Body weight exercises for ectomorphs

[animal-mother]

I have been on a body weight only workout schedule for about two weeks now (situps/pullups (around 120)/pushups (around 550)).

I have found that this workout has been more effective for improving my physique than traditional body building techniques, and my body type is ectomorphic (I am around 6'4 205). With traditional lifting it was harder to gain mass (but the strength increases did come).

Is there any science backing this up, or does anyone have any experience with this.

[Husker_Fan]

Bodyweight exercises are better than lifting weights? News to me....

[ak360]

I'm about the same as u im 6'4 200 lbs but i was 173 lbs 3 months ago

all i have to say is: keep lifting and keep eating, u WILL gain mass

reduce ur cardio and get from 4000 to 5000 calories per day, u should see a HUGE difference

[Edudbor]

All the science I've heard goes against what you are saying.

Doing hundreds of pushups will increase your muscular endurance, it won't induce hyptertrophy - from what I've heard.

Without a doubt, regardless of your training program - your diet will dictate weight gain or weight loss.

[animal-mother]

Originally Posted by Edudbor

All the science I've heard goes against what you are saying.

Doing hundreds of pushups will increase your muscular endurance, it won't induce hyptertrophy - from what I've heard.

Without a doubt, regardless of your training program - your diet will dictate weight gain or weight loss.

Thats what I thought too, but I'm into this program and the gains I am seeing are exponentially better (with the same diet).

What I want to do is continue this program for approximately 1 1/2 more months, then hit the weight room and see what my lifts are.

If they have increased more than they were before I got on this program, I would summise that I was doing something wrong within my lifting program.

[Edudbor]

Originally Posted by animal-mother

Thats what I thought too, but I'm into this program and the gains I am seeing are exponentially better (with the same diet).

What I want to do is continue this program for approximately 1 1/2 more months, then hit the weight room and see what my lifts are.

If they have increased more than they were before I got on this program, I would summise that I was doing something wrong within my lifting program.

That sounds reasonable - I mean, hey if you are seeing results - who cares? I'd say stick with it until you plateu or hit your goal

[Family_Guy]

Originally Posted by animal-mother

I have been on a body weight only workout schedule for about two weeks now (situps/pullups (around 120)/pushups (around 550)).

I have found that this workout has been more effective for improving my physique than traditional body building techniques, and my body type is ectomorphic (I am around 6'4 205). With traditional lifting it was harder to gain mass (but the strength increases did come).

Is there any science backing this up, or does anyone have any experience with this.

What exactly is the breakdown of your pushups? If you are doing them with short rest breaks in between, I doubt you could do 550 in one workout. Or is that how many you have done the last two weeks?

[animal-mother]

Originally Posted by Family_Guy

What exactly is the breakdown of your pushups? If you are doing them with short rest breaks in between, I doubt you could do 550 in one workout. Or is that how many you have done the last two weeks?

I usually do 150-200 in the morning, sets of 45-50.

In the evening I'll do the same thing in the morning, but I usually have to drop the amount per sets.

For the last 100 or so I like to work on perfect form, going down and holding my chest just above the ground for a 5 count, then going up slowly. Or I'll mix it up, and do wide base pushups to focus on the chest, or close base pushups to work the arms.

This usually gets my chest and triceps pretty pumped, but pullups (grip facing towards) really gets me pumped.

On the pullups I'll do a set of 8-10 as many times as I can, and in between I do a set of 20 hammer curls with a 20 pound weight.

By the end of my workout I have to swing my arms up to the pullup bar because I can't reach up... lol.

[animal-mother]

Also, a good benefit that I've noticed is that I'm pumped for a good portion of the day because I'll try and mix in a set of 30 here and there.