Bodyweight workout?

I had been in the practice of going to the gym regularly, doing a pretty standard Bench/Deadlift/Squat spread over Mon/Wed/Fri. But I haven't lifted for about 8 months due to a rather unfortunate combination of minor afflictions affecting a pretty tender part of my person.

In the hope that I will be able to do some sort of lifting again soon, I've been thinking about what to do when I get back into it. I will be avoiding deadlifts and squats for a fair while yet, so it's going to be very much upper body focused.

I was thinking a bodyweight routine would be good for me right now, instead of the old powerlifting-style stuff I was doing. The benefits of this are not having to pay for a gym membership (there are no good gyms where I live, I trained previously before I moved), the convenience of training at home, the fact I can work on higher reps which will be kinder on my body with the nature of one of the problems I've been having, not having to eat as much by gunning for mass (cheaper and, again, kinder on my body at the minute), and getting a bit leaner and meaner (I'm happy either way in this respect, I sometimes get asked if I play rugby, so that's the sort of direction I was going in before, but losing body fat is all good).

With that in mind, could I get myself a decent workout just with bodyweight exercises? Is the idea of going for muscle density (as I plan here) over muscle mass (as I was before) just broscience? Could I keep muscle and lose fat without eating tonnes?

Thoughts?

Muscle mass involves muscle density... But. If you want a bodyweight routing that is not too boring. (I tend to find that once you break the 100 pushups a day barrier, further pushups are an exercise in mental focus and boredom...) I would say focus on explosive exercises, ab/core work. Pullups, pushups in all variations, burpees, jumps, etc. If you want some inspiration google 'barstarzz'. A good way to control your muscle growth is just eating less, or eating leaner - with less focus on calories, and more on protein/good carbs.

Wow, some of that Barstarzz stuff looks insane.

I want to get a little routine together. I'm guessing 3 sets to failure is the way to go.

Well I know I'll have standard pushups as well as diamond (triceps), incline (shoulders) and decline ones. Maybe with paused ones for the chest. Might try to get my incline ones into full handstand eventually.

I guess I could do a lot more if I invested in a push up bar. I'm trying to think of something I could use to save me buying on, lol.

pullups
pullups
pullups
pullups
pullups
pullups
pullups
pullups

gainfitness.com

Not as impressive stuff as in barstarzz but useful for making yourself a basic daily fitness routine.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rhyfelwyr

But I haven't lifted for about 8 months due to a rather unfortunate combination of minor afflictions affecting a pretty tender part of my person.

---

It wouldn't be so tender if you just relaxed your grip on it....

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rhyfelwyr

I had been in the practice of going to the gym regularly, doing a pretty standard Bench/Deadlift/Squat spread over Mon/Wed/Fri. But I haven't lifted for about 8 months due to a rather unfortunate combination of minor afflictions affecting a pretty tender part of my person.

In the hope that I will be able to do some sort of lifting again soon, I've been thinking about what to do when I get back into it. I will be avoiding deadlifts and squats for a fair while yet, so it's going to be very much upper body focused.

I was thinking a bodyweight routine would be good for me right now, instead of the old powerlifting-style stuff I was doing. The benefits of this are not having to pay for a gym membership (there are no good gyms where I live, I trained previously before I moved), the convenience of training at home, the fact I can work on higher reps which will be kinder on my body with the nature of one of the problems I've been having, not having to eat as much by gunning for mass (cheaper and, again, kinder on my body at the minute), and getting a bit leaner and meaner (I'm happy either way in this respect, I sometimes get asked if I play rugby, so that's the sort of direction I was going in before, but losing body fat is all good).

With that in mind, could I get myself a decent workout just with bodyweight exercises? Is the idea of going for muscle density (as I plan here) over muscle mass (as I was before) just broscience? Could I keep muscle and lose fat without eating tonnes?

Thoughts?

---

That's what I've been doing with my instructor for the past year and a half, and It's been great to reduce body fat. I'm an endomorph so it's easy for me to gain muscle but also fat unfortunately. I'm doing cross fit exercises, and on occasion I do bench presses, squats, pull ups and so on. My routines are 6-10 exercises, 50 seconds each, 10 seconds break between exercises for the cross fit part. Things like pushup followed by jump in the air, knees bent and slapping your knees as you jump, then falling immediately for another pushup. Or doing a pushup on the 5 kg. rubber ball, then going up immediately and spinning it to the side, elbows meeting your knees... stuff like that. But it's hard to describe, you'd have to google some cross fit exercise. But I tell you they work wonders for losing fat and gaining endurance.

If you want to build muscle you'd have to stick to classic weight lifting and eating lots of protein.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by a completely inoffensive name

It wouldn't be so tender if you just relaxed your grip on it....

---

I'm talking about the other side.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Myth

That's what I've been doing with my instructor for the past year and a half, and It's been great to reduce body fat. I'm an endomorph so it's easy for me to gain muscle but also fat unfortunately. I'm doing cross fit exercises, and on occasion I do bench presses, squats, pull ups and so on. My routines are 6-10 exercises, 50 seconds each, 10 seconds break between exercises for the cross fit part. Things like pushup followed by jump in the air, knees bent and slapping your knees as you jump, then falling immediately for another pushup. Or doing a pushup on the 5 kg. rubber ball, then going up immediately and spinning it to the side, elbows meeting your knees... stuff like that. But it's hard to describe, you'd have to google some cross fit exercise. But I tell you they work wonders for losing fat and gaining endurance.

If you want to build muscle you'd have to stick to classic weight lifting and eating lots of protein.

---

Well I want to still built muscle and I think I could do that with this routine, just more slowly than I would with classic weightlifting. The barstarzz guys certainly look pretty muscular.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gelatinous Cube

You can get a whole-body workout just doing push-ups if you try hard enough. Then Pull-Ups for dessert.

---

Dips for variety.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rhyfelwyr

I'm talking about the other side.

---

Well, tell your partner to just not be so rough next time. You gotta take it slow with that region, can't just charge in and play rough riders.

If you want to troll people you can't be so predictable.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rhyfelwyr

If you want to troll people you can't be so predictable.

---

It's not a troll, I'm just teasing Rhy.

Don't over think about working out man.