Guest Post: Getting into Shape Without a Gym (I) by Anthony Myers

This is the second post by Anthony Myers from MuscleClass.com. He discusses how to get into shape without equipment or access to a gym. Part II of this post will follow in a few days.

In a comment to my introductory post, Don Draper asked:

“Could you also share some good exercises for people who are always traveling, so you can perform the exercises without any instruments (like dumbbells)?”

And that’s exactly what today’s post is about, getting into shape even if you have no access to a gym, or equipment.

Personally, I prefer working out at a gym and I suggest you work out at a gym if possible. After all, you will have access to tons of equipment, professional knowledge from the staff, motivation from other gym members, and even the opportunity to meet women, sexy women who take care of their bodies and care about their appearance. However, if there’s some reason you can’t get into a gym, I have compiled a group of exercises below that require little to no equipment.


Pull-Ups

While I didn’t place these exercises in any specific order, I can tell you that pull ups being listed first is not a mistake. They are the not only the best bodyweight exercise, but I’d put them in the top 5 of all exercises, ever. The pull up will be your #1 tool in creating that sexy ‘V shaped’ tapered body. Pull ups help develop this physique by widening your back, specifically your lats. Also, pull ups are going to do more for your biceps than any fancy dumbbell or barbell curls ever could. If you want to focus more on your widening your back and creating that V shape, perform a traditional pull-up, gripping the bar overhand style with your arms slightly wider than shoulder width apart. If you want to focus more on your biceps, perform a underhanded chin-up with your arms about shoulder width apart.

It doesn’t matter if you can only do 1 pull-up. Do 1, rest and do another. Rinse and repeat until you’ve achieved your desired amount of reps; eventually you’ll be able to do 2 in a row, and then 3 in a row, etc. I consider pull-ups the core of any good back routine, so I start off every back workout with 4 sets of 10-15 pull-ups.


Push-Ups

The push up is to your chest as the pull up is to your back. It’s extremely simple and extremely effective. Also, there’s a ton of variations that target different areas and keep things from getting boring. If I were new, I would start off by doing 3 or 4 sets of as many standard pushups as I could perform on a regular basis. You can even replicate incline bench presses and decline bench presses by elevating your feet during pushups or elevating your upper body by leaning on table to put more emphasis on the top or bottom of your chest. Lastly, you could put more emphasis on your triceps by doing close-grip pushups. Simply put your hands closer together while doing pushups and you will be targeting your triceps.

Note: Most people who want big arms spend a lot of time on their biceps. Since this is “Minimal Bodybuilding” and we’re concentrating on greatest reward with minimal time invested I’m going to share a little secret with you. Somewhere along the line things got mixed up. People started spending a ton of time on their biceps and not showing much love to their triceps. Well, your triceps account for nearly 75% of your total arm mass. So spend a little more time on your triceps by doing things like close grip pushups and your arms will start to appear bigger in a shorter amount of time.


Jump Squats

I have a love hate relationship with Jump Squats. I hate to do them, but I know how good they are for me. There are plenty of guys in the gym who can squat 225lbs for 10 reps. I challenge you to show me a guy who can do 4 sets of Jump Squats without feeling like he just got his ass kicked. These are a great workout for toning up your legs, and also aids in fat loss.