9 Effective Home Workouts for Bodybuilders to Build Muscle Quickly

Bodybuilders seem to make use of pretty much every machine available at the gym. Some of them can be creative in their techniques. That raises the question - can bodybuilders work out at home, given the option? Wouldn’t they need all these machines to help them achieve their fitness goals?

Calisthenics to the rescue! Calisthenics is a form of exercise that requires you to use only your body weight. Little to no equipment is used for calisthenics, and it can be done almost anywhere. It is effective for building strength, and can help you pack on some generous amounts of muscle.

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Best exercises for bodybuilders at home

We’ve gathered some of the best bodyweight exercises you can do at home to build muscle. Using weights is totally optional, but they can help with strengthening your muscles further and building more density.

1) Push ups

Push-ups are a classic bodyweight move to strengthen the upper body and improve pushing strength.

• Get into a high plank position on the floor and place your palms right below your shoulders. Keep your hips in line with your shoulders and feet.

• Bend at your elbow and lower your body to the ground. Continue to lower yourself till your elbows are at 90-degree angles.

• Push yourself back up to return to the starting position.

• Repeat the move for 15 to 20 reps.

2) Diamond push ups

This is a variation of push-ups that targets your triceps. It can be hard to achieve but it is helpful in strengthening the muscles of your arms.

• Get into a high plank position on the floor and place your palms together below your chest, forming a diamond shape with your thumbs and index fingers. Keep your hips in line with your shoulders and feet.

• Bend at your elbows and lower your body to the ground. Continue to lower yourself till your elbows are at 90-degree angles.

• Push yourself back up to return to the starting position.

• Repeat the move for 15 to 20 reps.

3) Pike push ups

Yet another variation of push-ups, this one for your shoulders! Pike push-ups are also a great way to build strength for handstands.

• Get into a high plank position on the floor and place your palms below your shoulder. Walk forward with your feet and push your hips up in the air. Lean forward so your hands are supporting your weight.

• Bend at your elbows and lower your head to the floor in front of you. Continue to lower yourself till your elbows are at 90-degree angles.

• Push yourself back up to return to the starting position.

• Repeat the move for 15 to 20 reps.

4) Dips

Dips are an underrated exercise for developing strength in the chest and shoulders. If you do not have access to parallel bars for this exercise, you can use two chairs. Place both chairs on the floor with their backs toward each other. Leave enough gap between them for your body.

• Grip the back rests of the chair and hoist yourself up to suspend your body on your arms. You may bend your legs to avoid them from touching the floor.

• Bend your elbows and lower your body until your arms are bent at a 90-degree angle.

• Push yourself back up to the starting position, straightening your arms out.

• Repeat the move for 15 to 20 reps.

5) Pull-ups

Although hard to achieve, pull-ups are a fantastic exercise for the upper body. It is effective in developing the muscles of the back, and arms. You would need a pull-up bar for this.

• Grab the bar and allow your body to hang, with straight arms and legs. Keep your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.

• Retract your shoulder blades and pull yourself up, leading with your chest, until it touches the bar.

• Lower yourself down slowly by straightening out your arms.

• Repeat the move for 15 to 20 reps.

6) Squat jumps

Squats are effective in developing the muscles of the legs, and even more effective when done as a plyometric movement. You can build some great power and strength by adding jumps to your squats. Plus, it’s a killer way to burn some fat.

• Stand straight with your feet hip-distance apart.

• Push your hips back and lower yourself into a squat position by bending at your knees.

• Push yourself back up quickly and launch yourself into the air, jumping as high as you can.

• Land back down on your feet and immediately proceed into the next rep.

• Repeat the move for 15 to 20 reps.

7) Single leg hip thrusters

Hip thrusters have been around for a while as an exercise to strengthen and sculpt the lower body. What makes it all the more challenging is performing it using just one leg. You would need a box or a chair.

• Sit in front of the chair and lock your shoulder blades on its edge. Bend at your knees and hold them up in front of you.

• Raise one leg up and hold it out in the air.

• Lift your hips up by pushing the ground with your feet. Raise them to the top and squeeze your glutes.

• Lower your hips back down to the ground. Be sure not to rest your hips on the floor.

• Repeat the move for 15 to 20 reps.

8) Walking lunges

Lunges are an absolute killer exercise for the lower body. Walking lunges mean continuous movement without rest, adding more tension to your muscles to strengthen them further.

• Stand straight with your feet together. Make sure there is enough room ahead to take at least 20 regular steps.

• Step your right leg out about a foot ahead of you. Lower yourself into a lunge. Do not allow your left knee to rest on the floor.

• Straighten your legs and raise your body back up. Simultaneously, shift your weight to your right leg and step your left foot forward for the next rep.

• Repeat the move until you have done about 10 steps on each leg.

9) Bulgarian split squats

This is a much harder variation of traditional reverse lunges that’s sure to leave your legs burning. You would need a chair or a box for this.

• Stand straight with the chair behind you. Raise your right leg and rest it on the chair behind you.

• Lower yourself into a lunge position. Do not allow your left knee to rest on the floor.

• Push yourself up from the ground, straightening out your left leg.

• Repeat this move for 8 to 10 reps on each leg.

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Becoming a bodybuilder takes immense effort and dedication. It may be a long road ahead but it’s not impossible. Although heavy weights are preferred, these exercises can be done from home and they are extremely effective in building muscle.

Try them out during your next workout session. Be sure to eat well, hydrate yourself, and get plenty of rest for your muscles to recover.