You know bodyweight exercises rock. But will this style of training help you build muscle?<\/p>\n
Not only are bodyweight exercises awesome for building muscle, it will seriously kick your butt. It\u2019s not just about push up variations, squats and burpees.<\/p>\n
Advanced bodyweight exercises require unmatched levels of full body tension, and that\u2019s what leads to enormous strength gains \u2013 and how you build muscle.<\/p>\n
You will be surprised how hard you can work using only your bodyweight as resistance…<\/p>\n
The big positive of bodyweight training is that it doesn\u2019t beat up your joints as much as traditional weight lifting. This allows for a natural range of motion and improves your athleticism.<\/p>\n
Now that\u2019s sexy\u2026.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s so awesome \u2013 some experts believe it\u2019s even better than free weights.<\/p>\n
Personally, I don\u2019t agree. But I\u2019m not here to debate that today…<\/p>\n
First, you need to clarify your goal and decide if you want to build muscle for strength or size. There\u2019s a big difference between the two.<\/p>\n
Performing a pistol squat is an awesome display of strength, stability and mobility. Single leg work such as this will help you gain enormous amounts of muscular strength, without looking like a juiced up bodybuilder.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, you\u2019d be hard pressed to find\u00a0a massive bodybuilder who\u00a0relied ONLY on bodyweight training.<\/p>\n
The thing is, people often associate bodyweight training with high reps and the army, hence the thought you can\u2019t gain strength without a rack full of weights. That\u2019s a load of bull.<\/p>\n
To gain muscular strength, you need significant load and tension. Ultra high rep work is does not provide this.<\/p>\n
High rep training does very little to activate the fast twitch fibers \u2013 those have the greatest potential for growth. You need to keep that in mind, and predominantly stick within the 5-12 rep range. For lower body moves (like the pistol squat) you can bust out up to 20 reps to force good leg strength growth.<\/p>\n
So yes, you can build muscle and gain strength using bodyweight exercises. But you must follow the golden rule of\u2026 Progression.<\/p>\n
Progressions are hands down the most misunderstood factor of bodyweight training.<\/p>\n
The problem is, most people don\u2019t use suitable exercise progressions, and therefore never increase the resistance and don\u2019t get results.<\/p>\n
Properly selected bodyweight exercises will help you build muscle rapidly. But if you choose the wrong ones (or worse \u2013 none!), you\u2019re wasting time and will potentially look like a silly goose.<\/p>\n
Another reason people think you can only build muscle using weights is because it\u2019s a LOT easier to pick up a heavier dumbbell than it to progress to a muscle up over the course of 6-12 months.<\/p>\n
You know, bodyweight training takes dedication and persistence. Sure, you need strength. But you also need a high level of mobility, stability and co-ordination that ONLY comes through regular practice.<\/p>\n
Let me be honest here: most folks don\u2019t have the patience for learning these complicated, highly technical exercises. Often, they perceive a lack of progress and throw in the towel.<\/p>\n
I use bodyweight training as the starting point for all new clients, and I recommend you start with that too.<\/p>\n
You see, if you can\u2019t move your bodyweight through a full range of motion with good stability and mobility, what makes you think you can stack up a few hundred pounds and bust out squats and deadlifts with perfect form?<\/p>\n
Ultimately, you need to think about the type of physique you want and set your goals accordingly.<\/p>\n
To build muscle effectively, you need\u00a0to start with bodyweight training and progress the exercises.<\/p>\n
It will take time to master the more challenging moves, so be patient with your body.<\/p>\n
Be patience. Learn new bodyweight moves and make awesome progress \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n
Keep on rocking it!<\/p>\n
Your Coach and Friend,<\/p>\n
KV<\/p>\n
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