As long as it’s inside the line it’s fair, if it’s outside the line it’s foul.
Bodyweight Getting big on Bodyweight
- Thread starter Abishai
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- #bodyweight mass gain
Boris Bachmann
Level 8 Valued Member
Idk. Are there rules?
Adam R Mundorf
Level 6 Valued Member
It's so obvious by now that weight lifting (with external resistance, not only gravity) is the most efficient and simplest way to increase size and strength.
Your bodyweight can work but it will take longer and be more complicated than just slapping on another plate or picking up a heavier bell. The progress will be slower because past a certain point there is a large skill barrier to achieving advanced calisthenic skills. To be completely frank, the time spent learning those advanced skills could be better spent on fundamental weight lifting movements that are simpler to overload and progress.
Not only that, not many people have advanced calisthenics movements in them. Some are too tall, have wrong proportions and/or different joint/tendon structure.
You can get big with bodyweight but only you can answer if that's big enough for what you want to look like and if you're willing to put in the exhausting high reps or super slow techniques to get the results you desire.
Your bodyweight can work but it will take longer and be more complicated than just slapping on another plate or picking up a heavier bell. The progress will be slower because past a certain point there is a large skill barrier to achieving advanced calisthenic skills. To be completely frank, the time spent learning those advanced skills could be better spent on fundamental weight lifting movements that are simpler to overload and progress.
Not only that, not many people have advanced calisthenics movements in them. Some are too tall, have wrong proportions and/or different joint/tendon structure.
You can get big with bodyweight but only you can answer if that's big enough for what you want to look like and if you're willing to put in the exhausting high reps or super slow techniques to get the results you desire.
metroman
Level 2 Valued Member
It is all subjective really. Calisthenics and Bodyweight kind of comes into a few different camps from what I have observed. Some people practise the super complicated gymnastics skills, whiles others maybe Crossfiters which does include a lot of bodyweight stuff and then you have plyometrics. Iron Wolf is bodyweight he and other channels are highrep bodyweight, you also have Frank Medrano, Wild Moose and Michael Vascuez who do plyo circuits also offer some vareity and are very challenging.
bluejeff
Level 7 Valued Member
Replying to the above two quotes: I do them chest facing wall. Right now it’s just head-to-floor, with a long term goal of hands to shoulders via parallettes or the like.
Even if you can’t balance a freestanding hspu, most anywhere you travel you can find a wall.
I also just prefer the way they feel on my shoulders compared to a barbell. Maybe that would/will change if/when I significantly increase my OHP, but for now I feel a better sort of “wedging” feeling with hspus. I’m better able to feel the muscles I want to work actually working compared to an OHP.
watchnerd
Level 8 Valued Member
Is it range of motion when against a wall, or trigonometry?
I'm going to go try against a wall....
watchnerd
Level 8 Valued Member
Oh hell no I can't balance freestanding HSPU!
I can't even pistol squat without a counterweight lest I fall on my butt.
Boris Bachmann
Level 8 Valued Member
It's my head.Is it range of motion when against a wall, or trigonometry?
I'm going to go try against a wall....
To start I recommend facing a wall, putting your hands on the ground with arms straight, kicking up so that your heels are resting on the wall, and lowering until your head touches the ground and then pressing back up from there.
When I had my Level II press, I was able to do these the first time I tried them. I add “free-standing” when referring to that kind.
-S-
When I had my Level II press, I was able to do these the first time I tried them. I add “free-standing” when referring to that kind.
-S-
grouchyjarhead
Level 6 Valued Member
Just like anything - the more volume you do, the more hypertrophy is possible.
Here's a calisthenics guy I like, you can see his changes over a few years. He's young so that definitely helps.
Here's a calisthenics guy I like, you can see his changes over a few years. He's young so that definitely helps.
Just looking at a couple of his videos, he's definitely impressive! He also uses weighted variations of bodyweight, which I'm sure helps him build mass. HSPU are pretty cool.
StuKE
Level 4 Valued Member
I would say traps are not easy to train with just bodyweight, and IMO there is a serious lack of traps in many people who train - weights or bw, not a good look in my eyes.
bluejeff
Level 7 Valued Member
Disagree. Rows, front lever work, many pulling variations.... and most of all...handstand pushups will build traps. If all you follow are people who do standard pushups and burpee-style workouts, I wouldn't expect you to see much trap action. If you follow any bodyweight athletes who do gymnastic or "street workout" stuff, they all have quite developed traps. Will they look like strongman or olympic weightlifter traps? Maybe not. They still look pretty developed to me though.
From this video:
Here is Daniel Vadnal from Fitness FAQs:
I’m sure this will come off as hating, but it’s really not meant to be. Your videos shared are examples of someone who has tremendously amazing body control, as well as exceptional leanness and good lighting.
However, if you took away some of that leanness and the lighting, I don’t think they would have particularly impressive physiques. Without the exceptional leanness and lighting, it’s a “mid” physique.
Don’t get me wrong - what they have achieved is fantastic. I’m not that lean, and I can’t manipulate my body through space with a fraction of that skill. And I imagine most people would be quite happy to have that physique and skill. Blah blah blah caveat caveat caveat.
bluejeff
Level 7 Valued Member
I get it, no worries. Even if they weren't so lean, I still wouldn't say they were missing trap development.
If there's one thing that I, personally, have taken away from this thread, it's that people's definitions of "developed" and "mass" seem to vary quite a lot.
100% agreed here. And I don't think anyone here is saying that these bodyweight only bros that have posted about don't look good or aren't impressive.
100% agree with that too. I might've said something similar somewhere too.
I've seen very good things come from adding in things like pull-ups and dips to my training.StuKE
Level 4 Valued Member
Each to their own, no doubt the guy has a great back when viewed in that shot, but I was meaning more upper traps, particularly when viewed from the front, and I don't think he has great traps from the front. As I said before, I don't think it is bodyweight stars alone, a lot of people who train period have an ugly gap above the clarifies in my opinion, usually with a thin neck too. Some may find enough stimulus from rows etc, but in my experience you want well developed upper traps, you have to lift heavy weight. Just my view.