The TRUTH About Calisthenics And Leg Training

[@lightneasy1]

But if you did use your baby as counter weight , by the time they are teenagers , your legs would be huge ;)

[@antoipepper]

🤣🤣🤣

[@pamsunshine9233]

😂😂😂😂

[@alirezahamidi1806]

True

[@GetStrongfit]

true progressive overload

[@preciousgoje2193]

😂🤣😂🤣😂😁

[@ukguy]

It's not just what exercise you do, it's how you do it. I can do hundreds of bodyweight squats but if I do them slowly with 5 second on way down, 5 second hold, making sure to tense my glutes, hams and quads on every rep etc. I can do much less. The same things can be applied to any exercise.

[@ericadewitt1446]

yes 100%. it is all about time under tension--a commonly ignored truth with strength training.

[@onceuponthecross1]

Agreed, it's more about how you do it. Don't do the motions mindlessly. This can be applied to fast reps too. Also BW moves allow you to "cheat'' by shifting your center of gravity, don't let that happen.

[@jamessomethingoranother349]

I heard a lot of people lately say it's "impossible" to build big, strong legs with bodyweight only. I hate being told I can't do something. So, I have now decided to subject myself to building the biggest, strongest legs ( and full body) I possibly can without ever touching a weight. I know it can be done, I just want to personally prove everyone wrong. I assume at some point, explosive pistol squats with a slow negative and pause at the bottom, for three sets of thirty would be quite the great feat of strength. Though I have a long way to go before then. If anyone else wants to give this all a try, it would be really cool to hear of everyone's progress.

[@hekkrjs2698]

@@jamessomethingoranother349 it might not be the squatting 500 pounds legs, but I want more of aesthetically pleasing ones, which are athletic

[@baitman2368]

@@ericadewitt1446 So you are saying that doing reps slowly is better to gain muscle and get big, but is the opposite.

[@sacriste]

The squat rack is the only thing I miss from the gym.

[@FxSvz]

Definitely!

[@herrar6595]

Yes currently do weightwest plus dumbbels to get to 65 kg added weight... can´t afford 10 kg plates so I´m stuck with that

[@loubnaben634]

If u miss it, that means you enjoy it. Why don’t you do both? Calisthenics and weightlifting? I am new to calisthenics but come from the gym culture. I am in love with both sports and will never hate on one or the other

[@sacriste]

@@loubnaben634 yeah, callisthenics plus squat rack would be paradise for me

[@khaho1756]

Same, I can do 40 lb pistol squats for 8 reps easily and my legs aren’t that big. Really wish I had a squat rack.

[@alih8827]

Reverse nordiic leg curls is one of the best bodyweight leg exercises. It's really underrated

[@marcusson1983]

bloody torture shiet

[@hekkrjs2698]

@@marcusson1983 haha Or like someone is resurrecting

[@dagingerbreadman70]

If you hate your knees, yeah… supporting your body weight with your knee caps is a pretty poor idea

[@foedralfell1241]

@@dagingerbreadman70 Depends on how much cushioning you have and also the structure of your knee, some people have some solid af knees, I've got fairly exposed knee caps myself ; (

[@jakob8210]

It hurts my kneecaps though.

[@Paroex]

Steep incline hill sprints are the best bang for my buck when it comes to combining lower body size, lower body strength, cardiovascular endurance, growth hormone secretion, fat loss, and mental fortitude.

[@TheSilence1]

I can attest to that. I was a cross country runner in school. Hill sprints really added alot of mass to my legs.

[@solfeinberg437]

Yeah, that sounds intense enough. Fuck mass, anyway if you get fast and better endurance.

[@this-is-bioman]

next to sprints is biking. You can build pretty large legs when you choose gears wisely ;-)

[@Dedicated_.1]

@@this-is-bioman Agreed Biking is good, for calves especially. However biking isn’t callisthenics. A bike is a machine.

[@Thejoeordinary1]

If you want legs like a bodybuilder...be a bodybuilder. The weights, the racks, the gym, the diet...the whole shabang! Fitness is another matter. Weights compress a lot of work into a smaller amount of time. The progressive nature of it builds strength gradually. Depending on your goals adjust your workouts. A fit look and a bodybuilder’s physique are two entirely different goals requiring different approaches.

[@rylangrant2321]

I completely agree with you about volume - it works, but eventually you get to a point where you need to do so many reps that it's very inefficient and boring. I actually came to this realization in a pushup phase of my calisthenics journey, doing one set to failure daily. Initially, the last one was miserable but my max reps increased quickly. As my max reps increased, so did the number of miserable pushups at the end of my set. I started to dread my daily pushups. I eventually figured out that I could alleviate this somewhat by doing more difficult progressions like diamonds, archers, and one arm. That was actually a big "light bulb" moment for me on how to approach my training.

[@lalalalalala3734]

for real, it gets so annoying when you gotta do so much reps to reach failure

[@lalalalalala3734]

once i got so mad bc of it i just skipped my whole workout which i didnt do in a long time

[@ukguy]

It is the same thing with legs, if you can do 4 sets of 20 reps then it is time to pick a harder variation that you can only do sets of 5-10 etc

[@ccwong75]

personally I got interested is calisthenics/body weight training because i see it is more sustainable long term and most important is it could be done anywhere anytime. My gym experience only lasted months. Now I am on my second year 😄. although i m not practicing with a strict plan, i m more flexible & stronger than 20 years ago, from not even a single chin up & not able to touch my toes. My next goal is a pull up by June

[@MinusTheGym]

Awesome progress! 💪 And I totally agree on the sustainability and freedom aspect of calisthenics.

[@goodyeoman4534]

Wong, what are you doing to get your first pull up? Eccentrics?

[@adarsh_kandari1399]

@@goodyeoman4534 I am not wong but i would say try doing band pull ups ,australian pull ups and yes eccentrics greasing the groove the best way to get your pull ups

[@ccwong75]

@@goodyeoman4534yes, ecentric, active hang, body rows, any form of exercise that engage the scapula & back muscle. I think different person able to engage their muscle differently. i tried varying my elbow angle & seems like I could feel exerting my scapula better. i m doing it at quite a slow pace.

[@goodyeoman4534]

@@ccwong75 Good stuff. Avoid flaring the elbows for rows - keep them tight. When you get better, do them with feet on a box.

[@adrianahaverhoek]

I always have discussions with guys about this subject. I train my upperbody with calisthenic exercises, but I use weight for my leg trainings for the exact same reason you mentioned in your video. Great video!

[@MinusTheGym]

Thank you! And I’m glad you agree 😊

[@harku123]

I'm gonna use my dogs, I'll start with my chihuahua, then my Cocker spaniel and then my Rottweiler when I'm strong enough

[@harku123]

@Stu Sadler lel ye good idea I think I'm ready

[@Prime_Legend]

I think legs calisthenics is underrated. Doing something like 40- 50 full ranged body weight squats, good time under tension and then immediately sprinting up a hill can really build your legs. Even jumping lunges and jump squats are great for building legs, or a mix of the two. I swear, it's like people think calisthenics leg training is limited to basic squats. Bodyweight leg training can make the legs appear more lean and makes them more athletic.

[@Neonmirrorblack]

That's not what he's talking about in the video at all. He's talking about having *large* legs like a bodybuilder. He even mentions how beneficial calisthenics is for strength and flexibility, which is his priority anyway. You can get a "cut" and "athletic" look from it (just look at any hardcore runner), but they won't be huge.

[@davepazz580]

*You can get a "cut" and "athletic" look from it (just look at any hardcore runner), but they won't be huge.* Though to be fair, guys with all-out *huge* thighs are either on anabolic drugs or on a bulk by taking in a lot of calories every day... or they simply won the genetic lottery and were going to end up with huge thighs no matter what training they did. If you look at totally drug-free "natural" bodybuilders on stage, the majority of them don't have legs any larger than the average well-training calisthenics guy... because once your emphasis is to get as lean as possible, your mass will drop anyway regardless if you are lifting weights or not.

[@passionatebeast24]

@@davepazz580 genetics is very important. Most people should know about it.

[@Ahrone1586]

@@passionatebeast24 ?

[@h.a.l.3980]

Just add heavy squats to your program. Twice a week and it works your quads, hips, glutes and even lower back a little.

[@ccb6013]

I'm at the beginning of my calisthenics journey and am riding a wave of excitement; but I already know that I will be keeping heavy leg day weight training in my weekly rotation to continue towards my lower-body goals.

[@joemerino8218]

Thanks for the honesty. Feel a lot of people try to hide this point within calisthenics. I I have been using kettle bells for a leg workout for a while now I’m really liking it. It’s not getting me jacked like a bodybuilder but I definitely feel a good strength increase.

[@davepazz580]

Ultimately, the issue of leg training with either weights or calisthenics really comes down to other factors such as genetics, diet, intensity, etc. I don't hold the belief that weight training is inherently better or more effective for legs...

[@milunacodes]

I find high repping very time consuming so I mix box jumping with kettlebell squats, split squats, deadlifts and good mornings and although I would love to have a barbell with lots of plates, I'm still progressing with the equipment I have. I started with a single 20kg kettlebell and I'm now using two 20kg or one 28kg kettlebells doing about 16 to 20 sets a week for the lower body (320 to 400 reps in total). The only thing I hate about training legs with Kettlebells or dumbells is that once you go heavy in something like the front squat your core is the first thing that gets exhausted instead of your legs 😞 Great video!!

[@Leo-yn4eh]

I do 3 days Upper with calisthenics then 1 day Lower with weights which only include squats, deadlift, and calf raises then I'm done. Pistol squats just feel excruciating compared to the pleasures of doing heavy squats and deadlift.

[@SakshamSharmaYT]

Haha why though? 😂 I find it surprising since pistol squat is my ABSOLUTE favourite exercise (upper body exercises included) I feel really badass doing them lol

[@baltimorebjj]

@@SakshamSharmaYT Pistol squats are really dependent on your body shape. Some people can do them with no training, and some struggle for a long time to achieve one.

[@brunoserpa1130]

What about plyometric exercises? Aren't they a good way to get out of that plateau? they've been working for me Btw, great video I can't wait to see new content here

[@proverbalizer]

I think there's a difference between explosiveness and size. Look at Jordans Legs, and Usain Bolts legs and Olympic High jumoers' legs...they look normal size or even skinny.

[@herrar6595]

plyos do keep you entertained and strong, but becaues the time under tension is so low its meh for building mass

[@magikarp1666]

@@herrar6595 actually it isn't really for mass, it's more like CNS training for pure explosiveness

[@herrar6595]

@@magikarp1666 thats what I meant tho

[@seekerofknowledge6595]

Yes you can build "big" legs with calisthenics (mostly quads) but you won't get very strong. You have to manipulate volume and have high intensity and fatigue. Some tips to help the gains last longer (to get more out of less weight): - Maintain slow tempo focusing on slow eccentric (and even on the concentric) - Increase range of motion (i.e.; split squats with a deep stretch) - Incorporate explosive exercises (i.e. jump squats, jumping lunges) - Do reps from a dead stop (i.e. pistol squats exploding from a low sitting position on a bench. -and finally... JUST ADD WEIGHT, the DOMS and PAIN and misery of dreading the next leg workout is not worth it.

[@fastgames_pvp7705]

matteo spinazzola be like am i a joke to you

[@seanking6184]

I think elevated shrimp squats are probably the maximum bodyweight only leg exercise progression - certainly the most quad dominant I think for calisthenics the bulk of your leg training should also focus on hamstrings (sliding leg curls, Nordics etc)

[@idaniss2661]

Standard freestanding pistol squats are NOT the capacity for bodyweight legs. You can substantially raise the intensity of the pistols by placing your arms on your chest > behind your head > behind your back. Trust me. If you find the standard one easy, simply adjusting the assistance from your hands will lead to greater intensity with ease. I've reached the point of 5 (sets) x 12 ( reps) of standard pistol per leg. Ive since then learned the Dragon pistol squat and am now doing 4x10 (in 2-3 months since). and im adding harder variation pistol squats ontop. My bodyweight legs workout now mainly consists of: Dragon Pistol Squats (behind the leg) Harder Pistol squats (Currently at hands behind head. Looking to advance to behind back soon) Nordic Curl (GHR) progression. Currently aiming to hit chest to floor, im almost there) Sissy squat (If you do this right, its a humbling exercise, I still find it quite hard) Im also hoping to incorporate explosivity exercises, sprints. Another incredible exercise is the Horse stance which i have not yet added to my training program but I plan to eventually. For those of you who are still on their journey to the freestanding pistol squat, I highly recommend you work on the following: Pistol squat progression(bench>step>assisted/ elevated > freestanding) Shrimp Squat progressions (emphasis on the controlled negative portion) Hamstring flexibility Ankle Dorsiflexion Mobility I also liked doing sets of static bottom position of the pistol squat (you need to be comfortable in this position to allow a full ROM) Also dont forget the counterpart muscles, hamstring (oneleg bridge raises etc) and calf (single calf leg raises) Yes, with bodyweight leg exercises you should be looking to have higher rep ranges (8-15 reps) per set to accumulate volume but theres definitely a long way to go after pistol squats in terms of progressive overload. I dont see myself turning to weights anytime soon. If its the workout periods that youre worried about, supersets are a great tool for greater efficiency. I like to tag opposite muscle Groups in a superset. My workouts take 60-90 minutes twice a week and I always keep them high intensity. If you think the standard Pistol is the highest capacity before adding weight then you simply havent researched this kind of training properly. Bodyweight training is sometimes improvised, you just need to look outside the box. :)

[@MrKry]

I was doing leg workouts at the gym for a while and I started to get bored from it and doing bodystep classes and yoga instead, not really to gain muscle, but just as a more fun way to stay lean and possibly keep some of the muscle. My thighs and glutes have never felt thicker. I guess the really high reps mixed with all the jumping squats and lunges in bodystep do it for me.

[@aidans_journey02]

I done variations of a jump squats(normal jump squats, tuck squat jumps, then those two with a vest) and then started doing Nordic curls and sissy squats. My legs started growing from there

[@durveshchury9076]

Have you tried nordic curls and sissy squat/matrix squat? specially the one leg variations? they are way better than just pistol squats.

[@goodyeoman4534]

Including glute exercises will help stabilise your squats and lunges, allowing greater load, and thus greater hypertrophy. I squeeze in (pun intended) glute raises and side leg lifts in between my pull up and dip sets. They're quite easy to do and make a noticeable difference to your lower body strength and stability.

[@MinusTheGym]

😂 nice pun! Thanks. I do add glute bridges and hip thrusts in my routine. But the biggest difference was when I picked up my old dumbbells again and went back to heavy deadlifts.

[@kavikien4928]

I find using KBs to be very helpful in my leg growth. There are multiple variations for leg training. Plus, I find KBs to be an underrated tool in calisthenics training.

[@GY9944]

Kettlebells and maces are 100% the unsung heroes of any type of fitness regimen

[@sgtJoyboy]

true, I also use KB´s for my lower body training.

[@indejols7144]

For me, I dont use weights for leg exercises. I only run, do agility training and squats and still have pretty defined and big legs, but i think that must be my genes, but I can say all the exercises i do work. Another sport you can do is bike riding, that's how my dad got his legs massively huge.

[@colinboyd9121]

Yep. Ride up hills in a big gear, you'll get the volume of hundreds of pistol squats without thinking about it.

[@trevbarlow9719]

This. Calisthenics builds a different type of strong legs. Not as huge as with a barbell, but more mobile and athletic.

[@kostar500]

@@trevbarlow9719 very true

[@sheadoherty7434]

@@trevbarlow9719 tell that to olympic lifters

[@trevbarlow9719]

@@sheadoherty7434 tell them what?

[@rsun2226]

I do frog jumps sometimes covering the whole mid BIG circle of Vingio park in Vilnius & then next day I feel so much pain & muscles in my thighs. Try it to get muscular thighs!

[@HHH_Hymnal]

kokie valandą treniruojetes?

[@shep145]

What about slowing reps way down to make them isometric? I have a heart condition that makes heavy lifting not ideal. I try to stick with more isometric exercises to avoid the breath holding and grunting type of movements. Not sure how well this works with legs but I’m trying it.

[@Fitz557]

THANK YOU ! That was a question I had on my mind for a few weeks now ; I was thinking calisthenics lacked a bit of leg exercises, and I was wondering what to add. And I completely forgot to ask myself why I train. I train to move, hike and climb better, so I don't need huge legs :)

[@endo9913]

Great, straight forward advice. Ive always wanted bigger legs but not seriously trained them until a couple of months ago. My quads are visibly bigger and stronger from including two rounds where i move fro.one leg set to 5 other differnet leg sets without a break. I may not get much more growth but happy with what Ive gained.

[@thorn9382]

I don't have a barbell but I do have a pair of adjustable dumbbells and about 100 lbs distributed between both of them. 30 reps 3 sets of 1 leg deadlifts and split squats is enough for me to apply progressive overload. I also do nordic curls and you can do calf raises if you do 1 leg at a time.

[@ilariodetoma5933]

Have you ever tried shrimp squats from an elevated circuit holding your back foot with both hands? Elevating the surface allows to dramatically increase the ROM and makes the exercise 10 times more difficult than a pistol

[@rishbhardwaj1431]

No unnecessary dramatics for views, plain facts, and reasonable opinions. (Also the baby part was pretty funny :D) I really like this guy's videos! Thanks for all the useful info!

[@unknowninfinium4353]

I forgot to add congrats on being a dad dude.

[@IM-uh5tk]

Love the honesty

[@nordboer5684]

I have pretty big thighs from calisthenics alone. Some of it is genetics admittedly though. How I do it, is after I'm done with my 4-5 sets of pistol squats, I immediately start doing one set of my absolute max of Hindu squats. Hindu squats puts the focus almost entirely on your quads as opposed to regular bodyweight squats, which puts some more work on your glutes and hamstrings. After the last set of pistol squats, I after maybe a 20 second rest, immediately start on the Hindu squats and I go until my form breaks. I increase my max Hindu squat with about 5 reps every workout. After I'm done with the squats and have rested for 5 minutes, I sometimes also go for max squat jumps as well.

[@gerardov9693]

What about doing Nordic curls? They are extremely hard and can probably get you some Hamropes with a regular bodybuilding sets and reps and then there’s sissy squats and possibly working towards a one legged sissy squat, that should make growing quads more efficient than 500 reps of squats and lunges. I do agree though that calisthenics is more about relative strength than anything else but I think you can get big legs too if you are creative enough :)

[@blaise8738]

Good point. Elastics can be good tools too... and as you say, jumping, mobility, endurance... there is other kind of important qualities

[@jocaingles8464]

goodmornings and pistol squats are good intermediate moves. progressing towards nordic and reverse nordic is the next step to advanced

[@raymondreaper2554]

5:07 thank you for clarifying. I was doing it wrong for a long time.

[@MrPtrlix]

Deadlift actually hits the muscles that are most overlooked calisthenics: hamstrings, glutes, lower back and traps. Even if you do a bunch of one-legged squats, they're mostly for your quads, and stuff like nordic curls are not popular.

[@davepazz580]

Hamstrings can be hit very well with Nordic curls as you said (my gym actually has that apparatus) but they can also be hit even better with TRX (or any kind of suspension strap) bridge curls. Lower back can be trained with simple hyperextensions (back raises) or reverse hyperextensions (more glute activation). Traps can likewise be directly trained with either parallel bar shrugs or upside-down bodyweight parallel shrugs... reverse flys on a suspension trainer also can work the traps well enough. The one area where it's difficult for calisthenics to replicate is to directly *overload* the glutes like in a heavy barbell squat... the glutes can be trained well with bodyweight leg training alone, but in terms of directly building them up with a lot of direct weight right on top of them is very difficult.

[@eternal_hangnail]

Pistol squat drop set to reverse Nordics or jump squats has helped me make gains in my legs, adds volume and takes me to failure really efficiently. Still agree though, using weights is still probably the best for growth.

[@elamigoreptiliano3316]

4:58 baby seems thrilled

[@joseppebatman]

Calisthenics for my upper body, Lower body I use weights. Just some dumbbells and weight vest and some bands has added that mass to my ass

[@johnnyjay]

To be completely honest I’ve never wanted big legs. I’ve always wanting more lean and athletic legs so I’m happy with this!

[@TheVoiTube]

True, even one legged lever excersises where heavier part works as counter weight with more lever to legs is harder to come by. I use just Z-bar and some weights for overload legs to keep body balance better. Not crazy on mass. Good for progressing overhead stuff too if needed. If you plan better upside down control like in handstand.

[@StayConsistant]

38 and I've always had tiny legs. 6" tall 160. Don't want to be a body builder, but just want to put a little muscle on my legs. I have a decent weight setup in my garage but want to do mostly calisthenics because I enjoy it. You think I can put on a little leg muscle by doing doing high volume BW squats? Have a 15lb weight vest as well.

[@MinusTheGym]

Yes, you’ll put on some mass. Gradually build up to doing sets of 50 bw squats. 3 sets per day . Then add the 15 lbs weight vest once bw alone is too easy. I know a guy who does 3 sets of 50 squats (or lunges) every single day, 7 days a week, and he’s got some decent leg mass. Nothing like heavy squats, but his thighs are very lean and strong looking. I hope that helps.

[@EricRShelton]

Two minutes in and this might be my favorite video you've done already! Instant "like" click at using your child as a counterweight (congrats, Dad!) but the exaggerated pistol count made laugh out loud b/c it's so far out of the norm for you! Loved it! Keep up the good work!

[@Bazilisk_AU]

So uhhh... there’s a few variables you overlooked. Are we gonna address those or leave it at that ? Do you count the Sisi Squat as a calisthenics skill ? What about the Nordic and the Kneeling Reverse Flexion ? What about Dynamic and Explosive squat variations ? How about increased time under tension using at Max range for duration instead of reps ? There’s a multitude of leg exercises that don’t require external weight but require props or equipment like a Bar or a Box or Steps or BosuBalls. Do they count as Calisthenics ? I say this with sincerity. Pistol Squats are great, don’t get me wrong... but have you ever attempted a Full Range of Motion Nordic Hamstring Curl ? Those scare me.

[@Andy-Aims]

Probably because Nordic hamstring curls are not a natural movement. They are unnecessary.

[@jakehayes1345]

your kiddo looks like they're having fun::))) awesome vid BTW... humorous and honest. Thanks!

[@FelipeBerio]

I totally agree, volume is the key to muscle building. Ofc the easiest way is always adding weight, but I also experienced quite nice legs gains from doing 300+ squats workout in short time. I choosed this approach just because I wanted to improve my squat mobility and endurance. Nice video with quality information!

[@unknowninfinium4353]

What if you get a set of dumbbells wouldnt that aid in your leg workouts while reaping the benefits of upper body workouts? Plus there are dumbbells only workouts here in KZbin, would that be something you would consider for full body workouts?

[@zwhnekrh]

What about some cycling? Difficult uphill cycling?

[@MinusTheGym]

Go for it! Work those Type 1 muscle fibers. It’ll build up your thighs a bit, for sure.

[@localdude2979]

I do jumping squads, sprinting and stuff like that but its time to get actually strong on the legZ to do shit like backflips and 360 acrobatics

[@ghaziyy]

Can using loop style resistance bands achieve the goal of getting a bigger leg muscles ?! And thank you for your honest opinion

[@husam-al-din-baybars]

Man! at 2:00 I completely lost all hope in life, until I saw the word "Exaggeration" :D

[@metalneandertal26]

Child as a counterweight... Yep, guilty on that one. Mine is 18 kg now, I do three reps each leg as some kind of strength training.

[@jakob8210]

Very good video on this subject

[@samuelvanetten4324]

And what about blood restriction flow?

[@NBDYSPCL]

Rep wise I do 3x what I do for upper body. Eg. 20 push ups = 60 squats

[@kaizokun8]

weighted vest, I have one with 30 kilos and it's modulable, so the day I'll be able to do pistol squats with 30 kilos (not tomorow) it will be like a normal squat with a bar of 130 kilos

[@ScrubDuelist]

Problem is that if there is weight on the back, u will fall

[@kaizokun8]

@@ScrubDuelist don't worry the weight is well balance, same weight at the front and at the back, so I think it will be fine. But I've got time to reach the 30s :D

[@chrishansen9379]

What do you recommend if the goal is neither size nor 1RM but to have legs that are "functional" (for lack of a better term). By that I mean legs that are ready for life's occasionally strenuous trials, chores, and adventures. Do you already have a video on this?

[@davepazz580]

Simply do the very things you want to be functional for...

[@matthewmiller9485]

AthleanX lives by the levitation squat, using the other leg you're not training unilaterally as a kickstand you place behind you as you squat down for stability and balance. It's safer, better on old and hurting joints, and promotes good leg and hip form (mainly keeps you out of anterior pelvic tilt). Slowing down this exercise would definitely give a big burn and/or combined with one and a half reps, going down all the way, up half way, then fully back up for one rep.

[@The268170]

Flexibility and mobility. That's the takeaway. Oh, and no babies! >:0

[@elbowstrike]

Olympic Champion speedskater Eric Heiden would train 5 sets of 100 single leg squats with a weighted inner tube around his waist followed by 100 jumping squats after his last set, for example. His thighs were 28”. It doesn’t need to take a lot of weight to build a great set of wheels.

[@danslane7900]

I do log 🪵 squats/ banded step ups serious steel green bands

[@trevbarlow9719]

"Bodyweight training" can be difficult to define. If one adds any external load to a shrimp squat, is it still bodyweight training? If so, then is a 300lbs barbell squat also bodyweight fitness? IMO, it's still mainly a bodyweight exercise as long as the external weight is less than 60% bodyweight. Arbitrary, I know. All calisthenics guys should buy a couple of dumbbells with at least 60 kg of plates. 20kg is a lot of weight for pistols.

[@davepazz580]

Once an external weight load becomes the focus of the resistance and as a measure of progress, then it's no longer bodyweight training... it's weight training any way you slice it.

[@trevbarlow9719]

@@davepazz580 so if I am bilateral squating and decide to hold a 5lbs plate while doing so to make it harder, I have crossed the line from BW training into weight training?

[@davepazz580]

The question is why use that 5 lbs. plate in the first place? If the answer is to make it harder (i.e. to add more resistance), then yes that is weight training since you can't improve the exercise without it.

[@trevbarlow9719]

@@davepazz580 I can gladly accept your definition and still not change my training philosophy. I'm a minimalist before I am a bodyweight trainee. It just so happens that minimalism tends to involve less weight or can imo best be met with BW. If weight should be added, it ain't no thang to hold a couple of plates. Having said that, I still lift a ton of weight when I do farmerswalks. Even though they require a lot of weight, it is a bang-for-buck movement that is fairly minimal due also to it's simplicity and low risk.

[@Andy-Aims]

@@davepazz580 but you are lifting external weight and bodyweight. Surely it's both.

[@UkBasedIndian]

what about pulse squats? Should we use those as part of progression?

[@wanderer5200]

Ryan, I missed your pistol squat videos, but did you experiment with pausing during each rep at a difficult point? Adding time during the rep as opposed to volume?

[@MinusTheGym]

I did pause at the bottom often, but that's not really adding time under tension. I was more resting at the bottom. lol Good suggestion!

[@defenderoftheadverb]

Nordic curls (hamstrings) will pull you up. They're hard. Reverse nordics (quads) are much easier but it's easy to load them up just by holding a random weight.

[@turo3066]

Belt squats! I discovered that alternative to barbells. You don't need a squat rack or a ton of weight. Sprinting also help grow legs.

[@colinboyd9121]

Any comments on a heavy backpack vs a weighted vest? Maybe the weight is poorly balanced or something.

[@mouvnation191]

Jump . Bound. Sprint . Lunge . Calisthenics for athletic results and added weight for leg size

[@didrikaleksandercardosowangen]

What about the backflip squat?

[@temelserdarylmaz3264]

Thanks 4 the honest info!

[@srikantpal5416]

Great information ❤️

[@hekkrjs2698]

What do you say about using resistance bands to increase difficulty in calisthenics leg exercises? I found a resistance band, which is up to 100kg of resistance.

[@davepazz580]

Basically the same as weight training...

[@hekkrjs2698]

@@davepazz580 Well yeah, but is there some special benefit to it? Like for the joints or whatever?

[@Saiarts_yt]

I do my leg training using bodyweight and resistance bands. For more exercise ideas I did looked up to Vahva Fitness videos for squat variations. I'm currently having 24 inches for leg size and before 21 inches.

[@cadeyrndragheim22]

If you don't want to use weights at all i agree with high volume, but otherwise, 2 dumbbells on each side with 10kg each doing bulgarian split squats is rather hard for me. You can even go higher with it, or use a weighted vest etc. Also had quite a bit of success with doing 3 sets for core and for legs each day (or well, at least 5 or 6 days a week). It's quite noticeable vs only 2 times a week or whatever it's recommended if you go to the gym for legs. And I do volume sometimes (say 30 squats x 3 sets, 5 min breaks) or more intensity with dumbbells or single leg volume, say 10 reps x 3 sets. Or maybe switch it up with some hindu squats and different types of exercises. Worked nicely.

[@cianmcguinness5784]

A sandbag also works great

[@jordysimbi6745]

You're right but that's is not the only calisthenic leg exercise. You can build muscle by doing compound legs exercises with 2 or 3 hardest calisthenics legs exercises, there's is a bunch of them. The key is to challenge your self as soon as you get confortable.

[@TheUCuber]

Totally unrelated to the video, but what brand of sweater is that? I'd like to find something similar to that, lloks cool :)

[@אריעלי]

This video was a *plus The Gym* since suggesting for Wight lefting

[@denizural5390]

I think calisthenics athletes should not limit themselves to "bodyweight only". You can still add significant resistance using mimimal equipment such as resistance bands. Eg. What about overhead pistol squats with bands?

[@somethingandahalf]

pistol squats require a lot of balance and its easy to transfer force to other muscles. its likely you get tired before you build enough volume, its a bit like pull ups at the start you do too little to progress quickly which is why you should treat pull ups as a skill move and focus on australian pull ups for muscle building. people seem to equate difficulty with muscle building that's not quite the case. squats are too easy for you? get a bosu ball and do squats on it. i myself dont do any leg exercises but my thights and calves are of decent size because i do a lot of interval running while playing soccer

[@goodyeoman4534]

Good point. Or do 6-12 weeks of eccentrics in order to help get to a decent rep range for the proper movement.

[@9fxhrlif9er]

I like your content and your channel, but are you sure you have exhausted all advanced progressions of the pistol squat? Have you performed your pistols with arms crossed with the opposite hand of each arm touching your shoulders, hands behind the head prisoner squat style, and even hands up in the air in the "Y" squat style? Your back has to stay more upright for these progressions, making things way harder than leaning forward for leverage. In addition, Pavel's "Hard Style" via deep intrabdominal breathing and causing all your muscles in your entire body to tense way harder than they actually "need to" and thus moving through the movement slower. This "Time Under Tension" makes things super hard. Heck just doing "Hard Style" bodyweight bilateral squats can have you sweating and panting less than 10 reps! It's undisputed that your muscles don't actually know what weight is, they only know how to tense when you tell them to and relax when you tell them to. People typically tense harder when lifting external weight because they feel they need to, to just get that weight up, but who ever said you can't just use your mind body connection to tense your muscles the exact same way even when there is no actual external weight on you? Also, when it comes to building mass specifically, I don't recommend pistol squats! People actually pick pistol squats if they don't want chafing thighs associated with barbell squatting. For mass, I recommend bodyweight Bulgarian split squats with hands behind the head prisoner style 6 sets of 20 reps 3 days a week, using deep breathing and moving slow and controlled through the movement. Nordic hamstring curls with Bodyweight are hard as well. I agree with you that high reps are not the most efficient way to build a big set of wheels, but high rep Hindu squats paired with high rep sumo prisoner squats will definitely give you big wheels as well!

[@davepazz580]

The answer to your first question is no, he has not...

[@viper8907]

the intro is too smooth

[@darkpatches]

I don't see any questions about slowing down the reps. Slow reps break me much faster than more reps (obviously). Isn't that a good way to signal to your body that it's inadequate and needs to build more muscle mass? I honestly have no idea. Just going off the info in Ted Naiman's exercise lecture.

[@darkpatches]

FWIW, I added what I call "torture squats" to my son's cross country/track&field/long jump calisthenics routines and my long distance routines. Just counting to 10 down then 10 up. Deliciously painful, but you notice your strength increasing in a way different from doing 100's of squats.

[@Feraille]

I had the strongest and more muscular legs when I was doing a lot of cycling, hills sprints and kickboxing along. That was in my twenties. Later I did plenty of barbell squat, deadlifts and the whole. I got bigger overall for sure but lached the definition and the explosive power I used to have. Of course, I am in my late forties now so I can't ask for too much but after some nasty backup injury I am back to bodyweight and dumbbell training. Just to let you know galls ans guys!

[@stephencarter2664]

What's the point of muscles you can't get through bodyweight exercises?

[@xtrailz]

I already have big legs. How do I make them thinner?

[@rbarreira2]

Lose weight (caloric deficit) while doing upper body workouts (in order to maintain upper body muscle).

[@darkmatter1252]

What about exercises like box jumps and other plyometics?

[@MinusTheGym]

Plyometrics are a great step up from the basic lower body exercises, but I eventually hit a plateau on those as well and resorted to high volume.

[@adamkp_6444]

What was the song used for that intro?

[@thomasward1202]

Do you have a Video on the round the world circuit

[@MinusTheGym]

Not yet, but stay tuned! I’ll make it soon.

[@tedereTSSK]

There are many videos entitled 'The truth about this and the truth about that' on the tube. But the content of your video is a real truth that I'm well familiar with. So thanks for a truth truth man. You know if what I mean. Appreciate it.

[@robertkampman9320]

If you're doing calisthenics, are big muscles really the goal? I'm interested in calisthenics because I want to be strong and compact, not big/bulging.

[@iliveinsideyourhouse3943]

To be fair, my goal is to be big but because I couldn't afford weight training, I stick to high volume.

[@laddermonkey12]

That is the cutest counterweight! Love your videos. Kudos!

[@chitoboston5362]

Finally a new content

[@BryantPP]

I was anorexic for the entirety of my youth, I switched the obsession from not eating to weight training and calisthenics, but I'm having a hard time adjusting to the gain in muscle mass, I want to be fit, trim and toned but I have a hard time accepting the muscle gain, I always perceive it as gaining weight...

[@unicorn5154]

I don't know dude...Nordic hamstring curls, nordic quad curls and sissy squats are effective to build mass at low rep ranges...calves need high rep ranges.

[@davepazz580]

I agree...

[@Bibbs420]

Reverse Nordic Curls!