The home gym is a popular setup that consists of pulleys, cables, bars, dumbbells, benches, barbells and weight plates. But when you have no weights to work with, you need to think outside the box. Body-weight exercises can help you build muscle without needing expensive equipment.
Push-ups
Push-ups are one of the most popular body-weight exercises. When it comes to a home workout to build muscle, they are a must. The good thing about them is there are multiple variations you can do to make sure you give your upper body a good workout. By using two chairs, side by side, you can do a circuit that will target every part of your chest, which is a major muscle group. Start out with your feet on the chair and hands on the floor; then do conventional push-ups with your hands and feet on the floor; then do push-ups with your hands on the chairs and feet on the floor; then finish back on the floor with your hands in a wide position. Perform 12 to 15 reps with no rest in between each exercise. After you have finished the round, wait for 60 seconds and repeat the whole circuit five or six times. This workout targets your chest, shoulders, triceps and abs.
Pull-ups
Pull-ups are another body weight exercise, and are more intense than push-ups. You can do these if you have an open beam in your basement or a pull-up bar attachment that fits inside a doorway. To use this to build muscle, do supersets with push-ups. For example, start out with one pull-up, then immediately jump down on the floor and do two push-ups. Then do two pull-ups and four push-ups. Keep following this progression until you get to five pull-ups and 10 push-ups. Take a 30-second rest and go back down the pyramid, starting with four pull-ups and eight push-ups. Work your way all the way down to one pull-up and two push-ups. Repeat the whole sequence two or three times. You can also alternate your grips from overhand to underhand. Underhand pull-ups are also known as chin-ups, and they help build your biceps.
Full Body Circuit
You can work your whole body with a circuit routine--no need for weights. Start out doing a set of decline push-ups, regular push-ups then incline push-ups with no rest in between. For the second phase, place the two chairs about the length of your legs apart and do triceps dips. To do these, hold onto the edge of one chair and place your heels up on the other one. Lower your butt towards the floor and push yourself back up until your arms are extended. For the next phase, do superman extensions. Lie on your stomach with your arms straight above you. Lift your arms and legs off the ground at the same time by contracting your back muscles. Lower yourself down and repeat. Immediately after doing your supermans, flip over onto your back and do "V" sit-ups. To do these, lift your arms and legs off the ground simultaneously and try to touch your hands to your toes. Lower yourself back down and repeat. Finish up with Russian squats. Stand with your feet in a side stance and extend your arms above your head like you are signaling a touchdown. Lower your body down by bending your knees and stop when your thighs are parallel to the ground. Do 15 to 20 reps of each exercise, take 30-second rests in between each and do five to six circuits.
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