Follow Us on Twitter

Courtesy Men”s Health
Follow Us on Twitter Read more.

Building Muscle Without Weights

Building muscle without weights is entirely possible–even preferred in some cases. It is a common misconception that you must join a fancy gym or buy expensive Olympic weights, squat racks, and other esoteric equipment in order to forge a well-developed body. But that is not true. Especially if you follow a sound, well-rounded exercise program coupled with good nutrition.

Remember when you were a kid and did all those pushups, pullups, and situps? You did calisthenics, ran, and played games in your physical education classes?

Most likely, you ate a solid diet consisting of plenty of eggs, mancakes, beef, fish, chicken, and water.

You know, the simple things. You led the simple life.

You still can.

Building Muscle Without Weights

In fact, unless you're an adult, I would suggest that you be very cautious of training with weights, especially very heavy weights. They take their toll on young joints, and while you may not feel it today, you may very well experience a lot of joint issues in your 40s and 50s. Arth Ritis is not a friendly man!

But you can certainly follow the lead of many men and women who train without weights. They do bodyweight exercises like pushups for the frontal torso muscles, chin ups for the back and biceps and rear delts, and single-leg squats for leg, glute, and lower back development.

By simply doing as many reps as possible for multiple sets per day, you can build a fantastic-looking and performing body.

Start out by doing one set of as many reps as you can do in each of these exercises:

• Chin ups
• Push ups
• Single-leg squats
• Crunch

When you can do more than 20 reps in any of the exercises, drop the reps and add a set. Start off with the first set at 12 reps and finish with as many reps as you can do.

A variation on this theme is to just pick a number of reps in a workout that you want to complete. I will talk more about that in a future post.

If you want a fully-fleshed out "how to build muscle without weights" program, check out the Bodyweight Training Program

Can I Build Muscles Up and Drink Alcohol?

Syndicated from eZineArticles
Many bodybuilders especially amateur weight lifters and bodybuilders enjoy the odd alcohol beverage now and then whether it be a glass of wine, beer or spirits. Here we ask just what affect this has on our body and is it ok to drink if we want to build up muscles. Read more…

4 Effective Training Tips For the Core

Syndicated from eZineArticles
How do you know if you are getting the most from your core training program? It sounds like a simple question; but it's not. I mean with the ever increasing knowledge and understanding of the body's core, more and more information is being released for us to review and utilize. It's difficult to stay on top of the latest and most effective / efficient techniques. Read more…

How To Build Muscle and Lose Fat Simultaneously

I often get the same, or similar, questions asked over and over again, and in the spirit of sharing, I've reprinted the article below that I wrote for GoArticles that addresses the question, “How do I build muscle and lose fat at the same time?”
I also call it, “Diet and Exercise are your one-two punch against the paunch!”

Generally speaking, when I get questions via email or a contact me form, I reply. I will NOT stop doing that! I will continue to answer your questions on an individual basis as long as I can keep up with them!

However, since this one seems to be a persistent question, I'll answer it here and now. I am absolutely SURE that a lot of you have a similar question. So, here goes.

We always want to be able to have cake and eat it, too. In the bodybuilding world, this means that we want to build muscle and lose bodyfat all at the same time.

It is, of course, possible, but it's very difficult to lose bodyfat while adding muscle. Competition bodybuilders often do this, so it's a fact that it CAN be done. However, it's very demanding, both physically and mentally. I will mention an alternative approach that is actually easier and better. That is to say, start a growth phase for 3-6 weeks followed by a “ripping up” phase for 2-3 weeks. But if you want to build muscle and lose fat simultaneously, follow these steps.

Your diet is the most important aspect of your bodybuilding regimen. In fact, it may be 80 percent nutrition and 20 percent training. Your nutritional program will consist of very high protein from sources like nonfat milk, eggs, beef, chicken, and fish. For the first two weeks, refrain from eating bread or potatoes and other starchy or complex carbs, other than from vegetables. You will drop a considerable amount of bodyfat the first two weeks, then your losses will taper off. In week 3, add in small amounts of bread and potatoes as well as fruit. Stay away from juice. While it may be highly nutritious, it is too concentrated and you can kill your caloric intake with just a few cups. Also refrain from weight gain shakes.

Instead, pick up a meal replacement powder like MetRx. Mix up some in the morning with water and carry with you throughout the day, sipping every 15 to 20 minutes. Use these for your pre- and post-workout meals, too.

For your weight training, you will have to concentrate on building as much mass as you can. Do complex movements like Squats, Bench Presses, and Deadlifts. The idea here is to stimulate as much muscle growth in as very little time as possible. Do a 3-way split routine, training the legs on Monday, the back on Wednesday, and chest on Friday.

Fit in shoulders, arms, and calves wherever they fit best. On non-weight days, do some form of cardio. It doesn't really matter whether it's running, cycling, walking, or some other form of aerobic activity. I suggest you mix intervals in with a more traditional approach. If you follow these simple guidelines, you can build muscle and lose bodyfat simultaneously.

It's certainly difficult, but not impossible. And it's more mental than physical. If you want to learn more about building mass, check out the Hardgainer's Manifesto, a system devised to help hardgainers build more muscle mass.

About the Author

Bill is the creator of Hardgainer's Manifesto, a bodybuilding system designed specifically to address the particular needs of hardgainers.