One sure way to start a heated debate among fitness enthusiasts is to bring up the heated topic of bodyweight vs conventional weight training. The hardcore bodybuilders tout training with weights as the only way to train hard or go home. They make bulking up and getting big, look like their only reason for existence. On the other hand, we have the calisthenics experts who can do some of the most difficult exercises such as tiger bend push-ups and single-handed planches that guys at the gym who’ve been training with weights for years can’t do. So which form of training is better?
The answer is, it depends.
If you’re hoping to get the big, bulky muscular look that professional bodybuilders have, sooner or later you’ll need to lift the heavyweights to tax your muscles and achieve hypertrophy. If you want an aesthetic, lean, and muscular form, bodyweight training will more than suffice to help you achieve the body you desire.
Most people lead sedentary lives, and when they do decide to shed the excess pounds and get fit, they believe that they need to spend hours on cardio and weights – and spend money on a gym membership. The truth of the matter is that what they really need to do is engage in bodyweight training to build a strong foundation and get their muscles used to exercise. Lifting weights blindly in the gym almost always leads to injuries or disinterest after a while.
Here are 7 reasons why bodyweight training is better than conventional weight training for most people.
Excellent for beginners
When you’re a beginner, doing push-ups is a far better way to work your chest muscles, shoulders, and triceps than trying to do bench presses. You’ll be able to perform the exercise slowly and with good form until you build a solid foundation where you can easily do 100 or even 200 push-ups at one go.
Bodyweight exercises train your body to go through a full range of motion whereas conventional weight training can be restrictive because of the heavier weights that are used. It’s dangerous to lock your knees when doing leg presses at the gym, but you’ll have no such issues doing bodyweight squats.
Reduced chances of injury
Very often, people at the gym feel like they have something to prove. Instead of leaving their ego at the door, they see a need to keep up with or impress others. This is human nature and it often results in people lifting more weight than they’re capable of. This results in poor form and/or injury.
It’s almost impossible to find someone who has been lifting weights for years that doesn’t have some chronic injury somewhere on their body. Either their shoulder hurts or they’ve torn a muscle in the past or they’ve taken time out before to recover from an injury. It’s almost a badge of honor to have some injury.
Bodyweight training keeps you safe. You can’t take on more weight because all you have is your bodyweight. The movements are also more controlled because of the way the exercises are performed.
Can be turned into cardio
Yes! Bodyweight training can be a form of cardio if you do the exercises in a rapid fashion with minimal breaks between movements. Some of the most popular commercially-sold cardio workouts like P90X and Insanity Max are bodyweight exercises done in a HIIT-styled manner. You can’t do this with conventional weight training because the weights are much heavier and there’s a far higher chance of injury.
It’s convenient
You can do bodyweight training almost anywhere. Want to do a quick set of squats and chair dips at your workplace? No problem! At the park? Go ahead and bust out a few sets of burpees, push-ups, and tuck jumps. Watching TV and there’s a commercial break? Time for some mountain climbers or a plank or some jumping jacks.
This style of training is versatile, convenient, and still highly effective. You can’t do that with weight training that requires dumbbells, barbells, and other bulky equipment.
Privacy
Millions of people around the world are self-conscious and would prefer to work out at home, rather than to go to a gym where everyone seems to have the body of a Greek god. It can be intimidating and make one feel insecure.
The good news is that bodyweight training can be done in the privacy of your own home and with time, you’ll have the body of a Greek god too. If, of course, that is what you want. This is a very powerful training protocol that works.
No gym membership required
On a tight budget? Bodyweight training has your name written all over it. Forget the expensive gym memberships. There are thousands of people who have gotten strong and ripped with bodyweight training and have not spent a cent on any swanky gym.
And finally:
Lots of variety and challenge
There are literally thousands of bodyweight training exercises that will keep you busy for a lifetime. Some exercises are so difficult that it’ll take you years to master them. So, if you’re looking for a style of training that will hold your interest, keep you challenged and allow you the ability to keep taking your training to the next level, bodyweight training is your answer.
7 advantages are more than enough to convince anyone that bodyweight training will work wonders if you work it. Give it a try today and you’ll be amazed at how effective it can be for breaking a sweat and toning your muscles.