It was today.
This was my first such a long trip I was going to do.
60 days of me being away from my home calisthenics gym.
I was feeling very scared because I was going to stay with my dad in our small mountain village in the middle of nowhere.
- How the hell am I going to work out?
- Will I lose all my muscle by doing only calisthenics?
- Do I need more resistance?
l couldn’t take my calisthenics equipment with me.
And because of that, I wasn’t very sure what would happen with my hard-earned progress.
After all, I currently own almost everything you need in order to build muscle at home.
But not during the next 2 months…
During that period I have to rely only on my own body weight, a homemade pull-up bar and the couple of small things I managed to fit in my medium-sized traveling bag.
The more I thought about it, the more questions were popping inside my head.
- Can I still do hardcore workouts and keep all the progress I’ve made?
- Will I have to start from scratch all over once I’m back home?
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the answers because the train has just arrived. I had no other choice than to get in my seat.
But it was not over.
There were still a couple of hours in which I had to find all the answers and solutions to my problems.
And I had to do it FAST…
Hi there, my name is Bozhidar and in this article, I will share with you my findings and exactly what I did in order to save my muscle mass from vanishing.
By the end of the article, I will teach exactly what to do to preserve (or even gain) more muscle mass only by doing calisthenics!
Here’s exactly what I managed to achieved only with the help of my body weight:
With my help, you will NOT lose any muscle by doing calisthenics.
But before I show you all the steps I need to tell you something REALLY imporant…
You will still fail miserably and lose all your gains (and not get new ones) if you don’t understand the basic principles of bodyweight training or have a clue how to use them!
That’s exactly why I highly recommend you to take 2 seconds, enter your email below and get instant access to my brand new in-depth guide “How to Start Calisthenics: The Ultimate Guide“
It’s 100% FREE and it has all the essential information that goes hand in hand with this blog post.
Here you go:
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With that out of the way, it’s time to continune.
Here’s what you need to do next…
Will I Lose Muscle By Doing Calisthenics? (The Truth)
The short answer to this question is this:
You will NOT lose muscle by doing calisthenics if you have the proper plan of action. In order to do so, you have to follow a solid nutrition plan, a great workout routine, use the right equipment and have enough patience.
With all those things you can even reverse the whole process of losing muscle and turn it in your favor. That way you can even build more muscle mass.
Now let’s see the science behind it…
After an hour of riding the train, I was getting really bored so I took out my laptop.
While I was waiting for it to turn on I’ve suddenly come up with an idea.
I had a couple more hours of riding the train so why not use them in order to try to solve my problem.
With my brilliant new idea (not really) and surprisingly strong internet connection, I could quickly focus everything on finding the answers to my questions.
Here’s what I’ve actually found and tested….
How To Never Ever Lose Muscle Mass With Calisthenics
A couple of hours later I had found everything I was looking for.
It was a tiring and boring process that involved reading many blog posts, watching countless Youtube videos, and checking many scientific studies like this one…
But I’ve finally cracked the code and knew exactly what I needed to do in order not to lose my hard-earned muscle by doing basic bodyweight exercises.
But it was not over.
The next main problem was that I’ve had my solution only written on a piece of paper 2 minutes earlier.
I’ve never actually tested all those things combined so I wasn’t completely sure if it would work or not but at that point, this was everything I’ve got.
Luckily, I had 60 days to test everything and find out the truth.
During the next 2 months, I did everything in my power to follow my new plan as strictly as I can.
And the results I got shocked me.
Instead of losing a lot of muscle mass due to the lack of equipment and convenience, I’ve actually managed to gain a couple of extra pounds of muscle.
My results weren’t life-changing or anything like that but I still managed to preserve my muscle mass and even improved my physique in only 60 days.
And the best part about this is that the formula I’ll share with you next is not complicated or expensive.
Literally anyone can do it if he has access to the same knowledge.
After I got back from my family vacation I was feeling great.
All my fear and frustration that I was going to have to start all over once I was back were completely gone.
Instead of getting weaker and smaller I had returned bigger and stronger.
That’s the real power of testing new things.
Here’s exactly how I did it…
Do These 5 Things In Order To Keep Building Muscle by Doing Calisthenics
During my vacation I’ve followed strictly these 5 things in order to keep all my gains while trying to build new ones:
- I was eating enough food.
- I was following a solid workout plan.
- I had the right equipment available.
- I was patient.
- My goal was constant improvement and progress.
As you can see these things don’t sound difficult but that doesn’t mean they are easy.
There are still some very important details you really want to know if you really want to get similar results.
Here’s exactly what I’m talking about:
1. Make sure you are eating enough food
I’ve decided to start with food because this is the most important factor in any real program.
In order to preserve your muscle mass, you need to make sure that you are eating enough calories every day.
Your main goal should be the eat the exact number of calories your body needs in order to preserve your current weight.
An even better thing you can do is to eat even more calories than that.
If you are in a regular caloric surplus (you eat more calories than your body needs), and follow a good exercise routine you could easily build a lot more muscle mass only with the help of your body weight.
But how to find out how many calories do I need to eat every day?
There are many different ways to find that number but the simplest and most common way you can do straight away is to use a free online calculator like this one here.
Simply add your information and click the calculate button.
After you know roughly how many calories you should eat in order to maintain your current weight simply add 10-20% more in order to find your daily muscle building amount.
Example:
In order for me to keep my current muscle mass, I need to eat 2500 calories every day. So if I want to gain more muscle I would aim to eat 15% more than that.
Here’s the math:
2500 + 375 (15% of 2500) = 2875 or roughly 2900 calories.
So in order for me to build more muscle with the help of calisthenics, I must eat around 2900 calories every day.
That’s how you calculate your amount.
Now it’s your turn.
Take a minute to calculate how many calories you should eat daily.
Then keep reading because we are getting really hot with the info…
2. Follow an awesome workout program
All your eating habits are going to go down the drain if you do not have a solid workout plan behind your back.
Sadly I learned that the hard way.
It all happened a while ago while I was still a skinny teenager looking for a fast way to get big and ripped only with the help of my body weight.
Back then I was super naive thinking I knew everything and didn’t need any help.
Well, I was completely wrong.
After wasting many hours, months, and energy on unproductive exercises and workouts I finally understood the hard truth.
I needed some guidance.
After asking a couple of my friends for help I was recommended this calisthenics program called Bar Brothers The System.
Of course, it cost some money but it looked very promising. But the positive feedback from my workout buddies was stronger and I decided to give it a try so I actually bought it.
And soon after that, the results start showing.
I was getting bigger, stronger and my calisthenics skills were improving.
And right then and there I understand the true meaning behind why you really need a good workout program if you want to see results.
That’s why I highly recommend Bar Brothers The System to anyone who is looking for a solid and simple workout training program that is backed up by science and amazing world known athletes.
If you want to learn more about it I would suggest you read my entire The System program review you can find here <<.
Inside my review, I also share pictures showing my progress, results and give more in-depth information so you can find out if this program is for you.
Hey Bozhidar, that’s a nice program but why I have to pay for it when I probably can make myself one for free?
You are absolutely right. You can do that but without the proper experience and knowledge it will most likely suck and you won’t get far.
That was the main reason why I’ve had no results for about 6 months. I was following some crappy free programs I found on the web or did myself.
The thing with calisthenics is that many of the moves are way more complicated than they see.
That’s why most of them require step-by-step progression plan and some solid logic behind the way you structure your workouts if you want to move the needle and see results.
And you can’t find that using free information because it is going to lack the structure I just talked about. The more reasonable thing is to find somebody who can teach you.
Look, at the end of the day, it’s your choice so do whatever you like.
But my recommendation is going to be this:
Invest in a good program if you can afford it.
If you have the money go check out Bar Brothers The System.
It’s a good program that can help you a lot.
3. Have the right equipment available
When I first started doing bodyweight exercises I didn’t have any equipment.
And I didn’t need any because I could barely do a couple of reps at a time.
Sounds familiar?
If you are currently in the same place you don’t really need additional equipment but it’s still a great future investment because sooner or later you will need it.
Let’s find out why?
Why do you need calisthenics equipment?
If you want to preserve your muscle mass or simply build more it is highly recommended to use additional equipment besides your body weight.
But why’s that?
Because of the way muscle mass is built.
Science has confirmed that the 2 most famous ways to build muscle mass are progressive overload and time under tension.
So in order for your muscles to become big, you need to focus on hypertrophy.
The best way you can do that is to increase the overall resistance your muscles get with different techniques such as add more volume, higher intensity, more resistance, harder movements, etc.
The simplest way you can do this is by making all the basic bodyweight exercises harder with the help of additional resistance.
Here’s a good example:
You start to do basic bodyweight exercises. As time goes by you become stronger and stronger.
After 3-4 months you can easily do 50 push-ups, 15 pull-ups, and 25 dips at a time.
With your new strength, you develop a new problem. It’s hard for you to push your limits and you can’t build more muscle.
You are currently stuck but want more.
And that’s exactly the best moment to start thinking about adding some type of additional resistance to your training.
It’s funny because the example above is exactly what happened to me and this is also one of the main reasons why I managed to preserve my size during my vacation.
With that being said let’s see how to add additional resistance to your training and make your muscles grow bigger…
My Top 5 Favorite Calisthenics Equipment You Need To Have
During my 2-month travel, I managed to take some awesome things with me.
And without a doubt, I can say that they were responsible for my results.
All things I will share next are very useful and I wouldn’t really know where I would be today without their help.
Here are my top 5 favorite things I highly recommend you get:
1. Resistance bands
If you currently don’t use any you are missing a lot.
If I had to pick only one piece of equipment after the obvious pull-up bar I will choose resistance bands.
They are extremely portable and cheap which makes them perfect for outdoor workouts or traveling.
You can use bands as additional support in order to learn basic calisthenics movements or as extra resistance for your workouts.
These are a no brainer and I highly recommend you to get some if you want to own an awesome and useful product.
Here is a link to the ones that I personally use if you want to check them out.
They are cheap, durable and can help you build a lot of muscle and strength in a short amount of time.
2. Gymnastic rings
These are an excellent choice for outdoor calisthenics workouts because you are getting a replacement for both a pull-up bar and dip station at the same time.
I really like using rings because they easily fit inside my backpack and I can attach them to almost any tree branch or solid anchor point I find.
The biggest tip I can give you is to go after wood ones because wood handles sweat very well and it could hold a lot of weight.
If you want to check some solid rings I highly recommend you to take a look at these ones.
They are affordable and extremely durable.
3. Parallettes
Even if they are not tall enough in order for you to do proper dips you can still do plenty of great exercises.
Even if my parallettes are hard to assemble and disassemble there are still some very creative designs that don’t have such problems.
If you are looking for parallettes that you can carry easily inside your backpack you are going to love those.
They are one of the best things I have ever seen and are most likely going to be my next purchase.
4. Pull-up Bar
If you don’t own or have access to a pull-up bar you need to change that asap.
Once you have the strength to do at least 10 pull-ups then you will see the true power of a solid pull-up bar.
It is an amazing piece of equipment that can work every muscle of your upper body.
My personal recommendation is to have 2 bars available – one in your home and one located somewhere near outside.
That way you are going to have the freedom to train in any weather condition.
If you want to check some good home pull-up bars I would suggest taking a close look at the one I personally use.
Click here to check it out on Amazon.
5. Weighted vest
Even if this piece of equipment isn’t the most portable thing you can still wear it for outdoor workouts.
If you already have some strength and want to take things on the next level then you won’t go wrong if you decide to invest in a weighted vest.
If you are going to do so please make sure it’s adjustable and compact.
That way you are going to have the option to adapt its weight specifically for your needs.
That’s why I would recommend you to check my own vest by clicking on this link. It has enough weight and you can adjust it with ease.
4. Learn the true meaning of the word “Patience”
Having patience would determine if you are going to make it or not.
I’m tired of having to explain to people that they have to be patient if they want to see actual results.
It took me many years of hard work and sweat until I have made my life-changing body transformation.
Here’s a video showing part of it:
As you can see results take hard work, sweat and a lot of time.
And it’s not just me.
If you look at similar transformations like mine you will easily notice that all videos have something in common.
Their time.
Good results require a lot of time. But if you do all the other 4 things I’m talking about you are going to speed up the whole process a lot.
That’s why you should keep reading articles like this one, watch videos and communicate with other like-minded people.
Knowledge is power!
5. Always keep improving
If you want to keep building more muscle you need to aim to improve your strength and skills.
That’s how real progress is made.
With the help of my portable equipment and the Bar Brothers The System workout program I managed to continue progress every single week.
Sometimes the improvements can be very tiny but as far as they exist you will see positive results in your muscle mass and strength.
But you have to be very careful because even if you have the best and most expensive equipment right in your feet that can’t guarantee your results.
Especially if your workout routine isn’t focused on progressive overload and slowly improving your skills.
The quickest and easiest way you can achieve this is by investing a couple of bucks in a nice program.
If you want to always keep progressing and evolving without having to think about anything I highly recommend you to read my Bar Brothers The System program review here <<.
And these were my top 5 favorite thingsyou can do today in order to make sure that you are not going to lose muscle by doing calisthenics.
As you can see they are pretty simple stuff and if you follow everything you are almost guaranteed to see positive results in the near future.
But as I said, It’s entirely up to you.
Calisthenics and Building Muscle: The Next Steps
Now you know the real answer to this question and how to make sure you don’t lose a pound of muscle.
But even with the best information in your head, you can still lose a lot of muscle by doing calisthenics if you don’t do anything about it.
That’s why the most important thing in the entire article is this:
Do something with all this information.
And please do it today!
One final tip.
In order to help you make the right choice, I’ve separated everything into 2 simple steps you can do right now! All you need to do is follow them.
STEP 1:
Take 3 seconds, enter your email below and grab for FREE our latest guide “How to Start Calisthenics: The Ultimate Guide“.
It works perfectly when you combine it with the informaton from this actricle and can really help you a lot.
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STEP 2:
What is the fastest and easiest way to build more muscle by doing bodyweight training?
Doing pull-ups? Eating enough protein? Having a solid meal plan? Following a good workout plan?
No, no, no and no.
The answer is knowledge.
And the fastest way to attain it is to learn from somebody way more experienced than you.
Here are some great things you can do right now:
- You can invest and follow the Bar Brothers The System Program (read my complete review here <<).
- You can read some of my other highly related blog posts:
- You can buy a couple of great calisthenics books (here is my recommended list).
- You can watch Youtube videos for basic information
- You can ask a friend, relative, or somebody far better than you for help.
- Use your imagination.
As you can see you are only a few clicks away from boosting your results.
The only one stopping you from getting what you really want is you.
And that’s really it.
Thank you very much for reading my article. I really hope you have learned some stuff from my experiences and knowledge.
If you have any questions please leave them in the comment section below!
And like always: May the bars be with you,
– Bozhidar
