Are Bodyweight Exercises Enough To Build Muscle?

[Rev Leon Lonnie Love]

nikkas still excusing and side-stepping the role genitics play in these things. You see one dude on youtube and think shyt is possible in every scenario
My legs get jacked from just skipping rope and doing body squats. You know why that is? Genetics! My leg genes are just top tier like that. I would not expect someone else to get the same results at all. The same happens for my chest. On the other hand, It never happens for my arms because my arm muscles are just average at best no matter what kind of workout.

 

[NatiboyB]

Yes of course but diet/nutrition is the primary thing

 

[SheWantTheD]

In my experience with body weight exercises I would say yes but you have to do more volume ie.. hit muscle groups multiple times a week.

I do my regular weight lifting for the week and one day I do a chest back exercise from just push ups and pull ups.

I do it because I like calisthenics and also I’m able to hit a muscle group twice a week. Also I appear more fuller as I’m hitting the muscle group more than once a week.

wirh push-ups I hit chest and indirectly triceps. With pull ups I hit back and indirectly biceps.

If you want progressive overload your best bet would be lifting weights though it’s possible with body weight. You will have to hit those body parts more frequently though.

I don’t know how old you are but I suggest doing both to maximize muscle growth with your peak natural testosterone levels. As you age your test levels will slowly decrease. Use what you can (weights and body weight) to get the most muscle you can while you still have the natural testosterone levels to use.

 

[SheWantTheD]

nikkas still excusing and side-stepping the role genitics play in these things. You see one dude on youtube and think shyt is possible in every scenario
My legs get jacked from just skipping rope and doing body squats. You know why that is? Genetics! My leg genes are just top tier like that. I would not expect someone else to get the same results at all. The same happens for my chest. On the other hand, It never happens for my arms because my arm muscles are just average at best no matter what kind of workout.

Body weight squats?

The quads are a very strong and resilient muscle group. After 3 weeks of doing body weight leg exercises, my legs are like.. this is it? You gotta come with something more tougher boy!

 

[Rev Leon Lonnie Love]

Body weight squats?

The quads are a very strong and resilient muscle group. After 3 weeks of doing body weight leg exercises, my legs are like.. this is it? You gotta come with something more tougher boy!

Yes. I have very defined and muscular legs naturally. Just pumping them with blood from body weight squats and rope skipping is enough to impress anyone. When I used to lift weights 8 years ago, I couldnt wear jeans anymore because my legs would blow up in size and I would rip all pants I wore. I wore baggy sweatpants 90% of the time because of it.

Again, this was out of my control and was genetic factor. I did squat and deadlift heavy but the guys I worked out with didnt have equal results.

It you dont believe it then it is what it is, but these are not ducktales

 

[Suspicious Dingo]

Sorry, one more question for you guys: do you think it's more effective to concentrate on working one body part per day (chest one day, shoulders next day, etc), or two (chest/triceps, shoulders/biceps, etc)?

 

[Son Goku]

Sorry, one more question for you guys: do you think it's more effective to concentrate on working one body part per day (chest one day, shoulders next day, etc), or two (chest/triceps, shoulders/biceps, etc)?

Neither, especially if you're not and advanced lifter and/or on steroids.

 

[Suspicious Dingo]

Neither, especially if you're not and advanced lifter and/or on steroids.

What would you suggest?

 

[Neo. The Only. The One.]

nikkas still excusing and side-stepping the role genitics play in these things. You see one dude on youtube and think shyt is possible in every scenario
My legs get jacked from just skipping rope and doing body squats. You know why that is? Genetics! My leg genes are just top tier like that. I would not expect someone else to get the same results at all. The same happens for my chest. On the other hand, It never happens for my arms because my arm muscles are just average at best no matter what kind of workout.

Maybe that's what I'm seeing then

My shoulders, triceps and chest are looking decent.

My legs FEEL strong, but I haven't seen any noticeable changes there yet.

 

[Son Goku]

What would you suggest?

As a general rule, if you have to ask these kinds of questions online you should *not* be programming for yourself; this means you should be running a proven program until you know enough about diet and exercise to tailor things more to your individual needs.

Multiple studies have shown that hitting a muscle group (directly) at least twice a week is better for virtually every desired outcome: size, strength, endurance, etc.

There is no reason to train using a bro split (chest day, arm day, shoulder day, back day, a skipped leg day) and hitting two parts each day but still only once a week is no better.

For you, I'd either rock a 3 day full-body program or an upper-lower program ran twice a week (i.e. 4 gym days).

If you can't total 1000 lbs in the gym [squat, bench, deadlift] at 185 (+/- 15) pounds bodyweight I don't see much point in worrying about more advanced training protocols, even if strength is not your primary goal, because you're still a weakling [least 500 lbs for females].

 

[Neo. The Only. The One.]

In my experience with body weight exercises I would say yes but you have to do more volume ie.. hit muscle groups multiple times a week.

I do my regular weight lifting for the week and one day I do a chest back exercise from just push ups and pull ups.

I do it because I like calisthenics and also I’m able to hit a muscle group twice a week. Also I appear more fuller as I’m hitting the muscle group more than once a week.

wirh push-ups I hit chest and indirectly triceps. With pull ups I hit back and indirectly biceps.

If you want progressive overload your best bet would be lifting weights though it’s possible with body weight. You will have to hit those body parts more frequently though.

I don’t know how old you are but I suggest doing both to maximize muscle growth with your peak natural testosterone levels. As you age your test levels will slowly decrease. Use what you can (weights and body weight) to get the most muscle you can while you still have the natural testosterone levels to use.

My calis workout plan is full body, and it's supposed to be every day (no days off). I did miss a couple days this past week due to lack of proper sleep and good diet (wasn't getting full, and a couple days I had like 4 hrs of sleep).

Getting back on track for this week.

 

[Neo. The Only. The One.]

Yes. I have very defined and muscular legs naturally. Just pumping them with blood from body weight squats and rope skipping is enough to impress anyone. When I used to lift weights 8 years ago, I couldnt wear jeans anymore because my legs would blow up in size and I would rip all pants I wore. I wore baggy sweatpants 90% of the time because of it.

Again, this was out of my control and was genetic factor. I did squat and deadlift heavy but the guys I worked out with didnt have equal results.

It you dont believe it then it is what it is, but these are not ducktales

How many squats do you do?

I do at LEAST 200 every time I work out, and most days it's over 300.

But like I said, I haven't SEEN any noticeable changes there, but when I "flex", my legs (and my ass ) does feel solid as hell.

Now with that being said, I've always had skinny legs (genetics). I took after my mom instead of my dad

 

[xXMASHERXx]

How many squats do you do?

I do at LEAST 200 every time I work out, and most days it's over 300.

But like I said, I haven't SEEN any noticeable changes there, but when I "flex", my legs (and my ass ) does feel solid as hell.

Now with that being said, I've always had skinny legs (genetics). I took after my mom instead of my dad

Get under a bar and get your squat over 400lbs. I'll bet you'll see changes then.

 

[Neo. The Only. The One.]

Get under a bar and get your squat over 400lbs. I'll bet you'll see changes then.

after COVID, I will. Trying to let the pandemic die down before getting back in the gym. That's the main reason I'm doing calis for now.

COVID is bumping in my state, hitting folks hard.

 

[SheWantTheD]

after COVID, I will. Trying to let the pandemic die down before getting back in the gym. That's the main reason I'm doing calis for now.

COVID is bumping in my state, hitting folks hard.

i been in the gym since january.. never take my mask off and I'm aight.

I got sick when they removed buckets filled with wipe and I had to wipe down stuff with spray bottles hundreds of other people touched.

Don't think it was covid though.