no gym membership? no problem

If you think weight training is the only way you can build a strong, muscular body than take a moment to check out the picture above. Everyone in that picture is a member of a group called the Bartendaz. They utilize strictly body weight training to achieve incredible physiques. Many people get great results from sticking primarily to body weight training. ex: boxers, martial artists, inmates, gymnasts... It makes no difference if the resistance comes from iron, sand, or its self as long as the tension is significant enough to challenge your muscles and create overload. Here are some advantages of body weight exercise:

- convenient it can be done anywhere

- its much safer - less likely to injure yourself

- endless variations and ways to make the exercise more or less difficult

- body weight exercises are mostly closed chain movements (hand/foot stays in contact with the ground during the entire exercise) closed chain exercises are easier on the joints and generally work more muscles.

Here are some of my favorite body weight exercises

1. Pull-ups and variations: works the upper back, biceps, and posterior deltoids (back of the shoulders)

2. Bar Dips: works the triceps, lower chest, and shoulders

3. Pushups and variations: chest, triceps, and shoulders

4. body weight rows: great exercise to work the horizontal pulling plane

5. Pistols or one legged squats: great lower body exercise. Builds strength, balance, and flexibility.

6. Glute ham raises: great for the posterior chain.

Sample body weight workout for the upperbody:

Pull-ups (palms facing away) medium/wide grip x quality set

Pushups with feet raised or handstand pushups x quality set

complete 3-5x with 30 seconds rest between exercises

Chin-ups (palms facing you) x quality set

Bar Dips or diamond pushups x quality set

complete 3-5x with 30 seconds rest between exercises

Body weight rows x quality set

wide grip pushups x quality set

complete 3-5x with 30 seconds rest between exercises

Sample body weight workout for the lower body:

high peterson step up: 2 x quality set

2-leg ski squat: 2 x 10 second pause at each position with 5 positions

bulgarian split squat: 2 x quality set

cross body off-box lunge: 2 x 10 quality set

scissor hip extension: 2 x quality set

body weight squats (all the way down): 2 x quality set

Quality Set = one or two reps shy of failure