When people typically think of building muscle, they think of heavy weight training. Study after study after study has shown that heavy weight training is going to be best at providing that overloading stimulus that is necessary to build new muscle tissue.

BUT, is weight training the only way to go about doing this?

Definitely not.

While weight training might produce optimal results, there are other ways that you can use as well - many of which are useful when you don't have heavy weights available to you while traveling.

One such method is by using body weight exercises.

Body weight exercises can be classified as anything where you are resisting against the force of your own body weight while performing some type of movement - or staying still for that manner (which would then be classified as isometrics).

Typically when we think of body weight exercises we think of push-ups and pull-ups, but this does not need to stop there.

Lower Body Weight Exercises

When you're considering exercises you can use strictly with your lower body for strength development there are many options.

Jump squats work nicely - where you crouch down until you are in a full squat position, then rebound upwards, landing, only to repeat it again.

Likewise, you can also do jump lunges, which is the same idea only now you are starting from the bottom of a lunge position, jumping up, switching legs, and repeating once again.

If you tire of those two, try just doing straightforward bodyweight squats.

True, you will not get near the resistance force as you would if you were doing squats with a weight bar, but try doing 100 full squats with no weight and see how you feel.

My bets are on that you will be pretty tired.

Afterwards, to kick this up a notch, once you've finished these body weight squats, directly go against a wall and do a wall squat holding for as long as you can.

After this, you will most definitely be feeling it.

Upper Body Weight Exercises

Next, to work the upper body, don't limit yourself to regular push-ups. There are so many different varieties out there that you really can work a number of different muscle groups.

Consider trying push-ups with hands closer together, hands further apart, hands up on an exercise ball, feet up on an exercise ball, push-ups where you rebound off the floor and clap them mid-air - and the list goes on.

The options are really limitless.

For triceps, there is always dips, which will target the chest muscles as well.

For shoulders and your core, consider placing an exercise ball under your feet, balancing on your hands which are placed directly under your shoulders so your body looks flat like a table.

From there, slowly lift one up so it is directly in front of you and hold for as long as you can.

This will give those abs a fantastic workout at the same time. After finishing one arm, switch to the other.

If you'd like, you can also perform the same movement only moving the arm out to the side instead.

So, next time you're looking for something different to challenge your body with, consider body weight exercises.