working out without weights

[impulse617]

ok guys, im a high school football player with a bench of only 135.

I want to increase my bench by 30-35 lbs before the season starts up next year and I have a big problem I DONT HAVE ACCESS TO WEIGHTS!!!!!!

the school weight room has been closed down and i cant get into my local YMCA where i used to workout so i cant use weights

is it possible to add 30-35 lbs on my bench without weights b4 september, if so can som1 give me a good workout program that doesnt involve weights

[Bignbuff]

Well how long is the gym closed for? Why can't you join another gym?

I'm sorry to say it, but without being able to do bench press, I highly doubt that you can improve it.

[scott_donald]

Originally posted by Bignbuff
Well how long is the gym closed for? Why can't you join another gym?

I'm sorry to say it, but without being able to do bench press, I highly doubt that you can improve it.

there must be some way you can get access.... try adn i am sure you will... its all about desire to lift....

[supergarr]

this is where you need to get creative. Get under your couch and start lifting one end of it. If its too heavy, go get a sturdy bag and put some canned food in it, and start doing pec flies with them.

I used to do curls with my kitchen table, on one end. It was effective! Especially when you put stuff on it for extra resistance. Get creative

[Overload]

That's a tough one. Do you have a little brother? You can bench him. Once you get stronger, go around the neighborhood looking for heavier people to bench

Seriously though, pushups, dips and chinups might help some.

[Babak]

pushups with a backpack on would be the easiest imo....do different width pushups too....close, medium, far etc

[impulse617]

well im 14 and im 2 young to join a gym so i have no access to weights

[kulex]

that's rough (damn regulations) 14 in body, 16-18 at heart...um you could try buying a set of weights? maybe out of the paper it might be cheap you know an old set cuz I know I didn't have any money at 14, plus if there's no room in the house you could just leave it outside since its cheap...but if you can't find a set then find a piece of wood and go buy some sugar or some flour, you know the 5 lb bags buy lots of them then put them on the board and tape them down and there's a bar...um use a few more and another board and build the base...and there you have it a sugar/flour and 2 boards and you have yourself a bench! go for it =) Just tell your mom to buy it for you, that your a growing boy and you need your sugar....well try anyway =)

[Tamacracker]

yeah only way to improve... progress, is weights. Beginner can start with own body weight with just pushups, pull ups, situps etc...

[impulse617]

Originally posted by kulex
that's rough (damn regulations) 14 in body, 16-18 at heart...um you could try buying a set of weights? maybe out of the paper it might be cheap you know an old set cuz I know I didn't have any money at 14, plus if there's no room in the house you could just leave it outside since its cheap...but if you can't find a set then find a piece of wood and go buy some sugar or some flour, you know the 5 lb bags buy lots of them then put them on the board and tape them down and there's a bar...um use a few more and another board and build the base...and there you have it a sugar/flour and 2 boards and you have yourself a bench! go for it =) Just tell your mom to buy it for you, that your a growing boy and you need your sugar....well try anyway =)

i should have thought of that b4 lol

[BullGod]

What....didnt ask Santa for a weight set???? Or where ya just bad this year??? And second what kulex said look in the clasifieds for a set...plenty of people have them sitting in there garages doing no one anygood....find another player to go in on one with you and you 2 can work out together...and if all else fails chunk of pipe and cinder blocks good luck

[ripped_holla]

What's the deal about not being able to use the Y?

[Overload]

Someone else was asking about working out without weights and I came across this info. Maybe it will help.

THE TECHNIQUES

100 Rep Sets

(1) The first technique is to just do the exercises in the traditional manner. I know you can do 60, 80 even 100 reps but that's the idea, grind out as many reps as you can and this will build up your endurance and give your muscles a change of pace. And while this most likely won't give you any extra size right away, when you go back to weight training with heavy weights and lower reps you may be surprised that you are now gaining faster then before. A few years ago some top bodybuilders were talking about a technique they called "100's", they reduced the weight and did literally 100 reps on all their exercises, they claimed it brought about certain physiological changes that made the muscles more responsive to later heavier training. It's worth a try, especially if you're going to be doing calisthenics anyway.

Flex Hard And Hold It

(2) Another way to get more results from these exercises is right after a set flex the muscles just worked really hard, flex as hard as you can and hold for at least a count of 10. Arnold talked extensively about "Posing as exercise" and the use of "Iso-Tension". (Iso means - Equal; the same, and Tension means - To tighten; stiffen; contract. So Iso-Tension is simply contacting the muscles and holding it in the same place - no movement.) He said that it really gives the body a more chiseled look, reaches areas that training misses and will make muscular contractions while training more intense, and more isolated. These are all good reasons to try this technique.

A better variation of this is to flex the muscles you are working first, get them good and tired and then do the exercise, thus Pre-Fatiguing them. For example, flex the chest or tricep muscles as hard as you can, then immediately do a set of push-ups. Feels different doesn't it? It's a lot harder and produces much better results.

Reduce Rest Time Between Sets

(3) Another technique is to reduce the rest time between exercises, let's say you start with 60 seconds, then after a while cut it down to 45 and then 30, then 15, etc. How about no rest between sets, a whole cycle of calisthenics all done nonstop. That makes it way more intense.

Also try it this way - do one set, let's say of chin-ups, go until the muscles are really tired or even to total failure, wait only a few seconds and then do another set. How many reps did you do on your second set? Only 4 or 5 I bet, that's about what you'd do if you were doing some heavy pull-downs. You should see some growth from this style. Make it even more intense by increasing the reps on the first set and by decreasing the rest time before the second set. This is using the Rest-Pause method without weights.

Make Your Own Weights

(4) Why not simply add some weight? Just because it's not metal disks doesn't matter since your body can't tell the difference. Put some heavy books on your back and do push-ups, or even your eight year old son, he likes to play horsy anyways. Get your wife or girlfriend (but not both at the same time, that could be trouble) to sit on your shoulders while you do squats. Do donkey calf raises... get creative, there's always a way to add some more resistance.

Be creative and add some resistance!

Use Only One Limb

(5) How about using only one limb at a time, like doing one legged squats, one arm chin-ups, one arm push-ups, etc. It takes some balance but it definitely makes it harder and puts on more muscle.

Use Slow Motion

(6) Slow-Motion training is becoming popular again, try taking a full 12 seconds for the positive phase and 6 seconds for the negative phase of each rep. Don't lock out in the top position and don't rest in the bottom position, change smoothly from the positive to the negative. This is using Slow Continous Tension, how many chin-up can you do this way? Not many I bet, it's intense.

Flex While Doing Your Reps

(7) This last technique is based on what I thought Dynamic-Tension was before I read the course, Dynamic means - Dealing with motion, and we know from before that Tension is simply contraction. Therefore true Dynamic-Tension would be flexing the muscles hard while also moving. Martial artists use a form of this to increase punching power.

Let's try to use this applied to our freehand workout, do your push-ups nice and slow while flexing hard your pectorals, shoulders, triceps, biceps and even your lats and forearms. When doing chin-ups flex hard your lats, shoulders, biceps, triceps and even chest and forearms. Do deep knee bends and flex hard your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, hips and even calves. Keep the tension hard and steady, it will take some practice to do it all together, but the incredible pump and muscle growth you will get from it will be well worth your while.

SOME SUGGESTED EXERCISES

Deep Knee Bends - Builds thighs, glutes, hips and great for lung power and endurance. With your feet about shoulder width apart, grab on to the edge of a sink (or something that will give you support) and while looking up slowly bend your knees and lower until your butt is just about touching the floor. Slowly standup again using only your legs to lift you, keep your heals on the floor and do as many as you can. For variation you can place your feet wider or closer together, or do them one leg at a time.

Calf Raises - Do them on steps, put your toes on the edge of a step and hold on to the hand rail for balance, lower your heals to get a good stretch, then raise up on your toes as high as you can, lower and repeat for as many as you can. For variation try them in the squatted down position, one leg of a time or donkey style.

Chin-ups or Pull-ups - For building back, shoulders, and biceps. Grab a bar with an under hand grip and hang down getting a good stretch in the lats, Pull up until your chest hits the bars, lower and repeat for as many. These can be easily be done in a park, school yard or on a doorway chinbar. Also try with an overhand grip, with one arm at a time, or even on monkey bars using a parallel grip (palms facing each other).

Push-ups - For building chest, shoulders and triceps. Lie face down on the floor hands about shoulder width apart keep your palms turned inward slightly, push-up until your arms are straight, lower and repeat for reps. To make it more difficult elevate your feet. Also, try different hand placements (closer together for triceps). They can also be done between chairs, this was the favorite exercise of Charles Atlas. Another variation is Dips between parallel bars.

Handstand Push-ups - Great for shoulders and arms. Get into a handstand next to a wall, put your toes against the wall for balance, lower yourself until the top of your head touches the ground, push back up and repeat for many reps. Try both close and wide hand Placements.

Crunches - For firming abdominals and reducing stomach. Lie on your back with your legs bent and your heals close to your butt, put your chin on your chest and your hands behind your head. Raise your head up crunching your abs hard (you should only go about 1/3 of the way as compared to traditional sit-ups) lower and repeat for lots of reps.

Hyper-Extensions - For strengthening your lower back. Place a chair near a bed, while lying face down with your hips on the chair and your lower legs shoved between the mattress and box spring, put your hands behind your head and bend forward at the waist as far as you can, raise back up until your back is straight and repeat for reps.

Grip Exercise - To build forearms and hand strength. Use a store bought pocket hand gripper, or a hard rubber ball that fits in your hand, squeeze as hard as you can, relax and repeat for many reps. Also try just the thumb and one finger at a time, exercise each finger this way.

[forklift]

there appears to be some controversy about the value of benchpressing for football. this article suggests overhead lifting is more applicable:

"It is a proven fact that the real benefits in weight training come from squatting and pulling movements. Pushing movements are important; however, pushing movements done in the vertical position far outweigh the benefits of pushing movements done in the horizontal position. Some coaches feel that a big BP equates to the football lineman having superior prowess on the line of scrimmage. Nonsense!

"Players in the trenches on the line of scrimmage must first start with a strong and stable three point stance. This must then transfer to a solid free-standing position as they face their opponents across from them on the field. And the only way that a big BP could equate directly to such a position’s strength is if there was a vertical and stationary pole or wall on the field so that the player could brace his back against it while pushing out away from his body. However, I have never seen such a luxury on any football field. The fact is, any player, whether they be a lineman or any position, better have a strong foundation of superior legs and back strength in a free standing position, otherwise he will be looking up to the sky most of the day. So, if you want to equate that foundation of strong legs and back, then squatting and power cleans would be the best barbell movements to train on, not the bench press."

http://www.protraineronline.com/past/oct03/starr.cfm