Building muscle without weights: yes or no?

When trying to build muscle without weights, there are a few things to keep in mind. We need to ask ourselves certain questions, so that we can answer them effectively regarding our weight training or calisthenics.

Why no weights? What is the motivation behind not wanting to pump iron, but opt ​​instead to go the calisthenics route?

Building muscle without weights has the advantage that you can work out (almost) wherever you are. By using calisthenics for training, there is no need to make the trip to a gym, pay expensive gym fees, and therefore may be a better option for you, both financially and time-wise.

Maybe it’s because you’ve heard that building muscle without weights can be safer than lifting weights. While this may be true in some respects, it’s generally the case simply because people tend to perform a lot more reps in a set than they do when lifting irons. Doing that many reps can only mean one thing; the amount of weight lifted (in this case, your body), is drastically less than what your muscles are actually capable of lifting. This obviously means there is less risk of using incorrect form, as the weight is easily managed, and less chance of overtraining. This is not a problem in the gym while lifting weights, if you pay special attention to your health and safety.

Another question you should ask yourself is what you are training for. Are you training primarily for strength, muscle growth (hypertrophy), or muscular endurance?

Keep in mind the ideal rep ranges for resistance training:

• 5 repetitions or less will increase your strength.

• 6-12 (although I prefer to say 8-10) reps and you’ll see incredibly rapid muscle gains.

• More than 12 reps and you’re training for endurance, and you’ll see much slower progress in hypertrophy.

So if you want to build muscle without weights just by doing push-ups, it may not be a very effective idea: many of us can already do 12, and those who can’t can adapt and will reach this goal very quickly. Every rep you do after that, whether it’s up to 20, 50, or even 100, will help your endurance, but it won’t do much for your growth. Fortunately, there are variations of the standard push-up that can more effectively target the chest or triceps, allowing for more specifically targeted resistance.

Keep in mind that as a beginner, meaning with little to no muscle in your frame, any resistance training will cause you to gain muscle at an accelerated rate! Just remember to recognize when it’s time to move on to a new, more effective training regimen.

That’s not to say that all resistance exercises are easy to do. The dead hang pull up and its variations (specifically the wide grip pull up) are extremely intense calisthenic exercises. Using them to build muscle without weights can be extremely effective.

So decide what you primarily want to improve on: strength, endurance, or muscle mass? Don’t try to accomplish everything in one workout – concentrating on one will reap many more benefits.

When considering a calisthenics program, it might also be beneficial to combine it with free weights. As mentioned above, wide-grip pull-ups can find a home within any bodybuilder’s hypertrophy routine.

Also be sure to remember that when performing calisthenics, additional resistance can be added in the form of weight vests and weight belts. Doing this can be extremely effective, and many bodybuilders will add extra weight to various sets of dips as part of their program.

To build muscle without weights, we need to make sure we are smart with our training. Know why you want to do it, whether it’s for convenience or financial reasons, and be sure to look at the effects of ideal rep ranges to be more effective in your calisthenics routine.