{"id":235,"date":"2007-10-26T06:00:08","date_gmt":"2007-10-26T10:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/muscle-building-workout\/"},"modified":"2013-10-03T11:12:07","modified_gmt":"2013-10-03T19:12:07","slug":"muscle-building-workout","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/muscle-building-workout\/","title":{"rendered":"A Muscle Building Workout You Can Do Without Weights"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><p><a title=\"A Muscle Building Workout You Can Do Without Weights\" href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/muscle-building-workout\/\"><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"ad_right\"><!--adsense--><\/p>\n<p>If you want to build muscle, barbell exercises are the easiest way. The problem: you need weights. Not everyone can afford expensive gym memberships or buy a <a href=\"http:\/\/stronglifts.com\/how-to-build-your-strength-training-home-gym\/\">home gym<\/a>. Maybe you don&#8217;t feel the need to get huge, but would still like to gain a little muscle and tone what you already have. Fortunately, there are some simple yet effective exercises you can use to sculpt your body.Here&#8217;s a muscle building workout you can do without weights:<!--more--><\/p>\n<h2>Body-weight Exercises<\/h2>\n<p>Your body needs a reason to <a href=\"http:\/\/stronglifts.com\/how-to-build-muscle-the-definitive-guide\/\">build muscle<\/a>. That reason is stress. Exercising will stress your body &amp; force it to build muscle. You don&#8217;t have access to weights, so you&#8217;ll use body-weight exercises:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Pull-ups. <\/strong>Build back &amp; arms muscles. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B00029A7C0?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=picthebrawita-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B00029A7C0\">Doorway pull-up bars<\/a> or any surface where you can hang from work. If you can&#8217;t do one rep with correct <a href=\"http:\/\/stronglifts.com\/correct-exercise-technique-on-the-pull-up\/\">pull-up technique<\/a>: use momentum, ask someone to help you or use a resistance band to assist you on the way up.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Push-ups. <\/strong>Build chest, shoulders &amp; arm muscles. Use a full range of motion: arms locked on the way up, nose against the floor on the way down. Put your knees on the floor if you can&#8217;t do one push-up. Switch to regular push-ups when this gets easy.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Squats.<\/strong> Build leg muscles. Put your hands behind your head &amp; bend through your knees. Keep your heels on the floor, push your knees out, look forward &amp; <a href=\"http:\/\/stronglifts.com\/why-you-should-always-squeeze-your-glutes\/\">squeeze your glutes<\/a> on the way up. <a href=\"http:\/\/stronglifts.com\/dynamic-stretch-exercise-for-your-hip-flexor-hamstring\/\">Stretch your hamstrings<\/a> 3 times a week if you can&#8217;t squat lower than parallel.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Training Program<\/h2>\n<p>SimpleFit.org has a 3 day a week routine based on the above exercises. It takes less than 90mins a week. Easy to mix with your work, business, relationship &amp; hobbies. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.simplefit.org\/workouts.html\">Click here<\/a> for the program &amp; the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.simplefit.org\/details.html\">FAQ<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2>Progression<\/h2>\n<p>You must get stronger to build muscle. Doing 100 reps of an exercise builds endurance, not strength. Switch to more challenging exercises once you can do more than 20 pull-ups, push-ups or squats.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Rings<\/strong>. Push-ups &amp; pull-ups using <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ringtraining.com\/store\/eliterings.html\">rings<\/a> are harder: you need to stabilize the rings while doing the exercises.<\/li>\n<li><strong>One Arm Push-ups. <\/strong>Start with Incline One Arm Push-ups: one hand on a high box. Decrease the height as you get stronger until you can do them on the floor. Then switch to feet elevated One Arm Push-ups: feet on a box, gradually increasing the height.<\/li>\n<li><strong>One Arm Pull-ups. <\/strong>Pull-ups with one arm. Tricky to master. Check <a href=\"http:\/\/www.beastskills.com\/OneArmPull.htm\">the article<\/a> on Beast Skills for their technique.<\/li>\n<li><strong>One Leg Squats.<\/strong> Start with <a href=\"http:\/\/stronglifts.com\/how-to-master-the-one-leg-squat-using-box-pistols\/\">One Leg Box Squats<\/a>: lower yourself on a box. Start with a high box &amp; gradually decrease the height. Switch to One Leg Squats once you can do them from a very low box.<\/li>\n<li><strong>External Resistance.<\/strong>You could consider this as weights but I&#8217;m adding it anyway. Wear a rucksack filled with water bottles or books while doing the exercises. Wear a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B000TWL82S?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=picthebrawita-20&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B000TWL82S\">weighted vest<\/a>. Wrap some chains around your upper-body while doing the exercises. Use adjustable ankle\/wrist weights. Use a belt, chain, carabiner &amp; weights.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Nutrition<\/h2>\n<p>You need solid nutrition to build strength &amp; muscle. Eat at least your body-weight in lbs x 18 kcal. Go for these foods:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Protein<\/strong>. 1g\/lbs daily. Meat, poultry, fish, eggs, <a href=\"http:\/\/stronglifts.com\/why-optimum-nutrition-is-a-great-choice-of-whey\/\">whey<\/a>, etc.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fat<\/strong>. Balance your omega 3, 6 &amp; 9 intake.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Veggies<\/strong>. All kinds, especially green fibrous veggies.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Fruit<\/strong>. Also all kinds. Eat veggies and\/or fruits with every meal.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Water<\/strong>. 1 liter per 1000 calories you expend.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Whole Grain Carbs. <\/strong>Oats, rice, pasta, breads, \u00d6.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><em>Mehdi <\/em><em>is author of StrongLifts.com, a blog helping you <a href=\"http:\/\/stronglifts.com\/how-to-build-muscle-the-definitive-guide\/\">build muscle<\/a> &amp; <a href=\"http:\/\/stronglifts.com\/7-ways-to-lose-fat-fast\/\">lose fat<\/a> through <a href=\"http:\/\/stronglifts.com\/\">strength training<\/a><\/em><em>. Popular articles include the<\/em><em> <a title=\"Beginner Strength Training Program\" href=\"http:\/\/stronglifts.com\/beginner-strength-training-program\/\">Beginner Strength Training Program<\/a> and <\/em><em>the <\/em><em><a href=\"http:\/\/stronglifts.com\/anabolic-diet\/\">Anabolic Diet<\/a>.<\/em><em>Image Credit: <a href=\"http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/diezelphotography\/521339347\/\">Sgt. Gooch<\/a><\/em><br \/>\n<a href=\"https:\/\/recreateyourlife.infusionsoft.com\/go\/mortylefkoe-com\/ptb\" target=\"_blank\"><img alt=\"\" src=\"http:\/\/www.recreateyourlife.com\/\/affiliates\/banners\/recreateyourlife-122x122-1.gif\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Not everyone can afford expensive gym memberships or buy a home gym. Maybe you don&#8217;t feel the need to get huge, but would still like to gain a little muscle and tone what you already have. Fortunately, there are some simple yet effective exercises you can use to sculpt your body. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/muscle-building-workout\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12163,"featured_media":12685,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0},"categories":[24],"tags":[2527,2525,2526],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v19.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Muscle Building Workout You Can Do Without Weights | PickTheBrain | Motivation and Self Improvement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Not everyone can afford expensive gym memberships or buy a home gym. 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