A Beginner at Bodyweight Training

(Central Florida Bob ) #1

Without getting into pages of my history with weight training, I have a Bowflex machine (AKA Calibrated Rubber Bands) and a few dumbbells. I’m considering dumping the Boxflex and going to bodyweight training.

My question comes down to whether or not there’s equipment you use. I’ve seen pictures online where people seem to have a bench or some sort of equipment they use to lean on or support the rest of their body. Is that a good thing? I’ll be honest and add that getting onto and up from the floor isn’t as easy as it once was, and I know the workouts will help that. It’s part of why I’m doing it, after all.

So how should I start? Should I go look for some sort of bench thing?

#2

Your muscles don’t know the difference, all they know is resistance, and being pushed to the point where you must adapt, ie: get stronger. How you get there doesn’t matter.

At some point, you’ll exceed what you can do with just body weight. From there on you’ll maintain. A adjustable bench and some adjustable dumbbells can do a lot though. Depending on which Bowflex machine you have, it could very well be enough for your goals.

(Bob M) #3

I bought a bench recently, because my daughter started working out. I have a “dip” bar, a pull up bar, TRX cables, some weights, a staircase. I started doing pushups flat then would go onto the stairs. At some point, I added the ladder, and I put my feet on the ladder and do pushups on the ground or those 2 standoffs. I do back by using the TRX cables or the dip bar. I started with feet on the ground and my hands on the dip bar, and doing “rows” like that. Now, I start with my feet on the ladder and my hands on the dip bar, going from the top to the middle to the bottom, then try “one arm” rows with my feet on the ground.

I use the staircase do to pushups, shoulders, triceps, triceps with feet on a chair, one leg calve raises (with weights in one hand).

I did NOT start with weights. Got those recently, and really don’t use them much. They were more for my daughter.

I’d start by looking at progressions. Can you do a pushup where your hands are on a step and your feet are on the ground/lowest level? Can you do a regular pushup? Can you do pushups with your feet on something elevated?

I have some You Tube resources and books. Let me know if you need more info. May be delayed in responding.

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(Central Florida Bob ) #4

This will be a bit involved.

I have no idea, so I doubt I can do one regular pushup. I have no staircase like that to test any difference between shoulder height to feet. So I have no way of testing what I can do, other than lying down on the floor and trying it. (Love the resistor color code on the stairs, BTW!)

Until about a year ago, I would lift weights to exhaustion once a week (sometimes twice/week) and my main workout was my hour long bike ride. As (I think) happens to people, I injured myself and knocked off doing the resistance training. It’s now so long ago, I don’t even recall what the injury was. I’ve been a bit intimidated since that incident about constantly being in Afib thing was pointed out and I’ve posted about.

Another factor is that I was unable to do many regular exercises due to my umbilical hernia that I just had repaired in June. It would do me good to strengthen my abs and lower back.

My Bowflex had an open spot for another resistance band, so I added another 50 pound bar and I “bench press” two 50s and a 30 on each side, which I believe is 130 total, not 260 (in other words, the labeling on them assumes you’re using the same weight on both sides). I think the machine is close to maxed out - like another 25 pounds is all it has. I do biceps curls with a small dumbbell. Right now it’s 17 pounds, and I’m not sure how much I can add. I have a couple of different sets I can dork around with it.

(Joey) #5

Been doing regular bodyweight training for many years (now in my later 60s) and found this rather affordable book to be an excellent source of exercise ideas, anatomical illustrations, workout routine construction, etc. Well worth the small price…

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In fairness, I also use bench, dumbbells, stability ball, and cardio stuff (rowing machine, cross-country, etc.) … but the exercises from the book above serve as the foundation for much of my weekly routine(s) - upper, lower, core. :vulcan_salute:

EDIT: I should add that I’ve also relied upon this book extensively for a HIIT approach to most exercises (high intensity interval training) regardless of their original source. Makes each exercise far more productive, cuts down on actual time needed to do the routine and gets you a lot more bang for the effort. But obviously, a lot harder to perform as a result…

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(Central Florida Bob ) #6

Thanks, Joey,

I went to look up the book and see there’s a second edition that’s not released yet, along with this one. Almost a “that’s always the way it goes” story.

Back in the early 80s, we had system called a Gympac that had a big stack of weights and you selected how many you wanted to lift. The only drawback was that it had to be mounted to a rigid support in your wall, with the practical effect that you dedicated a room to it. I’m relatively sure it was called a DP1500 and image searches show a large number of them from apparently older/simpler models like the DP1500 and several more models. That was before we bought this house and we’ve been living here since '84

We switched to the BowFlex after not using the Gympac for a while and I regret having done that. The only real advantage of the BowFlex is you can move it around easier. The Gympac had a padded bench that made it easy to do bench presses. The BowFlex has a skinny, less comfortable bench that largely is a chair with the back at about maybe 30 degrees off vertical and the angles that you’re at always make me wonder what I’m really lifting.

(Central Florida Bob ) #7

D’oh! Forgot this part:

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(KM) #8

Just wanted to mention there are some good isometrics for beginners that involve using chairs and walls. Wall “pushups” and leaning your back against the wall with knees flexed are two, offhand, internet’s got loads more. It’s not necessary to get on the floor to build some strength. You may outgrow them but it’s an easy place to start (and cheap!)

(Joey) #9

Have no idea what the 1st edition is missing, except it looks like the 2nd costs $10 more than the current price of this 1st. :man_shrugging:

(Bob M) #10

That exercise they show the woman doing, I’ve been doing that for YEARS, and still can’t go that low. Part of the problem is that as a former body builder, my legs are still pretty thick, so I begin hitting muscles, but it’s really hard to get that low.

(Central Florida Bob ) #11

You may have seen “Chair Yoga” being talked about on YouTube and other places. My inner “overconfident wise a**” says, “chair? Yoga? I’m not that far gone. I did a 70 mile bike ride when I turned 70! I only did a 60 mile ride when I turned 60!” And then the other voice in my head says, yeah? So what have you done lately?" I have to realize I need to do those things.

(Bob M) #12

I would try things slowly. There was a recent study that came out indicating if you could go from the floor to standing and back again without using your knees or hands, this gave you a lower possibility of death within something like 10 years.

I could not figure out how to do this. Then I saw someone do it. He was on the floor with feet crossed and legs flat on the ground. He moved his body forward and stood up.

So, I tried that, and re-injured an old ankle injury. As in bad. I have had pain for multiple weeks now. Haven’t been doing any exercise to attempt to get it to heal.

Just a cautionary tale. :grinning:

(Mark Rhodes) #13

Bob I am so proud of you!!! This just really made my day buddy. @CFLBob

As to what Bob said yes yes and yes. We all start somewhere. Know where I first started? Marvel Superheros Workout Book circa 1976

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Then I started drinking and forgot all about lifting. Got sober and to impress a girl began running with her, eventually we broke up and I said I should run the Lake Geneva Marathon and she “scoffed” so I ran it, 3 hours 35 minutes. Then I got injured, 7 herniated disks, the worse was L5S1 10 x 10 x 12 mm into my sciatica rendering me permanently disabled. But then…KETO and Fasting. ALL Osteoporosis gone from -T1.9 to +T1.8 at 61 ( Most folks know my story here) I maintain a 14% body fat by DXA at 232 pounds. I progressed back into weight lifting as the disk herniations disappeared. I found things behind my Grandpa’s barn that really were helpful
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Like these chains. Each link was 7 pounds. I added this to my growing garage sale gym
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which allowed me to continue to lift during COVID. I eventually I had a SOLOFLEX and A BOWFLEX which I bought to help me through a divorce ( Ahhh, divorce, nothin’ motivates a gym rat like a break up, better than anabolic steroids). Speaking of Gym Rats there are plenty of HOME GYM sites on FB and a great group called 50 and Beyond and a favorite of mine Gains and Pains ( let them know I sent ya!! because the sites owner is a steak and egg man, and he appreciates my keto knowledge and highlights it frequently).
I currentlse a gym and heavy weights. I tore a pectoral during covid and a tricep and yet I push harder because the results are so very tangible.

SO yes, start with body weight and isomoetrics. Get a cheap set of bands from Amazon for 12.99. You can really feel the resistance and make sure to go slow on the eccentric AND the decentric movement. Go to failure. whether that is the 21st rep or the 2cd rep. Failure creates progressive overload. DO NOT lift more than the ligament or tendon is ready for. KEEP TRACK. I love a little app called FIT NOTES. Cheap and easy. Exports to excel if you need. Your Bowflex bench should be all you need initally as you move to dumbells. AND Please, get a good anatomy book. Not every exercise should be done by all people. Tall people struggle with squats and hurt the back. I use this,never minding his less than savory views on the world

SL1500
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https://www.amazon.com/Strength-Training-Anatomy-Workout-II/dp/1450419895/ref=sr_1_4?crid=109I7Q3PV1F8&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.WhlfVTqXKKkpMAbdXvoeIzpDr0c5A_hxjlTLRAj6LPFD5BN-J7vPPRsMxTd5RBnKBqc89TmbxyLieAAKVsPcO3hoOvwdkqJcsDe2ihOAfjwiNExwJHhX9mDmcxYlJKgcjD7MZt6z1rLEKHy9el8dSfWuBdPTMOINMbQE1ZoRvcIPpLybvI-tDY3nSEOzulZOIrBhF78ZxbjL-qD9GxMH6FoFcxDU0K89lDJme6ZF6_c.bJqx6_Gqe5Xy5kjF3pUq7wwtKAUWayUof6DmDoIPm6k&dib_tag=se&keywords=delavier+strength+training+anatomy&qid=1756819118&sprefix=delavie%2Caps%2C119&sr=8-4

Hope you find this encouraging!!

(Mark Rhodes) #14

Bret is a PhD in physical training and his book GLUTE LAB is, IMO, the definitve go to guide on anything currently muscle related.

(KM) #15

Lol. Husband syndrome. :wink:

TRY the exercises, and then say they’re too easy. They may well be! But it’s simple enough to test. Bend your knees to 90 degrees, lean against a wall, (same basic body configuration as sitting on a dining chair) and hold for 120 seconds. Stand on one foot that long. Then the other. Tests passed, time for something harder. Or time for some practice!

(And yeah, I get it. The first time I realized I was falling over after 10 seconds of balancing on my left foot, and I couldn’t get off the floor without rolling onto my knees first, was a humbling day. Not pleasant to force myself to check and discover my reality.)

And remember, it doesn’t have to be a competition of endless pursuit of progress. Getting to viable maintenance and staying there is not a bad goal either!

(KM) #16

This is impressive!

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But then again, so is this. I really like Jim Brown.

https://www.tiktok.com/@abalancedyou/video/7447606642402676014

Unfortunately that’s a sauerkraut recipe he’s doing, I can’t seem to get any sensible link going here other than the tiktok thing, sorry. His substack is mostly about exercising at home. He’s 68.

(B Creighton) #17

I have something called the Crossbow, I want to sell… Anybody? A combo machine would be good, but right now I use a separate dip stand and bench… Dumbells, standard lifting bar, ab roller and some floor pads is all the equipment I use. I also have a set of stretch bands I haven’t really used, but they can be useful. I do about 5 exercises on the dip stand: chin ups, pull ups, dips, leg raises, and a reclined lift for back exercises. I use a floor pad to make diamond pushups more bearable. The bench for dumbbell curls and bench presses.

(Doug) #18

I found a chain like that a couple weeks ago. The damn thing was buried in the yard and I hit it with a lawn mower. :smirk::smile:

(KM) #19

So you hung it around your neck and carried it around for a few hours till you were done mowing, right? :kissing_closed_eyes:

(Doug) #20

:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye: I jerked it out of the ground - took multiple tries - then left it a few feet away where it wasn’t in the way of anything. :smirk: