How to Increase Your Muscle Mass Without Expensive Equipment
Use Your Body and Environment to Build Strength
No Need for Weight Lifting Equipment to Build Strength
[I am not recommending the following video, just using it as an example. Also, this post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Affiliate, I may earn a commission if you purchase something after clicking a link. Thanks in advance.]
Double Team Agent Jack Quinn is forcibly retired to "the Colony" where he discovers that the evil Stavros has kidnapped his wife, Kathryn. Quinn, played by Van Damme, must plan an escape. The trouble is that he is weak and injured and has no gym to work out. So — he turns his apartment into the ultimate workout zone — at one point using his bathtub as his weight lifting equipment.
Here is a video clip:
While, we are not suggesting a workout to this caliber, the video demonstrates that we don't need equipment to get a weight resistance workout. In fact, we don't even need a bathtub.
God has given each one of us our own weight equipment. It sounds too simple to even consider, but our own body weight can be used for strength training.
While the last post in our Biblical Health Study talked about a 12 minute cardio workout that outperforms 5 hours of moderate exercise in the gym, today's exercise, The Body Pose, is a hybrid of High Intensity Interval Training and Calisthenics.
Calisthenics is a form of resistance training that uses the weight of our bodies to provide a muscle building workout. The Body Pose borrows this principle from calisthenics: use your own body weight.
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) incorporates short intense exercise spurts to achieve an optimal workout. Coupling HIIT with calisthenics provides an intense resistance interval regime that can be done anywhere, anytime.
Here are some of the benefits of The Body Pose.
No expensive equipment is needed
It saves time
Builds muscle mass
Increases the bodies ability to burn fat
I incorporate The Body Pose into four different exercises, which I will share below. You can be as creative as you desire to strengthen addition muscles in your body. I am merely sharing how I incorporate it. You could do the same — or you can expand..
Here are the four ways I incorporate The Body Pose into my routine:
Squats — with your legs about shoulder length apart, back straight, hands on hips —squat down and hold the pose for 30 seconds. Breathe slowly, with deep breaths. If you can't hold for 30 seconds work up to it. Rest until you are recovered. Repeat no more than 4 times. How far you squat is up to you. Start with a short squat and work up to a deeper one. Either position is fine. Or go deeper if you can. I demonstrate two possible positions. I prefer the less intense pose.[gallery type="slideshow" size="full" ids="4344,4345" orderby="rand"]
Push ups — find a wall, bed, floor, counter or other surface that you can hold a push-up pose on with ease. Let your body weight rest on your arms in a fairly comfortable position. Hold for 30 seconds. Work up to 30 seconds if necessary. Rest until you are recovered. Repeat no more than 4 times. I usually do this on my bathroom counter. Here I am demonstrating it with a padded cedar chest.
Leg ups — lie on the floor or a bed, with your arms by your side. Lift your legs up to a 30 degree angle. Hold the pose for 30 seconds, adjusting as needed. Rest until you are recovered. Repeat no more than 4 times. I like to do this on my bed where it is nice and comfortable. Here I am demonstrating it on a hardwood floor. You can see I put my hands under my bottom to assist. Do what you have to do — so long as you can feel it working.
Tip toes — raise up on your tip toes and hold the pose for 30 seconds. Rest until you are recovered. Repeat no more than 4 times.
Some principles to keep in mind if you wish to incorporate this simple technique into your fitness regime:
Warm up with the Blood Circulation exercises
Start with one rep each work out and build from there
Do no more than three or four reps at a time
Do no more than two to three times a week
Push yourself hard (but don't overwork)
Rest your body until you are fully recovered before attempting to repeat
If 30 seconds seems too long or too short -- adjust the time. You are looking to hold the pose until it feels like you can no longer hold it comfortably
These four Body Pose exercises are super simple to incorporate into anyone's exercise regime. And they work. If you have been wanting to get started with a simple resistance training regime this is a great place to begin.
God knows that we need exercise to function at our best. He cares about our health. When we apply His principles, He will heal our bodies so we can live life to its fullest.
Next: The Minimum Exercise Everyone Should Do
Return to: Biblical Health Study