Anybody gettin' swole off bodyweight exercise exclusively?

BezO

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I'm 6 weeks into a bodyweight & cardio workout. I'm enjoying the practical strength & fitness I'm gaining.

But, with the exception of those bar dudes on youtube, I've not seen anyone with significan't muscle gain. Not having direct access to them, who knows what else they're doing, taking, etc.

My progress has been increased overall strength & endurance, fat loss & some noticeable muscle development in my quads & triceps.

My current routine...

Mon & Thu: Abs, Chest, Shoulders & Tricepts - 1.5 Mile Run
Tue & Fri: Abs, Legs & Glutes - Non-Running Cardio (Burpees, Mountain Climbers, etc)
Wed & Sat: Abs, Back & Biceps - 1.5 Mile Run

I eat 5 times a day & have upped my protien & calorie intake.

I don't want to axe the cardio as part of my goal is overall fitness.

But I know this workout is not ideal fore building mass.

Suggestions?
 

MMS

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i think its possible, but you have to do things to make it harder as you go

but truth be told building mass is more volume than anything, strength requires heavier progressive weights
 

YaBoy

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I'm doing this now. A lot of pullup/pushup variations, pistol squats, planche/front lever/back lever progressions, L-sits, handstand pushup progressions, leg curls, calf raises, squat jumps, lunges, wall sits. Basketball for cardio. I'm seeing pretty good results
 

Mackronus

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I think MMsex got it right for the most part. But if you haven't already, please get your macros calculated. Eating 5 times a day with a lot of protein isn't a direct line to mass production, at least not in the sense of a clean bulk (again, not in terms of eating healthy, but in terms of gaining an optimal amount of mass with minimal fat gains).

But yes -- simplified to its core, progressively intense weight-building exercises and a caloric excess is all you need to build mass.

If I may ask -- why are you opposed lifting weights?
 

BezO

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I've added more advanced exercises, at points, to make sure things are as much of a challenge as I can handle. I'm only 6 weeks in, so nothing on par with the advanced bar exercises on youtube, yet.

If those bar dudes are bodyweight exclusive, it's possible. As difficult as most of the exercises are, it's likely. Not knowing what else they do cast some doubt though.

It won't hurt to see where this goes. Most enjoyable workouts I've done, and results have been satisfactory.
 

BezO

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Didn't see these replies...
I'm doing this now. A lot of pullup/pushup variations, pistol squats, planche/front lever/back lever progressions, L-sits, handstand pushup progressions, leg curls, calf raises, squat jumps, lunges, wall sits. Basketball for cardio. I'm seeing pretty good results
Pistols? How long you been at this? I'm doing bulgarian split squats and one leg squats with the other leg bent back (forget what they're called). I don't know if it's a lack of flexibility or what, but pistols are a no go right now.

Planches? With legs of the ground? Don't make me feel like shyt.

Can you give more detail regarding results?

Only but so much muscle I would've put on in 6 weeks, but I'm only seeing cuts in my legs & triceps. Calves were decent when I started and I know are harder to build, so I'm not noticing much there. Still have some fat to shed off the torso, so maybe there's something going on I can't see.
 
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BezO

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I think MMsex got it right for the most part. But if you haven't already, please get your macros calculated. Eating 5 times a day with a lot of protein isn't a direct line to mass production, at least not in the sense of a clean bulk (again, not in terms of eating healthy, but in terms of gaining an optimal amount of mass with minimal fat gains).

But yes -- simplified to its core, progressively intense weight-building exercises and a caloric excess is all you need to build mass.

If I may ask -- why are you opposed lifting weights?
I do need to caculate. Since I needed to cut & bulk, I wasn't as into the precision as I should be. 6 weeks in, my goals are defining a bit more.

I'm not opposed to lifting. It's just not as convenient. My exercise room at home is not big enough for anything serious. I have a pull up / dip / leg raise rack & treadmill. I'm considering some barbells. Anthing more than that is a no go.

I start my workout at 5:30am. I didn't really search, but I can't imagine a gym being open that early and being close enough to maintain the convenience. And I'm getting my lady in shape too. Working out in the evening would require some major adjustments.

And I have more fun with bodyweight exercises. My goals are bodyweight related. Like cats that lift want to bench 300, squat 500, etc. I want to do planche pushups, pistols, muscle ups, ab windshield wipers, etc.
 
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Mackronus

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Yeah, of all of the body compositions that need specific macros, I'd say a situation where bulking and cutting is where it's most important. People who need to cut are so often afraid to bulk, fearing weight gain, but also afraid to lose what little muscle they have if they go the cutting route. Something has to give. You're working with slim margins.

I know myself, and many others, lift with no goals to become bodybuilders who can bench 300 pounds. Take a look around the free weight area at the gym and you see all different body types. I'm not sure what your "bodyweight" related goals refer to, but I would imagine that they would easily align with the attainable results of a simple weightlifting regimen with only a few compound lifts that work your whole body in a minimal amount of time.

But the fact of the matter is, as long as you're seeing results, nothing else but your health matters.
 

MMS

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many college students i know have invested in weight vests to supplement body weight moves like pushups and pullups

body weight squat jumps and sprints can build leg mass(albeit not huge mass) but its definitely possible

explosive pushups
hip pushups
straight bar dips(narrow grip)
varying grip pullups
supine rows

are all things off the top of my head that can be progressively weighted with a vest and then ramped up with more sets/reps etc

you just need to form a plan for progression that allows you to continuously add reps(atleast for mass building)

IE i went from 8x3 on wide grip pullups to now 8x6 and soon im going to ramp up to 7. Im up to 165 right now from starting at ~153 :leon:
 

Mr.Black

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size dont actually mean shyt sometimes in the gym

i done seen smaller dudes dl 405 with no belt with a double overhand grip

and big dudes that cant db press 100 lb dbs
 

YaBoy

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Didn't see these replies...
Pistols? How long you been at this? I'm doing bulgarian split squats and one leg squats with the other leg bent back (forget what they're called). I don't know if it's a lack of flexibility or what, but pistols are a no go right now.

Planches? With legs of the ground? Don't make me feel like shyt.

Can you give more detail regarding results?

Only but so much muscle I would've put on in 6 weeks, but I'm only seeing cuts in my legs & triceps. Calves were decent when I started and I know are harder to build, so I'm not noticing much there. Still have some fat to shed off the torso, so maybe there's something going on I can't see.

I've been doing pistols a couple months now and worked up from not being able to do 1 to do 4 sets of 5. My legs have definitely gotten bigger. I'm probably gonna try to put in some explosive sets. & Yea ankle flexibility might be an issue if you can't squat down without your heal coming off the ground. Balance is also a huge factor in doing pistols. My left leg is stronger than my right but I can do more with my right bc i have better balance with it.

I defintely can't do planches or levers yet, I'm just working my way up to them.

I haven't worked out consistently the past year so my results are stunted. At the start of the summer, I could do about 8 pullups & now I can do about 15 and i'm gonna start doing them weighted. I see definite growth in my biceps & my back is really starting to get cut up. I feel like i have the most growth in my traps & shoulders (from pushup variations). I'm getting a lot of people saying I'm looking good or asking if I'm working out if i haven't seen them in awhile.

You can easily get good results with a bodyweight only routine if you're consistent with it. I would suggest to only do an exercise to failure once in awhile. You'll be able to go hard nearly everyday and when you do actually go to failure, you'll see real results in what you can do.
 

semtex

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you have to make them difficult somehow. busting out >=35reps per set will get you nowhere (except for maybe with the bulgarians, that's pretty wicked).

Hit up some gymnastics sites for progressive calisthenics workouts. Gymnasts are a good example of what is possible with bodyweight exercises.

stronggymnast.jpg
 

BezO

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many college students i know have invested in weight vests to supplement body weight moves like pushups and pullups

body weight squat jumps and sprints can build leg mass(albeit not huge mass) but its definitely possible

explosive pushups
hip pushups
straight bar dips(narrow grip)
varying grip pullups
supine rows

are all things off the top of my head that can be progressively weighted with a vest and then ramped up with more sets/reps etc

you just need to form a plan for progression that allows you to continuously add reps(atleast for mass building)

IE i went from 8x3 on wide grip pullups to now 8x6 and soon im going to ramp up to 7. Im up to 165 right now from starting at ~153 :leon:
Definitely looking into vests. I thought about one when I got started and didn't need one. It's about that time thought. Thanks for the reminder.

Any brand suggestions? A quick look, not many go too high up in weight.

I have been adding reps. I'm impressed with everthing except pull ups. By %, I've had similar progression, but I was able to do so few when I started.
 
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