Weightless Workout Programs

Weightless workout is described as a tool to increase muscular mass pretty much the same way as lifting weight does. The idea behind this kind of training is that it is not so important how much weight a person lifts, but how much of it is really worthy. Moreover, there is something called the isometric principle, where maximum possible effect of muscles is achieved, weightless workout programs use this technique at its full potential.

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The principle of maximum overload

There is a difference between exhausting the muscle and overloading the muscle. To achieve growth and strength, it is necessary to overload the muscle, not exhaust it. This is better explained with an example: let’s say a person can do 20 reps of push ups with 40 pounds. That is exhausting the muscle. Now let’s say the same person can do 3 reps with 120 pounds. That is the way to overload the muscle.

The best way to overload a muscle to full capacity is to avoid repetitions, but to concentrate on continuous application of strength at its maximum potential. It is to apply an incredible amount of strength for various seconds, without motion, without relaxing, the same strength at all times. Try 3 repetitions of 10 seconds each.

Before training

Like any other kind of physical exercise, it is important to warm up before doing anything. All traditional warm up exercises will do fine, but it is important to remember that the warm up of choice must include joint rotations, because this is where most injuries occur.

What to do

To train chest muscles, it is enough to press palms together, in the middle of the chest, applying the maximum possible force. Also squeezing an object is possible if a more comfortable position is needed. It is important to consider that arms should be nearly fully extended to accomplish better results.

To train biceps and triceps, the principle is similar to the chest exercise, but this time palms directions are upward and downward. The upward arm will be working the biceps and the other the triceps. To complete the exercise, it will be necessary to switch positions. The ideal length to work biceps is just half-way flexed, while the ideal length to work triceps is almost at full extension. So, when trying to exercise biceps on the left arm and triceps of the right arm, the left arm should be very near at the left side of the chest, while the right arm should practically cross over the chest.

Training legs and abs this way is a little more complicated, because a special place is probably going to be needed in order to accomplish weightless workout using the isometric principle, but it is possible for a person to find such a place in home or in a hotel room, maybe with the help of a towel acting as an extensor. The key aspect is to find a comfortable position to apply strength at its maximum.

Benefits

With the principle of isometrics in mind, weightless workout become interesting if someone does not have access to a gym. It is important to notice that doing this kind of exercise is safer than working with weights, because everybody can put just a fixed amount of pressure at any given time, but with weights, it is possible to exceed that maximum load and muscles will be damaged resulting in injuries that will take some time to recover.

Final advice

As every other kind of exercise, it is possible to feel pain on the trained muscles, maybe even intense pain, depending on the physical condition of every person. It is important then, to check advancements every day, and stop exercises if any kind of abnormal intense pain is felt. In this case, consulting a physician is of utmost relevance.

Once last note, a good program that uses this is the P90X program - even though the program does use some weights, they also have lots of exercises that are weightless workouts.

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