Any Body Weight Trainers Here?

[malehanger Banned Find all posts View Profile Close malehanger]

I have "been there, done that" with the whole "big guy" thing. I'm 5' 9" tall and at my best a few years ago, I weighed 215-220 depending on the time of day, or day of the week. I've trained for size and strength in the past. Back then, I could squat twice my weight for reps, shoulder press (barbell) my weight for reps, deadlift twice my weight for reps, do weighted triceps dips with half my weight around my waist, etc. Fast forward to today and really, I don't see myself getting back to that. That lifestyle got old, planning meals every day, watching my macro nutrients, getting upset if I missed a meal, etc. Not to mention how hard it is on your body over the long run.

Not to dissuade anyone from that lifestyle.

Nowadays, I'm just interested in being healthy. I plan to explore and possibly move toward a whole foods based diet. For getting back into great cardio health, I plan to mainly run a few days a week. I'm used to that, done it before and enjoyed it. For overall body health, I'm leaning toward a body weight training approach. Push ups and push up variations. Hand stand presses, amazing upper body builder. Hypers and reverse hypers for the mid and lower back. Body weight squats and lunges for lower body mobility. Hanging knee raises for the mid section. Close and wide gripped chin ups for the upper back and arms. Dips and possibly weighted dips for my triceps.

That's my list so far. Anyone else a body weight trainer with some real insight?

[weakling Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close weakling]

Not insight per se, but if you're interested in bodyweight training methods, I've found the book "Convict Conditioning" to be fairly useful. There's also a second volume, "Convict Conditioning 2", which contains even more advanced exercise instructions, plus some stretching outlines. There are clips on youtube of people doing the first book's exercises, which may or may not depict them correctly, so I suggest taking them with a grain of salt.

[vulcan Retired ModeratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close vulcan]

I have been doing bodyweight exercises & convict conditioning for about 1.5 years now & will not go back to traditional weight training.

CC has made my once terrible joints feel like new. Beware of skipping too quick through the phases - especially on the pistol squat.

[Koh Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Koh]

Well, I used to be a gymnast, so all we did was bodyweight training/harder versions of the convict conditioning I'm on a phone right now, so I'm not going in depth.

I'll just say, I prefer body weight training. It's more practical for me.

[Padawan787 Moderator ReservePEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close Padawan787]

I have been doing bodyweight exercises & convict conditioning for about 1.5 years now & will not go back to traditional weight training.

CC has made my once terrible joints feel like new. Beware of skipping too quick through the phases - especially on the pistol squat.

I just looked up the book and it looks really good, but does it really work?

I would quite like to give up my 40 euro a month gym membership! an extra 480 euros a year would go a long way, especially as a student

[malehanger Banned Find all posts View Profile Close malehanger]

I've seen the "Matt Furey" material in the past and based on the little I read about him am semi skeptical. I won't say that I don't believe in what he teaches based on who is "is" or "is not". I know he's not the only man in the world selling something, or an idea who's history may not be what he wants you to believe it is. In fact, his hand stand training material looks very appealing. I DO believe in his notion that if we walked around on our hands, we'd all have massive forearms. Damn the impracticality of that in modern culture!

[maximus1986 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close maximus1986]

If your doing alot of push ups, use push up bars, just from experience my wrists became weak when i stopped weight lifting and started bodyweight, and they suffered from doing push ups because of the wrist position.

[malehanger Banned Find all posts View Profile Close malehanger]

If your doing alot of push ups, use push up bars, just from experience my wrists became weak when i stopped weight lifting and started bodyweight, and they suffered from doing push ups because of the wrist position.

Yea I hear ya on that. When I was in the military, I quickly got into the habit of doing pushups on my fists.

[ManWithPlan Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close ManWithPlan]

I just went to check out Convict conditioning. Very interesting.

I have some doubt about the author's self claiming achievements. For example, he said he stopped (or he saw a friend, I forgot) a AIRPLANE from taking off by holding it back with his HAIR. I mean REALLY?

Anyway.

Please share more first handed experience with this book's training if can.

Also, if you can easily perform push ups, do you need to start at "wall pushup" as the author suggested?

Much appreciated!

[maximus1986 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close maximus1986]

Im gonna start this workout soon, i wanna add skipping to my bodyweight workout, because i hate runnin, problem is i cant skip, im terrible at it, can i cut the rope in half and do it like that or is that not the same.

[vulcan Retired ModeratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close vulcan]

I just went to check out Convict conditioning. Very interesting.

I have some doubt about the author's self claiming achievements. For example, he said he stopped (or he saw a friend, I forgot) a AIRPLANE from taking off by holding it back with his HAIR. I mean REALLY?

Anyway.

Please share more first handed experience with this book's training if can.

Also, if you can easily perform push ups, do you need to start at "wall pushup" as the author suggested?

Much appreciated!

Good point - & no, I skipped the wall push-ups & started with normal push-ups & fairly quickly to very close hands push-ups. With the leg work I started with feet shoulder width appart going down to a right angle. It is the pistol squat which needs care, I tried (stupidly) to do an assisted (holding onto some railings) pistol squat & it was too much.

In a nutshell, whilst you might skip one or two of the early steps - do not jump ahead too much, unless you have experience as a gymnast, in which case you'll be able to do most all of it. My body felt great when I was doing this properly, especially joints.

[vulcan Retired ModeratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close vulcan]

I just looked up the book and it looks really good, but does it really work?

I would quite like to give up my 40 euro a month gym membership! an extra 480 euros a year would go a long way, especially as a student

It certainly works, if you can add in some cardio outside - you could keep the 480 euros.

[snipeskillz Member Find all posts View Profile Close snipeskillz]

im going to be doing body weight stuff this week because im home on break and dont have a gym membership. ill try to remember to post workouts, runs, and meals

[Koh Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Koh]

Alright, I'm on a computer. What kind of insight were you looking for? I have some nice exercises for the core I could explain.

[vulcan Retired ModeratorPE Gym EditorPEGym Hero Find all posts View Profile Close vulcan]

Alright, I'm on a computer. What kind of insight were you looking for? I have some nice exercises for the core I could explain.

I'd be interested in any exercises that I might not be aware of that could work my lower back muscles. I sometimes do the bridge work that convict conditioning recommends. I used to love using the roman chair at the gym. I might try 'good morning' exercise & just keep it light.

I should just build a roman chair or buy an old one.