I thought this was interesting...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDCxH88-9X8&NR=1

Check out "calisthenicskingz (http://www.youtube.com/user/calisthenicskingz)" videos on the side, he's absolutely ripped and he claims he only used body weight... I just don't understand how they can keep progressing while only using body weight... sure if you eat lots and use your body weight for exercise your weight will go up as well which means you would be pushing/pulling more but at the same time your weight doesn't go up enough/fast enough to properly progressively add more weights to your workouts.... Thoughts?

I thought this was interesting...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDCxH88-9X8&NR=1

Check out "calisthenicskingz (http://www.youtube.com/user/calisthenicskingz)" videos on the side, he's absolutely ripped and he claims he only used body weight... I just don't understand how they can keep progressing while only using body weight... sure if you eat lots and use your body weight for exercise your weight will go up as well which means you would be pushing/pulling more but at the same time your weight doesn't go up enough/fast enough to properly progressively add more weights to your workouts.... Thoughts?


Ever heard of Gymnasts?

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, I will be sure to wikipedia that.








Seriously,

I'm sure gymnasts lift weights. I'm sure lifting your body weight over and over again will have some benefit. But wouldn't weighted pull ups and dips be more beneficial? I just find it hard to believe that you can progress and get big by just doing pull ups and dips every day without going past your body weight. What about your legs? How do you train them with just your body weight?

I'm sure gymnasts lift weights. I'm sure lifting your body weight over and over again will have some benefit. But wouldn't weighted pull ups and dips be more beneficial? I just find it hard to believe that you can progress and get big by just doing pull ups and dips every day without going past your body weight.

Most gymnasts do not lift weights, even at the highest levels -- at least not in any conventional way. Weighted vests, rather obscure dumbbell exercises, and prehab/rehab, yes, but, in general, very little that resembles what you or I might think of as weight-training. As well, pull-ups, dips, and push-ups (at least in the way most of us are familar with them) are pretty much relegated to warm-up, as they are simply too easy. Gymnasts progress by manipulating leverage, using harder and harder variations of exercises, and by linking movements and holds together. Levers, crosses, inverted crosses, planches, malteses, v-sits, mannas, presses, etc. all have a progression of exercises that increase in difficulty. Overload comes in many different forms. For someone interesting in manipulating their own bodyweight, since they cannot increase the load, they must find ways to make it more challenging. If you look through the videos you mentioned for "calisthenicskingz," you'll see that this is what he is doing.

What about your legs? How do you train them with just your body weight?
For the most part, you don't train the legs all that well with just bodyweight (at least compared to with what you can do with the upper body). You have pistols, leaping pistols, and glute-ham raises, but there's not much beyond that. Honestly, a lot of your bodyweight fanatics have weak legs. Gymnasts fare somewhat better due to the aforementioned exercises as well as the great amount of jumping, leaping, and landing they do, but their upper and lower strength (as well as size) is still disproportionate.

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/876/jovtchev2wd2.jpg

I know a guy that grew up in Jamaica that never lifted, just swam and ran and he's 33, can still run a 49 second 400 and is ripped outta his mind. You wouldn't peg him a day over 24. I'll bet that if you put down the weight altogether for the next year and find some beginner calisthenics and whip up 4 day routine and start out at an hour a day and progress from there increasing reps and your workouts, you'd be amazed at your results. As for gymnasts lifting some weights, I'm sure it happens, but lets consider a 8 year old Jr. Olympic gymnast in the girls competition, she will be able to pull of some amazing things but I'll bet her weight lifting experience is minimal to non-existent.

I've actually switched my training from a bodybuilder-type resistance training to more bodyweight and functional strength training. When I really thought about it and was honest with myself, I realized that I in no way, shape, or form desire to look like a bodybuilder. I want to look like a fighter...lean, chiseled, and strong. Fighters are pretty much in my opinion the most conditioned athletes in the world. I thought I was in good shape until I tried a routine for a day that a fighter does...yeah, I was sadly mistaken and seriously humbled. I might as well have been 400 pounds and never had worked out a day in my life, cause that's what I looked like. That was the day my whole outlook changed! I don't care how much I can bench or curl or whatever...I care about how much I can lift, pull, and drag...ie functional strength. I am starting to slowly read up on rosstraining.com and I'm in the middle of a complete paradigm shift in my methods. It will take a while until I have really made the complete transition, due to the many years I used to train like a bodybuilder.

Besides, and this is the hugely underestimated by most, but my workouts are mad fun now! I swing a sledgehammer at a tire, throw around medicine balls, jump rope, climb, and a host of other stuff that I will begin to work in along the way. I've never had so much fun working out in my life!!

I thought this was interesting...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDCxH88-9X8&NR=1

Check out "calisthenicskingz (http://www.youtube.com/user/calisthenicskingz)" videos on the side, he's absolutely ripped and he claims he only used body weight... I just don't understand how they can keep progressing while only using body weight... sure if you eat lots and use your body weight for exercise your weight will go up as well which means you would be pushing/pulling more but at the same time your weight doesn't go up enough/fast enough to properly progressively add more weights to your workouts.... Thoughts?

Some pretty creative stuff there -- The one guy had really impressive relative bodyweight strength.

I've actually switched my training from a bodybuilder-type resistance training to more bodyweight and functional strength training. When I really thought about it and was honest with myself, I realized that I in no way, shape, or form desire to look like a bodybuilder. I want to look like a fighter...lean, chiseled, and strong. Fighters are pretty much in my opinion the most conditioned athletes in the world. I thought I was in good shape until I tried a routine for a day that a fighter does...yeah, I was sadly mistaken and seriously humbled. I might as well have been 400 pounds and never had worked out a day in my life, cause that's what I looked like. That was the day my whole outlook changed! I don't care how much I can bench or curl or whatever...I care about how much I can lift, pull, and drag...ie functional strength. I am starting to slowly read up on rosstraining.com and I'm in the middle of a complete paradigm shift in my methods. It will take a while until I have really made the complete transition, due to the many years I used to train like a bodybuilder.


Well ... if you are doing big compound movements with weights, you will develop lots of "functional" strength. In fact, it would be virtually impossible not to. But yeah, you can develop lots of strength and terrific conditioning without ever touching a barbell or a DB.

Well ... if you are doing big compound movements with weights, you will develop lots of "functional" strength. In fact, it would be virtually impossible not to. But yeah, you can develop lots of strength and terrific conditioning without ever touching a barbell or a DB.Yes, absolutely. I hope I didn't imply that bodybuilders are weaklings. :lol:

Yes, absolutely. I hope I didn't imply that bodybuilders are weaklings. :lol:

You'd be surprised how much the phrase 'non-functional mass' is thrown about these days :blank:

I don't use that phrase, but I do believe that "non-functional mass" exists. When you can't reach around your own body to wipe your own ass, I'd say you've reached the point of having some "non-functional mass". :D

I don't use that phrase, but I do believe that "non-functional mass" exists. When you can't reach around your own body to wipe your own ass, I'd say you've reached the point of having some "non-functional mass". :D

I do not believe that there is anyone on this planet, aside from 300lb+ obese anomalies, who cannot turn their arm behind their back to scrath their ass. There is no such thing as 'un-functional muscle'. Muscles can only contract. There is no 'functional' and 'unfunctional' differentiation between muscle contractions.

Bodybuilders (and infact anyone who lifts weights seriously without compromising diet or aerobic fitness) are some of the most 'functional' people you will ever come across. A while ago I saw a video of Kevin Levrone, and absolutely massive bodybuilder, run a 40m sprint with no problems.

this isn't part of the argument at all, but these posts have me thinking of C3P0... he just has that rod that connects his forearm to his upper arm. I'm not sure but it may contract and extend his arms, replacing his tricep and bicep with just a brachialis if I'm not naming the wrong muscle.