Workout-X Guide to Body-Weight Training Part 4

In Part 4 of Workout-X Guide to Body-Weight Training we are covering Bodyweight Training to Gain Muscle Mass; Body-weight Training to Build Lean Muscle; Bodyweight Training for Overall Health and our conclusion. If you haven’t read Parts 1 through 3, make sure to check them out. Now, let’s get to some muscle talk!

Body-weight Training to Gain Muscle Mass Many people think that the only way to add muscle mass to a body is to lift a lot of weights. Of course lifting weights is a very good option for building up muscle, but people find that lifting weights day in and day out can get really boring. There is also a school of thought that says lifting weights may build decent muscle size, but it doesn’t build strength. That is why many people who want to gain muscle mass and strength are working some body-weight exercises into their workout programs.

Using bodyweight exercises to build muscle mass is a lot different than using them to lose body fat. When trying to lose weight the idea is to keep the heart rate high and the metabolic rate high. When trying to build muscle the idea is to push the muscles harder each time until they can’t take the strain anymore. The idea is to create a series of workouts that force the muscles to work harder and harder with each set. There are people out there who think that it is impossible to build muscle mass with bodyweight exercises, but they are mistaken. The proper type of bodyweight exercises just need to be selected. For the most part what needs to be done to help build muscle is take the basic moves and amp them up a little bit. Below are a few advanced bodyweight exercises that should only be done by people who are in decent health.

One Hand Push-ups: A one hand push-up is done just like a push-up, but instead of two hands touching the floor the person only has one while the other hand is resting on their back. This adds intensity to the workout and has one arm lifting all of the person’s body-weight.

Diamond Push-up: A diamond push-up is similar to a standard push-up, but instead of having hand shoulder width apart the hands are placed together below the center of the chest with the thumbs touching each other. This hand placement makes the push-up more intense as well.

One Leg Body-weight Squat: A one leg bodyweight squat is the same basic idea of a regular bodyweight squat, but instead of bending both legs the person lifts one leg straight out in front of them as they bend into the squat position. Squats by themselves are intense workout doing them on one-leg is not for the weak-of-heart.

Sumo Squat: A sumo squat is performed the same as a standard bodyweight squat, but at the end of the upward motion the person would kick one of their legs out. This is another intense lower body workout that should not completed by the faint-of-heart.

Mountain Climber: The mountain climber is done by getting into a downward squat position with the person’s palms flat on the floor. Once the person is the proper position they will quickly extend one leg at a time backwards and then repeat like they were climbing up a mountain. It seems like an easy exercise, but if done properly it is an excellent muscle building workout for the legs as well as the core.
The above are a few of the more intense bodyweight exercises, but there are literally hundreds of these exercises that can be used to help gain muscle mass. As a person progresses toward their goals they can add harder exercises. Below is a sample exercise plan for building upper body muscle with bodyweight exercises.

1. One hand push-up 10 reps with each hand.
2. Rest 60 – 90 seconds.
3. One hand push-up 12 reps with each hand.
4. Rest 60-90 seconds.
5. One hand push-up 15 reps with each hand.
6. Rest 60-90 seconds.
7. Chin-up 10 reps.
8. Rest 60 – 90 seconds.
9. Chin-up 12 reps.
10. Rest 60-90 seconds.
11. Chin up 15 reps.
12. Rest 60-90 seconds.
13. Diamond push-up 10 reps.
14. Rest 60 – 90 seconds.
15. Diamond push-up 12 reps.
16. Rest 60-90 seconds.
17. Diamond push-up 15 reps.
18. Rest 60-90 seconds.

The basic idea is to create a routine that will push the muscles harder and harder with them being completely exhausted at the end of the workout. When working out the lower body or the core the idea would be to do only exercises for that part of the body in a row to help achieve muscle exhaustion. People who find that they are having a hard time getting where they want with their own body-weight often find it helpful to add weight to their body either by holding them or wearing them in the form of a weighted vest or belt.

Body-weight Training to Build Lean Muscle Building lean muscle is a lot different than building muscle mass. People looking to build lean muscle usually are going for the slim, toned look of a model or swimmer rather than someone found at a muscleman competition. Trying to gain lean muscle requires a tightrope walk between proper diet and nutrition and the proper workout plan. If a person eats too much and works out the wrong way their lean muscle could turn into mass. If they don’t eat enough they won’t be able to build muscle at all and they will end up with little muscle and little body fat.

The proper diet and nutrition plan for people looking to build lean muscle while using bodyweight exercises should consist of a balance between lean proteins, good fats and complex carbohydrates. Many people think that carbohydrates are the enemy of people trying to build lean muscles which is true in the case of simple carbs. People looking to build lean muscle while in the midst of a workout program need to eat enough complex or good carbohydrates in order to have the energy to complete the high intensity workouts they need.

A bodyweight program aimed at building lean muscle will be a mix of things that were discussed in the program for losing weight and also for gaining muscle. And to be frank bodyweight exercises are perfect for people looking to build lean muscle. Look at athletes like swimmers and gymnasts. Most of the people who participate in those sports are nothing, but lean muscle because their sports require them to constantly perform bodyweight exercises while training for competitions.

Good bodyweight training programs for people looking to gain lean muscle will combine supersets, circuits and muscle exhaustion exercises. Below is a sample workout that can be adapted to fit the person’s likes and dislikes.

1. Superset 1: Push-Up 10-12 Reps/Crunch 10-12 reps. Rest 45 seconds before moving to next step.
2. Superset 2: Squat 10-12 Reps/Jackknife 10-12 reps, rest for 45 seconds before moving to next step.
3. Superset 3: Pull-up 10-12 Reps/Knee to Chest 10-12 reps, rest for 45 seconds before moving to next step.
4. Superset 4: Lunge 10-12 Reps/Sit-up 10-12 reps.
5. Rest 90-120 seconds before moving on to the next step.
6. Squat 12-15 reps.
7. Push-up 10-15 reps.
8. Dip 10-15 reps.
9. Crunch 15-20 reps.
10. Pull-up 10-12 reps.
11. Lunge 12-15 reps.
12. Knee to Chest 15-20 reps.
13. Calf Raise 15-20reps.
14. Rest 90-120 seconds before moving on to the next step.
15. Superset 1: Push-ups to muscle exhaustion/Crunch to muscle exhaustion. Rest 45 seconds before moving to next step.
16. Superset 2: Squat to muscle exhaustion /Jackknife to muscle exhaustion, rest for 45 seconds before moving to next step.
17. Superset 3: Pull-up 10-12 to muscle exhaustion /Knee to Chest to muscle exhaustion, rest for 45 seconds before moving to next step.
18. Superset 4: Lunge to muscle exhaustion /Sit-up to muscle exhaustion.

The combination of supersets and a circuit will keep the heart rate up and also work out the muscles enough to push them to a growth phase. As the person progresses they can add another circuit and/ supersets.

Body-weight Training for Overall Health Believe it or not there are people out there who have reached their fitness goals and want to utilize a workout routine to maintain that level of health that have achieved. Body-weight training is perfect for overall health maintenance because it works with the person’s own level of health.

When considering a workout plan for overall health maintenance it is important to keep in mind that the person will need to adjust their calorie intake. If someone was trying to lose fat and excess weight they would have been eating too few calories so unless they want to continue losing weight that will have to balance their intake with how many calories they are burning through exercise or other activities. If a person was eating more to gain muscle mass than they will also have to adjust for a balance of calories as opposed to an excess of calories.

It is important to keep in mind that when creating a workout program to maintain a level of health the main goal is just to keep the muscles toned and the fat burned. That means that pretty much any exercise can be utilized for this type of program. The below program is a well-rounded circuit style program using only basic movements.

1. Sit-up 15-20 reps.
2. Push-up 10-12 reps.
3. Squat 10-12 reps.
4. Dip 10-12 reps.
5. Crunch 15-20 reps.
6. Lunge 10-12 reps.
7. Knee to Chest 15-20 reps.
8. Pull-up 10-12 reps.
9. Rest 2 for minutes and repeat circuit 1 or 2 more times.

It would also be possible for someone trying to maintain their health to use a similar workout program to people trying to gain lean muscle, however the number or reps should be lowered a little bit. Overworking the muscles without increases in protein intake could lower the energy level of the person trying to maintain their overall health.

Conclusion To sum it all up the fact of the matter is that what is old is new again. For centuries people trained with nothing more than their own body-weight. It wasn’t until modern times that people relied on lifting things to help them get into shape. While the newer type of exercises serve their purposes there are plenty of benefits for people to consider working in a few body-weight exercises into their regular routines.

One of the best things about learning how to do bodyweight exercises is that since they don’t require a lot of equipment they can be done anywhere. People can literally do these exercises anywhere they need. That means no more excuses about not being able to afford a gym membership. No more excuses about being on a business trip through them out of their routines.

People who find that they are progressing through the various stages of their lives can utilize bodyweight exercises to achieve new and improved goals. Utilizing bodyweight exercises is a great way for people to go back the basics of what exercise is meant to be and will help them understand how the various muscle groups work in conjunction with each other to create overall body health.

Reference:

• social.workout-x.com/
• blog.workout-x.com/
• www.healthkick.me/