Resistance training without weights?

Blueminerva

Blueminerva

New member
Hiya guys!

I've seen quite a few workout plans for resistance exercises using bodyweight, but not supplementing it with actual weights (Pressups, crunches, burpees etc.)

I quit my gym so I don't have access to weights anymore, but I'd like to keep this aspect up at home. I cycle 20 mins to/from work each day, so I'm already warmed up by the time I get home - anyone have any good routines I could try to capitalise on this? Would a routine like this still be effective without training using free weights, or should I just suck it up and buy some?

I work 10am til 10pm most days, so I'm wondering whether it'd be a better idea to do 20 mins of resistance in the morning before cycling to work? What do you guys think?

Luke x
 
To a large degree you can get by with body resistance. If you can pick up a set of dumbbells and a set of resistance bands, that would really help and give you a lot more options for daily workouts.

With a set of adjustable dumbbells, you could add weight to things like lunges and squats, you could do presses of various kinds, flys and other type of upper body work. Add pushups, burpees, and that kind of thing and you'd have a very well rounded workout.
 
I think every movement one makes is effective. If you really don't want to buy weights, start out with tomato cans. If you're doing some leg exercises put your hand for added resistance. I'm working out at home, it worked for me in the beginning with cans, heavy books of identical weight LOL... anything. I did end up buying adjustable dumbbells to increase the weights at this stage, but that's because I'm used to heavy weight lifting from my pre-sedentary life. Like Kara said, pushups, burpees, or a triceps move using a chair... etc. are all resistance moves using your own body weight.
 
artfirms said:
I think every movement one makes is effective. If you really don't want to buy weights, start out with tomato cans. If you're doing some leg exercises put your hand for added resistance. I'm working out at home, it worked for me in the beginning with cans, heavy books of identical weight LOL... anything. I did end up buying adjustable dumbbells to increase the weights at this stage, but that's because I'm used to heavy weight lifting from my pre-sedentary life. Like Kara said, pushups, burpees, or a triceps move using a chair... etc. are all resistance moves using your own body weight.
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not exactly. you're sorta right, but you show a misunderstanding of how the body works with ideas like this.

I won't go too far into detail for time and boredom constraints, but if you want further details i can provide. in a nutshell resistance training is essentially anything that works the anaerobic systems of the body. this can be done using body weight, but using things like curling a can of beans does NOT work the anaerobic systems of the body. you're doing cardio.... General rule of thumb is if you're not at 100% failure by 1min, it's not resistance training....

so the key is to find exercises that push that anaerobic threshold. there were a few good suggestions this far. Any jumping based motion is always good. making a pullup bar would also be a good investment. old tires, anything heavy on the front yard can be used as a makeshift workout appliance for a variety of movements.
 
I apologize for confusing things. You're right.

Thank you for clearing that technicality. It's a language misunderstanding on my behalf, I'm an Arab and for some reason I misunderstood the meaning of the word resistance, it seems.

Anyway, I only use myself as an example. I meant to say, before I ever lifted anything, I did all the dumbbell moves (bi, tri, chest..) using cans, and whatever resources I had, and it worked for me, until I upgraded by going to the gym and having my own equipment.. etc. It was a good start for me as a beginner back then, being so out of shape and stuff.
 
Hi,

Body weight exercise are great - ramp it up with push-ups followed immediately with squats, then rest 30 secs and repeat again. You can combine upper body and lower body weight exercises.

This can boost your metabolism!
 
Jynus said:
in a nutshell resistance training is essentially anything that works the anaerobic systems of the body. this can be done using body weight, but using things like curling a can of beans does NOT work the anaerobic systems of the body. you're doing cardio.... General rule of thumb is if you're not at 100% failure by 1min, it's not resistance training....

so the key is to find exercises that push that anaerobic threshold. there were a few good suggestions this far. Any jumping based motion is always good. making a pullup bar would also be a good investment. old tires, anything heavy on the front yard can be used as a makeshift workout appliance for a variety of movements.
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This is not entirely accurate either. I can do 3 reps of max deadlifts and not get my heart rate anywhere near the anaerobic threshold, and yet a heavy triple in the deadlifts is considered resistance training. Not all resistance training pushes the anaerobic threshold.

Resistance training is training against resistance. So yes, lifting cans can be resistance training. Not very effective for most people, but it IS resistance training.

But I digress. Getting back to the original question, it IS possible to design an effective bodyweight program. I would recommend getting a doorway chinning bar though, and you can get a cheap one (around $20) at most sporting goods stores.

Here's quick and effective program that works all the major muscle groups:

Chin-ups 3 x 5-15 reps
Pistols (one-legged squats) 3 x 5-15 reps
Pushups 3 x 15-20 reps
Hanging leg raises 3 x 15-20 reps

You can substitute Bulgarian squats for Pistols, and dips between two chairs for pushups. You can also purchase an abs wheel (around $12) and do abs rollouts instead of leg raises.

If you're cash strapped, you can purchase things a little at a time. You may even consider purchasing a single dumbbell. For most guys, a dumbbell weighing between 35 to 45 lbs should suffice.

Here's a workout you can do using only one dumbbell (I've done this one using 45 lbs):

Bulgarian Squats (holding dumbbell in a suitcase grip) 3 x 10 - 15 reps
One-arm floor press 3 x 12 reps
One-legged Romanian Deadlift 3 x 8 reps
Bent-over single arm rows 3 x 10 reps
One-arm dumbbell clean and press 3 x 8 reps
Abs wheel rollouts 2 x 15 reps
 
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Assuming I'm not super experience with freeweights, is there a website anywhere where I can get details on how to perform those exercises you mentioned? I'm gonna look into getting a chinup bar tomorrow, seems like a decent investment!
 
I'm sorry but I don't know of just one website that has all of the exercises I've mentioned. There are actually a bunch of them, but I don't want to post a bunch of links here.

Your best bet is to get on YouTube, and use the search function. Just type in the name of the exercise you're not familiar with and you'll find a plethora of video examples for each one.
 
leecordova said:
This is not entirely accurate either. I can do 3 reps of max deadlifts and not get my heart rate anywhere near the anaerobic threshold, and yet a heavy triple in the deadlifts is considered resistance training. Not all resistance training pushes the anaerobic threshold.

Resistance training is training against resistance. So yes, lifting cans can be resistance training. Not very effective for most people, but it IS resistance training.
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1) your heart rate has little to do with the anaerobic systems of the body. So i'm not sure of your point there. No one uses their heart rate when talking about resistance training, it's a non factor. Why are you using it? I also misused the term. I mean pushing the anaerobic threshhold as in you want to stay in the anaerobic energy systems of the body and not use the cardio systems.


2) curling a can of beans is NOT resistance training. at that light a weight, your bodies lactic acid systems are NOT being utilized, but instead your fatty acid systems is creating the atp to contract the muscles to do work. No anaerobic muscle driver systems being used to do work means ZERO resistance training is being done. sorry dude.
 
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