For many people, weight lifting is not appropriate or available. Additionally, according to sports physician Dr. Gabe Mirkin, lifting weights can be very damaging to muscles. Mirkin reports that the muscle "burn" reported by weightlifters actually is a sign of considerable muscle trauma. You don't have to give up on strength training if you prefer not to lift weights, however. Consider instead a number of other exercises and techniques to get strong without lifting weights.
Step 1
Strengthen the abdominal muscles with an exercise ball or stability ball. Place your hands about shoulder width apart while lying prone on the floor and set your shins on top of the exercise ball. Hold yourself up with your arms at full extension. Keep your abdomen tight and breathe in. Then exhale as you pull your knees in toward your chest. Hold for a second and push your knees back out. Keep your back straight for this exercise. Repeat 10 times and work up to 20 times or more.
Step 2
Continue to strengthen your core muscles by lying flat on your back with your arms at your sides. Raise your legs so your knees are bent at a 90-degree angle. Roll your buttocks backward and up, holding your balance with your hands at your sides. Keep rolling until your knees almost touch your chest, hold for a second and return to starting position. Inhale while rolling your pelvis and exhale when lowering yourself. Repeat 10 times or more.
Step 3
Do handstand push-ups. Hold yourself upside down with your arms extended and your feet touching the wall for stability. Lower yourself, hold for a second and raise your body so that your arms are once again extended. These handstand push-ups will strengthen your shoulders and your triceps. Use a spotter to stand on your hands beside a wall if you have not done this exercise before, recommend trainers at Bodybuilding.com.
Step 4
Perform squats to strengthen your thighs, legs and buttocks. Cross your arms in front of you and squat as if you are getting ready to sit in a chair. Hold for a second and stand back up. Keep your back as straight as you can. Add intensity to the squat by raising yourself up with a jump rather than slowly rising. After you touch down following the jump, immediately return to the squat position.
Step 5
Do pull-ups to strengthen your back and arms. Place a pull-up bar in a doorway or use the pull-up bar at the gym. Grab the bar with your palms facing forward and pull yourself up with your head in front of the bar. Lower yourself and on the next pull move your head behind the bar. Alternate as many times as you can. Cross your ankles to avoid using your legs to help you pull.
Tips and Warnings
- After each exercise, flex the muscles you just worked and hold for 10 seconds. Trainers at Bodybuilding.com report that the isometric moves isolate the muscles and help you get a more chiseled look while building strength without using weights.
- Always warm up and cool down before and after any kind of strength training to avoid injury, report doctors at the American College of Sports Medicine. Do light cardio, such as jogging or rowing, to warm up the muscles and stretch the muscles after your workout.
Things You'll Need
- Exercise ball
- Pull-up bar
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