A majority of guys who are wanting to get jacked believe that using weights is the only way to achieve this. However, if you would like to have a gymnast body you just need to use the right kinds of bodyweight exercises to get there.
Why Gymnast Bodies Are So Appealing
If you ask most people what they think the most appealing type of body is, usually they will tell you that the best looking type of body is a ripped and lean one. It is a body that is not too small or not too big. Now ask the person who looks the best, a bodybuilder or gymnast?
There is a good chance that they will tell you that the most attractive type of body is the gymnast body. Gymnasts have a very natural and lean appearance that is athletic but also makes it very easy for you to wear stylish clothes. It definitely beats the often bloated and puffy look of the bodybuilder.
The Myth of Weight Training
When you hear the term “weight training” you will get the mental picture immediately of dumbbells and barbells and rarely think of bodyweight exercise as a great alternative way to gain muscle. Maybe fitness magazines and bodybuilding competitions have been pushing the myth that weights are the only option to get ripped but in reality, you can get into great shape without using even one dumbbell.
How To Achieve A Gymnast Body
It is well known that gymnasts rely on their bodies to achieve great bodies. You never see them doing bench presses for hours on end but you will definitely see them have amazing upper bodies that would even make the strongest men in the gym blush.
The first step that you need to take to achieve a gymnast body is focusing on the right kind of exercises that are similar to those they do in their competitions. So, for example, when gymnasts are competing you will see that they spend a lot more of their time on such apparatus as the pommel horse, rings, and parallel bars. You should ideally try to mimic these kinds of exercises when doing your workouts.
The Right Bodyweight Exercises
The best exercises for you to use are the ones that work on your core, legs, arms, chest, back, and shoulders and preferably using compound types of movements as well.
Back Exercises
Parallel Chin Ups, Chin Ups, Pull Ups
Shoulder Exercises
Dive Bomber Push Ups, Hand Stands, Hand Stand Push Ups
Chest Exercises
Triangle Push Ups, Decline Push Ups, Incline Push Ups, Push Ups
Triceps & Biceps Exercises
1 Arm Chin Up (biceps), Chin Ups (biceps), Parallel Bar Dips (Triceps)
Legs Exercises
Pistol Squats, Bodyweight Jump Squats, Bodyweight Squats
Abs/ Core Exercises
Hanging Leg Raises, Lying Leg Raises, L- Sit Hold
To develop the most effective kind of workout that uses bodyweight exercises you need to be sure to not do all of the exercises on consecutive days or on the same day. Try dividing up your workouts into 3 or 4 sessions every week.
One way that your workouts can be divided up is on one day do upper body exercises and then follow that up with a core and lower body intensive workout the next day, then rest for a day and then after that do another day of upper body exercises followed by a core and lower body workout on the following day.
To avoid overtraining and get the maximum from your workout, you can select 2 exercises for each muscle group.
I recommend 3 to 4 sets. To gain muscle, you will want to do 6 to 10 sets. If it is hard to do that many reps, just try doing as many as you can per set. You will be able to increase the number over time as your strength continues to increase.
It is not necessary to use weights to achieve a lean body. You can easily achieve a gymnast body by using the right exercises and training properly.