Do bodyweight exercises such as pushups build muscle mass?
Lots of people want to know if they can build muscle mass by just doing bodyweight exercises such as pushups and pullups. Well the answer to this question depends on how much muscle you want to build and the way you perform the exercises.
The common problem with bodyweight exercises like pushups is that you quickly get too strong for them to be challenging. Just going higher with the number of reps you are doing is not very effective for building muscle mass with bodyweight exercises neither.
A set of 50 reps of push ups, for instance, would be high rep endurance training. The problem is that even if you reach failure, it wouldn't really hit the muscle fibers with the most growth potential.
They key To Gaining Muscle Mass Is To Apply A High Work Volume Plus Heavy Weights To The Muscle
In order to build muscle mass you must aim for a high volume of work while lifting weights that are heavy enough to create enough stress on the muscles. You also need to keep the rest periods between sets somewhat brief to get the full pump in the muscles. This is the condition that is required to gain muscle mass fast.
However, if you want to build muscle mass with bodyweight exercises, here is a solution to the limitation problem of these exercises developed by a fitness trainer name Nick Nilsson
How To Build Muscle Mass With Bodyweight Exercises - Do As Many Sets of 3 Reps As Possible in 15 Minutes
Doing as many sets of 3 reps that you can in a 15-minute period is a great strategy to make bodyweight exercises work to build muscle mass. Nilsson suggests 3 reps at a time to limit fatigue in order to maximize training volume (sets and total reps).
The idea is to train the muscles for output and not fatigue so you build both muscle strength and mass. Too much fatigue is bad for building strength. A high volume of quality reps without hitting failure is great for building strength and putting on mass.
Here's How Such Bodyweight Workout Should Be Structured
1) Pick one body weight exercise – example Push Ups
2) Do 3 reps and rest 10 seconds then 3 more reps…repeat
3) When it becomes tough to do 3 reps, extend the rest time to 20 seconds
4) When it becomes to tough to get 3 reps, extend rest time to 30 seconds
5) Keep doing this exercise for 15 minutes straight. As soon as it gets tough to complete 3 reps add another 10 seconds to the rest time in between sets.
Tips: Make sure to avoid going to failure on all of the sets you perform, but keep pushing yourself. By avoiding failure, you are keeping fatigue at a limit and you will get more sets and reps done in a 15 minute period.
Other Tips for This Bodyweight Mass Building Routine
Nick recommends 15 minutes for back, chest, and quads…and 10 minutes for hamstrings, shoulders, biceps, triceps, calves, and abs. He also recommends a 2-day split doing a total of 4 workouts per week. Day One back, chest, biceps, abs and calves. Day Two quads, hamstrings, shoulders, and triceps.
Now you know how to build muscle mass with bodyweight exercises. You could also use this same strategy with weights as well. There are probably a few people who have a weight set at home that they became too strong for. Consider using this lifting method with those weights to make them work to build muscle mass again.
Lots of people want to know if they can build muscle mass by just doing bodyweight exercises such as pushups and pullups. Well the answer to this question depends on how much muscle you want to build and the way you perform the exercises.
The common problem with bodyweight exercises like pushups is that you quickly get too strong for them to be challenging. Just going higher with the number of reps you are doing is not very effective for building muscle mass with bodyweight exercises neither.
They key To Gaining Muscle Mass Is To Apply A High Work Volume Plus Heavy Weights To The Muscle
In order to build muscle mass you must aim for a high volume of work while lifting weights that are heavy enough to create enough stress on the muscles. You also need to keep the rest periods between sets somewhat brief to get the full pump in the muscles. This is the condition that is required to gain muscle mass fast.
However, if you want to build muscle mass with bodyweight exercises, here is a solution to the limitation problem of these exercises developed by a fitness trainer name Nick Nilsson
How To Build Muscle Mass With Bodyweight Exercises - Do As Many Sets of 3 Reps As Possible in 15 Minutes
Doing as many sets of 3 reps that you can in a 15-minute period is a great strategy to make bodyweight exercises work to build muscle mass. Nilsson suggests 3 reps at a time to limit fatigue in order to maximize training volume (sets and total reps).
The idea is to train the muscles for output and not fatigue so you build both muscle strength and mass. Too much fatigue is bad for building strength. A high volume of quality reps without hitting failure is great for building strength and putting on mass.
Here's How Such Bodyweight Workout Should Be Structured
1) Pick one body weight exercise – example Push Ups
2) Do 3 reps and rest 10 seconds then 3 more reps…repeat
3) When it becomes tough to do 3 reps, extend the rest time to 20 seconds
4) When it becomes to tough to get 3 reps, extend rest time to 30 seconds
5) Keep doing this exercise for 15 minutes straight. As soon as it gets tough to complete 3 reps add another 10 seconds to the rest time in between sets.
Tips: Make sure to avoid going to failure on all of the sets you perform, but keep pushing yourself. By avoiding failure, you are keeping fatigue at a limit and you will get more sets and reps done in a 15 minute period.
Other Tips for This Bodyweight Mass Building Routine
Nick recommends 15 minutes for back, chest, and quads…and 10 minutes for hamstrings, shoulders, biceps, triceps, calves, and abs. He also recommends a 2-day split doing a total of 4 workouts per week. Day One back, chest, biceps, abs and calves. Day Two quads, hamstrings, shoulders, and triceps.
Now you know how to build muscle mass with bodyweight exercises. You could also use this same strategy with weights as well. There are probably a few people who have a weight set at home that they became too strong for. Consider using this lifting method with those weights to make them work to build muscle mass again.
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