Bodyweight Bodybuilding QnA
My homeboy, Uncle Alwyn Cosgrove sent me some questions regarding Bodyweight Bodybuilding, check it….
1) why did you start doing bodyweight training ?
Your answer was, ‘There is NO price tag anyone can put on your time with family”, in essence, while I was gung-ho and you told me that I had to realize that the MOST valuable things in life are family and health.
It REALLY hit me when I started having trouble being able to do everything I wanted with my kids, due to my health. Without my health, everything else went to shit. It PISSED me off, and left me with a knot in my stomach.
The last injury that was the straw that broke the camel’s back was my shoulder. The shoulder was sooooo f**ed up it caused pain and injury to the pec and I couldn’t even do a push up without massive pain.
It’s amazing that NO matter what area in life you look at, pain and love are the 2 most powerful driving forces that will push people to take massive action. I was used to managing and dealing with aches and pains since I was 14 and started wrestling. We were taught to deal with it, head down, keep charging, no complaining.
But once it affected my family, I began aggressively seeking the help of a few of our close friends and colleagues to help me get better. I also had to to do what I do best, which is use myself as a guinea pig, so I began implementing my own experiments with regards to getting healthier and looking back I seriously wonder if this time in my life with all these injuries was a blessing in disguise.
2) What about someone who still wants to do some heavy lifting — can they implement some of the BW routines?
I like starting with a heavy main lift then following up with predominantly bodyweight exercises, some of these bodyweight exercises might be loaded as well, using things like:
- weight vests
- ankle weights
- weight belt
- powerlifting chains
I don’t think bodyweight training should be limited to the typical methods where the focus is mainly endurance, conditioning and fat loss. I like using Bodyweight for strength, hypertrophy and speed work as well, just like the guys manipulate their barbell ex ercises at Westside Barbell, I wanted to do the same with Bodyweight.
3) I’ve actually used some bodyweight routines as metabolic work with some of our athletes – instead of traditional cardio. Any thoughts on that?
For a metabolic workout we’ll use movements that involve the same movements from your New Rules of Lifting:
- squats
- lunges
- upper body push and pull
- rotational motions
4) Can you hook my readers up with an exclusive Underground Bodyweight Bodybuilding workout?
After a thorough warm up involving soft tissue work, you are ready:
1) Run 400 meter AFAP
2A) Handstand Push Ups (or holds) 4 x submax reps (1 – 2 reps in tank, last set = max reps)
2B) Mixed Grip Pull Ups 4 x submax reps (1 – 2 reps in tank, last set = max reps)
3) Bulgarian Split Squats x 20 each leg, 15 each, 10 each (advanced lifters would perform all 3 sets back to back, no rest)
4A) Squat Jumps 3 x 10
4B) Single Leg Glute Bridges 3 x 10 ea. leg
5) Run 400 meter AFAP OR finish with ab circuit
The above workout is challenging and can be modified as necessary for your ability.
If you’re a beginner you can reduce sets, advanced can use a suspension trainer for hamstring curls instead of bridges. Advanced lift ers can also perform the pull ups with added weight.
The variations are endless and I’m a BIG believer in using bodyweight to pack on muscle, NOT just for circuits or conditioning. It’s common for me and my athletes to perform our pull ups with added weight, or squats and lunges using weight vests, etc.
Years ago, when I first began train Football players a light bulb went off. The majority of these guys were big AND strong. But they sucked at our warm up: squats, lunges, push ups, etc.
They could bench 315, squat 405 and trap DL 495….. easily. But their ability to maneuver their own body was horrible at best. They skipped the necessary commitment to bodyweight training and were injured on a regular basis.
I decided to FORCE these guys to spend their first 4 weeks without touching a barbell. It was all bodyweight with sleds, sledge hammers and medicine ball training mixed in.
It forced them to tighten up their nutrition and get rid of the fat that was doing NOTHING for them.
For our wrestlers and leaner athletes, we were able to take bodyweight training to a whole new level.
We used bodyweight training for speed and power, added resistance for strength and muscle building and perform density work with push + pull or upper + lower body exercises for strength & power endurance.
We know have athletes who weight over 200 lbs climbing ropes, performing handstand hold & push ups, able to jump, sprint and move like animals. I got rid of the excuses of “I’m too heavy” or “I’m too Big” and began focusing on the fact that we ALL need to be athletic and that means being committed and getting rid of excuses.
Once the mindset is taken care of the results are powerful. Most importantly, our athletes are MUCH healthier and better prepared to compete at a higher level rather than feeling beat up from an overabundance of heavy lifting.
If you’ve got more questions regarding Bodyweight Bodybuilding, drop a comment below.
Peace!
–Z–
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Filed under Articles, Q & A, Strength Building, Zach's Workouts, muscle building, old school strength by on Oct 30th, 2011. Comment. 
Comments on Bodyweight Bodybuilding QnA
I agree … i have found the main reason people aren’t gaining is because they just aren’t doing what they need to do. By that i mean they already know what needs to get done they just need someone to say “yes go do that”
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admin Reply:
November 1st, 2011 at 2:42 pm
@Fitness Body 4 Life: VERY true. After 23 years of training I still follow other programs to expose myself to an UNcomfortable program…. OR, I lock down a program and follow it.
After so many years training I get ADD. The commitment to train is EASY.
But, sticking to ONE program is tough as I LOVE change.
Taking my bodyweight workouts to a NEW level was a kick ass challenge and proved the best thing I’ve done in a LOOOONG freaking time!
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There is more than one way or method to achieve your goals, there are no secret formulas. The key is consistency and intensity. Without consistency and intensity even the best program in the world will fail to yield results. When people don’t see results they tend to blame the program as opposed to assessing their own effort.
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admin Reply:
November 2nd, 2011 at 11:36 pm
@Niko: that is some straight up TRUTH, my brutha!
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Richie Norgrove · University of Nevada, Reno
Heavy lifting is without a doubt great. But, it is also very important that athletes don’t become focused on this aspect and become less able to control their bodies in athletic situations. Body weight training is great as well and should be included in workouts. Plus, they are easy. Great article!
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Hi,
I have just bought the Bodyweight bodybuilding program and was wondering if the
Dip Bar Knee Raise in the introprogram is meant to be executed as one dip/one knee raise and the repeat for xx reps or is it meant to be only an abs exercise where I stay on straight arms and THEN perform xx reps of knee raises ?
Timmi
[Reply]
admin Reply:
November 3rd, 2011 at 10:53 pm
@Timmi Klügel: Timmi it’s JUST leg raises, but, to be performed while upright on a dip bar my brutha!!
[Reply]
Great Article!!!
I think its such a useful blog to body building. the body weight training is great as well and should be included in workouts.
Thank You…
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