Some people are simply too busy to fit in a drive to the gym and a weightlifting or exercise workout. Other people simply cannot afford the cost of a gym membership or the expense of exercise equipment. There is hope though – and this is where the idea of a workout without weights can really prove to be helpful. With a little creativity and some modification of everyday activities, even the busiest person can find the time for an effective workout.

Life Without The Gym

Believe it or not, there actually was a period of time in human history when gyms did not exist. Yes, it’s true. What in the world did people do to get their daily exercise before there was Gold’s or Bally’s or Bowflex? People found a way. Whether it meant lifting heavy rocks and objects, climbing mountains, or running marathons, people found a way to exercise. In ancient Egypt, people lifted bags of sand to keep in shape, while the Greeks lifted (and threw) heavy rocks and objects as part of training and exercise regimens.

What’s the bottom line? You don’t need weights or fancy equipment to get an effective, whole-body workout.

Ways To Workout Without Weights

If you’re looking to workout without weights, there are many options for you to explore which will ensure you of an excellent workout.

* Walking – A person does not need any special equipment to walk around the block. If you’re looking to add a little resistance, then all you have to do is find a set of stairs. Stair climbing is an extremely effective way of working out the quads, calves, glutes, and hamstrings. Every office building has a set of stairs somewhere – so why not spend you’re break time climbing a few stairs instead of sitting at a desk.
* Knee Bends (Squats) – Viewed as essentially a squat without weights, the goal here is to develop the muscles of the thighs and glutes. This exercise can be done by grabbing on to anything that will provide stability and support (a table, a sink, or a desk). With the feet set apart about shoulder width, with a firm grasp of the supporting object, and with the feet flat on the ground, the individual simply lowers him or her self until the butt is as close to the ground as possible.
* Calf Raises – This exercise can be done by simply locating a raised area such as a stair or step. If neither one is available, find an object such as a book which will allow you to raise yourself off the ground. With the toes on the edge of the object (stair, step, or book), lower the heels of your feet, then lift yourself up on your toes to complete one repetition.
* Pull Ups – This one presents a little bit more of a problem, since it does require the use of a pull up bar or some object that you can pull yourself up on (i.e. a jungle gym at a school or park, or even the section of a doorway that sticks out). Upon finding the right spot, grip the bar or doorway using an underhand grip and allow your body to hang down. Slowly pull yourself up until your chest reaches the level of the bar.
* Push Ups – The original and still the best, push ups represent the best way to workout without weights. Not only do they train the arms and chest, but they also provide a decent workout for the abs, shoulders, and legs. Simply place the hands about shoulder width apart, stretch the legs and feet out, and keep your back straight. Bend at the elbows to lower your body, then push down on the ground to lift it back up.
* Crunches – Nothing works the abs like a few sets of crunches. They don’t require special equipment or weights, and can be done anywhere where there is room. Lie on your back with your legs bent. Lift the shoulders off of the ground and crunch the abdominals. Only lift the body up until the shoulders are off of the ground – any higher and you run the risk of injuring your back.
* Dips – Perfect for working out the triceps and the shoulders, all you need to do a set of dips is a chair, desk, or any other object that will allow you to lift and lower yourself. Sit on the edge of a chair with your hands under your butt. Carefully slide your butt off of the chair while holding on to the chair firmly with your hands. Extend your feet away from the chair. Slowly lower your butt from its position on the chair, then lift yourself back up until your butt is once again even with the chair.

The living room, the back yard, or a pretty spot on my favorite trail run are all great places to get in strength workouts without weights. With just a little knowledge and some creativity, almost any setting can become a workout space.

For the lower body, squats and lunges are classic, comprehensive exercises that can be modified to challenge any fitness level. Indoors, or in a static outdoor workout, try alternating sets of these with an upper body or core exercise. Outside, a tree can support back support during an isometric squat (just hold it as long as you can). When you’re out on a walk, run, or bike rid, take a quick “strength break” and do an endurance set of squats or lunges (go until your legs force you to stop!).

For the core and upper body, the push up is king among non-weighted exercises. By varying the position of your hands on the ground, or raising or lowering one end of your body (us a stair, tree stump, rock, couch

For a strong, explosive jump, athletes need to develop both strength and power in their lower limb muscles. Weight lifting for basketball should be targeted at improving these two components of fitness. Strength should be developed first to increase the amount of force which can be generated by muscle contraction. An athlete needs to have sufficient strength before he or she can be considered physically ready to develop the other aspects of fitness.

Muscular hypertrophy and maximal strength improvement are the primary goals in weight lifting for basketball vertical jumps, so weight exercises should use high to medium intensity weights at lower reps. To increase muscle fibre size and count, although weight is generally considered to be the critical factor, both weight and volume overload are required. Bodily secretion of anabolic hormones is at its highest level after moderate repetition weight training. Therefore, to promote muscular hypertrophy, weight lifting for basketball should begin with weight load between 70-85% of max, with 8-10 reps recommended, and 2-3 minutes of rest between each set.

Once more muscle tissue has been developed, the training program can be changed to target maximum strength development. The hypertrophy stage in weight lifting for basketball necessarily precedes the max strength phase, since muscle tissue must be increased before its contraction force can be developed. To increase the maximal strength of a muscle, a high load, low rep approach should be taken. A typical weight load will be at approximately 80-95% of the athlete maximum. The number of reps should be very low, ranging from 1-4 reps per set, and 4-8 sets per exercise.

With powerful lower body strength developed, the athlete is ready to improve the power generated by these muscles, by training to increase the speed of muscle contraction. Power is a rate of force over time. The first two stages of training were focused on increasing the amount of force generated; this third stage is dedicated to decreasing the time over which this force is created. Plyometric exercises are ideal for improving power in weight lifting for basketball, both because they involve fast-accelerating, high power movements, and also because the movements in the exercises themselves are very close to the movement pattern of a basketball jump, creating the advantage of training specificity.

Sport specific training uses motions which are similar to the athlete’s sport, so that the skills learned in training will be transferable to a game situation. The body adapts to the stimulus it is exposed to; therefore, if the training stimulus mirrors the sport requirements, the athlete’s body will already be more used to the movements and skills demanded of it. The higher the athlete’s playing level and fitness base, then the greater the specificity of training.

Plyometrics are exercises which condition the muscle to create the greatest amount of force in as short a time as possible, and also to slow this force at the end of the motion in a controlled manner, in order to prevent injury to the muscle. The jump squat is a highly effective plyometric exercise which is also very transferable to a basketball vertical jump. The eccentric, or lowering phase, is performed exactly like in a regular squat. However, the concentric, or muscle lengthening phase, is performed at a high velocity, with the legs straightening quickly and pushing off the ground into a jump. This increases the power generated during the concentric phase, so that the muscle is exposed to overload and in time adapts to creating high power movements. Jump squats can be overloaded by having the athlete hold onto a weight. Medicine balls are good choices for weights because their shape is similar to that of a basketball, so that the athlete becomes used to the body positions while training. Later on, the plyometric training can be made even more specific by having the athlete throw the medicine ball in the air or to a partner, which will simulate the whole-body movements used in basketball, since body parts are rarely used in isolation in sports. This training progression will also develop power in the arms and legs simultaneously, creating a more efficient workout.

Any serious basketball player looking to gain an advantage on the court should consider beginning a weight lifting program to supplement their skill training and improve overall athleticism. By improving strength, speed and power in the lower limbs, weight lifting for basketball can have a dramatic improvement on the height of an athlete’s vertical jump, and improve the athlete’s game overall.

Core, lower body, and upper body strength are all vital components of a wrestler’s training routine. Combining standard exercises like balance ball crunches, squats, or lunges with weight and endurance components can build the lasting strength a wrestler needs to not only survive a match; but to come out on top. Adding some isometric exercises, like planks (for core endurance) with the occasional plyometric push ups and lower body exercises will result in a solid strength with the capacity for quick bursts of speed.

Drawing from some other exercise methods, such as yoga or pilates can help a wrestler build and execute strength and endurance in a variety of positions (rather than simply standing or sitting). These methods have the added benefit of increasing the flexibility necessary for a wrestler to perform successfully in matches.

Low repetition, higher weighted sets in the gym will increase overall strength and muscle mass. A wrestling strength training workout that has the athlete maxing out after 4-6 repetitions of each exercise is effective if the goal is to bulk up in order to compete in a higher weight class.

When weight maintenance, rather than increase, is the goal, a wrestling strength training routine should include exercises performed at higher number of repetitions (usually 8-10); with appropriate weights. As always, the final repetition in a set should be at or just prior to failure.

Cardiovascular exercise is also an important part of a wrestler’s training routine. Running, cycling, or any other regular cardio workout improves heart and lung function and capacity. This internal endurance is as important as outer, physical strength to a strong performance on the mats.

An effective wrestling strength training routine should combine speed, endurance, and full body strength with positional variation and flexibility training that simulate real-match situations. A successful wrestler will train to improve all of these aspects equally, and be able to combine them as necessary to dominate any match situation.

Using your own body weight as resistance, you can work all of the major muscle groups that you would target with free weights or machines in the gym. A good workout without weights does not have to be complicated. Simple exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and lunges can provide a great full body strength workout with little or no equipment. The key, as with all resistance training workouts, is to work to fatigue during every set.

Try this workout without weights inside or out. Try sets of 10-12 for each exercise, and follow the modifications as needed.

Upper Body Workout Without Weights

Push Ups
Start in a normal push up position: hands shoulder width apart, legs extended and feet together. Keep your abs pulled in and try to keep your back in a neutral (flat) position. If this is too challenging, try widening your feet or put your knees instead of feet on the ground.

For more of a challenge try elevating your feet a bit. Give your pecs, deltoids, and triceps a slightly different workout by changing your hand position. Try a wider or narrower stance, or stagger your hands: one slightly forward of your shoulders and one a bit behind.

Pull Ups
Pull up bars are fairly easy to find in sporting goods stores, not too costly, and most are simple to install or assemble. If your upper body strength is sufficient, start with sets of regular pull ups: hands about shoulder width apart. If this is too difficult, try a flexed arm hang. Use a stool if needed to get into the top of the pull up position, and hold yourself up for 10-20 seconds (or as long as possible) before releasing. To work the lats and other large back muscles, try a wider grip. Keep your body straight by holding your abs tight for the duration of the set.

Triceps Dips
Begin by sitting at the edge of a chair, stool, or other raised structure with a distinct edge. Bend your knees and plant both feet, together, firmly on the ground. Put your hands on the edge of the chair and scoot your hips forward, holding yourself up with your arms. Lower your body by flexing at the elbows, then push yourself back up. Flex at the hips and try not to move your shoulders. Keeping your feet closer to the chair and your body will make the exercise easier, while farther extending your legs will make it more of a challenge.

Lower Body Workout Without Weights

Lunges
This classic lower body exercise is great for the calves, quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluts. Lunges can be performed in single side sets, or by alternating the forward leg. You can step forward for each lunge, or keep a wide legged stance throughout the set. Good form requires that you keep your front knee over or slightly behind your front foot, to prevent overloading the knee.

Squats
As with the lunge, good squat form requires that you keep your knees over your ankles and do not push them forward as you move your upper body down and back up. Flex at the hips and knees to push your hips back and down. For a standard squat, your weight should be distributed evenly between your feet. As you sink lower into the squat, your weight may shift farther back into your heels. For a different challenge, try lowering your body straight down and focu your weight on one leg as you push back up.

When using your body weight as resistance, it is just as important to maintain good form as when you are using free weights or strength training machines. A workout without weights has the added benefit of providing a great full body workout in almost any location. So the next time you’re not in the mood for the gym, don’t just skip your workout. Try a workout without weights and let your body really challenge itself.

Williams back exercises-namely a set referred to as the “first aid exercises”- were used for decades to help people manage lower back pain. Portions of Williams’ principles of flexion-especially the use of abdominal strengthening to reduce stress on the low back- are used in a more preventative capacity today, though his work is no longer the absolute authority in lower back pain.

The main Williams back exercises (the “first aid exercises” mentioned above) are movements designed to decrease curvature of the lower spine through a combination of stretch and strengthening. These exercises include those listed here.

Williams Back Exercises for Relief/ Treatment of Lower Back Pain
1. Pelvic tilt: a small movement, performed while lying in a supine position with knees bent and feet planted on the ground. Trying not to push down through the feet, flatten the small of your back to the ground by pulling the lower abdominals in. (Think of pulling your naval down toward your spine.) Hold for 5-10 seconds, release, and repeat.
2. Single knee to chest: a good lower back stretch. From the starting position described above, bend one knee and use your arms to pull that knee in, toward your chest. Hold 5-10 seconds and repeat with the other leg.
3. Double knee to chest: like single knee to chest, but after you draw one knee up, follow with the other. Hold both knees for 5-10 seconds; then lower one leg at a time.
4. Partial sit-up: similar to what we would call an abdominal crunch. Begin with the pelvic tilt, and curl your head, shoulders, and torso up from the ground. Hold for a moment with the lower back flattened against the floor, and upper body slightly lifted. Release and curl back down. Release the pelvic tilt.
5. Hamstring stretch: accomplished from a seated position. Begin sitting up tall, with legs together and extended out in front of you. Flexing at the hips, lean forward until you feel a good stretch in the hamstrings (back of the upper leg).
6. Hip flexor stretch: sometimes referred to as a lunge. The position for this stretch involves one leg fully extended behind you, and the other bent in front (similar to the bottom of a lunge exercise). From here, tilt the pelvis forward to stretch the hip flexor muscles. Repeat on each side.
7. Squats: similar to the basic strength training movement. In the context of the Williams back exercises, the squat refers to lowering the upper body by flexing the knees. Dr. Williams advocated a series of small “bounces” to be performed at the lowest position of the exercise, before returning to a standing position.
8. Seated flexion: a stretch achieved by slumping all the way forward, in a chair, from a starting seated position. This exercise is used to strengthen the gluteal muscles.

As you can see from this brief review of Williams back exercises, Dr. Williams was a firm believer in using spinal flexion and various stretches as means of relieving lower back pain. In recent decades, as the issue of preventing and relieving low back pain has gained greater attention, the formerly dominant Williams back exercises have had to make way for a myriad of new exercises and methods. However, the comprehensive strength/ stretch nature of Dr. Williams’ program is certainly a model to keep in mind today for anyone combating lower back pain with core strengthening, stabilization, and stretch exercises.

There are some tunes I hear, and just instantly know they will make great workout songs. Anything that makes me want to dance in the car or while strolling through the grocery store is a safe bet for getting my blood pumping during a cardio workout. Of course personal taste has as much as anything to do with selecting good workout songs, but here are a few tips to help you create a solid workout mix that will make you look forward to your next trip to the gym.

There is a time and place for a slow song, but it is not in your workout mix. A good workout soundtrack should function as an accessory to enhance your workout, but should never be a hindrance. Whatever your musical preference, try to keep your workout mix upbeat from beginning to end. If you want to get really involved with ordering your workout songs, you can start off with something a little slower for a warm up, and then get into faster, more intense tracks; and something a bit lower key again for your cool down. Personally, I like the option of shuffling my workout songs, and cannot stand having to skip over a “warm up” song sometime in the middle of a 30 minute jog.

If you have computer software that analyzes your music and can tell you how many beats per minute (BPM) a song averages, it’s very easy to choose workout songs that flow well with one another based on tempo alone. Some software available for free online even lets you to do minor mixing and tempo adjustments. Anything between 140 and 160 BPM is a good bet for a cardio workout. Anything slower may well feel like it’s dragging.

Keep an open mind (and an open ear) when it comes to workout songs. Just because you prefer country music in the car doesn’t mean you should discount an upbeat techno or hip hop track as part of your gym mix. If you’re stuck or simply looking for something fresh, try taking a group exercise class. Most instructors work hard to provide their classes with great soundtracks, and may have great workout songs you would never have discovered on your own. Remember that the most important quality of a workout soundtrack is to keep you moving through whatever miles and reps the day requires. So crank it up and get moving! The gym never sounded so good.

Central to the Westside system is the concept of conjugated periodisation. Unlike the popular linear periodisation paradigm favoured by Western coaches, the conjugate method develops several aspects of performance simultaneously by utilising three distinct training methodologies: the maximal, dynamic and repetition effort techniques.

The Westside Barbell training week is divided into four sessions:

Monday: ME Lower

Wednesday: ME Upper

Friday: DE Lower

Sunday: DE Upper

During maximal effort sessions, lifters select one primary exercise and perform several heavy singles using weights exceeding 90% of their 1 rep max. Popular choices for lower body days are good mornings, low box squats, and deadlift variations; on upper body days floor presses, board presses and close grip bench presses are among the most common exercise selections. ME sessions develop neuromuscular efficiency and expose lifters to extremely heavy loads, which has a direct bearing on strength levels. However, due to the stresses placed on the central nervous system by the aggressive loading parameters, primary exercises are cycled once every 1-3 weeks to prevent CNS burnout.

Dynamic effort sessions increase trainees’ ability to generate peak force rapidly by teaching them to move the bar as fast as possible. Box squats are the exercise of choice on Fridays; lifters perform 8 doubles with 45-70% of their 1RM. On Sundays, 8 triples on the flat bench press with varying grip widths are used; again with 45-70% of the lifter’s 1RM. Advanced trainees use percentages at the lower end of the scale, whereas a newcomer to the Westside Barbell training philosophy would be able to use a higher percentage. It is important to remember that bar speed is far more important than weight lifted on DE days.

After performing the main lift in each session, the athletes perform several supplemental and accessory exercises, all of which are trained using the repetition effort method where multiple sets of 5 to 15 reps are preferred. This repetition range is optimal for inducing hypertrophy and complements the ME and DE methods by strengthening an individual’s weak points. Particular attention is usually given to the abdominals and lower back on lower body days and the triceps, upper back and deltoids on upper body days.

Consider this article to be a ‘bluffer’s guide to Westside’ – the theory and practical application behind Simmons’ methods is far more intricate than can be explained here, but this gives you an insight into the tools used by some of the strongest athletes in the world.

Russell Willers

Front Squats

The front squat is a far less technically demanding exercise than the back squat, and is therefore ideal in any situation where individual coaching of the movement is not practical. It is also a popular alternative for taller lifters whose anthropometry is not conducive to enabling good back squat technique.

A clean grip should always be used – the bar will be held in place across the anterior deltoids by the fingers, with palms facing up and elbows held high at all times. This hand position may initially be uncomfortable and often requires diligent stretching of the triceps and wrists at first. With the barbell positioned on the front of the shoulders, the lifter’s back must be kept almost vertical to ensure that the bar remains directly over the middle third of the foot. This more vertical back angle reduces the contribution of the hamstrings in the movement – instead, the quadriceps do most of the work.

The front squat is an appropriate alternative to the back squat for trainees carrying a lower back injury. Form considerations dictate that lighter loads must be used when performing front squats as opposed to back squats and this, coupled with the more vertical back angle necessitated by good front squat technique, reduces spinal compression.

Box Squats

The box squat is an old exercise that has been repopularised in recent years by Louie Simmons, the powerlifting guru who coaches lifters at Westside Barbell. As the name implies, box squats are a variation of the back squat where the trainee sits back onto a box at the bottom of the movement and pauses before driving back up.

Box squats emphasise the key components of correct back squat technique: pushing the hips back and knees out, squatting to correct depth and then driving up using the muscles of the posterior chain. This makes it an excellent training aid for beginners who cannot easily grasp the nuances of the back squat.

In contrast to the front squat, the quads contribute very little to the box squat. At the bottom of the motion, the shins are behind vertical and so it is the hips, hamstrings and glutes that fire to drive out of the bottom position. Powerlifters, or trainees with a weak posterior chain, will benefit hugely from incorporating box squats into their routine.

Russell Willers

One of the first places you can look for free weight lifting tips is online. The Internet is a gold mine of information, and you’ll be sure to find plenty of fitness enthusiasts and gurus eager to share some of their hard-won knowledge. Just remember to beware – there’s no rule as to who can post information online, so there’s a heightened risk of misinformation. Make sure the tips you’re getting are from reliable, scholarly sources or well-known and qualified fitness professionals, not some overeager random who’s blogging about his trial-and-error training from his basement.

If you have friends or family members who are into fitness, ask them if they have any weight lifting tips or stories they’d like to share with you. This way, you’ll be getting experiential advice from sources you know and trust. However, unless your contacts are experts in training themselves, you should always reserve a degree of caution for their advice. You may trust your friend enough to lend him your car or co-sign a loan with him, but that doesn’t mean he’s qualified to give out expert weight lifting tips. It’s always great to have an idea of what other people’s weight lifting experiences are like, but make sure you understand that these aren’t expert opinions.

Another rich source of experiential weight lifting tips comes from other people in the gym. You’ve probably noticed a few faces that you see every time you go to the gym – those people who are always working out, who seem, in fact, to do nothing else. Chat up these people if you ever get the chance – you’ll find that not only do they have a wealth of experience to talk about, but they’ve likely had some sort of formal education in weight lifting, or learned from a trainer at some point in their fitness career. They’re passionate about weight lifting, and might have a lot they’re willing to tell you about how to make the most of your weight lifting workouts.

Finally, probably the best thing you can do if you’re looking to score free weight lifting tips is to make friends with the staff at your gym, especially the trainers. Make an extra effort to start up a conversation or just get to know them. Getting on a trainer’s good side will make him or her more likely to offer fitness advice to you for free. The trainer isn’t going to offer to train you for free just because you’re a nice person, but if they’re not with a client and looking confused or doing an exercise incorrectly, they’ll be much more likely to offer you some help or advice. Fitness trainers amongst the best people you can go to for weight lifting tips, free or not. They are specialists in fitness, and have the proper education, experience and certifications to safely advise you in weight lifting, and give you qualified weight lifting tips which will help you maximize your training time and avoid injury. It’s always a good idea to try this avenue, even if you’re also looking for weight lifting tips from elsewhere.

No matter what their training level is, every fitness enthusiast can always use some weight lifting tips. When first starting out, getting advice from others will help you find your bearings in the gym, and figure out which training techniques and programs are useful in getting stronger, while avoiding the ones that are a waste of time or even dangerous. At a more advanced level, getting weight lifting advice from others can help you discover new training regimens and take your program to a whole new level. Whatever your fitness level, your weight lifting routine is sure to benefit from the advice from others.