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Something that might be obvious to some but not to all: "Weightlifting" here means "resistance training" in general, which therefore includes bodyweight trainin
by ricc 2y ago
Something that might be obvious to some but not to all: "Weightlifting" here means "resistance training" in general, which therefore includes bodyweight training, which therefore is relatively easier to get into, at least compared to the "hassle" of going to the gym.
- diego_moita 2y agoTo better explain, there are 4 kinds of resistance training: 1. Bodyweight: where you lift your body: squats, pushups, etc. 2. Elastic bands: like those used in pilates 3. Weights: like dumbbells and barbells 4. Machines: like the ones in gyms.
- ricc 2y agoThanks! By the way, I think `3. Weights` should be `3. Free weights` to set them better apart from machines. :-)
- sk11001 2y agoAnother distinction is that “weightlifting” typically refers to the sport of Olympic weightlifting which includes two movements - the snatch and the clean and jerk. It’s not the same as “lifting weights”.
- smallerfish 2y agoThe article suggests that you shouldn't skip the legs. What's the best equivalent of pullups for leg muscles?
- SamBam 2y agoIf you mean in the sense of pulling, probably Nordic curls, although they're a pretty advanced movement. Usually, though, pushing strength is enough for most people for their legs, so if you mean in terms of hard, difficult movements, then working your way up to pistol squats is a good goal for most people.
- alan-hn 2y agoBarbell squats or deadlifts, squats will hit hams, quads, and glutes along with supporting muscles and spinal erectors Deads hit mostly glutes and hams, almost no quads, but a bit more back involvement I recommend doing both, personally If you want bodyweight only then probably pistol squats but it's difficult to work the legs that much with just bodyweight because they already carry your body weight every day
- abakker 2y agoSomething that many people can do is add weights to a backpack. If you have a good backpack and you can add books/water/rocks etc you can squat with that. If the balance of the movement gets a little unwieldy, a slight heel lift block can help. Also, goblet squats with a kettlebell.
- dilap 2y agoI found my pistol squats got better after a few months of just training boxing -- so I think even just hopping around and doing jump-rope is probably pretty decent exercise for your legs.
- alan-hn 2y agoA large part of pistol squats is balance and the strength of supporting muscles, general movement like boxing training would absolutely help with that
- brycethornton 2y agoProbably "air" squats, just squatting to parallel or below without any weights.
- michaelrpeskin 2y agoSquats. If you were only ever allowed to do one exercise, I would say the squats is the best. It hits the big muscles. Forces you to learn balance through the range of motion. And improves flexibility. The hormone release from training big muscles under heavy weight will echo throughout the body and help stimulate growth everywhere. Deadlift is more fun, hits the big muscles, and you can go even heavier. But I don’t see the same benefits when I focus on a heavy deadlift cycle as compared to a heavy squat cycle.
- ungamedplayer 2y agoI find my CNR endurance improves with a heavy dl cycle much more so than a heavy squat cycle. The CNR fatigue really helps with getting to sleep and I feel better the following week(s).
- michaelrpeskin 2y agoYes. That is totally true. You can feel the CNR stimulation deep in your soul. I feel great on a DL cycle and my proportions make me relatively much better at deads than squats so I tend to do them more. But I also recognize that for general health and fitness squats are probably better if you were forced to choose.
- munksbeer 2y agoWhat is CNR?
- michaelrpeskin 2y agoIt's supposed to be CNS (central nervous system), but I made the same fat finger typo on my phone :)
- nightowl_games 2y agoI never recommend anyone do deadlifts. Deadlifts can cause back injury if not done properly. You shouldn't do deadlifts unless you are a serious lifter who is aware of proper form and paying attention to it.
- i_am_proteus 2y agoConsider burpees alongside squats. Bodyweight exercises for lower body benefit from some 'explosive' motion. There's no true equivalent to the pull-up, because your legs routinely carry your body's weight, whereas your arms do not.
- wussboy 2y agoIs there a burpee equivalent that is easier on the knees?
- SamBam 2y agoSee a physio or a trainer to do it right, but in general explosive or percussive movements are supposed to be good for knees. People used to think that jogging was terrible for knees, for instance, but now the consensus seems to be the opposite. Starting slow and doing good form squats and slow burpees could improve your knee health to the point where you can do regular-tempo burpees. However, don't get medical advice from internet forums.
- green_dee 2y agoNothing will never be better than heavy barbell squats, but if variation is needed there's also (in this order) split squats and front squats to try. The only exception is low-bar/leg disability, then I think it might be better to keep it bodyweight and machine oriented (such as leg press).
- ricc 2y agoIf you really mean "pullups" for legs and not just leg training in general, then not much comes into mind aside from leg curls or, as someone else mentioned, Nordic curls. I think the Nordic curls is the only one relatively achievable at home with minimal equipment.
- ramses0 2y agoClipped bicycle pedals give you opportunities for pulling and IMHO semi-qualify as "bodyweight fitness". It does require a bicycle (and shoes/straps), but a bike isn't usually considered gym equipment, and it's heavily involved with your body weight.
- brightball 2y agoWall sits and plyometric squats (jump squats where your goal is to give yourself a soft landing).
- Lalabadie 2y agoAt the risk of stating the obvious, everything done single-leg is equivalent to an overload of 100% of your bodyweight, along with recruiting more stabilizers. It's possible to move from an easier form (simple squat) to a harder one by progressively shifting weight on one leg at a time.
- rjh29 2y agoOne legged squats are not hard though (mostly balance) they just look hard. A 1xBW squat is beginner level.
- cko 2y agoBulgarian split squats (or rear leg elevated squats) are pretty good, especially if you hold a kettlebell in front. If you have a good 40m to run, then I would also do interval sprints.
- green_dee 2y agoI don't think bodyweight training is relatively easier get into neither to perform. I really enjoy bodyweight movements and I include them in my routine, mainly splits squats, pushups, pull ups and abs, but I still think one of the best things you can do to yourself is trying to get over what you call "hassle of going to the gym". If done properly, the gym will teach you periodization and allow you to: - practice different repetition patterns - you can't perform useful 6's, 10's and 15's if you can't change the (body)weight variable - you can't perform useful < 15reps (for strength or hypertrophy) if you can do 100 repetitions of it (like abs or pushups) - want to work the delts? Just get into a rack and press the bar up, get a minimum weight dumbbell and do some raises, facepull a rope. Now try it in bodyweight movements. - form a habit (you have to go to the gym, if you hate exercises, being at home will just be a "I will a do pushup and it's over). It's always about preferences, but honestly, I find that creating and maintaining a bodyweight workout routine will always be harder and a last-case option compared to the gym.
- criddell 2y agoIs more always better? If your routine is maintenance focused and you can do 100 crunches and pull-up and pushups and body weight squats, wouldn’t you be getting most of the brain-health benefits or do they only come by getting stronger and stronger and stronger? Are there not diminishing returns?
- 127 2y agoIf you train for health instead of body building, going from sedentary to a regular body weight routine is a colossal improvement.
- strken 2y agoI think the point is that a regular body weight routine is harder than using weights. If you're sedentary, doing a push-up is like starting out with bench presses that are more than half your bodyweight, finding an inclined surface to do push-ups against is not always possible, and using your knees can be painful, whereas if you're in a gym you can go bench press the 20kg bar or lighter dumbbells and know exactly how much weight you're using each session. Doing a chin-up on a tree in the park means you can't grab an assisted pull up band or use a machine to help you, so you're stuck trying to scramble up the tree with your feet + use bad sideways technique then lower yourself down slowly, which is risking injury. These concerns are especially relevant for the elderly.
- maliker 2y agoI bought a pair of adjustable dumbbells that each go from 10 Lb up to 50. About $100 bucks. Pretty much my entire home gym. Worked great for me.
- ykonstant 2y agoFor me, that hassle is essential. It allows me to get into a dedicated workout mindset that I cannot get at home or in neutral locations; I keep it up for one or two or five days, then it fades away. With the gym, I have this dedicated physical location for workouts.
- itsoktocry 2y ago>at least compared to the "hassle" of going to the gym. Even a small set of weights-in-a-box, or adjustable dumbells, are fantastic supplements to bodyweight exercise. 90% of the population don't need anything else to get fit, and you can do it in your bedroom.
- the_snooze 2y agoYou can do so much with just a couple dumbbells and an exercise mat. This got me through the early pandemic when my regular gym shut down: https://darebee.com/workouts.html https://darebee.com/workouts.html
- grvdrm 2y agoAnd let's not forget - bands. Very versatile. They saved me during early COVID. But if I were - unwilling to gym it - I'd buy a few bands and use them for all sorts of push and pull exercises as well as mobility, stretching. Highly recommend.
- agumonkey 2y agoVery subjective opinion: there's something special about deadlift methinks. I used to be an runner and doing all kinds of sports. My health went low, and there's a particular sensation about finally being able to carry more than your own weight off the ground and stand up. No other workout exercises give this (pushups, planks, situps, pullups, you name it) It's probably a very primitve neural pathway and balancing need.. I don't know.
- ricc 2y agoIt's because it literally targets your whole body. The weight is pulling down your arms, which itself is pulling down your back and shoulders. And since you are carrying the weight, it's putting compressive forces on your legs via gravity. Even your neck muscles will hurt if you position your head the wrong way. XD One of my personal best gym moments is when I deadlifted about 25% more than my bodyweight, which I was not able to repeat since.
- grvdrm 2y agoTry again! (to hit that PR) Some weeks you'll have the right combo, some weeks you won't. But my general approach is to work toward a PR of some sort every 6 weeks or so. I don't always get there, but, I keep trying!
- spacemadness 2y agoIs that a goal of yours to hit or exceed that? I’m nearing 3x my bodyweight in DL which I attribute to simply following a program that starts with linear progression then moves to more wave based strength training like 531. I can share more if you’re interested, but it depends on your goals.
- runamuck 2y agoI despise the gym. I "lift" heavy weights with a premium, portable resistance band set. You can load it to over 400 pounds of force and do dead lifts and squats.
- ricc 2y agoAre you also a fan of James Grage? :-)
- yjftsjthsd-h 2y ago> which therefore is relatively easier to get into, at least compared to the "hassle" of going to the gym. I can finish a workout in less time than I would spend driving to and from a gym. Putting hassle in scare quotes doesn't actually dismiss the massively higher friction involved.
- ricc 2y agoI had to put them in quotes because some don't really see it as a hassle... And it also depends on the situation. I for one live 500 meters away from a gym, so that takes away a lot of the normal friction. :-)