Calisthenics vs Weight Training -Which strength exercise is best for you (2024)

Weight-lifting and calisthenics are both forms of strength training that can bring you closer to your fitness goals. However, the two exercises yield different results.

What you need to know:

• What is strength training?
• What is calisthenics?
• What is weight training?
• Calisthenics v/s weight training
• Why are calisthenics and weight training important?

What is strength training?

Strength training, also known as resistance training or muscular training, refers to any physical movement using your body weight or weight-lifting equipment, such as dumbbells, kettle bells, and resistance bands, to build muscle mass and boost strength and endurance.

What is calisthenics?

In calisthenics, you use your body’s resistance and gravity to strengthen your muscles. Exercises such as squats, lunges, crutches, and push-ups fall under this category. The best part about calisthenics is that it is excellent for beginners, and you can do them anywhere and at any time, as it does not require any equipment. It improves balance, endurance, coordination, and flexibility.

Once you become more used to such workouts, you can change your routine to challenge yourself – all it requires is body awareness, creativity, practice, and consistency. You can even try the many variations of these exercises. For instance, if you have mastered push-ups on your toes, you can try the advanced versions in the forms of spider push-ups, decline push-ups, or planche push-ups.

Simple equipment can take your fitness levels up a notch. For example, you can use a resistance band to facilitate gains in strength and power. You can also use a pull-up bar for exercises, including pull-ups, hanging knee raises, chin-ups, and muscle-ups.

What is weight training?

If you don’t push yourself to make your workouts harder, you limit your ability to grow. Weight training builds your strength using external weights, like a barbell, medicine balls, Bosu balls, or gym machines. Making gains with weight training involves a technique of progressive overload, which indicates gradually increasing the amount of weight you can lift to make your muscles stronger.

Some examples of weight training exercises include leg presses, bench presses, bicep curls, shoulder presses, and tricep extensions. If you want to build strength in a particular muscle group, weight lifting is the way to go.

Calisthenics v/s weight training

Although calisthenics and weight training are branches of the same tree, they are somewhat different.

• While a calisthenics workout can be done anywhere – be it outdoors, indoors, at home, or in the gym, weight training requires equipment. So, either you invest in this equipment to create a mini home gym or go to the nearest gym to exercise with weights.
• Calisthenics training can engage your whole body if you incorporate a range of upper and lower body exercises in your workout routine. However, weight training focuses on one or two muscle groups at a time.
• Calisthenics workout involves compound exercises, as it uses multiple muscle groups at once. Hence, it is better for burning calories, whereas weight training contains isolated movements that do not require a lot of energy. It still helps build muscle mass and increases your basal metabolic rate or the number of calories you burn at rest.
• One disadvantage of bodyweight strength training is you are limited by your weight, and there is no clear-cut outward progress. You can continue to add weight to gym equipment to test how far you can go, and it is easier to mark this progression. If you are able to lift more than when you started, you are stronger.

Why are calisthenics and weight training important?

Instead of siding with any of these two exercises, combine them for maximum benefit. You can either try both techniques on the same day in a single strength-training session or alternate between them.

• You can develop a muscular body by lifting weights. You can develop muscle strength with calisthenics. The best of both these approaches can boost your strength, speed, and stamina.
• Lifting heavy weights can trigger your fast-twitch muscle fibers, while muscular and aerobic conditioning in calisthenics activates your slow-twitch muscle fibers. Thus, combining these two workouts can increase your stamina.
• Weight training improves your metabolism, increases bone density, helps in weight management, and ensures joint flexibility. Calisthenics tones your body and provides muscle harmony.
• A balanced combination of these methods keeps you active and takes care of your physical and mental well-being. While weight lifting helps you control aggression, calisthenics makes you sweat. Together, they help you relax and get rid of stress.

Both these workouts are equally important. Since these exercises add resistance to your muscle, don’t overdo them. Pay attention to your body and take rest days to refuel.

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