Doing squats without weights

[terry]

Yeah, I figured there was something I didn't understand there. Poliquin also talks about getting pretty disciplined about rest intervals too. I'm still trying to learn more about how much to rest and when.

9 seconds per squat? I don't know, it seems to me like that would be on the slow side. If you are under tension for all of that 9 seconds that would probably really get you in a hurry. That would have the effect of having a long interval under load and that most people wouldn't be able to cut it. Conversely, if you rest at the top I don't think it would be so good.

Still, I tend to like to work on explosiveness on the upstroke.

There are also some super slow-mo advocates out there, I think the natilus guys, but my power lifting coaches tell me that it cuts down your speed and explosiveness.

Terry

[kh_s]

Hmm, builderofmuscle, Really do I have to HAVE to do that setting goal thing? I just do 1 set of 50 (if that aint enough tell me) then after I would rest 20 seconds and do 4 sets of 20 lunges (no weights, and is that enough also if no weights?) So practically for lunges, I would do 1 set of 20 each leg and rest 20 seconds and do the other 20 reps left/right side.

BTW I do these squats not too fast.. not sure ,around 5 seconds up and down. I was just thinking of doing them quite fast, trying to explode on the way up and down, as if you were going to jump.

[Balmo130]

Pretzel Boy

Jump Squats? safer than regular squats because regular squats needs more balance and control.

There is no way that jump squats are safer than regular squats, lets think about it. You are jumping up and down bring your heels to your backside with a weight on your shoulder. There is bound to be injury somewhere.

If you feel that when you are doing regular squats and don't feel it you may be doing one of a couple of things wrong:
1. Range of motion might not be enough,
2. Bad form
3. NOT ENOUGH WEIGHT

if you leave any exercise feeling like you didn't do anything, you are right you didn't. Get more weight and intensity.

[Mateo]

Getting into the discussion a bit late, but my opinion is that you can build a significant level of strength using nothing but calisthenics.Eventually, you will probably need to add extra resistance to your calisthenic exercises and/or start doing traditional barbell and dumbell lifts.Calisthenic exercises are a great supplement to traditional strength training IMO.
I've found that the best exercises for strength are the most difficult ones.Most of my strength program focuses on these:
-pistols aka one-legged squats(without a balancing aid)
-glute/ham raises
-pull ups
-dips
-divebomber push ups
-reverse hypers
-janda sit ups
-handstand push ups
-burpees

I use ladders or density training for most of my calisthenic program and it has been working pretty good.

[Balmo130]

First off, I just joined this site.

As for your post, I am sure get strong doing calisthenics. I am also sure that there is a lot of people out there that get joint problems due to it.

I just don't think that calisthenics is the most effective way to build strength. You should just do resistance training for a couple of reasons.
1. More productive
2. Time Efficient
3. Safe

If you get two people of the same caliber and have one of them train with just calisthenics and the other with resistance training, the one that resistance trains will have bigger gains.

[terry]

I am inclined to disagree with the above post. Calesthenics will tend to build muscular endurance rather than maximum strength. For a ring sport where you have to throw, say, a jab hundreds of times you will need some muscular endurance. That's why fighters do calesthenics. By the way, I would put circuit training in this category as well.

Resistance training can help in several different ways, depending on how you train. If you train with bodybuilding methods it will tend to build size and some muscular endurance, but not as much muscular endurance as calesthenics. Bodybuilding methods will also slow your initiation speed because the slow motions tend to recruit much more of the red slow-twitch muscle fibers than the white fast-twitch muscle fibers. On the other hand, powerlifting will recruit more of the fast-twitch motor units and also increase your functional strength and tendon strength. Powerlifting, however, is not going to be great for your muscular endurance, nor is it going to build much size.

So, what you wind up doing is taking a look at the specific motions you use in a sport and try to arrive at supplemental training methods, of which strength training is one, that will support that sport. And, of course, this varies based on where you are in the season. The closer you get to your athletic event the more specific the training needs to be. So, while a boxer may spend some time in the weight room in the off-season as well as in pre-season training they will transition to more and more sparring as they get closer to a match. Then, they'll shut it down the week before the event to recover and rest up.

Does any of this make sense or am I just rambling?

Terry

[Mateo]

terry-I understand what you are saying.I don't agree with the idea that calisthenics don't build strength however.Strength is built with low repetitions and a heavy workload, while muscular endurance is built with high repetitions and a light workload.For example, if I am doing a one-legged squat or a pull-up and I find my limit to be 5 reps, that falls into the strength category.Strength is built from the muscles being exposed to a heavy load and a short time under tension due to that heavy load.Just because I'm doing a bodyweight exercise doesn't mean there is no strength being built.That is like your body saying"Wait a minute.I don't feel a heavy barbell across my upper back, therefore I must be doing a bodyweight squat".The body doesn't recognize the difference between a bodyweight exercise or a barbell one.All it recognizes is the fact that a certain amount of stress is being imposed upon it.If all calisthenic exercises were dependant upon endurance and not strength, how come most people can't perform one-legged squats, one-arm chin-ups, one-arm push-ups, handstand push-ups or glute/ham raises?The answer is because those exercises require a great amount of strength.Your body must develop a certain amount of strength to perform many different types of exercises before it can develop the ability to perform that movement over and over for many repetitions(aka endurance).I'm not saying that calisthenics build just strength.Eventually you will be strong enough to perform a high amount of reps which translates to a greater time under tension which builds endurance and not strength.At that time, it is best to add additional weight to your calisthenic exercises to bring the time under tension back down to where you are building strength or else switch to freeweight exercises.

Balmo130-sorry about the confusion, but when I said "getting into the discussion a bit late" I was referring to me, not you.

[terry]

Mateo,

I don't think we really have a disagreement here. I just wasn't thinking about the more power-based (one-handed, one-legged stuff) calesthenics that you mentioned. I had more basic ones in mind.

Cheers,

Terry

[Balmo130]

The main reason for strength training for athletes is number one, injury prevention and then to become strong.

Personally if you want them muscle endurance for a specific sport you just have to practice that sport at a good rate.

Like in wrestling, we did pre-season strength training but when we got into season we did less sprints and running and a lot more mat time.

Just a thought

[Mateo]

Right on, Terry.My bad.