Normally, when we hear the expression “muscle growth”, the first thing that comes to mind is a gym full of weights and machines. But is it possible to gain muscle mass with full body weight training?
HOW MUSCLE MASS GROWTH
If you want to understand how muscle growth works, the muscular system is a good place to start. Each muscle in the body is made up of many fibers, like ropes made of different materials. When these ropes work together as a team, your strength increases without causing visible physical changes. In other words, the coordination between the fibers improves with the repetition of exercises. This takes between 6 and 8 weeks. If you continue to train, the muscle cells will increase in size (hypertrophy) and the muscle fibers will become thicker and stronger. This is when you will start to see changes.
During strength training, the body thinks, “This workout was hard, I have to find a way to make it easier next time.” The body then repairs mini-injuries caused by training while adding more tissue for the next session. These small injuries are micro tears in the muscle fibers caused by intense exercise.
If you increase your training performance and continue to give more of yourself, the body will have to continue to adapt to new stimuli. We could say that the muscles grow right after training to be safe and ready for the next time. Muscle growth begins during the recovery period, when the body repairs “injured” fibers. Another important thing to know is that the number of muscle fibers in the body is determined at birth. So training does not increase the number of fibers, but rather their thickness and shape.
MUSCLE GROWTH NEEDS YOUR TIME
The training should stimulate the muscles, but not all training will help you increase muscle mass. Only after weeks and months of regular training will you start to see the muscles grow.
If you want to get the most out of your strength training, you have to follow a few principles. The only way to put stress on the muscles is through regular and varied training. Muscles disappear as quickly as they appear if you don’t keep stimulating them. Finding a routine you like makes it easier for you to stick to it. After a certain period of time, the muscles will get used to this stimulus. If you keep doing the same training, you will end up stagnating and you will not progress anymore. That is why it is important to increase the intensity of the training. But don’t forget to schedule recovery days. Taking rest days without training is vitally important, as this is when the muscles recover and grow.
Remember that not only muscles change. The tendons, ligaments and bones also have to adapt to the new physical demands.
FULL BODY TRAINING: CAN YOU INCREASE MUSCLE MASS WITHOUT EQUIPMENT?
Of course! You don’t have to use weights or resistance machines to gain muscle. It all depends on your goal:
Training without equipment is ideal for beginners who want to start gaining muscle mass. Using your own body weight as a resistance element is a challenge for your muscles. In turn, this causes them to grow stronger and gain mass. There are tons of exercises and workouts you can do using your own weight. As we have already mentioned, the important thing is that the workouts increase in level so that they remain a challenge for the body and give the body time to recover.
Important: Beginners should first consult a physical therapist or fitness expert on how to do the exercises properly. It is very important that the exercises are performed correctly in order to gain muscle mass and avoid injuries.
Do you do sports regularly, and are you already a professional in the world of fitness? If advanced level workouts and bodybuilding are your thing, you’ll need weights to maximize muscle mass growth. In some cases, bodyweight training can lead to a plateau in performance. Extra weight training helps in evaluating your progress, and you can increase the weight in the sessions according to your progress. Training with weights makes the results visible faster.
Another option to add more variety to your training without equipment: you can increase the intensity by using a resistance band.
You can also take a look at this article for more tips on how to build muscle mass efficiently.
POSITIVE EFFECTS OF STRONG MUSCLES
Training with your own body weight doesn’t just improve your appearance. It also has other positive effects like stronger skin, better posture, and reduced stress. Strong muscles help stabilize joints and give more support to tendons and ligaments.
Do you also want to burn fat? Great, so your new muscles will help you burn more fat at rest, because they need more energy than fat. People who do full-body workouts on a regular basis also benefit from the afterburn effect. This effect is the fact that the body continues to burn calories after exercising because the metabolism is still elevated. Exercise also has a positive influence on mental health, and strong muscles also contribute to better self-esteem.
There is no doubt that you can gain muscle without equipment. Bodyweight training challenges your body, improves your endurance, and can be done anywhere, anytime, without the need for additional weights or equipment. You just need a little more patience, but you will see that the results are already on their way. Do not give up and go beyond your limits!