bodyweight strength training

Hi guys

im travelling around the world soon for 12 months. This will often mean there won't be a gym nearby. Can anyone recommend a solid bodyweight circuit that hits all the muscle groups and suggest ways to progress. The goal is too keep in shape and gain muscle.

I understand that barbell training is the most effective way to gain muscle, ive done sl and 531 before with good results, but a gyms won't always be available and I want a routine I can do everyday, anywhere. Any helps appreciated. I did post on the bw thread with no avail.

Thanks

 

Try reading some of the almost 800 posts in the BW thread. Heck, evening scrolling the last page of it will show up multiple videos of all kinds of exercises..

 

If you want to gain muscle you should probably be doing BW strength training, with the same principals as barbell training, rather than a 'circuit'. Find body-weight exercises that you can only do for 7-8 reps and do 3-4 sets of 5 with a 2-3 minute break.

For example;
5 x 5 archer pushups, 2 minute rests If that's too esy do one arm push ups of something sturdy and elevated.

Archer pull ups, same as above

Lower body is a lot harder because balance and flexibility are often the limiting factor rather than strength. See if you can do a pistol squat while holding on to something, if you can do them following the same template as above.
Add in some planks,levers, legs raises ext and you have a decent BW workout.

Check out the body weight training thread for more exercise ideas.

 

That was very helpful. Thanks

 

Checkout some of Ross Enamait's stuff

 

^^^^^^^that^^^^^^^

and take some running shoes and a jumprope.

 

I hear a lot of good things about Convict Conditioning, but I've never tried it out for myself.

 

a friend of mine just started gymnastic bodies off of their website.

 

Convict Conditioning, both parts 1 and 2, are exactly what the TS requested. They're scaleable with 10 variations for each exercise leading up to the most difficult variation.

To be honest, just like with most bodyweight exercises, the main variable is balance because you quickly get used to the two-arm/leg varieties (pushups/squats) and can soon do dozens or hundreds of reps. And the biggest challenge will be to the upper body, one-legged squats are about as challenging as you can get for the lower body without external resistance.

The only true "strength" bodyweight exercises are the gymnastic variations, there are no lower body variations that any healthy adult male would get "strong" by doing. Better conditioned? Yes. Strong? No.