Change from free weights to body weight

[bennos]

For my weight training routine I’ve changed from free weights exercises (i.e. bench press, seated rows, lat pull downs) to body weight exercises like push ups, inverted rows, dips and chin ups.

I’ve made this change after 5 months of the same free weights exercises with increasing resistance as the only change in that time. The progress while on the free weights has been a slow and steady growth in both physical appearance and strength.

The change is to avoid boredom and result in a plateau outcome.

Will this change be beneficial? I want to keep progressing with both physical appearance and strength gains. The way I look at it is that I can't lift that much (yet) with free weights so changing to the 'body weight' compound movements should still afford me progression... right?

Does this sound right (main muscle groups worked):
Push Ups: chest, triceps and shoulders
Inverted Rows: upper back, biceps and shoulders
Dips: triceps, chest (concentrated - lower)
Chin Ups: upper back and triceps

 

[ghs09]

Heres some bodyweight exercises for you.

Upper Body:

Regular Pushups- keep torso straight. NO ARCHING!

YouTube - Calisthenics: Pushups

Handstand Pushups- You can use a wall for balance.(Note: To get more range of motion tip your head to one side. Its alot HARDER!)

YouTube - handstand pushups

One Arm Pushups- Like a regular stance pushup except put one hand over the lower back. Then the leg on the side of the arm on the ground keep straight back and the legg opposite of the pushing arm move outwards.( Ex. Left arm is arm pushing with so left leg straight back and right leg angled out.)

Pullups/Chinups- Off a sturdy bar or tree branch. Change widths of hands.

Sternum Pullups/Chinups- Ok. first off HARD ****! You start off as a regular pullup/chinup and you keep moving your head back away from the bar and keep pulling until your lower chest hits the bar and your collar bone is above the bar and your head and most of your body is near parallel to the ground.

TESTOSTERONE NATION - The Top Seven Upper Back Exercises

Lower Body:

One Legged Squat aka Pistol- Use this webpage for description and progressions if you can't do it YET!

One Legged Squat

Ghetto Glute-Ham Raise: You can use a partner to hold your feet or put your feet underneath something like cabinets, dressers, etc.
With Push w/ Partner: YouTube - glute ham raise
Without Push w/ Partner: YouTube - Partner Glute/Ham Raise
With NO Partner: YouTube - Glute/Ham raises

Glute-Ham Bow: You can use a partner to hold your feet or put your feet underneath something like cabinets, dresser, etc. KEEP BACK STRAIGHT! NO ARCHING!

YouTube - Partner Glute/Ham Bow

Abs and Such:

Hanging Leg Raises

YouTube - Hanging Leg Raise

Janda Situps

TESTOSTERONE NATION (Go down a litte on the page to the subtitle janda situps.)

 

[bennos]

Thanks dude for the comprehensive reply. What is youtube not good for? And T-Nation is a great wealth of information too. Just about anything related can be found on either sites! I use it quite often to make sure my techniques are right. However, it's not finding exercises that I'm asking advice on.

 

[ghs09]

well i just wanted to make sure you had a good background of stuff to do.
it can be beneficial. there are ways to increase the resistance on these exercises. i still make gains off them using them on a regular basis with my weight trainig routine. plus i used them all summer and still was as strong 12 weeks with no decresae in strength on any exercise. AS i didnt have weights to work with.