No Gym, Need Bodyweight Routine

k, so I recently just took a new job and just moved to the Washington D.C. area 8 days ago. I had a gym where I worked at my last job but don’t really have one now. There is a “fitness center” at my new apartment complex but it is pretty weak. Treadmills, NO Free-weights! It’s really pretty dinky. I make more now but that was more than offset by the increased cost of living here (moved from Kentucky…yah it WAS cheap).

Anyway, for this first year i can’t afford to get a gym membership. And that really sucks because there is a Gold’s Gym about 2 miles from my apartment. So, I have to rely on bodyweight exercises for this year. I’ll get substantial automatic promotions each year for the next three years so eventually I’ll be able to get a membership (probably this time next year).

But I just have to suck it up for this first year here. I was back on a 5X5 basic routine (squats, deads, bench, pullups, weighted parallel dips) before I left KY and was making progress. I know that this year will probably suck as far as making any gains goes. Anyway, enough rambling. So my question is:

Anyone have any recommendations for a routine I can do at home with no weights to at least maintain my bodyweight (got a blazing metabolism)? I have not lifted in about 3 weeks because of the move here from KY and I’ve already dropped about 5 pounds (pissed!) I have a pair of those rotating pushup handles but other than that…no equipment.

I’ve decided to start a pushup routine at the very least but am completely lost as far as how to go about it (go to failure, or do sets of 20 at different angles, no idea). Any help would be great! Again, I’m not expecting much here. I know bodyweight stuff will only go so far and I’m dreading having to go into the higher rep ranges but with no weights I have no choice. Thanks

[quote]gzen1 wrote:
Ok, so I recently just took a new job and just moved to the Washington D.C. area 8 days ago. I had a gym where I worked at my last job but don’t really have one now. There is a “fitness center” at my new apartment complex but it is pretty weak. Treadmills, NO Free-weights! It’s really pretty dinky. I make more now but that was more than offset by the increased cost of living here (moved from Kentucky…yah it WAS cheap). Anyway, for this first year i can’t afford to get a gym membership. And that really sucks because there is a Gold’s Gym about 2 miles from my apartment. So, I have to rely on bodyweight exercises for this year. I’ll get substantial automatic promotions each year for the next three years so eventually I’ll be able to get a membership (probably this time next year). But I just have to suck it up for this first year here. I was back on a 5X5 basic routine (squats, deads, bench, pullups, weighted parallel dips) before I left KY and was making progress. I know that this year will probably suck as far as making any gains goes. Anyway, enough rambling. So my question is: Anyone have any recommendations for a routine I can do at home with no weights to at least maintain my bodyweight (got a blazing metabolism)? I have not lifted in about 3 weeks because of the move here from KY and I’ve already dropped about 5 pounds (pissed!) I have a pair of those rotating pushup handles but other than that…no equipment. I’ve decided to start a pushup routine at the very least but am completely lost as far as how to go about it (go to failure, or do sets of 20 at different angles, no idea). Any help would be great! Again, I’m not expecting much here. I know bodyweight stuff will only go so far and I’m dreading having to go into the higher rep ranges but with no weights I have no choice. Thanks[/quote]

Is this a knock on me? Because I just posted a huge list of bodyweight workouts from Nate Dogg. Its under bodyweight row info (the mods changed it from Bodyweight excercises or some such name)

But yea, just check around the forums before you start a new thread.

Also, may have sounded like a dick in the other post, but I just did a quick search for some info on bodyweight routine’s and found this.

http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/sports_body_training_performance_bodybuilding_beginner/regimen_with_lack_of_free_weights

Not sure if it’s what your looking for, but there are definitely threads on it out there. Just search’em out.

Damn, it’s almost as if someone pops a hemorrhoid whenever a new thread is started. MY BAD!

Oh wait, I just got the memo from T-Nation this very instant.

It reads:

Every time a new thread is started, God kills a kitten.

Not hating on you, just felt a wave of sarcasm that I just had to let out.

I like that poster though. Pretty funny. But I’ll gladly sacrifice one year of good lifting for what this job change will do for my future. So I guess in that sense, I AM aware of the situation.

Ok, I’ll go dig through the forums now.

[quote]gzen1 wrote:
Damn, it’s almost as if someone pops a hemorrhoid whenever a new thread is started. MY BAD!

Oh wait, I just got the memo from T-Nation this very instant.

It reads:

Every time a new thread is started, God kills a kitten.

Not hating on you, just felt a wave of sarcasm that I just had to let out.

I like that poster though. Pretty funny. But I’ll gladly sacrifice one year of good lifting for what this job change will do for my future. So I guess in that sense, I AM aware of the situation.

Ok, I’ll go dig through the forums now.[/quote]

Lmao, it’s happened to me so many times that I felt I should give back a bit.

Congrats on the new job- But one year of good lifting? Jeesh thats harsh.

Here’s a thread with a list of bodyweight movements btw.

http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/sports_body_training_performance_bodybuilding_beginner/bodyweight_excercises

Thanks for the link. I’ll figure something out. I guess in a way this might be a good break from the heavy stuff. That way when I can afford a gym I’ll be refreshed and re-motivated. A full year does suck though (sobbing)!

I am actually in the same boat as you at the moment, except I cannot get to my gym :(. So I have been looking at Pavel’s Naked Warrior Dvds and books kinda thinking about doing that since I cannot get to the gym but I am very skeptical about it. So (dont mean to hijack your thread here) I am looking to keep bulking and put on mass and just get overall more strong. Can Pavel’s Grease the Groove, really help me out or do I need to be hitting the gym to get the best results?

I know this was trendy a little while ago, but as a gymnastics coach I feel authorized to recommend that you get some adjustable rings for 70 bucks and throw them over a bar at the playground.

Either that or save up for your own barbell and plate set for around 100-150 bucks.

If you go for the rings train like a gymnast, but don’t eat like one, and gains should start trickling in. Making progress on the rings can be frustrating at times. It’s not as easy to measure as progress with free weights, but persistence will reward you with some surprising carryover when you get your hands on a barbell.

As for lowerbody, pistols and GHRs. You would probably suffer the least if you got your own barbell, but it’s up to you.

Go to RossTraining.com and buy his books Never Gymless (perfect for those using bodyweight only and no gym access) and also Infinite Intensity (includes bodyweight along with dumbbell, band and sandbag stuff).

Ross’s stuff is high quality, very affordable and worth every cent! You won’t be sorry and will have plenty to do for the next year or more and probably make more progress than most people who lift weights.

[quote]Dark_Angel wrote:
I am actually in the same boat as you at the moment, except I cannot get to my gym :(. So I have been looking at Pavel’s Naked Warrior Dvds and books kinda thinking about doing that since I cannot get to the gym but I am very skeptical about it.

So (dont mean to hijack your thread here) I am looking to keep bulking and put on mass and just get overall more strong. Can Pavel’s Grease the Groove, really help me out or do I need to be hitting the gym to get the best results?[/quote]

Don’t waste your money on Pavel’s books.

Get Ross Enamait’s “Never Gymless” book. It’s at least $10 cheaper and a hell of a lot better in every possible way.

Ditto on the Ross Enamaits books, i have the underground warrior series, its very good, full of ideas.

otherwise think p.e at school, think pushups with a weighted backpack on your back, handstand pushups, pistols there is heaps of stuf you can do to at least maintain your muscle while not going to the gym.

Handstand push up are a great exercise where you are actually using an appreciable amount of weight.

Once doing them gets too easy set up two chairs against a wall and do the handstand off them. You can gradually increase the ROM until your shoulders hit the chairs.

www.trainforstrength.com

Also, something I’ve done that is NOT a substitute for actual weights but better than nothing, instead of regular push-ups and bodyweight squats, do clapping push-ups and squat jumps. You aren’t moving an external load, but you are generating more force than a regular push-up/squat.

www.beastskills.com

this is a great page, and Jim (the guys who runs it) is very helpful if you need anything explaining.

BUY A BENCH AND BAR. WHY CAN YOU NOT BUY A BENCH FOR £70 AND BAR AND NICE WEIGHT SET FOR £60. You can do almost everything with a barbell. For Tri’s sit on the edge of ure bed, feet on bench, 35 kg in ure lap and dip. Standing tri extensions are ok too. lats: ure gonna have to do some pull ups/chin ups, buy a bar. the rest can be done with a barbell. bent rows, long bar rows, upright rows, shrugs, bicep curls, shoulder press, bench press wide grip bench, closed grip bench, incline bench, decline bench, deadlift, hack squats, rocky presses, military press.

A good bench will have a fitment for leg extensions. You can squat off a bench aswell if youre carefull. I finish my squats with an explosive clean and press, then a controlled drop to waist level and put the bar back on my bench. For max lifts you will need a squat rack.

PLEASE BUY A BENCH

saves me £50 a month in gym memberships.

[quote]Naturanabolic wrote:
BUY A BENCH AND BAR. WHY CAN YOU NOT BUY A BENCH FOR £70 AND BAR AND NICE WEIGHT SET FOR £60. You can do almost everything with a barbell. For Tri’s sit on the edge of ure bed, feet on bench, 35 kg in ure lap and dip. Standing tri extensions are ok too. lats: ure gonna have to do some pull ups/chin ups, buy a bar. the rest can be done with a barbell. bent rows, long bar rows, upright rows, shrugs, bicep curls, shoulder press, bench press wide grip bench, closed grip bench, incline bench, decline bench, deadlift, hack squats, rocky presses, military press.

A good bench will have a fitment for leg extensions. You can squat off a bench aswell if youre carefull. I finish my squats with an explosive clean and press, then a controlled drop to waist level and put the bar back on my bench. For max lifts you will need a squat rack.

PLEASE BUY A BENCH

saves me £50 a month in gym memberships.[/quote]

[quote]gilesdm wrote:
www.beastskills.com

this is a great page, and Jim (the guys who runs it) is very helpful if you need anything explaining.

[/quote]

Secounded! Beastskills is just awesome.

Even if you do only bodyweight exercises, you should get some equipment. Since you don’t have the $$ to join a gym, I guess you can’t spend lots of money on home equipment either.

Actually I think the real question should be “Whats the most efficent way to train that takes up the least space and costs the least money?” (slightly too long for a topic title though, I’ll admit that). Weights, dumbbells and barbells are equipment, and so is a pullup bar, pushup handles and a dip station, a weight vest, bodyweight row handles and so on…

Now i don’t mean to be a wiseass - I just want to point out that you shouldn’t focus too much on Bodyweight Exercises only.

Perhaps right now you could be fine with a A/B routine.

Day A:
Push: Pushup variation (feet on chair, handstand… whatever)
Pull: Bodyweight Row (aka fatman pullups)
Legs/Lower Back: Squat variation… dumbbell squat, Front squat (getting the weight into position by doing a power clean), pistols…

Day B:
Push: Dips.
Pull: Pullup/Chinup variation
Legs/Lower Back: Deadlift variation… regular, romanian, one legged (aka briefcase deadlift)

Maybe add dumbbell flys on day B, so you rear deltoid gets hit too.

Minimum equipment:
A (strong!) hook in the ceiling
Some thick ropes (hang 'em over the hook, then do rope pullups and boyweight rows).
Barbell and/or dumbbells and some weights.
A couple of chairs, preferable sturdy ones. (dips, pushups with your feet on the chair, and heck, they’re even another option to grip or put your feet on for bodyweight rows. Conclusion? Chairs are great!)

Deluxe version equipment:
A Pullup bar!
Paralettes (pushups, handstand pushups and so on…)
Bodyweight row handles (or maybe even some rings)
A weight vest
PVC dip station
Dip belt (weighed pullups and dips).

Ok enough talking. Now on to the link bombardment.
http://www.T-Nation.com/readArticle.do?id=1426252 Lotz’s of stuff on pushup
http://www.trainforstrength.com/ Body By fish… got some free exercises n’ stuff
http://www.T-Nation.com/article/most_recent/everything_pushups Some more pushup stuff
404 | Dragon Door BWE hand grip work
http://www.T-Nation.com/article/bodybuilding/rope_revolution Rope training.
http://xercisefactor.com/ Tons of exercises.
bodyweightculture.com is for sale | HugeDomains Very bodyweight-oriented, but they got lots and lots of exercises.

Equipment:

Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos Some damn sturdy paralettes.
homemade exercise equipment

Alright, I hope this was helpful.

http://www.bwculture.net/?Click=473