Mayukh Sen
Level 1 Valued Member
Hey guys, I would like to share an idea on why I think calisthenics without equipment (except for a place to hang from) *IS ENOUGH TO KEEP BUILDING MUSCLE FOREVER, AS OPTIMALLY AS BARBELLS WITH UNLIMITED ADJUSTED WEIGHTS....* I would love to see your criticism of this idea, you would know where I am right or wrong about it.... I would like to know that....
So basically the idea is to get to *high non stop max rep numbers* in highly challenging bodyweight movements that cover the whole body and that are the most challenging relative strength wise speaking, which will land you in the elite relative strength zone by any standards, going there through the means of progressive bulking (surplus is necessary for new muscle tissue generation, eating less will hurt progress, as we see in 5/5 and any hypertrophy program).....
*And then simply maintaining that max rep number (that guarantees elite relative strength) while bulking to a heavier and heavier bodyweight, and as we know, to get bigger and stronger even with weights, the idea is to eat in a surplus, otherwise no muscle tissue weight will be added to your body if you are eating maintenance.*
Now hypothetically speaking imagine a 300lbs dude who can do 25+ strict non stop one arm chin ups each arm, 30+ strict non stop one arm one leg push ups each arm, 25+ strict non stop deep handstand push ups and 50+ strict nonstop pistol squats each leg, 25+ strict one arm hanging leg raises each arm.
These numbers for these exercises ensure that almost entirety of your bodyweight has to be pure dense lean muscle, tendon and bone tissue, with minimal scope for any body fat. Otherwise being able to do that will be impossible.
Now if you are 300lbs while being able to do all that, majority of 300lbs is also just muscle. And seeing what guys of that weight are capable of in terms of even basic calisthenics (most bodybuilders or powerlifters of that size cant even do more than 15 regular pull ups and 30 deep honest dips.
The difference is not relative strength, but absolute strength, because the weight lifted in each of those movements increases as your overall bodyweight increases. You are literally lifting twice the weight now that you have gone from 180lbs to 300lbs.
Now of course the one arm pull up number I inserted here is outlandishly high. However that is irrelevant.
*The basic idea is to focus on increasing your max reps with highly challenging bodyweight movements that covers your whole body, while eating to gain muscle weight, forever. I am talking 200-300 kcal surplus per day.*
This is how I think prisoners get jacked. Without weights. Their focus on gaining reps and gaining weight. Going to beast mode failure each set upon recovery, and doing plenty of conditioning between.
*Because if your relative strength doesnt change, stays the same, but your bodyweight keeps going up, then your absolute strength also keeps going up, absolute strength being the foremost determiner of the weight of muscle tissue on your body, relative strength being the foremost determiner of how much of your bodyweight is fat free muscle.*
Some isometric work on walls or with your own body (charles bronson solitary fitness type isometrics) will take care of your training in terms of generating maximum contractile force, which the gym bros have to use heavy 1rm-2rm barbell work to accomplish.
So scientifically and logically speaking, calisthenics will never fall short for keep getting you jacked forever, and you can even become the strongest man on the planet with nothing but your bodyweight. Except for posterior chain strength maybe.
So what do you guys think?
So basically the idea is to get to *high non stop max rep numbers* in highly challenging bodyweight movements that cover the whole body and that are the most challenging relative strength wise speaking, which will land you in the elite relative strength zone by any standards, going there through the means of progressive bulking (surplus is necessary for new muscle tissue generation, eating less will hurt progress, as we see in 5/5 and any hypertrophy program).....
*And then simply maintaining that max rep number (that guarantees elite relative strength) while bulking to a heavier and heavier bodyweight, and as we know, to get bigger and stronger even with weights, the idea is to eat in a surplus, otherwise no muscle tissue weight will be added to your body if you are eating maintenance.*
Now hypothetically speaking imagine a 300lbs dude who can do 25+ strict non stop one arm chin ups each arm, 30+ strict non stop one arm one leg push ups each arm, 25+ strict non stop deep handstand push ups and 50+ strict nonstop pistol squats each leg, 25+ strict one arm hanging leg raises each arm.
These numbers for these exercises ensure that almost entirety of your bodyweight has to be pure dense lean muscle, tendon and bone tissue, with minimal scope for any body fat. Otherwise being able to do that will be impossible.
Now if you are 300lbs while being able to do all that, majority of 300lbs is also just muscle. And seeing what guys of that weight are capable of in terms of even basic calisthenics (most bodybuilders or powerlifters of that size cant even do more than 15 regular pull ups and 30 deep honest dips.
The difference is not relative strength, but absolute strength, because the weight lifted in each of those movements increases as your overall bodyweight increases. You are literally lifting twice the weight now that you have gone from 180lbs to 300lbs.
Now of course the one arm pull up number I inserted here is outlandishly high. However that is irrelevant.
*The basic idea is to focus on increasing your max reps with highly challenging bodyweight movements that covers your whole body, while eating to gain muscle weight, forever. I am talking 200-300 kcal surplus per day.*
This is how I think prisoners get jacked. Without weights. Their focus on gaining reps and gaining weight. Going to beast mode failure each set upon recovery, and doing plenty of conditioning between.
*Because if your relative strength doesnt change, stays the same, but your bodyweight keeps going up, then your absolute strength also keeps going up, absolute strength being the foremost determiner of the weight of muscle tissue on your body, relative strength being the foremost determiner of how much of your bodyweight is fat free muscle.*
Some isometric work on walls or with your own body (charles bronson solitary fitness type isometrics) will take care of your training in terms of generating maximum contractile force, which the gym bros have to use heavy 1rm-2rm barbell work to accomplish.
So scientifically and logically speaking, calisthenics will never fall short for keep getting you jacked forever, and you can even become the strongest man on the planet with nothing but your bodyweight. Except for posterior chain strength maybe.
So what do you guys think?