Can You Build Muscle Effectively Using Calisthenics or Bodyweight Alone? A Look at the Science Surrounding Low-Load Resistance Training

[thegentileskeptic]

@lucie_tsao Show me those jacked rats!

 

[lucie_tsao]

@thegentileskeptic Imagine if street sharks was rats instead...

 

[thegentileskeptic]

@lucie_tsao I have no idea how I ever forgot about Street Sharks. Thank you.

 

[becomingabeliever]

@lucie_tsao lol how is this even a question? Some of the most fit people I know are gymnists who never touch any equipment other than elastic bands.

 

[lucie_tsao]

@becomingabeliever The existence of gymnasts doesn't prove it in a rigorous sense. The weight of scientific evidence however

 

[becomingabeliever]

@lucie_tsao Proof by contradiction. You cannot get ripped doing just body weight exercise, contradiction aerial gymnasts are fucking jacked, and many don't touch weights.

QED.

 

[mitchilita]

@lucie_tsao No dispute with the evidence, its just the problem is, if you want hypertrophy, low load means high volume. High volume takes more time and, in my opinion, is way more boring. I know for myself that boredom is my #1 mental challenge in not just fitness but most areas of life where discipline is required. I realized some time ago that a lot of my habits and proclivities are centered on avoidance of boredom and repetition and monotony.

I would rather do an extremely difficult effort over a short period of time than an easier effort for an extended period of time.

But the reason why I do bodyweight is not for hypertrophy, its because I consider certain bodyweight exercises as fitness goals in and of themselves - I want to be able to do a lot of pull-ups not to get huge muscles, but because I think of the pull-up itself as an indicator of strength and fitness. And rather than do huge rep counts, I just progress to harder versions.

Also the gym is expensive and inconvenient with distance, crowds, equipment, etc.

 

[shalom22]

@mitchilita sometimes harder versions require considerable amount of skill work as well

in this case, sometimes I just supplement with a variety of bands

 

[sister_diane]

@mitchilita My answer to the title question would simply be:

Yes, absolutely you can. But lifting weights is way easier and more effective for that. I also do callisthenics as a goal in itself, not to build muscle necessarily. I lift weights to build muscle.

 

[dadon]

@lucie_tsao Who is doing high rep, low resistance? Move from rows to FL rows if they are too easy, go from push ups to PPPUs etc etc

 

[lucie_tsao]

@dadon I'm not sure, but it works regardless

 

[confusedfather111]

@dadon What do you consider high reps per set and in tota

 

[aeroflotte]

@lucie_tsao The reason why it's harder for people is the knowledge required to train in this manner.

At the gym plug in reps + weight into a calculator and you get your optimal weight for an exercise. It's also easier to add fractional plates for progressive overload.

All of this is possible with changing of leverage or stimulus with bodyweight but it requires extra knowledge.

 

[xfisherman]

@lucie_tsao Hey so I do have access to the gym but I am a lazy bum.. so I am doing body weight fitness right now which is very easy to start doing… for gym I have to get out of my house, change clothes, drive to the gym, etc… with bwf I can just get started whenever I am in the mood so I want to continue doing this right now…

But when this becomes a habit and I have better discipline than now… would it be better to go to the gym instead of doing body weights at home?

 

[rccocina]

@xfisherman just buy weighted vest

 

[simonscion]

@xfisherman There is always a way to make bodyweight exercises, more complex.

 

[coffeeclaw_1986]

@xfisherman Yeah it would be better. Calisthenics is great to start with but imo gym is better once you start to want to see more progress.

 

[dawn16]

@lucie_tsao Yes absolutely, it's very effective

 

[childofgod_beniamin]

@lucie_tsao Who else apart from me thinks the title is not specific enough?

 

[jermyn]

@lucie_tsao

Another issue is that these high-rep sets to failure are going to be hard. I mean no one said it was going to be easy, but some of the sets are going to make you question your life choices, that’s for sure.

Goodness, that's so true. Sometimes I think people think low intensity = easy but when you make up for it with the reps, those sets can be worse (in terms of how they feel) than high intensity sets where you do them and then they're over sooner.