People have their reasons for wanting to learn how to build muscle without weights. Whether you’re traveling on business and don’t have access to a gym or just prefer to train without weights, you can certainly build muscle without going to a gym. However, you can’t take a haphazard approach to gaining muscle.
Whether you’re training with or without weights, you need to follow the same principles as weightlifters. The only difference is that you are using different types of resistors. To gain muscle, your routine should emphasize progression, nutrition, and recovery. If these areas are not addressed, you are only sabotaging your efforts. So do you want to learn how to build muscle without weights?
Obviously you need to exercise. There are many weightless exercise moves that will help you build muscle. Your training routine should work the whole body. Doing push-ups and sit-ups five days a week won’t do the job. You must perform exercises that hit the chest, back and legs. Great exercises include lunges, squats, various push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and crunches. These aren’t the only exercise, but they do provide a great start.
When performing these exercises, you need to progress each week to make gains. Many weight trainers neglect this aspect of training, wondering why they haven’t built strength and size in the last two years. Your body needs a reason to add muscle. If you did 5 sets of 10 push-ups with 2-minute rest between sets in your first workout, your goal is to improve that performance during your next session. In this example, your goal for the next workout could be 6 sets of 10, 5 sets of 12, or 5 sets of 10 with 90 seconds of rest between sets.
Nutrition is often overlooked for those learning to build muscle without weights. Nutritional needs vary according to the individual’s current condition. If you’re lean, you need to eat enough calories to build muscle. If you’re eating 2,000 calories and can’t gain weight, go up to 2,500 calories. You may need to increase calories by 500 calories every few weeks until you notice weight gain. Your diet should consist of 5-6 servings of protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Supplementation must be very basic. A quality whey protein powder, multivitamin, and fish oil is a good start.
Recovery is important as you grow while resting. Making sure you get enough sleep is a great start to a proper recovery. Also, get some rest on your days off from training. Other recovery techniques include massages, jacuzzis, and hot and cold showers. If you’re just learning how to build muscle without weights, starting with these techniques will help you gain muscle without going to a gym.