Bodyweight Exercise VS Weight Training - Which Is Better?
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22/5/2020
Written By: Ryan Chan |
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Which is a better form of exercise- Bodyweight or Weight Training?
Before I go in depth with the comparison, I just want to say that doing either is still way better than not doing anything and being sedentary. So if you wish to kick start an active, healthy lifestyle, just start exercising and choose one that you can stick to.
Now let’s begin.
This article will be comparing these 2 types of workout method across 5 basic factors. These are:
Before I go in depth with the comparison, I just want to say that doing either is still way better than not doing anything and being sedentary. So if you wish to kick start an active, healthy lifestyle, just start exercising and choose one that you can stick to.
Now let’s begin.
This article will be comparing these 2 types of workout method across 5 basic factors. These are:
- Muscle Development
- Cardiorespiratory Endurance
- Athletic Performance
- Weight Management
- Bang For Buck
Muscle Development – Weight Training Wins
Muscle growth is part of your body’s adaptation to stress. The more stress you place upon your muscles, the more it will growth. With bodyweight exercise, you are only limited to your own weight as a form of resistance. For example, if you are a 50kg individual performing a pull up, you muscles will only be subjected to a 50kg weight resistance. Your muscle development will then be capped at a level required to achieve your 50kg pull up. However, if you include additional weights for training, raising your weight resistance to beyond 50kg, your muscles will have more potential to growth in order to overcome the higher stress load.
Many would argue that when performing bodyweight exercise, one can focus more on time under tension as compared to muscle overloading, for example, hold a squat position for a longer period of time or performing an exercise at a slower tempo. However, in order to compare the two training method equally, you can achieve much better result when you include additional weight when performing exercises that focuses on time under tension.
So the baseline is, the most stress/stimulant you give to your body, the more it can grow and adapt. For this aspect, weight training is definitely more superior than bodyweight exercise.
Many would argue that when performing bodyweight exercise, one can focus more on time under tension as compared to muscle overloading, for example, hold a squat position for a longer period of time or performing an exercise at a slower tempo. However, in order to compare the two training method equally, you can achieve much better result when you include additional weight when performing exercises that focuses on time under tension.
So the baseline is, the most stress/stimulant you give to your body, the more it can grow and adapt. For this aspect, weight training is definitely more superior than bodyweight exercise.
Cardiorespiratory Endurance – Both Are Equal
Cardiorespiratory endurance is defined as the ability to sustain your heart rate at a higher level for a longer period of time. This is often related to intensity. The more intense a workout is, the more you pant and sweat, and the higher your heart rate would be. This is commonly achieve by decreasing rest time in between your exercises, so that your heart rate doesn’t drop back down too much, and/or performing exercises with greater effort (eg. lifting heavier weight, jogging faster). In these two scenarios, both can be achieved in either bodyweight exercise or weight training.
Thus, for this aspect, both bodyweight exercise and weight training are equally effective.
Thus, for this aspect, both bodyweight exercise and weight training are equally effective.
Athletic Performance – It Depends
When it comes to performing well in sports, or simply performing better in functional movements, both bodyweight exercise and weight training are used hand in hand. Depending on performance goal, one may be used more than the other but in general, they often complement each other.
For example, if a soccer player wishes to improve his agility, majority of his training program will revolve around short burst of sprinting, sharp turns, side stepping so on and so forth. This is to allow the body to be conditioned to recognise movement patterns and for the brain to improve muscle activation and general movement efficiency. Weight training may be introduced to develop higher muscular endurance, but a big part of the training program will revolve around bodyweight exercises.
On the other hand, if a basketball player wishes to improve his elevation, majority of his training program will revolve around increase the muscle strength and power of the lower body. And this would be done using weight training.
So for this aspect, both bodyweight exercise and weight training are used depending on different performance goal.
For example, if a soccer player wishes to improve his agility, majority of his training program will revolve around short burst of sprinting, sharp turns, side stepping so on and so forth. This is to allow the body to be conditioned to recognise movement patterns and for the brain to improve muscle activation and general movement efficiency. Weight training may be introduced to develop higher muscular endurance, but a big part of the training program will revolve around bodyweight exercises.
On the other hand, if a basketball player wishes to improve his elevation, majority of his training program will revolve around increase the muscle strength and power of the lower body. And this would be done using weight training.
So for this aspect, both bodyweight exercise and weight training are used depending on different performance goal.
Weight Management – Both Are Equal
Weight management is highly dependent on calories output when it comes to exercising. And how much your workout session can burn, depends on how long your body can sustain a higher heart rate. Sounds familiar? As mentioned above in cardiorespiratory endurance, this is also known as intensity. The more intense you perform your workout, the higher your heart rate will be, the longer it will sustain at a higher heart rate which results in a greater calories output. A higher intensity workout can be achieved in both bodyweight exercise and weight training.
Thus, for this aspect, both bodyweight exercise and weight training are equally effective
Thus, for this aspect, both bodyweight exercise and weight training are equally effective
Bang For Buck – Bodyweight Exercise Wins
When it comes to living a healthy and active lifestyle through exercising, you don’t really need to pay or spend much at all. Bodyweight exercises are free to do. Simply perform some push ups, sit ups, squats and lunges and there you have it, a workout routine to get your heart pumping and calories burning.
On the other hand, weight training often requires a gym which the membership can easily cost a month of your salary, annually. If you think about it, you are working full time, for an entire month, to be able to go to a gym for a year. That can be rather expensive. To make matter worst, most people visit the gym to run on a treadmill. Running can be done almost anywhere from catching your bus to avoiding a cockroach. So if you are really paying a hefty sum for a gym membership, make sure you make full use of it, learn as much for the different equipment and weighted exercises, and avoid injuring yourself which can burn a bigger hole in your pocket.
Else, bodyweight exercise can do just the trick.
On the other hand, weight training often requires a gym which the membership can easily cost a month of your salary, annually. If you think about it, you are working full time, for an entire month, to be able to go to a gym for a year. That can be rather expensive. To make matter worst, most people visit the gym to run on a treadmill. Running can be done almost anywhere from catching your bus to avoiding a cockroach. So if you are really paying a hefty sum for a gym membership, make sure you make full use of it, learn as much for the different equipment and weighted exercises, and avoid injuring yourself which can burn a bigger hole in your pocket.
Else, bodyweight exercise can do just the trick.
Conclusion
So there you have it!
- Muscle Development – Weight Training Wins
- Cardiorespiratory Endurance – Both Are Equal
- Athletic Performance – It Depends
- Weight Management – Both Are Equal
- Bang For Buck – Bodyweight Exercise Wins
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