Some of the best exercises for strength training and muscle gain are barbell squats, deadlifts, and the chest press. They’re big, compound movements that activate multiple muscles and (when done right), can help produce a hormonal response and trigger the release of testosterone, your muscle building best friend. However, the cat has long been out of the bag on this one, and even if your gym hosts 3 squat racks, 8 various barbells and a fleet of benches, if you get caught there during peak hours it’s still nearly impossible to get your workout done in a reasonable amount of time and still get your big lifts in.
So, are you doomed to committing yourself to 2 hours in the gym and endless line ups for the squat rack? If you’re tired of waiting around, want to take advantage of some good weather, or are simply looking for a change of pace, bodyweight workouts may be just thing you need.
Bodyweight workouts sometimes get a bad rap in the muscle building community. Often thought of as only good for endurance training, many people overlook the benefits of bodyweight training because the movements are so simple; how can they help you build any real strength or muscle? With the right modification and manipulation of weight, you’d be surprised at the amount of resistance and tension you can create with these seemingly simple movements. When the crowded gym blues have got you down, try spicing up your routine with these bodyweight movements to keep you moving forward without the hour wait time.
Push Ups
An exercise we’re all familiar with, push ups are one of the best exercises you can do to develop your chest. If you’re new to strength training and can’t perform a single, perfectly formed push up, then you’re in a perfect position to gain strength and muscle as is. Form is as integral to bodyweight exercises as it is to weight lifting, so if you can’t keep your core tight through the whole movement, or you can’t compete the full range of motion, you’re not ready to progress. If you can’t do a full pushup, try modifying it by resting your hands on a bench so they are higher than your feet, or bringing your knees to the floor and starting the movement from there. Once you can put out 3 sets of 8 – 12 perfect pushups in this format, move up to the full pushup position and work from there.
If you’ve mastered the regular pushup and you can hammer out 20, 30, 50+ without breaking a sweat, it’s time to take it to the next level. There are several variations of pushup you can use to continue to reap gains from this simple exercise. A narrow stance with your hands will help to target your triceps and is more difficult. You can also start working on decline pushups, where your feet are elevated above the level of your hands. Make the decline steeper as you get stronger, or try using suspension ropes to hold your feet, which forces you provide your own stability. If you’re looking for a real challenge, try working up to a handstand pushup. This will involve your ability to hold a handstand first, and moves the focus from your chest to your shoulders. It’s also extremely impressive.
Chin ups & Pull ups
Another of the great bodyweight training movements are chin ups and pull ups. These two movements target your lats and biceps, and make an excellent counter to chest work. If you’re new to strength training, start trying to work up to a full chin up with modified exercises to help you progress into performing the whole movement. It can be a tough one to master so don’t get discouraged if it takes you a while – you’ll be making gains with every progression.
If you’re an experienced lifter and you’re able to push out more than 15 – 20 full range chin ups or pull ups (full arm extension at the bottom and no momentum swings to get all the way up), try using just one arm, or using rings instead of a stable bar. The free-swinging movement of the rings will really challenge your stability so you can continue to get value from this staple exercise.
Squats
The basic movement for a squat is something nearly everyone can do, which makes many wonder how you can make serious muscle and strength gains without loading up a barbell across your back. Just like with push ups and pull ups, there are many variations on this movement that make it more challenging and beneficial. To really give yourself a challenge, try working up to the Pistol Squat.
This is a single leg squat that has the resting leg positioned straight out in front of you at the bottom of the movement. To start working up towards this one, stand with one foot on the ground, with your other leg bent behind you. Lower yourself down into a squat until your bent knee is just above the ground, and then come back up to the starting position. This is really going to challenge your core and stabilizer muscles as well as your legs. Once you’re able to comfortably push through 10 – 15 of these type, bring your leg forward so that the inactive leg is straight out in front of you at the bottom of the squat.
Other squat variations that will blast your lower body are plyometric, or explosive movements. These include squat jumps and box jumps. When doing either, make sure you land softly with a slight bend in the knees to absorb the shock, and never let your knees cross over the tops of your toes. When working on box jumps, make sure you start with the box at an appropriate height. Too low and you’re not challenging yourself enough to make any progress, but too high and you run the risk of injury.
To get the most out of all your muscle building efforts, try pairing your workouts with testo support supplements like HF Labs Delta Prime, and remember to focus on high load, medium intensity workouts rather than endurance training. In bodyweight training, this means moving up to harder variations that provide more resistance and tension for fewer reps, rather than focusing on pumping out 100 reps of an easier modification.
There are endless numbers of bodyweight exercises you can do to target the different muscle groups and still make real gains. While the squat rack may still be king, more and more gyms are bringing in suspension towers and other equipment that help to make these exercises harder and more beneficial for any level of training. Next time you find yourself in a queue for time on your favorite machine, consider heading outside the gym to perfect some of these challenging moves, or check out the new suspension equipment to really get your muscles fired up.
Also read: A detailed review of unique testosterone booster Prime Male >>
