What would be the purpose for doing this?

 

[Pitbull9]

What would be the purpose for doing this?

Im guessing just to shock the body?

 

[Leigh]

Im guessing just to shock the body?

Is that a useful thing to do?

 

[Pitbull9]

Is that a useful thing to do?

I mean its always fun and useful to change things up a bit, im not sure how much of a drastic change it will make lol. I happen to love to do drop sets, giant sets, triple drop sets, slow negative and explode, things like that.

 

[Leigh]

I mean its always fun and useful to change things up a bit, im not sure how much of a drastic change it will make lol. I happen to love to do drop sets, giant sets, triple drop sets, slow negative and explode, things like that.

I train to get a result. Maybe cardio to stretch my left ventricle or lifting to trigger an anabolic response. I'm happy to try new stuff but I want to know why I'm doing it, otherwise how can I rate it?

 

[Pitbull9]

I train to get a result. Maybe cardio to stretch my left ventricle or lifting to trigger an anabolic response. I'm happy to try new stuff but I want to know why I'm doing it, otherwise how can I rate it?

That is def true. I do those thing i mentioned to see how my body responds, I.E, pump, DOMs, what type of weight i can use and when i burnout things like that.

 

[Topsy]

What would be the purpose for doing this?

 

[Topsy]

Hey...time under tension - Lots of talk either way (strength, hypertrophy, sarcomeres, sarcolema, durations, loads etc)...but in short for me. Many types of training methods etc. utilized for general or specific approach. TUT mode of training 6+ secs (tempo can be manipulated......more strength gen. lower time ex. 2/0/4 etc.) I like an 8-10 sec rep with 75%+ 1rm / or bw if pull ups (tempo 2-4/2/4)...fact is in basic terms is working muscle in all counts (isoto- con/ecc and isom) more controlled for a longer duration...invariably gonna get some strength / hypertr / end gains depending on intensity vs load.... I like to use to negate momentum and to help isolate / focus the ex movement, give support and security around joints (incl. Iso hold), reduce max loading and inturn support better overall function by offering a better balanced strength curve all round. Think for an athlete is a good concept to incorporate (amongst others) in phases of program...but certainly not as the standalone mode...for older pops think it could have more of a core use for the reasons I give above...I am probably a good example of that. As I said there will be science and studies either way....but for me the key is in the knowledge and application of the individual or trainer. Hope that helps. Apologies for late reply. In Glasglow visiting family. Nope you had a Hoofing Hogmany x

 

[Leigh]

Hey...time under tension - Lots of talk either way (strength, hypertrophy, sarcomeres, sarcolema, durations, loads etc)...but in short for me. Many types of training methods etc. utilized for general or specific approach. TUT mode of training 6+ secs (tempo can be manipulated......more strength gen. lower time ex. 2/0/4 etc.) I like an 8-10 sec rep with 75%+ 1rm / or bw if pull ups (tempo 2-4/2/4)...fact is in basic terms is working muscle in all counts (isoto- con/ecc and isom) more controlled for a longer duration...invariably gonna get some strength / hypertr / end gains depending on intensity vs load.... I like to use to negate momentum and to help isolate / focus the ex movement, give support and security around joints (incl. Iso hold), reduce max loading and inturn support better overall function by offering a better balanced strength curve all round. Think for an athlete is a good concept to incorporate (amongst others) in phases of program...but certainly not as the standalone mode...for older pops think it could have more of a core use for the reasons I give above...I am probably a good example of that. As I said there will be science and studies either way....but for me the key is in the knowledge and application of the individual or trainer. Hope that helps. Apologies for late reply. In Glasglow visiting family. Nope you had a Hoofing Hogmany x

Thanks for the response.

My tempo is generally slow on the eccentric and fast on the concentric. That's due to the CAT principle of using acceleration to increase resistance.

 

[Lord Vutulaki]

Leigh wall sits used to fry my hamstrings but im hammy dominant. Even HB squats hit my hammies more than my quads

 

[Leigh]

I lost some size and strength due to an arm injury in October. I seem to have built it all back with the bodyweight training.

My lower back is thanking me and feels great but the stress on my shoulders is pretty rough. I think I need to get better at the exercises.

 

[member 1013]

I do about six or seven push ups a week and I'm straight jacked, as you know.

 

[RedDragonUK]

How many sets do you do Leigh ? You keep them under 10 reps but didn't say how many sets. Do you weight the chins and dips or is it literally just body weight?

 

[Leigh]

How many sets do you do Leigh ? You keep them under 10 reps but didn't say how many sets. Do you weight the chins and dips or is it literally just body weight?

5 sets of 5. The exercises are direct replacements for my weights. I'm not weighting my dips or pull ups but they are very easy and I'd probably have to weight them to make more progress. I have golfers elbows from too many weighted chins so I have to be careful. I go reasonably wide grip and might progress to some tougher variations if I feel the need.

 

[HEATH VON DOOM]

You need to watch episodes of lockup, the prisoners have that shit down and alot of them are ripped. It seems you have to replace weight with a shitload of reps.

 

[Leigh]

You need to watch episodes of lockup, the prisoners have that shit down and alot of them are ripped. It seems you have to replace weight with a shitload of reps.

I don't want to do high rep stuff and that is really the challenge; to find exercises that are effective muscle builders using bodyweight. I think I'm there though, or near enough.