Building Muscle With Body Weight Only

Is it Possible? Body-Weight Only Muscle Building Workouts?

Ever watch gymnastics?-

All these guys and gals use is their own body-weight but they perform incredible feats of strength –

so their muscles work efficiently –

They are very strong and quite frankly can have very large pulling muscles, some who you would swear might rival the machine driven, bar-lifting, body building gym types…

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BTW- I have no dislike for weight-training.

It can do incredible things, 

in fact, it’s part of some of the best hybrid workout programs out there Like P90X, which is comprised of body-weight workouts including calisthenics, yoga, plyometrics, and also contains some weight-bearing workouts that use free weights or bands.

What this post is all about, and what I’m most interested in sharing, is that

You can, in fact, build muscle with your body-weight only.

Here to help us with bodyweight training,

Al Kavadlo, Calisthenics Practitioner and Creator of Body weight Muscle Building Workouts outlined in his books:

Pushing The Limits, and Raising The Bar.

He is one of the few very knowledgeable strength coaches Leading the new Calisthenics movement through the new dragon door certification program, the Progressive Calisthenics Certification.

Enter Al and his latest article on Bodybuilding.com:

Bodyweight Bodybuilder: The Mass-Building Calisthenic Workout

Bodyweight training isn’t just for martial artists and other wiry athletes.

Match the perfect movement with the right rep scheme, and build muscle without any equipment!

by Al Kavadlo, CSCS Jul 15, 2013

As a longtime proponent of bodyweight strength training, the most common question I get asked is if it’s really possible to build muscle and strength without a gym.

My answer is always a resounding “Yes!”

Unfortunately, even this response is often met with skepticism.

To many people, getting in shape without joining a gym or even lifting weights sounds too simple to work. Fitness doesn’t have to be complicated. All you need to get in great shape is the will to train hard and the discipline to do it consistently.

While bodyweight training can make you strong and muscular, it isn’t as glamorous as it might look on YouTube.

You have to do lots of the basics before you start trying anything fancy. Cut yourself a big slice of humble pie and be ready to push, and pull yourself.

PULL-UP PROGRESSION

Watch The Video – 01:36

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Three for All ///

The three most essential movements for building strength and muscle with bodyweight training are push-ups, pull-ups, and squats.

I told you we weren't going to get fancy here.

These three basic moves and their progressive variations are enough to keep anyone growing for many years.

The trick is to make sure you continually challenge yourself to increase your reps so you can progress to harder exercise variations once you can handle them.

Eventually you can build up to single-limb variants of these classic calisthenics.

Does that still sound too easy?

See if you can do a clean one-arm push-up, one-legged squat, or one-arm pull-up and get back to me.

Regardless of what training modality you use, the way to grow stronger is to begin learning a movement pattern with a relatively low amount of resistance.

Gradually add more as the body adapts.

All types of strength training operate under this principle of progressive overload.

In weight training,

exercises can be learned with an empty bar to get a feel for proper technique before progressing to heavier poundage.

This allows the lifter to learn the form without having to overcome much resistance.

Due to the nature of bodyweight training, however, progress must be approached differently.

Leverage Overload ///

Since there is no way to do a one-arm push-up, pistol squat, or one-arm pull-up without a significant amount of resistance, you must build up to advanced moves.

Do this by practicing variations in which the body is positioned in such a way as to create less resistance. As you grow stronger, you can gradually introduce harder variations.

A key principle of this type of progressive calisthenics training is manipulating leverage to vary the intensity of the exercises.

For example, if you can’t do full push-ups, then start with incline push-ups.

Conversely, if you can do 30-40 consecutive push-ups, you’re ready to try moving to a harder variant, like close push-ups. When you get your numbers up on those, you might try archer push-ups, then self-assisted one-arm push-ups before working your way to full one-armers.

This process can take a while, but with dedication, a beginner can go from incline push-ups all the way to one-arm push-ups over the course of several months or years.

These same types of progressions can easily be applied to squats and pull-ups as well.

Progressive Calisthenics (Squats)

Watch The Video – 01:39

Sets and Reps ///

If your primary goal from training is to build mass,

I recommend using a standard bodybuilding template structured around basic calisthenics like the ones listed above.

Find variations that will cause you to fatigue at around 10-15 reps and perform 3 or 4 sets of each exercise.

Perform two pushing movements, two pulling movements, and two squatting movements in each full-body workout.

If you stick to your program, get enough sleep and eat enough, you will undoubtedly see an improvement in both your strength and mass.

Here’s a sample full-body program that could work for an intermediate-level trainee:

• Push-Ups – Close Triceps Position


• 3 sets of 15 reps

• Parallel Bar Dip


• 3 sets of 15 reps

• Pullups


• 3 sets of 10 reps

• Australian Pullups


• 3 sets of 15 reps

• Side-To-Side Squat (Performed w/out weight)


• 3 sets of 10 reps (each leg)

• Bench Pistol Squat (Performed w/out weight)


• 3 sets of 10 reps (each leg)

It may take some time to get increase your reps on these basic calisthenics.

With consistent practice, you can work toward adding more reps and eventually start moving to more difficult variations like muscle-ups and full pistol squats.

Be patient and stay the course; whether you lift weights or use your own body for resistance, you can’t get strong and build muscle without hard work and dedication.

Enjoy the process and make every rep count.

Well, as you can see,

there’s always more than one way to create the level of fitness you desire.

One thing is for sure, Al Kavadlo is an expert in Calisthenics and I’m amazed the feats of strength he can perform. 
 I highly recommend his programs and books.

Do Your Best,

-Coach Jamie