You don't need WEIGHTS to get muscular & fit?

[cruz555]

If you want to be fit and athletic, you don't need weights. Simple bodyweight routines would do.

If you want to be big, weights are a must.

 

[KaraBulut]

Your body is a weight can provide resistance during exercise. That is why exercises like chinups, pullups and situps work. That is also why yoga will tone muscles.

You don't need to work out with weights to tone and strengthen your muscles. You also don't need an expensive exercise program. Just join a yoga class.

John Peterson of transformetrics.com / bronzebowpublishing.com recommends using only your bodyweight, as he claims that overtime (years of using weights) weight lifters will eventually develop spinal and other joint problems. Any truth to that? His body is completely from doing only bodyweight exercises.

It's partly true. Excessive weight, poor form and overuse can cause injury.

The only thing different about using your body weight is that it limits the weight to a reasonable number that is proportionate to your body weight. You can still get overuse and hyperextension injuries- as you can with any exercise.

 

[versatastic]

does he mean weight lifters? powerlifters? Alot of people lift weights. I havent heard in the news about spinal problems.

It's not big news cuz it's pretty much expected after years of heavy lifting and/or repetitive movements. A lot of people go the chiropractors and physical therapists with back and joint problems from a lifetime of whatever physical stress their particular job put on them. As for heavy lifting, a lot of guys aren't really lifting their whole lives or they're not doing anything that require a lot of core or back strength so it's not really an issue. Also, a lot of gyms these days only have machines that isolate muscle groups and your back and core are pretty much free from any strain unless you're not using them properly. If you use free weights for more than just bench, then you're more likely to get problems later on even if you have a very solid core. It's very easy to overextend the back when doing overhead lifts and for leverage with other lifts because you have poor form and/or you're trying to put up more weight than you should. Even on machines, a lot of people arch and overextend their backs as they struggle with the weight they're using.

I used to partake in olympic weightlifting competitions and only used free weights for conditioning for other sports in my youth and it took a toll on my back, knees, and wrists. Almost all of the lifters from the newbs to the masters are clad with multiple braces, and we always wore belts. Nowadays, standing up for hours on end when I'm doing experiments doesn't help matters much. Sometimes I feel like an old man with every joint in my body creeking or in some sort of pain at one time or other. I think my right elbow and my left hip are the only joints that don't get episodes of some kind of soreness. I bought an expensive bed with pocketed coils and memory foam about 6 months ago, which helps a lot with my back pain.

 

[alley]

Just looking at male gymnasts can answer this question--but it takes a lot of dedication.

 

[relaxin13]

Herschel Walker, Male gymnasts... of course you can become muscular and fit without weights. The one thing you need, whether lifting weights or doing body weight exercises, is Dedication.

 

[3nipples]

Just looking at male gymnasts can answer this question--but it takes a lot of dedication.

Just looking at him doesn't tell me if he also uses weights as part of his training program.

Maybe if I [STRIKE]drool[/STRIKE] look at him longer

 

[versatastic]

As far as injuries go, gymnastics is far worse than heavy lifting. Classical training doesnt rely on any external weights to achieve strength, but the load and range of motion you put on every joint and muscle will seriously fuck you up for the rest of your life. Injuries are expected. It's not uncommon for kids as young as 4 or 5 just beginning training to go to chiropractors or physical therapists on a regular basis and also get cortizone shots in several places. Many kids' careers are over before they even have a chance to compete at the elite or collegiate level because of all the injuries they accumulate. If your body is lucky enough to have survived long enough, you probably can only compete in one or a few aparatus because injuries prevent you from doing all of them. There are very few gymnasts who are physically able to compete above the age of 22. Many leave gymnastics altogether because it's so hard on the body and move on to other sports like olympic lifting, diving, or horse jockeying if they still want to compete in something.

 

[Persian89]

Herschel Walker, Male gymnasts... of course you can become muscular and fit without weights. The one thing you need, whether lifting weights or doing body weight exercises, is Dedication.

Sorry but thats major BS.
You need weights.

 

[kramer362]

I think gymnasts might do some weight-lifting but it's mostly from YEARS of dedication and practice since they usually train from like the age of 6.

Personally I'm trying both. I just started lifting weights, but I previously trained myself to rise from a headstand to a handstand and hold it without the aid of a wall (took some time gaining that amount of balance) for instance, but I can only do it once or twice til my body quits. Maybe if I do this a lot I will develop some muscle, since I'm pretty damn skinny?