Hey guys, I haven’t been training properly for over 2 years now, due to heavy lack of time. I am trying to get back into it but find I do not have enough time to get down the gym. So my question is has anyone just used bodyweight exercise regimes, if so what where the results?
Thanks in advance to anyone who replies!!
Very, very few people lack so much time that they can’t sacrifice a quick half-hour at the gym. I assure you, my life is busier than your own, yet I manage.
Exercises with bodyweight are a good way to jump one’s general physical shape up. Push-ups, sit-ups, pull-ups, jumping jacks, etc. All great things to do, but there are no “results” in terms of getting bigger.
I knew I would get a reply like this.
I know where you are coming from. At the moment I am in full time education school from 8am till 4:30pm. Weekends I Work 18 hours 4 on friday evening, 8 on saturday day, 6 on sunday. On top of this I am having to do atleast 4 hours of revision for my exams each day.
I do not have a car, and my clsoest gym is atleast 45 mins away from me walking. (no buses available). If you can tell me where I could fit in exercise I would it would be greatly appriciated.
you could try buying some dunmb bells and a cheap bench.
but if you really want to do body weight only excersizes i’m sure you could add muscle with it (but obviously it would be better with resistance)
My advice (for what its worth) would be to do lot of work on the big compound body weight exercises like the dips, chins, squats hand stand push up, regular push ups.
you could also get a tracksuit top with loads of zipper pockets on and fill them with lead shots (from a fishing/diving store) or anything heavy for that matter of fact and hay presto you got yourself a weighted vest for your b/w movement. try getting people to ride piggy back while you squat or sit on your back for a press up.
Also, even without a gym you shouldn’t neglect the dead lift since it is such an easy movement to inprovise with, dead lift the sofa with people sat on it for example.
good luck.
ps. I know you didn’t exactly say it but never ever use the ‘no time to lift’ excuse.
Thanks Wukey. I know I could make time, but at the sacrifice of other more important things. 
its very difficult. Really appriciate the positive input thumbs up.
This has been discussed here before.
Here are some links that might be helpful:
http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=1364590
http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=1385298
http://www.T-Nation.com/tmagnum/readTopic.do?id=1555124
The general consensus is that you will see some increases in strength but not as much as you would with load-bearing exercise.
Some bodyweight exercises can be modified with a heavy pack, dumbbells etc. You will have to be creative.
Perhaps you could create a routine and train this way until you are able to train with weight, or incorporate both?
BTW, my name is Jason and I’ve lurked here awhile. This is my first post.
Lack time? I heard about this exercise called Burp-ups. Basically, you do burpees under a chinup bar, and on the jump portion, you grab the bar and to a chinup. Done tabata style, you’ll surely run out of breath.
If you want more size though, you need to put your muscles under more tension. Doing unilatral exercises can help. For example, doing pistols puts one of your legs in as much stress as squatting your BW does for two legs. If that’s too easy, load a backpack with heavy books.
If you can use someone, do squats and goodmornings with that person on your back. Nevertheless, nothing beats going to the gym. It’s so easy to control the weight depending on your goals.
Get a doorway chinup bar, and blast straps and some bands from elitefts.com The site has an exercise index for the blast straps and bands. This will hold you over till you have time to make it back to the gym.
Thanks everyone for the input really appriciate it information and motivation wise :)!!