The best bodyweight exercises!

[DK II]

Okay, i know. bodyweight exercises are totally useless and cannot build muscle. But then, one day you might end up on a lonely island, with lots of hots chicks. You slowly begin to lose muscle, but then you remember this superb thread started by donkeykong on getbig!

Let's get a list:

Chest:
Push ups
Decline push ups (feet higher)

Back:
Pull ups

Shoulders:
handstand push ups

Legs:
Plyometric squats

Biceps:
Chin ups

Triceps:
Close hand push ups



Please add some more. I only wrote some basics.

[leonp1981]

I once tried a kind of kneeling sissy squat.  You kneel on the floor (on a pad helps), with your thighs and body upright, like a L shape.  Then keeping your thighs and body straight, lean backwards as far as you can, then pull yourself back up with your quads.  I know it sounds complicated, but they are something a little different.  Good feel to them though.

Also, one leg squats are good.

[Emmortal]

Dips?

[Soundness]

Dips?

YES, DIPS!

Weighted Dips are my favorite exercise.
Weighted Chins are excellent as well.

[oldtimer1]

http://www.rosstraining.com/nevergymless.html
http://bodyweightculture.com/index.php

Here's some sites.  Bodyweight exerises are under rated. 

[DK II]

http://www.rosstraining.com/nevergymless.html
http://bodyweightculture.com/index.php

Here's some sights.  Bodyweight exerises are under rated. 

Thanks a lot!!

[pumpster]

Actually ALL of those will build muscle if weight's eventually added and/or the reps are higher.

In addition, the muscle from calisthenics has a very athletic look.

More:

[JasonH]

Okay, i know. bodyweight exercises are totally useless and cannot build muscle. But then, one day you might end up on a lonely island, with lots of hots chicks. You slowly begin to lose muscle, but then you remember this superb thread started by donkeykong on getbig!

Let's get a list:

Chest:
Push ups
Decline push ups (feet higher)

Back:
Pull ups

Shoulders:
handstand push ups

Legs:
Plyometric squats

Biceps:
Chin ups

Triceps:
Close hand push ups



Please add some more. I only wrote some basics.

I wouldn't really say that - wide-grip chins have definitely helped add some much needed size to my lats in the last few months - I wouldn't do without them. They are probably the exception though.

[Thor38]

"Pushups with a plate on you're back".Still makes it a bodyweight based exercise.Just an enhancement bump in the resistance.
You Merely make yourself into a heavier weight to work with.

"Weighted Dips".Obviously a very well known and widely practiced gym rat exercise.

"Weighted Pullups".Yes,i will be eventually getting back to these as well.Right now i sorta have to ease back into everything though due to being out for nearly a month due to The Brutal battle with Brochitis,which finally basically completely ended on Friday the 12th.Yay!!

"Pistol Squats".I will indeed resume these right after my current planned "month and a half set sceduele" of solely focusing on pullups,pushups,abs,and plyo has expired its course of "return routine phase 1"...Phase 2 will consist of everything "heavier duty" including the incorporation of "Pistol Squats" and "Weighted Pistol Squats".

[DK II]

I wouldn't really say that - wide-grip chins have definitely helped add some much needed size to my lats in the last few months - I wouldn't do without them. They are probably the exception though.

i was just kidding.

bw exercises are underrated. i do them every few months for a week or two, always helps me to get better. i would not overdo it, but bw exercises are good.

[DK II]

"Pushups with a plate on you're back".Still makes it a bodyweight based exercise.Just an enhancement bump in the resistance.
You Merely make yourself into a heavier weight to work with.

"Weighted Dips".Obviously a very well known and widely practiced gym rat exercise.

"Weighted Pullups".Yes,i will be eventually getting back to these as well.Right now i sorta have to ease back into everything though due to being out for nearly a month due to The Brutal battle with Brochitis,which finally basically completely ended on Friday the 12th.Yay!!

"Pistol Squats".I will indeed resume these right after my current planned "month and a half set sceduele" of solely focusing on pullups,pushups,abs,and plyo has expired its course of "return routine phase 1"...Phase 2 will consist of everything "heavier duty" including the incorporation of "Pistol Squats" and "Weighted Pistol Squats".

weighted sth is NOT a bodyweight exercise.

Pistol squates are a good contribution though.

[webcake]

Dips are awesome.

I normally finish my chest workout with them and just do 3 sets of like 15 reps.

Sometimes i add weight, other times i just perform them really slow and really squeeze hard at the top of the movement. Can't imagine a chest workout without them.

[Zach Trowbridge]

Traps - Shrug Dips or Chinning Shrugs

[DK II]

Traps - Shrug Dips or Chinning Shrugs

thanks, great idea!!

[Soundness]

Traps - Shrug Dips or Chinning Shrugs

Interesting...chinning shrugs would involve the lower part of the traps moreso than the upper as in traditional standing shrugs, but shrug dips would involve the serratus anterior, not the traps, correct? Correct me if I'm wrong, from that angle that may be the case...

[Zach Trowbridge]

Interesting...chinning shrugs would involve the lower part of the traps moreso than the upper as in traditional standing shrugs, but shrug dips would involve the serratus anterior, not the traps, correct? Correct me if I'm wrong, from that angle that may be the case...

The shrug dip is mostly serratus with some lower trap, lat and chest involvement.  Kind of an all-around shoulder girdle exercise.  Got the idea for both the shrug dips and chinning shrugs from "Kelso's Shrug Book," which I'm about 3/4 the way through reading.  You could also do a scapular protraction-kind of shrug from a pushup position, if that makes any sense.

[oldtimer1]

Ever do exercises wearing one of these vests?  It will kick your butt and I don't care what you bench.  http://www.thexvest.com/  Try doing giant sets of squats, push ups, chins, bodyweight back rows; hand stand presses,dips calf raises, and burpees wearing a vest. 

Some guys like using these straps.  A couple of companies make them but I think they are one of the first.  I hear they are well made.

http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/military/index.php


Body weight exercises are underrated. Here are just a few.

1. Dips
2. Pushups
3. Pull ups
4. Hand stand presses using push up type bars with feet against a wall for balance if necessary.
5. Back rows using a low bar with heels on the ground.  Face toward the sky.
6. Burpee type exercise with a jump at the end.
7. Jumping type exercise.  Jumping up and reaching a mark or on a platform.
8. Jumping rope.
9. Hitting the heavy bag
10. Sprinting
11. Distance runs.
12. Single leg squats
13. Double leg squats.
14. Find a couple of heavy rocks. Do some improvised lifts with them. (Don't laugh a weight is a weight.) 
15. Single leg calf raises on stairs.
16.  If you could get someone to hold you legs you can find a way to do back extensions off a bench.
17. Neck bridges-front and back.
18. situps
19. crunches
20. Leg raises

The above will build functional usable strength. Body weight exercise gives you a body awareness that is readily transferable into any athletic pursuit.  I worked in a prison as a correction officer about 25 years ago.  Training was very big in prison with the inmates.  There was the weight lifting crowd and there was the body weight exercise crowd.  The bodyweight crowd looked ripped and athletic.  Recently this experience was illustrated to me again.  In a run down town of Asbury Park NJ I was working near years ago I saw men working out in a playground. This town is crime ridden and poor.   A group of three men were working out in a broken down play ground.  They were doing chins and dips improvising with the equipment.  It was summer and they were ripped.  Two towns over was the rich white neighborhood.  They have a great gym.  The poor guys really have no disadvantage when it comes to being in shape.  I bet they could really kick butt.

[DK II]

If you have a wife (or a husband for the gays among us) or a gf (or a partner for sex, whatever you like), there are also some great exercises you can do with some help.

I.e. having your partner sit on your back while squatting.


Same goes for push-ups, the partner can push you down

[DK II]

oldtimer, i just looked at the page http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/military/index.php .

Looks really great, but a little pricey, huh? Did you ever use that?

[DK II]

oldtimer, i just looked at the page http://www.fitnessanywhere.com/military/index.php .

Looks really great, but a little pricey, huh? Did you ever use that?

thinking about it and researching a little more, i think i will order one. This looks just too perfect for overall body strength, and i travel quite a bit.

The possibilities with this equipment are endless, thanks a lot for posting the link, oldtimer.

[oldtimer1]

http://www6.mailordercentral.com/ironmind/prodinfo.asp?number=1240

http://www6.mailordercentral.com/ironmind/prodinfo.asp?number=1396

http://www6.mailordercentral.com/ironmind/prodinfo.asp?number=1303

I have never used suspension training.  Have you ever tried body weight exercises along with cable training?  The cables weigh nothing and between body weight exercises, cables and running you could be fit/ripped.  Maybe not the steroid bloated look that no athlete has but a functional physique. 

[DK II]

I think the TRX suspension training might be the "missing" link i have always felt in weight training.

Weight training is ideal for strength and building muscles, but it's easy to build up disbalances in the body that could lead to injuries or problems and it also isn't very beneficial for overall athletic performance.

Some of these TRX exercises look tough as hell, i bet they build up your overall body strength in a very fast and good way.

[ Invalid YouTube link ]

[pumpster]

http://www6.mailordercentral.com/ironmind/prodinfo.asp?number=1240

http://www6.mailordercentral.com/ironmind/prodinfo.asp?number=1396

http://www6.mailordercentral.com/ironmind/prodinfo.asp?number=1303

I have never used suspension training.  Have you ever tried body weight exercises along with cable training?  The cables weigh nothing and between body weight exercises, cables and running you could be fit/ripped.  Maybe not the steroid bloated look that no athlete has but a functional physique. 

haha ya man, cables were my first intro to home workouts, they're excellent and a good way to increase the effectiveness of bodyweight calisthenics.

[Griffith]

Neck bridges: they work the neck, back, glutes and even hamstrings...I used to do them for over 10 minutes non-stop for a while 
I don't what it's called but another variation...... you go in the neck bridge position then push yourself up on your hands and hold the bridge like that

Finger-tip push-ups: work the chest, forearms, grip and strengthen the tendons in your fingers...saved me breaking them a few times

Jump squats: makes me think of those kung-fu movies when I do them...the one's where they have to jump like that up a few hundred steps to their temple in the mountain above, hands held behind back  Makes me feel light on my feet.

Normal pushups: great for posture and loosening up tight muscles in the shoulders

[DK II]

I ordered the TRX Force kit.

I'll give you an update when it arrives and i start training with it.