Natural Workout

teleboy

Hey,

I heard from a friend that it's a lot better to build muscle naturally rather than with weights,

so I'm looking to see if anyone knows ways of naturally building muscle,

stuff like press-ups and sit-ups?

any help appreciated

the drifter

Transform will be along any minute to fill you in on building muscle without weights..


However...weights when done correctly and couped with a sorted diet would most likely be more affective.

teleboy

the drifter wrote: »

Transform will be along any minute to fill you in on building muscle without weights..


However...weights when done correctly and couped with a sorted diet would most likely be more affective.

Thanks for the help,I've tried weights already,and they have worked to an extent,just interested in trying something new,but thanks anyway!

the drifter

what do you mean they have worked to an extent? can you post your diet your goals and what program you were following

teleboy

the drifter wrote: »

what do you mean they have worked to an extent? can you post your diet your goals and what program you were following

Well,it's been a while, haven't had much time to go to the gym because I'm in 6th year, but the plan was given to me when I joined the gym,basic plan,reps and sets on different weights(can't remember the exact weights or reps, but was given to me by a fitness instructor at the gym), and my diet was pretty much splitting 3 large meals a day in 5 smaller meals per day, trying to eat stuff like meats and potatoes as much as possible in those meals, I was also trying to fit in a good bit of Cardio so they probably clashed,but while i was working the plan working,it's been about a year since I stopped though, looking to start getting fit again and just interested in trying something new...ohh and no specific goals, just simply trying to keep keep fit and build a bit of muscle

rubadub

teleboy wrote: »

so I'm looking to see if anyone knows ways of naturally building muscle,

stuff like press-ups and sit-ups?

I wouldn't bother with situps. You will at least need to get a chinup bar, I would highly recommend gymnastic rings, these will allow you to do loads of exercises, you can hang them from a chinup bar or just on some wood placed across the hole in your attic if you have one which is suitable.

YjyRdlhc2bo

You will outgrow simple movements after a while and have to make use harder variations, like progress to handstand pushups, or one arm chinups, but there are loads of variations before those. I don't know if anybody who posts here could manage even a single freestanding full ROM handstand pushup on parallel bars. But read this!

This will blow your mind but the record for free balancing CONTINUOUS HSPUs is not 13, but 163. These were done on the parallel bars and were full range with the shoulders going down to the hands on each rep. And to make it even more incredible it was done by a 50 year old man who remained in a handstand for the entire 30 minutes that it took him to complete the 163 reps. His name is Mako Sakamoto, is now 58 years old and can still do 75 full range HSPUs without really raising a sweat. Mr. Sakamote was the personal coach of 1984 Olympic Gold Medalist Peter Vidmar and the long time head coach at BYU.

Yours in Fitness,
Coach Sommer

teleboy

Thanks! I'm not sure what you meant by the second quote though...

MaeveD

Maybe contact Mauro... he doesn't use weights just his own body weight.
You can see some of the stuff he can do here:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055939271

teleboy

Thanks,thats exactly the kinda stuff I was looking for

although,I'm not quite at that standard yet,haha

Transform

push ups, pull ups, lunges, squats etc

Here is an example of myself and 2 clients doing a benchmark crossfit workout - no weights involved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIgofCzn8Q0

and one done at home -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8OqjXdpLC0

this is just a really small example as there are so many

the drifter

See i told ya transform would be along!

Transform

the drifter wrote: »

See i told ya transform would be along!

cheers man and I only wish more people would do sessions like this from home rather than paying 600euros+ a year in a gym they do not get the most use out of

LFC5Times

Transform

In your second video above, what is that on your arm? and what does it do?

Cheers

Transform

LFC5Times wrote: »

Transform

In your second video above, what is that on your arm? and what does it do?

Cheers

ipod holder is all and the music keeps me going!!

teleboy

thanks lads,this is all brilliant!

1ceman

LFC5Times wrote: »

Transform

In your second video above, what is that on your arm? and what does it do?

Cheers

Were you in that movie Book of Eli ?

:pac::pac::pac:

Transform

1ceman wrote: »

Were you in that movie Book of Eli ?

:pac::pac::pac:

yes that was me in the background going - he's feckin blind but he is going to kick your butt!!!

mloc

teleboy wrote: »

I heard from a friend that it's a lot better to build muscle naturally rather than with weights

I'm surprised noone has picked up on the falseness of this statement yet.

choons

I found this link somewhere in the fitness forum and its a great website!

Once you can do the basics like push ups / pull ups, have a look!

http://www.beastskills.com/tutorials.htm :cool:

Zamboni

mloc wrote: »

I'm surprised noone has picked up on the falseness of this statement yet.

Its the nearly weekend and Mexico won last night

rubadub

Transform wrote: »

ipod holder is all and the music keeps me going!!

Ipod me bollox, the secret is out, I know a battery pack for a cyborg when I see one

mloc wrote: »

I'm surprised noone has picked up on the falseness of this statement yet.

Maybe nobody wanted it to degenerate into a bitch fest!
This thread has some good discussion on it. Going to be biased since it is a gymnastics forum but some good posts.
http://www.gymnasticbodies.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=2989

the drifter

mloc wrote: »

I'm surprised noone has picked up on the falseness of this statement yet.

i did and kinda brushed of it in my first post....but the OP didnt ask for a discussion he asked how to build muscle without weights...

and lets face it....this thread has delivered in style...

macmurchu

Use creatine my friend

TommyKnocker

teleboy

mloc wrote: »

I'm surprised noone has picked up on the falseness of this statement yet.

well,to be honest, I wasn't even sure about how true that was myself,I was just talking to a friend about a workout without weights,and he said that it builds dense muscle rather than big muscle(if there is such a thing) and that it can lead to less problems and I was just interested in a few different exercises that i could try

either way thanks to everyone thats posted!

Transform

teleboy wrote: »

well,to be honest, I wasn't even sure about how true that was myself,I was just talking to a friend about a workout without weights,and he said that it builds dense muscle rather than big muscle(if there is such a thing) and that it can lead to less problems and I was just interested in a few different exercises that i could try

either way thanks to everyone thats posted!

yes best off not getting into that debate and just leave it at the point that everyone should be able to do pull ups, dips, press ups, body weight squats, lunges, step ups, box hops, double unders etc

if more people did all of the above and less fannying about the gym doing 4 different biceps exercises and worrying about upper and inner chest then the training world would be all the better for it.

There is NEVER a que for the chin up bar and its never a problem finding space to do 100 squats or press ups in a gym or at home.

Cyborg says no to the smith machine and yes to getting down and dirty with the basics.

sharky86

Transform wrote: »

yes that was me in the background going - he's feckin blind but he is going to kick your butt!!!

man I've watched that film twice now and never copped on he was blind!.. Is he really bind? Damn.

K4t

mloc wrote: »

I'm surprised noone has picked up on the falseness of this statement yet.

Why is it false though? Huge weights are hardly natural? I know some very strong, fit people who have never been inside a gym in their lives. They have eaten well for the most part and don't drink excessively or smoke at all and train heavily for their chosen sports through high intensity cardio and core exercises, push ups, burpees, wall sits etc. I know gyms are really effective and weights are great and all but it is definitely possible to reach incredible standards of strength and fitness without using them imo. Just an opinion.

mloc

K4t wrote: »

I know gyms are really effective and weights are great and all but it is definitely possible to reach incredible standards of strength and fitness without using them imo. Just an opinion.

I agree. 100%. It's also possible to cut grass using a scissors, it's just easier and more effective to use a lawn mower.

I agree that doing body weight exercises is very important and often neglected, but to get the sort of results that most people look for, the level body weight only training that would be required is simply unsustainable.

Transform

I agree with that - mix it up between body weight and lifting heavy things.

For the average person that takes shag all exercise if the very least they were to do was a home workout like this they would benefit in a massive way -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8OqjXdpLC0

I am amazed at how complicated many people make their training rather than getting the basics right.

press ups, sit ups, body weight squats, running, skipping, chin ups etc worked decades ago to help people stay and get in good shape and they will still work in years to come.

Zamboni

K4t wrote: »

Why is it false though? Huge weights are hardly natural? I know some very strong, fit people who have never been inside a gym in their lives.

Humans have been lifting heavy objects throughout the entire evolutionary process. It is as natural as breathing.
Due to the current sedentary environment we have created it is necessary to replicate activities from the past to maintain optimal health of our bodies.

Michael 09

Zamboni wrote: »

Humans have been lifting heavy objects throughout the entire evolutionary process. It is as natural as breathing.
Due to the current sedentary environment we have created it is necessary to replicate activities from the past to maintain optimal health of our bodies.

BOOM!

Transform

Zamboni wrote: »

Humans have been lifting heavy objects throughout the entire evolutionary process. It is as natural as breathing.
Due to the current sedentary environment we have created it is necessary to replicate activities from the past to maintain optimal health of our bodies.

totally agree - it used to wreck me footing turf and loading it during the summer months of my youth but tough as nails work

Michael 09

Transform wrote: »

I am amazed at how complicated many people make their training rather than getting the basics right.

press ups, sit ups, body weight squats, running, skipping, chin ups etc worked decades ago to help people stay and get in good shape and they will still work in years to come.

So would you endorse a crossfit style workout rather than heavy lifting?

The crossfit I do being 5 chin ups, 10 press ups, 15 squats - all just body weight. Would it be better to this more often than heavy weight sessions or should I find a balance, say cross fit once a week?

Transform

crossfit is NOT just doing body weight workouts - e.g. this is a workout i did a few days ago -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GdJtyJCByLY

yes the HSPU's are body weight but there is still a 60kg weight to be lifted.

I mix up my sessions between straight cardio (steady state, sprints and intervals), metcons (some that involve weights some that dont), normal strength exercises (but very few biceps curls etc), plenty of foam rolling and stretching.

All of the above keeps me ticking over but there is no way i would be in the shape i am in without lifting some heavy stuff. Body weight stuff is grand for most people just wanting to look trim and fit but its just not enough for me.

_MadRa_

Transform wrote: »

totally agree - it used to wreck me footing turf and loading it during the summer months of my youth but tough as nails work

Footing is the easiest part :P
You should try cutting it... every year...on your birthday...

Transform

_MadRa_ wrote: »

Footing is the easiest part :P
You should try cutting it... every year...on your birthday...

never was old enough to do the actual cutting but loading it was a right killer also.

The vast majority of people just need a good hard basic workout that requires no gym, very few weights, plenty of sweat and stop thinking all their failed progress is due to a poor program, having not found the 'ideal' diet and some magic cure with creatine, protein powders and whatever new product is out at the moment.

gavtron

Transform wrote: »

never was old enough to do the actual cutting but loading it was a right killer also.

The vast majority of people just need a good hard basic workout that requires no gym, very few weights, plenty of sweat and stop thinking all their failed progress is due to a poor program, having not found the 'ideal' diet and some magic cure with creatine, protein powders and whatever new product is out at the moment.

[OT]
Was down home for a couple of days last week, had to go to the bog...it's even less fun than I remember now...we were only shtackin' and turnin' tho, still tough on the lower back...didn't even have the boiled egg at the side of the road on the way home either...that was the best bit...
[/OT]

Totally agree, people just need to eat fairly right and work hard, it's been said dozens of times before!

Transform

yes its hard to keep saying what works well all the time as some people are still looking for the magic bullet.

This might help the original question - http://thetransformationcatalyst.wordpress.com/2010/06/21/body-weight-workout/

and this was the video -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjl3AfKZD18