As I said in my last body weight exercise post, the recent push of emails for the Shape Shifter Workout Program has re-kindled my interest in body weight exercises.
On the one hand, I love body weight training because it just feels right. On the other, I do not think you can build as much mass with body weight training as you can with traditional weight training – but of course this is just my opinion.
I’ve done a quick lit review and was unable to find any direct comparisons between body weight exercises and weighted exercises, so we’re really left to ‘logic’ are way though this process.
So logically – I see no reason why a muscle would react differently to different sources of resistance.
Acceleration is Acceleration, Force is Force and Work is Work, these classic definitions don’t change just because we’ve changed the source of the resistance.
So based on this it seems fair to say that the only thing limiting the muscle building potential of body weight exercises is your creativity.
Yet, I remain skeptical.
I asked for their feedback on my blog and this is what people said about body weight training:
“Nothing beats body weight in terms of convenience/ cost/ time.”
“I worry about potential joint issues concerning lifting really heavy weight”
“You can’t use your body weight to build legs or hips equal to what you can get with weight training.”
“there is little knowledge of how to use body weight training for real muscle and strength gains.”
“I like to perform a mix of body weight training and weight lifting. I think there is a place for both in a well-rounded strength routine.”
“And since gymnasts have absolutely no need for any more leg size than necessary for jumping and landing, you can at least be pretty sure they don’t engage in the power lifts.”
These are all extremely valid points that made me question my beliefs, so I had to dig a little further.
I know from the size principle that ANYTHING can be used to stimulate muscle growth as long as the effort is sufficient.
The size principle states that motor units of our muscles are recruited in an orderly manner from the smaller (lower threshold) to the larger (higher threshold) motor units, and that the recruitment is dependent on the EFFORT of the activity.
Because greater motor unit activity produces a greater force output, it is mistakenly believed that a greater force (very heavy resistance) is required for maximal motor unit activation, but this is not the case. Effort, not Weight, determine how many motor units will be recruited.
I also know that much of the research used to ‘prove’ that heavy weight training is best is at the least misleading and at the worst, down right incorrect.
Regardless of the weight, ANY exercise that you can complete between 3 and 20 reps with a high amount of effort will recruit the motor units of your muscle, and stress them enough to cause the signals that start muscle growth. Regardless of speed of those repetitions, the rest period in between them etc.
So really, any exercise program that is challenging enough that you can only complete between 3 and 20 reps with good form, in a manner that you feel stresses the muscle that you want to encourage to
grow is an EFFECTIVE workout, regardless of weather or not you are using any external weight.
However, this does come with one caveat – the reason you have to stop must be fatigue of the muscle that you are trying to grow. If you have to stop because the exercise involved a great deal of balance or stability, or because support muscles fatigued first then this is NOT a stimulus for growth. So even though we’re talking body weight training it still has to be HIGHLY targeted (AKA specific).
Which brings me right back to the Shape Shifter Workout Program.
Based on my findings I have no choices but to rethink my previous concerns about body weight training – if the program is challenging enough you will grow.
And since the Shape Shifter Workout Program is heavily influenced by the principles of the Adonis and Venus Index (They even quote John Barban’s Golden Ratio), it becomes a program that I can stand behind as a method to redesign your body.
I still don’t think following the Shape Shifter Workout Program will get you on the cover of Muscle Insider anytime soon (it’s not going to make you look like a body builder), but it will do a lot to help you create a very appealing body.
I’m not saying the product is perfect, and they’re will probably be pieces here or there that go against what we know to be true, but in general it’s a well thought out approach to body weight training.
Both John and I have sent Adam chapters covering Hunger and Fasting, in a hopes of influencing the nutrition chapter enough that it meets your expectations.
So I won’t go so far as to say this is the Official Adonis / Venus Index body weight training program, but I will say that since neither John nor I have any intention of writing a body weight program in the near future, this is as good as it’s going to get for at least the next couple years.
Bottom line – after reviewing the available research I am much less skeptical about the muscle building abilities of body weight training, and can stand behind the Shape Shifter Workout Program based on it’s use of John Barban’s Golden Index as a guide to help shape your body.
You can check it out here ==> The Shape Shifter Workout
BP
Tags: body weight exercises, Body Weight Training
Having spent a good deal of time in he 2 ‘systems’ of training approach as separate entities, I found it more beneficial to merge , moreover essential to merge for overall development/ recovery.
I think the major difference between a calisthenics based approach to muscle building, vs. a dumbbell and barbell approach is the ease at scaling the resistance in the latter.
Especially for the upper body, calisthenics moves can be adjusted to increase frequency to very high levels (1-armed pullups) but the progressions have major hurdles in difficulty levels, balance, muscle recruitment and skills that may thwart a trainee without effective coaching.
Exercises like bench presses and rows can be scaled in discrete progressions and are thus far easier to program into some kind of linear progression system and thus, far simpler put a beginning trainee with limited experience with training of any kind.
To put it simpler, I can’t imagine that it would be possible to create an equivalent of Rippetoe’s Starting Strength for calisthenics because of the far higher skills hurdle to clear.
Brad,
In all honesty, I will be extremely surprised if there is a single exercise in the Shape Shifter Program that a person couldn’t build up far more in than 20 reps in. I of course haven’t seen the program, I’m just going off the preview video, so I admit I may be totally be wrong.
If I’m right, there is no way you could reach your maximum muscular potential on such a program. I still think it’s possible to reach your maximum (drug-free) muscular potential with bodyweight only though. As I’ve said in previous comments, I think this can only be done with gymnastics.
Of course, not all gymnasts are near their max muscle potential. It wouldn’t be of much benefit or even a detriment to their skills. However, in the case of ring specialists, large muscles are beneficial and many seem to be very near their max muscle potential. Check out guys like Chen Yibing, Brandon Wynn, and Yuri Chechi.
In regards to your point about balance/stability, I think once you get used to the balance required by gymnastics exercises (e.g. freestanding handstand pushups) it really doesn’t become an much of an issue and so you are stressing the target muscles sufficiently.
Thanks for all your thoughts, I really enjoyed them.
Here’s another question for you? Have you ever seen some reach their maximum muscular potential from doing little to no weight lifting?
No weight training, like at all (Ie no resistance of any kind)?
That would be interesting. I know that in trials guys on Testosterone and NO exercise ‘out gained’ guys not on testosterone but training.
So I would guess that it would be possible with pharmaceutical help?….possibly, maybe.
Sorry, by weight training I meant external resistance. In other words, have you ever seen any one who uses all or 95% bodyweight training only get close to their maximum muscular potential? I’ve never heard of it, except for gymnasts.
A really, really interesting series of posts but I think we’re all guilty of splitting hairs and letting our inner fitness geeks out at times. Bodyweight training is just one of many forms of resistance training and if you apply sensible training plans and put in the required effort and rest etc it can get the job done (just as barbells, dumbells, machines, kettlebells, resistance bands, sandbags, club bells etc etc can). It has its advantages and disadvantages (as all the other forms of resistance do).
Working on what motivates you most (one form of resistance exclusively, cycling through some or a mixture of all) within a sensible training plan would seem the way forward to me. All this stuff can work if you apply the right principles and there are walking examples of that across the planet.
I do a circuit that combines heavy free wieights with bodyweight exercises and i feel my body burning up inside foe 24 hours after!!!! its the bomb
Hi,
I am a 22 year old, 5′ 8 1/2 ” man. My weight is currently 169 pounds. I follow your program and do two 24 hour fasts per week. Is this methodology effective for building muscle? My goal is to GAIN weight and a few weeks ago I was 170 pounds. Is the EatStopEat program effective for persons trying to GAIN weight (lean muscle ma…ss), or is it just effective for losing body fat. Would it be ok if I fast one day per week instead of two, so that I can get the benefits of increased GH on the fast day, while not losing weight due to fasting for two days per week? or is this not a concern when it comes to gaining weight? I weight train/ lift weights. I directly stimulate each muscle group once per week to concentric muscle failure.
Thanks
Andre – The main goal of Eat Stop Eat is reduction of body fat and maintenance of an ideal weight.
Brad,
I think it depends on the people you are trying to help. From what I’ve seen from the ShapeShifter program it is mainly targeted at skinny-fat or those not currently exercising. For that audience bodyweight training has a ton to offer; easy cost to start, met-con training, and variety to name a few.
But for a more trained individual the program wouldn’t offer as much. Like other commenters have said it is easy to get to the point where you can do more than 20 reps of “most” bodyweight movements. Then without some way to scale (different position, added weight, etc) it becomes difficult to tax the muscles enough to stimulate growth.
Glad to hear you sent some information to them on intermittent fasting. It would be a perfect addition to the program to help people see fast transformations.
-Troy
The best book I’ve come across on the subject of body weight training featuring progressions that work is Convict Conditioning by Paul Wade. It compares and contrasts bodyweight vs weight leading to really interesting insights. I mean just listen to what SOUNDS better “bodyweight” or just “weights”. Consequently, it always depends on your goals. Are you a football player who needs explosive power? Use external weights since you will be moving lots of external objects, albeit people. Are you a baseball or soccer player who operates in more of a personal plane? If you only use your body why lift [excessive]weights? The nice thing is that bodyweight exercises are never as much as a detriment to ones health, as they are more natural. Weight training will never get you to the point of doing one arm pushups or one arm legged squats. This book will. It’s expensive at $40, but it is not gimmicky in the slightest. I consider myself a well-versed amateur and highly recommend this. http://www.dragondoor.com/shop-by-department/books/b41/
Oh, and I’m current on day 3 of my first true fasting session. I feel GREAT and have even been exercising moderately. I’m going off Paul Braggs book right now. I know, I know, way too old school! I’d love to check our yours though!
The ShapeShifter workout looks like a good routine, but it doesn’t seem to add anything to the source from which it was spawned, namely, Scott Sonnen’s Tacfit. I can’t see any reason why I would choose this program over Tacfit. The creators of it are Sonnen devotees and seem to be just repackaging his stuff without any significant creative input.
Well I jumped in and decided to purchase it, however I have just sent it back for a refund because I got tired of them trying to push me Prograde. I really don’t care for that kind of thing.
Did not know there was a supplement push. My apologies.
That’s ok Brad
It was interesting to go through, however apart from the Eat Stop Eat section the nutrition plan was all too complex for my liking. I will keep looking for my ideal workout plan – needs to be pretty quick to fit in with my schedule, have you had any experience with Fat Loss To Go?
Thanks, Elle