Gaining Muscle with Bodyweight Training

I’ve written a lot of great article on gaining muscle with bodyweight training. I thought I had covered all the techniques out there. However, Craig Ballantyne proved me wrong. He’s come out with an amazing technique in his new Muscle Massacre training regimen.

Here it is:

• Choose 2 movements
• Perform half of your maximum repetitions for each movement
• Alternate between the two for movement for 8 total sets

Craig uses dips and chinups in his routine. He does them at the end of the weight training portion. Here’s sample workout B (bodyweight supersets are the end)

Which exercises should you choose?

You want to choose challenging bodyweight movements. If you can do more then 15 repetitions of a movement, it’s probably not a good idea to choose that movement. Here’s a few good movements to use with this technique:

• Squat Jumps
• Pullups/Chinups
• Dips
• Close Grip Pushups
• Bulgarian Split Squats

These are usually challenging movement for most people. If you can do more than 15 repetitions for any of these movements, then you need something more challenging.

Weight Training + Bodyweight Training

For maximum progress, combine bodyweight training with weight training. Although you can gain muscle with bodyweight movements alone, it is much easier to get the job done if you include bodyweight movements.

Bodyweight movements such as the one mentioned above are necessary for developing whole body strength. Movements are such as chinups and dips are stables of all muscle building movements.

In addition, you can add a little weight to dips and chinups to make them even harder. Remember, the goal is maximum progress, so make sure you train hard!

Other Bodyweight Muscle Building Strategies

There are many other ways to build muscle with bodyweight movements that are very similar to this one. One of them is Time/Volume training, developed by Nick Nillson.

Here’s how to do Time/Volume Training:

• Choose a movement.
• Perform 3 repetitions, rest 10 seconds.
• Keep going until you can not do 3 repetitions for 10 seconds break. Extend the break to 20 seconds.
• When 20 seconds gets tough, rest for 30 seconds.
• Continue in this manner for 15 minutes.

Time/Volume Training, the bodyweight training method that Craig Ballantyne uses, and the 10-minute Squatting method, are all ways to increase the volume of your exercise will keeping the time really low.

So what it takes more bodybuilders 2 hours to do, you’re doing in less 45 minutes. That’s how long Craig Ballantyne’s workouts last! Click here to check out his latest Muscle Massacre routine.

If you want to build muscle using only bodyweight movements, then check out his Bodyweight Bodybuilding routine.

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