DING! DING! DING!

Welcome to the ultimate training showdown! In the one corner we have the crowd favorite- Weight training! In the opposite corner we have the challenger- Bodyweight training!

The referee blows his whistle. The opposers advance. The crowd goes wild.

Who will be the undisputed champion?

Round 1!

Let’s meet the rivals.

Bodyweight training (calisthenics):

This form of training uses only your body to make your body stronger… wait, what?

Bodyweight training consists of exercises that are repetitive and use only the body for resistance.

The idea is function instead of aesthetics. A few examples include lunges, push-ups and crunches.

Weight training:

Commonly known as strength training, focuses on increasing the size of skeletal muscles, using weights to create resistance. Reps, sets, tempo, exercise types and weight are used to increase strength, endurance and size.

Round 2!

For a very long time these forms of training have sparked much debate. Which one is most beneficial?

With pro athletes supporting both forms, it can be hard to find a clear answer.

Now that we know what each one does, let us look at their respective benefits.

Bodyweight exercises are:

• Convenient and effective.
• Simple
• Relatively safe; it’s easy to prevent injuries
• Forgiving on beginners
• Useful in helping you develop your ability level
• Increases your control and awareness
• Effective at helping to build the desired physique

Weight training exercises are:

• Simple and effective
• Builds a strong balanced physique
• Builds bone density, tendon strength and your metabolism
• Used to fix muscle imbalances since specific exercises target specific muscles
• Weight machines are often used for rehabilitation

Round 3!

Both sides have many benefits, but not every training form is perfect. To be well informed you need to understand the pro and the cons.

Bodyweight:

Because you’re limited by your own weight, outward progress is slow. To keep improving you need to add more resistance.

Increasing resistance can be hard. The idea is to make the exercise more difficult, but quantifying difficulty is nearly impossible.

Proper form and technique is crucial to avoid injury. It is advisable to get someone to demonstrate how to perform the exercises when you are a beginner.

Weight training:

There are many different types of weight training and research is required. This form of training can be merciless and beginners need to be careful.You need to have proper form and technique so you will probably need a trainer to begin.

You may gain quickly at first, but as you improve, you will need to work harder and harder to gain.

As a beginner you’ll need patience as you work your way up to more advanced exercises.

We have a winner!

We have seen a fair fight. Both sides fought hard. The crowd waits expectantly. And the winner is…

It’s a tie.

It’s up to you!

The truth is that both sides have advantages and disadvantages. Both sides have staunch defenders that declare theirs to be the only side.

One type works for some people and might not for others. Each person is different and will tailor their decision to their goal.

At the end of the day it’s your choice. You know what you want and what you want to achieve. Go for it. Choose your side and thrive.