Waiting for the Weights
by David Gentle

Many people having made the decision to reshape their physique and build up some muscle, on sending away for barbells and dumbbells discover there is often a frustrating period before the eagerly awaited apparatus arrives. Others on holiday or with apparatus beyond their means, require alternative methods for building muscle and getting into shape.

waiting for the weights
The 'buddy stretch" for the lats is good fun and productive

Neatly perched between the strict Swedish drill calisthenics originated by LING and the free rhythmic express of Aerobics is a category of physical training which has remained popular and successful for decades a system of muscle building WITHOUT APPARATUS.

The eccentric publisher millionaire BERNARD MCFADDEN was a main pioneer of muscle building without weights, extolling the virtues of muscle building and exercise in his numerous publications including PHYSICAL CULTURE MAGAZINE. McFadden illustrated many of his works with the type of exercise known as ‘self resistance’ movements, whereby one muscle group opposed another. For example for developing the sternomastoids (a major muscle group in the front of the neck) the pupil was advised to bend forwards and backwards through full range the head and neck, all the time resisting the movement via controlled exertion supplied by the hands.

The side of the neck was exercised by sideways movements resisted by the hand on the chin, and the rear of the neck by grasping the hands onto the back of the head and bringing pressure to bear as you bent and straightened the head. These movements, usually advised in fairly high repetitions of about twelve to fifteen reps to prevent straining, were remarkably effective, soon resulting in added neck size.  

The same principle was used through all the major muscle groups, for example the easily understandable self resistant ‘one arm curls’ i.e. bending and straightening one arm whilst resisting the movement throughout the range with the opposite arm for the required reps. Most muscle groups can be exercised in this way, many examples of which can be seen by the top stars using them for pre-contest warm-ups and posing pump.  

The very same self-resistance exercises as illustrated by Mr. Fadden (circa 1900) were soon incorporated into the many flourishing TRAIN BY MAIL courses, which were so popular in the 1920’s…. EARLE LIEDERMAN, who was once the world’s largest seller of courses by mail and later become one of JOE WEIDER’S best Editors, used them on his courses. Recently and even more widely known the CHARLES ATLAS course with an estimated 11 million pupils, based its training upon self resistance exercises renaming some of them ‘DYNAMIC TENSION’. The huge success of Atlas course proves the usefulness of this type of exercise.  

Other ideas and principles were developed with YOGA (the oldest system of exercise in the world) being incorporated and “Will Power” or mental concentration exercises, plus MUSCLE CONTROL i.e. the controlled tensing and relaxing of isolated muscle groups without actual movement of the joints, as per the once famous, but now defunct MAXALDING course which once again proved the effectiveness of “free” exercise by having happy pupils for over 50 years.  

Of more recent origin, based on the earlier mental contraction exercise is ISOMETRICS a system popular because of its apparent lack of effort and non time-consuming nature, with short six second contractions being advised, using just 60% of maximum force sufficient it claimed to produce added strength and muscle. The late DR. ZIEGLER OF DIANOBOL, fame developed isometrics to a high degree for the American weightlifting team using massive weights in power racks – very much the irreversible force against an immovable object!

Resistance curls are a simple way of duplicating a basic barbell movement.  Start (at right - 1st photo) with arms outstretched, and move upper arms upwards to chest (at right -2nd photo) as partner applies resistance.

For one further example of this type of training MIKE DAYTON, former Mr. American and one of the world’s top strength performers, perhaps best known for his ability in breaking handcuffs, places great emphasis on mental tensing of muscles and isolated contraction movements, calling his system CHI (pronounced chee), familiar to all those interested in the marital arts.  

Incorporated in all the pre-mentioned, courses/systems was always the good old training standbys, in use from the days of the gladiators, press-ups or dips, squats, and some type of chins. Ancient Japanese SUMO wrestlers discovered high rep ‘free’ squats plus lots of carbohydrates produced enormous bulk (fat even!!). Certainly real skinny guys were amazed with experimentation on high rep free squat how much weight they could pack on to their bodies.  

A short schedule of squats either two legged or advanced single squats, plus press ups again which could be made tougher by raising the legs higher, changing the hand spacing or using just one hand, plus pull ups or chins, gave exercise to most of the large muscle groups. For lovers of experimentation these centuries old exercises could be tried out for effectiveness with modern techniques such as NEGATIVES.

Using a step up box or ladder, try getting into the finishing position of say vertical dips, and lower gradually, step back up to the finish and repeat. Do the same with chins; step up so you are in fact ‘chinning’ the bar, then lower under control. The possibilities are endless and interesting.

It is definitely possible with planning and effort, making sure you graduate the exercises to build up and maintain a fair amount of muscle without using apparatus.

To right:  Ian Parker demonstrates hyperextensions - best exercise for the lower back.

Stretching the point a bit, with a training partner and just a TOWEL for example, you get a whole new range of so-called “Buddy Exercises’ – yet another favourite of today’s pre-contest competitors… So if you are still waiting for the weights, but want some muscle, try some of the following ideas:  

Choose just one or two exercises for each main body part. Train systematically usually from “head to toe” using the modern accepted ideas of several sets and repetitions of around eight to twelve.

Add pressure regularly to any self-resistance exercises and you will also be pleasantly surprised by the effect on ‘cuts’ or definition of mental contraction exercises, which also aid your posing control.   

Some suggestions for body parts:

Neck

Try self resistance exercises such as turning the head in all directions against the pressure of the hands. Do the front of the neck first then the sides resisting with the hand on the chin, and then finally exercise the back of the neck by bending the head backward against resistance from both hands clasped on the back of the head. This neck exercise can be made tougher by having a training partner or “buddy” place a towel around the head/neck and resisting your turning and twisting of the head. Further neck work can be done with the well known ‘wrestlers bridge’ exercise.

Shoulders

Some fine simulated dumbbell exercises can be done by using a towel or short piece of rope, doing lateral raises, lifting one arm and resisting with the other. Isometric exercises can be tried by grasping the hands in front of the body and attempting to pull them outwards and sideways against the pressure of the clasped hands.

Chest

Plenty of free exercises attack the chest muscles. The most popular being the many and varied forms of press-ups or floor dips- these exercises also develop the triceps and shoulders. Try the various hand spaces, wide for the outer pectorals, and close grip for the inner pecs. For the real tough arms and shoulders plus chest power, try working up to single arm-dips. Raising the legs to higher than shoulders make the exercise harder and get to the upper pecs.  

Other forms of dips, are the vertical dips, using either wall or gym parallel bars or ordinary kitchen chairs…..another version is known simply as triceps dips, which as it says places a lot of emphasis on the arms but of course gets to the chest as well. For chest expansion, the forced breathing brought on by squatting in high reps takes some beating.

Back

For the important lower back muscles the erector spinae, do plenty of hyperextensions, i.e. lay face down on the floor clasp hands behind the back/hips and attempt to lift the upper body, shoulders, head and chest up and backwards as far as possible, hold at the limit of the movement, and return to the rest position on the floor. A later progression is to do the exercise over and beyond the edge of a bench allowing even more flexibly. Avoid like the plague the type of toe-touching exercises usually advocated by untrained ‘Aerobics’ instructors – this exercise probably causes more back strains and ‘slipped disc’ type of injury than all others combined.  

For upper back you have an enormous range of chins to choose from, using narrow, hand spacing, wide hand spacing, chinning in front and behind, a real advancement being single arm chins. Other back exercises include the many BUDDY exercise for example rowing motions using a towel.

Arms

The triceps are catered for with the previous mentioned dips, BICEPS can be exercised by self-resistance curls. CHINS as above, and BUDDY EXERCISES where one partner trains BICEPS and one exercises TRICEPS. Again a favorable with pre-contest competitors.

Waist

For the WAIST, there is the multi-range of sit-ups, leg raises and crunches, these waist exercises are in any case usually performed without further resistance of using weights, as most people believe waist exercises should be performed in high repetitions.

Legs

Legs are attacked by high rep squats, either using both legs, or the more advanced version of single leg squats. Squat jumps are useful for cuts and endurance and the thigh biceps can be exercised again by getting a training partner to resist your leg curls. CALVES are exercised with single leg calf raises over a block with added poundage being provided by a partner sitting upon your back as can also be done with DONKEY CALF RAISES.

Suggested Routine for Non-Apparatus Training

Weighting for the Weights © Copyright by David Gentle All Rights Reserved