At the end of the day, whether you’re looking to develop muscular strength or hypertrophy, you need a stimulus to bring about this alteration. Primarily, most individuals will opt for resistance work in the form of free weights and machine weights, but there is a further option which is often not given the credit it deserves: few men believe it, but you don’t need barbells, dumbbells, or machines to build muscle, bodyweight training is incredibly effective for building muscle. Don’t let bodyweight exercises fool you; it’s no stroll in the park. Advanced bodyweight exercises require unmatched levels of full body tension, and this leads to incredible strength gains. However, there are still those who argue that bodyweight training isn’t as effective as weight lifting when it comes to building muscle. That’s probably because it’s often associated with high reps and endurance. But if you look at the muscular upper body development of male gymnasts it kind of paints a different picture. So, instead of arguing, let’s look at the different advantages and disadvantages of each training style. Let’s compare and contrast a few key elements:
Convenience:
Often times, people make excuses for themselves like “If only I had a gym…”, “If only I had more time to train…”, “If only I…” You get the idea, excuse after excuse after excuse. The fact that bodyweight training can be done anytime, anywhere and without any equipment makes it a very valuable tool for building strength and fitness – and many of the excuses for not training are eliminated altogether. You can train whenever you want so you can fit your workout into your busy schedule – not the other way around. Not to mention that, in the current climate where most individuals are looking to cut back the expenses and save those pennies, how easy is it to justify your expensive health club membership? Not only that: after a long, hard day at the office do you really want to be diverting 5 extra miles from your house in rush hour traffic? Without having to depend on crowded gyms to get your workout in, you can cut down travel and training time, which literally gives you more hours in the day. On the other side, you can be that kind of guy who feels it is easier to train at the gym, with other people around, the instructors, the mirrors and all the work-out ritual; you need the right atmosphere, let’s say. In that case, if the choice is between training at the gym and not training anywhere else, well, there’s no need for long discussions.
Progression:
One of the keys to super strength is progression – or the gradual increase of resistance. Progressing with bodyweight training can be done through a variety of methods: these include adding sets, adding repetitions, adding time (as in timed holds or isometrics), as well as form adjustments with specific exercises. Attending a gym on the contrary primarily lets you determine and alter the resistance you wish to select to mimic your training goals, rather than having your body weight only. With “weights” your progression is a reflection of adding weight to the bar. If you are using more weight now than you were in the past you are undoubtedly getting stronger. The combination of machine and free weights should also offer you more variety and exercise selection than simply bodyweight alternatives.
Strength:
Both styles develop a different “kind” of strength. One of the benefits of bodyweight training is that it can be used as a very efficient means of building tremendous lungpower, which develops endurance at the same time as strength. Sure, doing high-repetition bodyweight squats may not help you squat 1000 lbs. but on the other hand 1000 pound squats aren’t going to improve your bodyweight squat numbers either. Anyway, bodyweight exercises don’t beat up your joints as much as traditional weight training exercises do, and plenty of weightlifters have destroyed their bodies in the name of building “strength”. It has been said that bodyweight training is a more “natural” way of training. I would agree, at least in some regards. The unnatural forces due to heavy weights (and any subsequent problems from them) can be avoided with bodyweight training. Weights do have their place, but bodyweight training can be a more useful choice for many people and especially younger trainees.
Movements:
To perform an incredible array of exercises including pull-ups, chin-ups, press-ups, squats and lunges all you really need is yourself and some floor space. It really is that straightforward with bodyweight. Consider the pull-up: it’s the standard by which all body-weight exercises are measured. And even the most hard-core lifters will agree that there’s no better muscle builder for the upper body – with or without weights. The reason for its effectiveness: it takes full advantage of the scientific laws of motion and leverage, placing your body in a position that forces your back and arms to lift your entire body weight. Call it applied science at its finest. Now imagine if all body-weight exercises were as challenging as the pull-up. You’d be able to build muscle anywhere, anytime—at home, on the road, or even in a public park. Physical science makes it possible. Bodyweight training also lends itself very well to “combo” movements, which are often difficult to perform with weights. Consider then that any movement you do with “weights” is going to be dictated by gravity. Given this fact, the resistance will be strongest in one direction – straight down. In some ways, this limits the “kind” of exercises you can do with weights. Bodyweight movements often train the body in different “ways” than weights – most often from a flexibility standpoint.
At last, the question everyone wants answered: “What’s better: bodyweight training or weights? To some extent it will be determined by your training goals and personal circumstances. It must be understood that bodyweight training and weights each build a different “kind” of strength. If your goal is to “get stronger,” either will help you do so. The truth is that it does not have to be an “either/or” situation; bodyweight exercises and weight training can actually be combined into the same workout very effectively. Both training styles are useful, both can make you very strong, and (in my opinion) both can be a part of your training program. If you aren’t a member of the gym then your hands are tied, however if you are fortunate enough to have access to a gym environment, then this doesn’t take away from the fact that you can still use your bodyweight as a key tool. For example, it might be that you finish your chest session with some decline press-ups or commence your back session with some wide grip pull-ups. Why not utilize both methods together? Really it’s going to come down to which exercises you enjoy, and the kind of strength you would like to develop. The key to gaining and further developing muscular strength and size is through constantly keeping your body guessing and what better way than switching between bodyweight exercising and traditional lifting. As long as you are always considering the exercises you are undertaking, repetitions and sets you’re required and the order in which you are choosing to adopt either of these methods in your workout, then you shouldn’t go far wrong.