If you are trying to build muscle, you may assume that the first place you need to start is the weight room. Training with weights goes hand in hand with building strength and size, but is this the only way to get stronger? It’s actually a common misconception that strength training has to involve weights and in this article, we’re going to explore how you can build bodyweight with just your bodyweight.
If you want to build muscle, you’ll first need to educate yourself around the process of overloading. In short, this refers to increasing the stress on your muscles over time. Most people choose to do this by increasing the weight they are lifting, but it can also be achieved in a number of other ways.
It’s also important to understand that the movements you do in the gym are just one part of building muscle. There are a number of other factors that contribute to building muscle, most notably, what you eat.
Muscle Building Principles
Progressive Overload
This is the number one principle of building muscle. Your muscles will adjust to cope with your training demands over time, which means you will need to constantly increase the intensity and stress that they are put under. To do this without weights, you can use exercise variations to make the reps tougher.
For example, you could start with press ups off your knees, then progress to normal press ups and then progress further by slowing down press ups to increase the time that your muscles are under tension.
Train To Failure
No matter what exercises you are doing, you need to train to failure or close to failure to achieve muscle growth. If you are new to resistance training, failure simply means working to your max number of reps under a certain weight.
As you get stronger, naturally this number will increase which is also a form of overload. For instance, your max number of press ups may initially be 20. You can expect this number to increase by 1 or 2 reps a week in the first few weeks of training.
Calorie surplus
Whether your goal is to lose weight, gain weight or maintain weight, your diet is critical. To gain weight—whether muscle or fat—you’ll need to consume more calories that you burn; this is called a calorie surplus. To ensure you are gaining muscle not fat, it’s best to be in a slight calorie surplus and prioritise high protein foods.
As a general guide, aim for a gram of protein for every pound of body weight. You can increase this if you are not gaining muscle as quickly as you’d like, but a gram of protein per pound of bodyweight is a suitable floor for most people.
The best foods for muscle growth include:
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Beef
- Salmon
- Eggs
- Greek yogurt
Extra Tips To Maximise Gains
Prioritise Form
It’s no good increasing intensity if it means sacrificing form. If you are completing exercises with incorrect technique, you’ll likely find that you’re not working the intended body part. Poor form is also a common cause of injury, which would slow down your muscle building journey.
Track progression
Progress should be the overall goal, but it can be hard to keep up with your progress if your training routine involves various exercises, which it should. Keep a journal, whether written or digital, that outlines your movements and reps so you have a clear idea of your progress.
Sleep
Sleep is your body’s opportunity to recover, which makes it a crucial cog in the muscle building process. Most experts recommend getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night. If you are spending more time working out, it’s best to aim for the upper end of this guide. Not only is your body repairing during this time, it’s preparing you for the next day. As a result, you should expect to see increased focus and alertness during your training if you are getting the recommended 8 hours of sleep each night.
Clothing
Clothing may not be your number one thought when it comes to muscle building. But what you wear may be the difference between completing that final gruelling rep. If you don’t own any specific workout clothing, it’s definitely worth treating yourself to some high quality activewear from brands such as A-Game.
