Start Building Muscle Without Weights
In usual circumstances the muscle is overloaded and small tears occur in the muscle fibers.
These tears are then repaired by the body and the overall muscle mass increased in order to help take on the weight in future.
However, without the weight as a point of stimulus the muscles need to be pushed in alternative ways.
The two best ways to do this are: 1.
Increase the intensity by change the number of repetitions and sets.
By increasing the number of sets and reps you perform, the muscle is forced to work harder and is exhausted.
I would recommend that you aim for at least 12-15 repetitions for most exercises and have 3 - 4 sets depending on your fitness level.
2.
Create resistance by using your body weight as a substitute for dumbbells and barbells.
This can be achieved by raising your body above or below the muscle building exercise that you are trying to perform.
For instance, a push up done with your legs on a chair add weight to your chest.
With these in mind, here are some exercises that you can do almost anywhere and start building muscle without weights: The Push-up This is a traditional exercise that is tried and true.
Lie on the floor in a plank position keeping your back and arms held wider than your shoulders.
Slowly lower your body down to the floor and then push back into position.
The standard push up move will work your chest as a whole with some benefit to your shoulders and triceps.
To work your upper chest you will need to raise your feet on a chair.
To work your lower chest you need to place your hands on a step or raised area.
Chin-up/Pull-up This muscle building exercise is extremely versatile as you can target a whole range of muscles simply by changing the grip.
To target your biceps grasp the bar with your palms facing you, or to target your forearms reverse the grip so your palms are facing away from you.
To work your chest take a wider grip.
To perform any of these variations you simply need to grasp the bar and pull yourself up so that you head is above the bar.
Then lower yourself down.
This is one rep.
Dips Put your feet on one chair in front of you and your hands behind your back on another chair.
Lower yourself between the chairs keeping your arms close to your body.
This will put a lot of pressure onto your triceps for some real work.
Squats The compound exercise of all exercises this will work almost every part of your legs and buttocks.
Stand with your legs shoulder width apart and your back straight.
Slowly squat down until your knees are at right angles to your body and then stand up.
In order to keep your balance you will also need to move your glutes back and your upper body forward.
The Crunch Another tried and tested exercise, the crunch will develop your abdominal muscles and help stabilize your overall core.
To perform this exercise place your hands behind your head (being careful not to push on your head) contract your abdominals and push forward.
Hold for a second and then slowly lower to the starting position.
Finally, as with any muscle building program you will want to make sure you eat muscle building foods to ensure that all of your protein needs are met for maximum benefit.
Take these steps and you will start building muscle without weights required in no time at all.