Building Muscle

[justhopingandsearching]

I have already mostly made it a habit to walk every day for at least an hour, and I've been working on my diet to further help with weight loss. Now as of late, I've been looking to add some exercises that build muscle. I really don't want to use machines, weights, or dumb bells though. I want to really develop and strengthen my muscles through using exercises like push ups, sit ups, etc. but I have no clue how to go about it. So, does anyone have any information on developing such a fitness routine, and this can include websites, books, your own personal program. Any help is much appreciated.

[shasah]

I started with mostly abs routines and bought about every magazine there was on fitness. I would cut out the exercises that interested me whether they were machines or not and tried out the ones I could at home. If I didn't have the equipment (Bosu balls, etc.), I went to the gym and tried them out. I was very shy about it at first, but finally figured out that they're all involved in their own routines and could care less what I'm doing. I go every day at the same time and the faces are now all familiar. I am trying Plyometrics now and still no one bats an eye. (Plyometrics involves a lot of jumping). I have never used a personal trainer myself, but that is another option.

[scorpio1980]

Come join bodyweightculture.com, and read the forums, and ask us questions. Everything you need to know is on the site.

[shasah]

BTW, I was thinking and wanted to also say, don't go too fast. If you get injured, you can't exercise. Learn what your body can handle and work with it. It doesn't happen overnight.

[ginkgo]

You want exercises that use your own bodyweight. Here is a webpage that shows how to do 3 of them. Don't worry about the politically incorrect names. Matt Furey

[Orecle]

Originally Posted by justhopingandsearching

I have already mostly made it a habit to walk every day for at least an hour, and I've been working on my diet to further help with weight loss. Now as of late, I've been looking to add some exercises that build muscle. I really don't want to use machines, weights, or dumb bells though. I want to really develop and strengthen my muscles through using exercises like push ups, sit ups, etc. but I have no clue how to go about it. So, does anyone have any information on developing such a fitness routine, and this can include websites, books, your own personal program. Any help is much appreciated.

If you are overweight, you are going to find it difficult to do certain bodywight exercises - like pullups and even pressups. I will advice you to mix up gym and bodyweight exercises. There are certain parts that are trained more thoroughly with resistance from weights and machines. ie legs and lowerr back. Could you not dedicate 1 day a week or even a fortnight

If still not sold.

4 sets of press ups, 4 sets of dips, 4 sets of multi grip pullups and chinups

May i ask why you dont want to lift weights?

[justhopingandsearching]

I've tried the gym on and off for years, and I've never really been able to stick with it but for so long because it's so boring to me. My mind tends to wander quite quickly and easily, which leads to boredom in a gym in about 10 minutes. When I'm walking I get to see and take in so many different things (people, buildings, cars, smells...). When I first started to walk around for ''exercise'' the only reason I would stop is because my feet and legs would burn and ache so badly. I would stop and rest for a day or two if I was still sore, but the second I could I would start walking until once again my feet and legs were burning. I repeated that process until where I'm at now, where I can walk for miles on end. I don't know why but it's something I truly enjoy doing.

I want an exercise program for building muscle without machines or weights, so that I wouldn't be confined to a building. I was thinking push ups and whatnot because those types of exercises can be done outdoors in places like a park, which would allow me to be able to do ''exercise'' while focusing on others things like the trees, clouds, the sounds of birds, you know whatever.

[alexplatups]

Originally Posted by justhopingandsearching

I want an exercise program for building muscle without machines or weights, so that I wouldn't be confined to a building. I was thinking push ups and whatnot because those types of exercises can be done outdoors in places like a park, which would allow me to be able to do ''exercise'' while focusing on others things like the trees, clouds, the sounds of birds, you know whatever.

You can start at home without a problem, just get yourself some dumbbells
where you can adjust the weights that you can use, and you are good to
go. You can start with the simplest exercises and work your way up!

This is good for maintaining your current muscle, but if you want to build
more muscle, then a gym is most likely a better option, but this step should
be taken only when you reach a certain level, and have the desire to create
a certain result.

at this time your focus is mostly on enjoying the process, and this can be
a problem when it comes to building muscle, because it is not an easy or
really enjoyable process for most people

you have to shift your focus on a vision of yourself having a muscular body
that you truly desire, and look at the process that you use only as a way
to get you closer and closer to that vision, otherwise you will never be able
to create the momentum that is necessary to create a muscular body

Weight Loss Motivation

I describe how to create motivation in this article, and from there you can
read about how to create a goal setting chart that can help you to shift
your focus from the process to the vision of yourself in the near future,
and plus you have to learn how to track current reality to stay on track
while you are moving toward building new muscle otherwise you might be
going in the wrong direction and not even know about it

[ragtag]

I totally agree with the original poster that going to the gym is boring. I know a lot of people enjoy it, but I don't. I found the only kind of exercise that works for me is stuff that I actually enjoy, like mountain biking, swimming, skiing and playing squash. If you enjoy walking, then keep it up....you could even turn it into running in the future. Enjoying the outdoors and exercising at the same time is great.

Lately, I've been adding some bodyweight and resistance band exercises (push up, sit ups and so on) to the end of my exercise. So after a swim or bike ride, I'll do those. I've no idea if this is a good way to gain muscles, but it doesn't bore me, so I keep doing it. Of course, I only do them if I have some energy left and haven't completely worn myself out on the cardio.

[alexplatups]

Originally Posted by ragtag

I totally agree with the original poster that going to the gym is boring. I know a lot of people enjoy it, but I don't. I found the only kind of exercise that works for me is stuff that I actually enjoy, like mountain biking, swimming, skiing and playing squash. If you enjoy walking, then keep it up....you could even turn it into running in the future. Enjoying the outdoors and exercising at the same time is great.

Lately, I've been adding some bodyweight and resistance band exercises (push up, sit ups and so on) to the end of my exercise. So after a swim or bike ride, I'll do those. I've no idea if this is a good way to gain muscles, but it doesn't bore me, so I keep doing it. Of course, I only do them if I have some energy left and haven't completely worn myself out on the cardio.

without a doubt forcing yourself to do something you do not really like, or
hate, will not work in the long run, but there are always exceptions, because
the most important thing in creating results is focusing on your goal, and
tracking current reality, when these two elements are used properly, the
path toward your goal will become quite obvious

and then you will have to make a choice, either choose to walk down that
path, or choose not to walk down that path, of course some might say that
you can find another path, and sometimes this is possible, but it is usually
the exception and not the norm

on paper it sounds nice to enjoy the steps you take toward your goals, but
in real life it usually doesn't work this way

yes, sometimes we start to enjoy the process that we use to bring our
dreams into reality, but this is mostly because these steps are bringing us
closer to our goals.

and this should never be confused, and taken as if these steps actually have
to be liked, because some time in the future we might start not to like them
once more, and if we are focused on liking the process we just might forget
what is truly important...our goal, objective, desire, or vision

and since we always progress as we move toward our goals we are always called to take more and more difficult steps and actions to bring these
goals into our reality

[SmellyOrc]

Originally Posted by justhopingandsearching

which would allow me to be able to do ''exercise'' while focusing on others things like the trees, clouds, the sounds of birds, you know whatever.

If you can focus on other things than the exercise you are doing right there and then, you aren't doing it hard enough. In turn, you will not build any muscle (except in the first few weeks, where everyone builds some muscle).

When training HARD, and I don't mean quitting when you're just working up a sweat, I mean HARD, you WILL need to concentrate on the lifting part. You really need to be in the moment, and that fights any boredom you may encounter.