It is a common belief that you have to go to a gym regularly to increase muscle mass.
Although this is mostly true, it is also possible to increase muscle mass without them. You must perform exercises where you use your body as your weight.
Of course, you have to take into account that the process of increasing muscle mass is much slower.
You need many hours of work, dedication, and effort to avoid stagnation. It will not be easy, neither with the machines or weights, but they certainly make it a little faster.
This type of exercise where you want to increase your muscle mass is ideal for people who do not have time to go to the gym, but who always want to be in shape.
If you don’t have machines either and you can’t buy weights or dumbbells, you can do it yourself. Also, you can help your body’s muscle cells produce more protein by taking steroids. Check out buysteroidspro.com to get more info on that.
The following are the top 10 exercises that will help you in the process:
Do not be discouraged by reading that it is a slower process than if you do it with machines.
It is possible to counter it with the increase of series and repetitions. In this way, you avoid falling into the dreaded stagnation. That’s the most significant problem people face when they want to have more muscle mass than they already do at the moment.
We are sure that you will be able to increase muscle mass if you combine these ten exercises throughout the week. You can do a kind of circuits where you work several of those per day. Even several of these exercises have variants that you can apply over time and thus increase in difficulty.
The most important thing about it is the commitment. You need to motivate yourself and carry out these routines at least three times a week. Remember that resting is also crucial when it comes to muscle growth.
So let’s get down to work!
The following are ten exercises you can do to increase muscle mass without the need to use machines or weights:
1. Squats
Yes, squats will help you to increase muscle mass.
Despite being one of the most basic ones, this exercise allows you to work on various muscle groups, which will tone up and grow over time.
With squats, you can work your whole body – both legs, abdomen, arms, and of course, the buttocks, which benefits the most when performed consistently.
The great thing about squats is that you can do some variations, either with your arms or by increasing the depth when you go down. So you are going to be able to do it for a long time without stagnation.
- The correct way to do squats is fundamental since the posture is essential to have the expected results.
- Learn how to do squats correctly:
- You stand firm, with your back very straight.
- Legs slightly open, no more than shoulder-width.
- Then you bend your knees and get down, always keeping your back straight, without twisting it.
- Your arms can help with balance, so you can place them forward while performing the lowering motion.
- Then you stand firm again, upright.
2. Strides
The strides allow you to work the entire lower body. The legs are the most benefited from the increase in muscle mass when you perform this exercise frequently.
The quadriceps and calves, as well as the glutes and abdomen, if you apply the correct pressure, are the main muscles that benefit from strides.
Just because it’s a simple exercise, it doesn’t mean that there are no results. Just like squats, you need to watch out for your posture.
- To do the strides correctly, you must:
- Stand with your body upright.
- Take a step forward; be very careful not to make such a long stride.
- The other leg should remain firm, and then you get down slowly.
- Be careful not to touch the ground with your knee and return to the starting position.
- While doing this exercise, your back should always be straight, so you don’t get hurt.
Strides are almost equally effective as squats, especially since you can do multiple variants, either backward or to the sides, that allow you to work other muscle groups of the legs such as the obliques, abductors, and the posterior.
3. Abdominals
If you want an exercise that can help you have a perfectly defined abdomen, this could be the one. With a defined sixpack, you’ll feel and look fantastic.
To do the abs, you must use a blanket or mat so that you do not lie on the floor directly. This way, you won’t hurt your back. You should lie down, with your legs bent and your arms behind your neck.
You raise the trunk until you make a push-up.
Try not to strain your neck, so you don’t hurt that part. The arms play an important role here because they serve as an impulse when you rise.
Besides doing the standard abs, if you do them on your side also, you can eliminate all the fat you have on your belly, which is one of the main problems for most people.
4. Dips
You are going to need a chair or some surface that you can lean on for this exercise, which is slightly high.
Here you will be able to work a lot on your arms (both biceps and triceps) and shoulders so that your whole body is in harmony and that is toned correctly.
Stand with your back facing the object you will support with the palms of your hand. Your legs should be stretched out when your heel on the floor. Then you flex your elbow and perform the up and down motion. You will use your body’s weight to do this.
Take care that your buttocks do not hit the ground, and also your back should always be straight to avoid hurting yourself.
5. Push-ups
There are many different names for this exercise. It is a good workout for biceps, triceps, chest, and abdominal part.
Lying on your stomach, you rest your palms on the floor, and with your legs stretched, you rely on your heels. You must keep your arms at a distance no greater than your shoulders. Then you bend your arms.
If your arms are at a greater distance than your shoulders, you work your chest much more. Here, the important thing is always to keep your back straight and flex your elbows well so that the muscles work correctly.
6. Running up and down
If you have stairs in your house, take advantage of them to help you tone your legs. You must do it for more than 10 minutes and in a constant rhythm. It requires concentration to prevent an accident from happening.
In time, you will be able to do a more demanding workout. You can climb two steps, and thus you’ll have to make a more significant effort. Remember that it is not only doing this single exercise, but it is about several.
7. Stepper
Use a stepper or a box that is not very high. Raise your legs and perform a contraction of the calves so that you can work these muscles, which is very complicated to achieve.
You can also hold the pressure for 5 seconds and then lower down. Repeat the movement up to 20 times per leg in 3 series. You need to do this exercise many times to get the effect you want. Volume is a fundamental factor.
8. Leg extensions
Do this exercise lying on the floor, resting your hands on the floor and knees too. Put one leg back, until you stretch it to the maximum, then release the pressure slowly. Here you will work not only the glutes but also the posterior muscle and the calves.
You can also use weights on your ankles to increase the intensity.
9. Bulgarian squats
It is a variation of squats; only this time, one of the legs is placed on a chair or bench. You will go down, standing on the other leg. That will add to the difficulty of the exercise, and the muscles of the legs will develop much more.
10. Jumps
Jumping on a box or forward, using your body as an impulse, is one of the best exercises for strengthening and developing the legs.
Here, you must watch for distances and heights that are within your reach and do about two sets of 20 repetitions so that you get the expected result. Box jumps are one of the most performed exercises in the CrossFit program, although it does not seem to be very complicated.
You can start all these exercises with two sets of 10 repetitions. Over time, both repetitions and sets of exercises will increase.
Eat healthy food
If you want to increase muscle mass, there are several aspects that you must take into account. Although the exercises are necessary, you should also take care of your diet. You should increase your protein intake and lower your fat intake.
Protein will help in the synthesis of muscles when required. Your diet should be based on chicken and turkey breasts, and you could combine them with vegetables and greens. Eggs should also be in your diet for several days.
Final Word
With a proper combination of exercises and diet, you will increase your muscle mass and get great results!