Alexander Iron - BODYWEIGHT BODYBUILDING

Since childhood, I've always dreamed of having fit and muscular body. At about the age of 13, doctors diagnosed me second degree scoliosis. It would not be so terrible except one thing: in addition to scoliosis, I had intervertebral hernias, which caused severe back pain and interfered with training. Despite the fact that doctors forbade me to lift more than 5-10 kg (11-22 lbs), I still went to the gym and kept on fanatically working out. In bench press I managed to lift 120 kg (265 lbs) for 1 rep at a bodyweight of 62 kg (137 lbs), and did squats with 100 kg (220 lbs) for several reps. These feats were achieved without steroids and other hormonal substances. I even did not used supplements such as creatine etc. Anyway despite the great strength, I could not boast of impressive muscle mass and health.

Year 2010. Bench press 120 kg (265 lbs) at a bodyweight of 62 kg (137 lbs).

My best results at that time were:

Height: 175 cm (5' 9)

Weight: 62(!) kg (137 lbs)

Bench press: 120(!) kg (265 lbs) for 1 rep;

Biceps: 33-34 cm (13-13,4 in);

Squats: 100 kg (220,5 lbs) for several reps;

Thighs: 50-52 cm (19,7-20,5 in);

My body was literally screaming to me that I was making harm to it - but I did not listen at all, because everybody around me was saying that without Big 3 and heavy weights, it was impossible to build really ripped and muscular body. I wanted it badly.

One day, the pain in my back became so unbearable that I spent most of the day lying in bed, afraid to make at least one awkward movement. The sensations were as if hundreds of knives were stuck simultaneously in my back, and then they were still scrolling! Adding to this the injuries of my shoulders, elbows, unpleasant sensations in the knees that were already earned thanks to the training with heavy weights, it was no longer about how to become a bodybuilder, but the question was: can I normally live and work without pain.

I could not put strain on my back any more. Actually I did not want it. As for the machines - I never considered them seriously. So I decided: I will be doing bodyweight training at home. I wanted to do an experiment on my body and see, how effective bodyweight training was in comparison to heavy weight lifting.

Since 2013, I have been doing exclusively bodyweight training at home or outdoors, doing only the bodyweight push-ups, dips, pull-ups, jump-squats, single-leg squats. In addition, when I say bodyweight training, I mean that I cannot add any extra weight to my body, because I immediately feel unpleasant sensations in my back, even when working out with small extra weight.

Year 2017. Result from doing jump squats

On the Internet, everyone was talking about that pull-ups and push-ups without extra weights are a work for endurance, not for muscle growth. But I did not listen to anyone. I kept on going my own way, doing up to 40 and more repetitions per set, working out every day. Finally, I was able to perform high-quality sessions for my thighs without fearing for my back. What was the most surprising thing, is that my body began to change rapidly, because the pain in the back ceased to be a limiting factor in my training!

Above all I proved to myself that bodyweight training at home/outdoors is a good alternative to the gym if your goal is healthy and muscular body. Many of my clients followed my example and also managed to radically change their bodies, which means that my success is not accidental.

Now I know for sure that neither injuries, nor health problems, nor lack of money for the gym and sports nutrition cannot be excuses for not doing anything! All in your hands, bro, go for it!

In 2017, I managed to add another 4 kg (8,8 lbs) of lean muscle mass.

My results in 2017 :

Height: 175 cm (5' 9)

Weight: 67-68 kg (147,7-149,9 lbs)

Biceps (cold): 39 cm (15,4 in)

Biceps (pumped): 41,5 cm (16,3 in)

Waist: 68 cm (26,8 in)

Thighs: 57 cm (22,4 in)

Calves: 39 cm (15,4 in)