1. No Gym, No Problem
We all know that the only way to build huge muscles is to lift weights, right? Well, not necessarily. While working out with weights will get you muscles faster, it's possible to build and tone your muscles by using only your body weight for resistance. These are called calisthentics. Pull-ups, push-ups, chin-ups, dips, crunches, sit-ups, deep knee bends (or squats) and calf raises are all exercises you can do by simply using your body weight. You can do a certain number of sets and repetitions each set to create a workout that really stimulates those muscle fibers.
2. Using Your Body Weight to Your Advantage
Working out without weights has its advantages. You can do it in your own home without spending a lot to go to a gym. You won't have to clutter a room of your home with expensive and bulky weight equipment. Building muscles without weights can be easier on the joints and also develop more flexibility. For some, working out without weights can also be more fun; lifting weights is a very restricted form, while calisthenics allow you to move and twist your body into different positions.
3. You Can Only Do So Many Pull-Ups
Unfortunately, building muscles without weights certainly has a few disadvantages as well. If you're looking to build huge muscles quickly, you won't do it by doing push-ups. You can get muscular and toned but not to the extent that you would using weights. One of the biggest downfalls of using only your body weight is that you cannot progress the way you do with weights. Your body weight remains constant, and you can only add repetitions to whatever movement you are doing. In short, it's much easier to plateau when you work out without weights.
4. On Your Mark, Get Set, Flex
Remember those old comics when the skinny guy at the beach gets sand kicked in his face, goes home and starts the Charles Atlas workout, goes back to the beach a few weeks later, no longer a weakling, and punches out the bully? Originating back in 1929, the Charles Atlas program used dynamic tension to build muscles. While this was basically a body weight exercise program, one thing it promoted was flexing and tension, something Arnold Schwarzenegger stressed, called "Iso-Tension." After each exercise, flex your muscles and hold them as long as possible in that pose. This really pumps the blood into the muscles and helps them grow.
5. A Tougher Workout Without Weights
So, how can you increase the difficulty of a workout without weights? Really challenge those muscles? Try doing one-armed push-ups or one-legged squats. Reduce the speed of the exercises (going slower will put more tension on the muscles). Cut back on your rest time between exercises. And try flexing while you're doing an exercise, not just in between as you would using Iso-Tension. Or simply pump out as many reps as you can, targeting 100, to build endurance as well as muscle.
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