Healthiest and/or Most Effective way to build muscle mass without equipment?
I have one dumbbell and plenty of space in my apartment to work with. I used to lift at the gym and never got much bigger, but it’s a bit much to afford right out of school and I’m still used to fitting this sort of thing into a “first real job” schedule.
Ideas for a good work out? I’m currently doing the 200 Squats and 100 Pushups programs (http://hundredpushups.com/) on off nights – squats, crunches while hanging from a bar, and calf raises holding a 35lb dumbell on the first night (all to the 200 Squats program specifics) and pullups, pushups, and chinups on the other night (to the 100 Pushups program specifics).
Something to supplement that with cardio would be good, but building leg muscle (I have REALLY skinny legs) is my biggest concern as I haven’t been able to bike as much as I used to.
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Sounds like you got a good plan going then. If bulking up your legs are a concern, add the single leg squats. To do this, stand on top of a bench or stable chair and lower one leg to floor. This is pretty difficult. Once you get it though, you’ll be amazed on how much stronger your legs get within the first couple weeks. You’ll also improve your balance.
Another good leg exercise is simple yet effective. Sit on a bench or chair and get up with just one leg and sit back down with that one leg still doing all the work. This counts as one rep. You can switch back and forth between legs or do a certain amount for each leg in order to get a type of burn you like.
Hope this helps. When I did not have equipment available on vacation, I would do these exercises for my legs. You can also try to get some resistance bands. They are fairly cheap and portable. The good thing about building muscle is that your muscles have no idea what they are lifting. All they feel is resistance
@mass_pike4 When you’re talking “a bench”, I think a workout bench. I’m pretty familiar with that height and equipment; anything you can think of in a common apartment that would be a good substitute?
Pull ups? Dips?
That gets your Tris and back. Get P90X, I hear good things.
ya i was refering to a workout bench. In a common apartment a simple kitchen chair would do the trick as well. Anything that you can balance on and get the same movement with is fine.
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