Do you remember starting your fitness journey? When I started mine, one big question stood out to me. Should I do bodyweight training or start lifting weights? Calisthenics and weight training have some hardcore fans! And, of course, both of them argue that their method is superior for building strength or muscle.
I started with a combination of P90X and a Weider bench set that took up my bedroom. But I learned a lot about both over the years.
I aim to cover all the key differences below. Then, you can decide which training style aligns best with your goals and lifestyle!
Defining Calisthenics and Weight Training
Let’s start by clearly defining what we mean by both terms.
What are Calisthenics? And Common Calisthenics Exercises
Calisthenics refers to exercises using your own body weight. Done right it provides resistance and builds strength. Calisthenic exercises include:
- Pushups
- Pull-ups and chin-ups
- Squats
- Lunges
- Planks
- Dips
- Crab walks
- Burpees
And many other exercises leveraging gravity and ground reaction forces.
Calisthenics requires little to no equipment. It relies on body weight movements to engage many muscle groups at once. It builds impressive functional strength, mobility, flexibility, and muscle endurance. It does this through various full-body exercises.
Some examples of calisthenics athletes displaying jaw-dropping levels of strength and control include athletes like Hannibal for King, Frank Medrano, and the Barstarzz. These folks can manipulate their bodies in incredible ways using calisthenics!
What is Weight Training?
Weight or resistance training refers to strength training exercises using external resistance to build muscle. This resistance typically comes in the form of:
- Barbells
- Dumbbells
- Gym machines
- Kettlebells
- Weighted vests
- Resistance bands
- Sandbags
- Any other equipment adding loading
The focus of weight training is increasing muscle mass, strength, and power in targeted areas. It does this through exercises focused on specific muscle groups. Progress is measured by the amount of weight lifted and number of repetitions performed.
These exercises often involve single joint movements to better isolate certain muscles. These include bicep curls, tricep extensions, lateral raises, and chest flyes. Multi-joint compound lifts like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses are also staples. Having quantifiable metrics for progress is a benefit of weight training – “I can now squat 100 lbs more than 3 months ago.
Who Are These Training Methods Best Suited For?
There is certainly overlap in who can benefit from calisthenics and weight training. But, some key differences stand out when deciding which method aligns better with your goals and lifestyle.
Calisthenics Workouts Tend to Be Better Suited For:
- Total beginners new to training
- People wanting to build baseline strength and mobility first
- Anyone without access to gym equipment or weights
- Those focused more on muscle endurance vs brute strength
- Military personnel and athletes needing functional fitness
- Travelers and those on the go without gym access
- Children and teenagers still developing
Calisthenics exercise is very easy to perform without any equipment. This makes it easier to commit to without consistent gym access. Bodyweight exercises are also a great way to increase fitness levels for true beginners.
Weight Training Tends to Be Better For:
- Experienced lifters stronger than the average beginner
- People able to regularly access barbells/machines
- Anyone highly focused on maximizing muscle hypertrophy
- Those wanting to increase baseline strength levels quickly
- Anyone needing to isolate/target weaker muscle groups
- Competitive strength athletes lifting very heavy loads
- Bodybuilders looking for maximum muscle size
- People who strongly prefer tracking quantifiable progress
Again – there is plenty of grey area here. But in broad strokes…
- Calisthenics offers beginners an easily accessible training style using functional body movements for baseline fitness.
- Weight training enables targeting specific weak points and continually progresses loading needed to push muscle growth upwards.
You can certainly combine both styles of training for well-rounded programming, too! Want to gain muscle mass quickly and gain the benefits of calisthenics? Try circuit training with a combination of exercises from both groups.
Calisthenics Workout For Beginners: Build Muscle at Home!
Advanced calisthenics training can seem intimidating. But getting started with bodyweight exercises as a novice is extremely approachable. You don’t need fancy equipment – just some floor space!
Here is a straightforward beginner calisthenics plan using basic movements. The focus is building strength, stability, and baseline conditioning. The program helps you progressively master your bodyweight before adding unstable advanced exercises.
This calisthenics for beginners routine hits all major muscle groups across 3 strength training sessions per week. Rest at least 1 day between each.
Workout A
- Jumping jacks – 1 minute
- Pushups – 3 sets till muscle fatigue
- Bodyweight squats – 3 sets x 15 reps
- Calf raises – 3 sets x 20 reps
- Plank – 3 sets x 30 seconds
Workout B
- High knees – 1 minute
- Inverted rows – 3 sets till fatigue (can use table)
- Walking lunges – 3 sets x 12 reps per leg
- Glute bridges – 3 sets x 15 reps
- Side plank – 3 sets x 30 seconds per side
Workout C
- Mountain climbers – 1 minute
- Chair dips – 3 sets x 15 reps (use chair or bench)
- Split squats – 3 sets x 10 reps per leg
- Donkey kicks – 3 sets x 15 reps per leg
- Cobra pose – 3 sets x 30 seconds
Get started with this foundation-building plan, executing each workout once over the week. Gradual add difficulty with more advanced progressions over time. You’ll build muscle mass in no time!
Building Strength and Muscle with Calisthenics and Weightlifting
A common question around calisthenics is whether you can develop muscle effectively using just your body weight compared to lifting increasingly heavy barbells and dumbbells.
I’m happy to report that you can get impressive strength and muscle-building results from consistent progressive calisthenics!
However, the overload principle from weight training allows muscular development to be pushed to higher levels by incrementally progressing load over time. At very high strength levels, additional loading from weights helps drive increased size.
But the difference in strength and physique gains for a newer trainee over 6-12 months of focused effort is smaller than most people think!
Both styles elicit substantial improvements in functional capability and aesthetic changes. It often comes down to enjoyment, lifestyle fit, available equipment, and workout preferences that dictate long-term compliance.
If optimizing for pure muscle growth, weights have advantages. But don’t underestimate just how far calisthenics skills can be pushed! Handstands, planches, front levers, muscle ups, human flags… all incredible feats and physiques built strictly from bodyweight training.
Which is Better For Burning Calories
Another consideration for some is which strength training method burns more calories and contributes to weight loss or body recomposition goals.
You’ll be happy to learn that well-programmed weightlifting workouts and calisthenics training torched calories at equivalent, if not better, rates than steady-state cardio!
This seems to result from total muscle activation required to stabilize the body and perform coordinated movements during advanced calisthenics routines. More muscles under load = more energy consumed!
So, in general, circuit-style training leveraging big compound movements with either weights or bodyweight burns tons of calories by recruiting multiple large muscle groups at once. Both qualify as excellent forms of strength training cardio!
