Promo for bodyweight work, with a mini woot!

[rybo]

To fuly understand this post, it takes a brief history explanation.

I used to a big time weightlifter, gym rat, muscle head thru my 20's & early 30's. Very strong, fairly fit. Enter a 6+ year hiatus from the gym. Around the time I stopped the weights, I started running shortly after. Then about a year ago I wanted to start strength training again. Enter the body weight workouts. Then about 6 months ago I really started focusing and learning and working harder in my efforts.

So last week I went back to a gym to see how things paid off.

255 lbs bench (1.5x BW)

165 lbs military press

21 pull ups

29 dips (I would have broken 30 if I'd not done these last)

And then last night I got an ugly, ugly muscle up. It was ugly, but I got up, over the bar & up.

 

And yes, I do work legs a lot, and I squatted some, but I didn't feel comfortable maxing out & risking injury or pulling something.

 

I want people to know you can build real strength just doing body weight moves. Those numbers are far from my PR's (except the pull ups), but I was a lot younger when those PR's were achieved.

[Waldo]

Nice, congrats.

I've always wondered what sort of numbers I would put up were I to give the barbell lifts a try.

What sort of pushing/pressing work have you been focusing on?

[Duality]

That's what I started (BW training) it's been a month at least, and man, I've noticed a big difference. At first I needed to do my push ups in two 5 rep sets (inclined too). But I can do 10, flat on the ground, nose touching pushups now, it's insane how underrated it actually is.

[rybo]

Nice, congrats.

I've always wondered what sort of numbers I would put up were I to give the barbell lifts a try.

What sort of pushing/pressing work have you been focusing on?

I bet you'd put up some impressive numbers. At least once you got the feel of the lift.

 

Unfortunately its been rather scattered, but I am streamlining.

I do mostly Archer push ups & one arm ones

Diamond push ups

Dips(wt'd w/20 lbs)

And then one burnout workout that takes 6 push up variations in a row w/20 secs rest between, doing 10 reps of each

Diamond-Clapping-Hindu-raised feet-Wide-"spider" (one hand forward, one back, alternating at each rep)

 

For shoulders I do a lot of pike presses & negative headstand work. Letting down very slowly.

 

I recently built a set of parallettes to incorporate in for shoulders & plan to buy a set of rings to add ring dips and other stuff.

[HansBraggart]

HUZZAH!

[BreakingThru]

Awesome!  Very inspiring.  I've been doing multiple circuits of the advanced bodyweight workout and the occasional angry birds workout.  I've been thinking about picking up the You Are Your Own Gym book to explore more bodyweight routines and progressions.  I can't wait to do one arm push ups!  I want to get to your level.  That's just freakin awesome.