Top 5 Body Weight Workouts That Build Muscle

No Gym? No Weights? No Problem

Well, springtime is upon us and no matter who you are, it always seems like it sneaks up on you. One day, you're putting on your bubble coat just to get outside to realize that you're about to burst into flames because you're overdressed and are carrying extra weight. You have to start dressing in layers just to deal with the unpredictability and the "spring-ter" season is a day-to-day roll of the dice to predict how the day will feel. What you can expect is that warmer days are ahead.

Working out in the gym can feel constricting on some days, and being outside can be a more freeing experience. It's always a positive to change up your workouts, no matter what level you are accustomed to. Running outdoors is the usual go-to but running doesn't build muscle. When you need to keep your winter gains maintained, body weight workouts are the way to go. They also are less likely cause injuries compared to weight training.

Weights are always the best way to bulk and get stronger, but when they are not an option, or you just want some muscle confusion to shock your deep tissue fibers, try these body weight variations:

1. Deep Squats w/ Pulses. This variation of the classic squat adds more tension to the exercise, which in turn breaks down deeper muscle tissues. Keep you squat range between just below 90 degrees to just above 90 degrees with a slower tempo to increase the activation within those rep ranges.
   

1. Pistol squats. These are not only difficult to master, but they also help you gain balance by forcing your glutes to assist in your press. I recommend using a chair or TRX for beginners to assist with your form.
   

1. Pull ups. Possibly one of the more difficult exercises to do, but once you’ve done it, you’ll see the gains very quickly. Being able to pull your entire body weight off the ground is very taxing on the arms, shoulders and back. These are where those results will show up. I recommend using resistance bands to assist with your strength training for beginners.
   

1. Slow Tempo Push ups. There is no more classic motion for arm and chest than push ups, but there are countless variations on the technique. Slowing down the tempo to five-second counts on the concentric and eccentric movements will make 10 push-ups feel like 100. Tension is the name of the game for this one.
   

1. Dips. Being able to push your body weight up is significantly easier than pulling your body weight up. That’s no reason to take this taxing exercise for granted. Push ups use a fraction of your body weight due to the angle of your body weight. Also, keep in mind that push ups are a horizontal push and dips are a vertical push.

During the pandemic, when all of the gyms were closed, almost everyone that I knew personally suffered from the lack of exercise. Without the gym, I was forced to adapt to building strength without excuses. In these times, I discovered a new love and respect for the benefits of calisthenics and body weight training. I managed to not only build muscle when I had no weights, but I managed to ascend to another level of fitness, and in that newfound information, am proud to share the knowledge with you here and now.