Is this possible?

[wooldog]

It is possible to gain mass by only doing pushups and pullups?

If so, how many reps a day do you think you'd need to do?

 

[Sculelos]

Nope, you need to eat more to gain mass.

Although pullups and pushups could add some muscle, I would just do maby 20 of each per day, throw in some bodyweight squats, bearwalk and crabwalk, add in the plank and add lunges and you have a decent bodyweight workout.

 

[silver_shadow]

there's a limit. if you are skinny and you will gain initially but it will slow down and stop soon after. you need to constantly challenge your muscles with more weight (not more reps) for it to continue growing.

 

[thebadguy54]

Nope, you need to eat more to gain mass.

Although pullups and pushups could add some muscle, I would just do maby 20 of each per day, throw in some bodyweight squats, bearwalk and crabwalk, add in the plank and add lunges and you have a decent bodyweight workout.

20 of each per day? What is that going to do bro? If I was trying to grow using only bodyweight exercises I'd aim for 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups and 300 air squats EOD. Add some good food and you'll grow from that... especially if you just started training. 20 push-ups per day isn't going to do anything special.

 

[Sculelos]

20 of each per day? What is that going to do bro? If I was trying to grow using only bodyweight exercises I'd aim for 100 pull-ups, 200 push-ups and 300 air squats EOD. Add some good food and you'll grow from that... especially if you just started training. 20 push-ups per day isn't going to do anything special.

Ah, yeah... I don't really do bodyweight exercises much except to warm-up for lifting so I'm definitely not knowledgeable on the subject. Only got into serious lifting late this may, so I'm still new to the subject.

 

[silver_shadow]

damn it you won't grow alot from bodyweight exercises... you will if you are a complete novice and it will be slight... then once you are over it YOU WON'T GROW! repeat YOU WON'T GROW! try adding more reps or less YOU WON'T GROW! period! repeat YOU WON'T GROW!

 

[thebadguy54]

damn it you won't grow alot from bodyweight exercises... you will if you are a complete novice and it will be slight... then once you are over it YOU WON'T GROW! repeat YOU WON'T GROW! try adding more reps or less YOU WON'T GROW! period! repeat YOU WON'T GROW!

I agree with you, to a certain extent. Most people think of push-ups when they think of body weight exercises and I agree that only a novice's chest would grow from push-ups only.

Bodyweight exercises like handstand push-ups or pull-ups WILL make you grow if you do enough of them. With over 15 years of training experience, I put two inches on my chest measurement in one year and I'm convinced pull-ups had everything to do with it. Mind you, I was doing over 1000 pull-ups per month.

My point is that anything (weighted or not) that causes your muscles to get sore is going to force adaptation to occur. Provided that your diet is in check, that adaptation usually results in the muscles becoming bigger and stronger.

 

[wooldog]

I'm thinking about getting a backpack, putting some weights in it and doing pullups and pushups too add a bit of weight as I progress.

I know I need to eat to grow. I'm just wondering if my diet is good, will I gain by doing pushups pullups and bodyweight squats and lunges.

Do a lot of reps at light weights, everyday, increase mass?

 

[thebadguy54]

I'm thinking about getting a backpack, putting some weights in it and doing pullups and pushups too add a bit of weight as I progress.

I know I need to eat to grow. I'm just wondering if my diet is good, will I gain by doing pushups pullups and bodyweight squats and lunges.

Do a lot of reps at light weights, everyday, increase mass?

silver_shadow will tell you no... and I agree that your strategy isn't the best way to gain mass. You will have to eat a ton and literally do thousands of push-ups... but it is possible to induce adaptation (growth) with high reps IMHO.

On another note, a weight vest would be better than a backpack because of the way the weight is distributed.

Again, heavy weights, lower reps would be the best way to get bigger but ANYTHING is possible.

 

[wooldog]

ok thanks. I do feel pretty sore right now in the chest (upper pectorals)

still haven't ordered my powerrack, bench, and olympic weight set....

 

[krk]

damn it you won't grow alot from bodyweight exercises... you will if you are a complete novice and it will be slight... then once you are over it YOU WON'T GROW! repeat YOU WON'T GROW! try adding more reps or less YOU WON'T GROW! period! repeat YOU WON'T GROW!

Eric Dickerson might disagree with you.

 

[Papa Lion]

Nope, you need to eat more to gain mass.

Although pullups and pushups could add some muscle, I would just do maby 20 of each per day, throw in some bodyweight squats, bearwalk and crabwalk, add in the plank and add lunges and you have a decent bodyweight workout.

I started my gf on more than 20 pushups... though it's not every day!! it's still extremely light!! and during season when I coach... my HS wrestlers are doing 3 or four times that in their first workout!! and for some I really their "first" workout!!

 

[Papa Lion]

ohh an since you decided to throw a backpack into it then yes those exercises will help you grow since I'm assuming you don't have much training exp!! also try throwing the back pack on while you do your pushups and grab a few chairs and and put your hands on one each and your feet on the other this allows you to go a lil deeper!!

 

[StuWard]

As long as you respect the overload principle and keep increasing the load you can make gains. There are lots of ways to increase the loads and increase the range of motion on body weight exercises. If you keep the load constant and keep adding reps you will be wasting your time. Here's a couple of web sites that may give you some ideas:
http://www.elitefts.com/documents/body_barbell.htm
http://www.drillsandskills.com/skills/index
http://www.dragondoor.com/articler/mode2/Workouts
http://bodyweightculture.com/index.php