Hacker News Reader

Comment by erlanger | Hacker News Reader

I'd like to add that I believe basic calisthenics to be superior to weight training for most people. Whereas weights are designed to exercise specific muscle [groups], I think that activities like sit-ups and push-ups work muscles in such a way as to deliver more real-life benefit. They certainly expose you to less risk than weight-training and can deliver a full workout without much planning, a requirement when using weights.

In my opinion, most people lifting weights do so for superficial reasons, (not that there's anything wrong with that). I feel more practical strength when using a conservative calisthenic workout than I do when I used to lift weights, although my physique was more impressive when lifting. Note that I had proper guidance when lifting weights.

View on HN

If you do a bodybuilder-style lifting workout, it will target specific muscle groups. But if you're doing squats, cleans, deadlifts and their variations, you're using many muscles, sometimes your whole body. The transfer is going to be the same.

You are exposed to more risk (I'm recovering from a minor strain in my lower back from deadlifts - I'll be more conservative next time), but I think in the long run, the rewards outweigh the risks.

Do you have an idea, how to do deadlifts and cleans without "professional" weights and without a gym?

Bodyweight squats are good. So are chin-ups, pull-ups, dips, push-ups, burpees and planks. I'd avoid sit-ups, especially if you hunched over your desk all day. A fun way to spice up the workout is "Parkour".

My workout is running a few kilometers to a selected tree, doing some of the exercises above and running home. Takes about an hour each. Three times a week.

I've been doing this (other than doing it I'm unaffiliated with the site):

http://www.simplefit.org/

It's been good - it's a program of pull-ups, push-ups and squats with 3 sessions a week and a series of levels to work through. Pretty nice if you're busy, none of the workouts go past 30 minutes because there's a focus on high intensity in the workout.

Probably wise to take the guys nutrition advice with a grain of salt, since it doesn't see to be his main area of knowledge.

Other than that I run about 5km 3 times a week.

Kettlebells. You can do a form of deadlift and cleans with them. Google for "kettlebell deadlift" and "kettlebell clean" to get an idea how.

I agree with this. If you're looking for exercises using body weight only, I'd recommend checking out Ross Enamait or Matt Furey, both of whom publish reasonably priced books with good workout suggestions.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com