Natural bodybuilders believe that lifting weights is the only way to get big. They pump up their muscles in the gym, flex in front of the mirror and feel happy when a bee stings their biceps.

What did you expect? We live in a world worshiping the biceps, kid.

People have been successfully convinced that they need to spend their hard earned money on gym memberships. There are gyms that offer annual memberships and are willing to do anything to get your signature. It’s business as usual. Fortunately, there is a way to cut on these expenses. The secret is not a new concept. In fact, it’s very old and dates back to the creation of the world. It’s called – bodyweight exercises.

People usually workout for about 1 hour. Then, they go home and eat for another 30 minutes. If you add the travel time, the whole experience takes 3-4 hours. That’s a part-time job. Luckily, it’s very easy to save some time and money by performing a hybrid workout combining bodyweight exercises at home and weightlifting in the gym.

Bodyweight exercises are very effective. You can reach the muscular potential of your chest and lats by doing pull-ups, dips, and push-ups. Many great upper bodies have been developed solely through bodyweight movements

What about legs?

Training your legs with bodyweight movements is tricky. Yet there are many bodyweight exercises that promote leg hypertrophy regardless of what the “experts” say. One of the best is sprinting.

Sprinting is explosive running. It murders your posterior chain – hamstrings and glutes. It’s not uncommon for strong squatters and/or deadlifters to go for a sprint and wake up with murdered hamstrings the next day. Since sprints hit the fast twitch fibers of the leg, they also build muscle. A quick comparison between famous sprinters and marathon runners reveals which activity promotes and requires more muscle mass. Additionally, you can add jumping exercises to really finish the leg musculature. However, it would be foolish to say that classic movements such as squats, legs presses and deadlifts are not highly beneficial to the lower body. They are, and many sprinters are incorporating them.

To get the best of both worlds, you could combine bodyweight training for the upper body and barbells/machines for the legs and hips.  That way you can cut your time in the gym by two and still achieve optimal stimulation.

Note: If you are a natural bodybuilder, no amount of exercises will ever get you to the level of the pros. The natty limits are lower. And yet, I can assure that if you achieve the numbers in the guide, you will be happy with your physique.