Are Bodyweight Exercises Effective?
Dear Lifehacker, I like to train without additional equipment , but some people tell me that it is not effective enough to really build muscle. It’s true? Are bodyweight exercises effective?
Regards, Push-Up Paul
Dear Paul, While the process of building muscle at the cellular level is challenging at the practical level, to put it mildly , it is quite simple.
In Greek Mythology, there is a story about a boy named Milo who carried his calf everywhere. As the calf grew every day, Milo grew stronger and stronger. By the time Milo became an adult, he was one of the strongest in the country. (Incidentally, in what would have been a great Game of Thrones episode, Milo ate his childhood friend when he was an adult.)
While there are some problems with this myth, it really isn’t that far off. Muscle building can be simplified to one simple concept: weight gain, reps (also known as “reps”), or volume gain, which you can do in a given exercise. This concept is known as progressive overload . As a result, the size of the muscles increases – a process known as muscle hypertrophy .
In the gym, you can obviously increase the weight of the dumbbells, barbells, or machine you use. But is it possible to gradually overload using bodyweight exercises, thereby building muscle? Yes, to some extent.
Bodyweight training: how effective is it?
Before talking about the benefits of bodyweight training, we need to understand whether it is effective or not.
For lighter people, the first problem is whether their body weight is sufficient to cause hypertrophy. Even if you don’t weigh that much, the good news is that this is probably enough. In one study, hypertrophy occurred with as little as 30% of the maximum weight that could be lifted .
What about heavier people who worry about not being able to exercise with their own weight? You can solve this problem by finding exercise options that you can do, suchas kneepush-ups orwall push-ups instead of regular push-ups . Don’t berate yourself if you are using the simpler exercise. What really matters is the improvement every week.
Basically, no matter how much you weigh, you will be able to gradually overload. This can be done in the following ways:
- More reps . While you won’t be able to increase the “weight” of the movement, you will be able to increase the number of reps you can do.
- More volume . If you cannot increase the number of repetitions after a certain point, you can add additional sets to increase the volume of the exercise.
- More complex options. Finally, you can move on to a more complex version of the exercise (also called “progression”), such as theBulgarian split squat instead of theregular body weight squat . There’s an awesome list of body weight exercise progressions here .
Benefits of bodyweight training
The biggest benefit of bodyweight training is that you don’t need a gym membership. Aside from the obvious financial benefits and convenience, there are tremendous psychological benefits for newbies. Coach Ben Hessel, who runs the Gym Free Workouts website, explains:
Many people are uncomfortable in a gym atmosphere. I love the “bros” in the gym making loud noises and doing deadlifts like your daily dose of grunts, but that completely keeps my type of clients from going to the gym. For them, this allows them to be comfortable in their own home – or in any comfortable environment. They don’t feel judged, so they can challenge themselves to feel uncomfortable and improve.
The gym can be incredibly intimidating for beginners. Remember, the most important thing you can do is just get started . Bodyweight training is a great option if it makes you more likely to start exercising.
Even if you end up wanting to use free weights (dumbbells and barbells), bodyweight training is a great place to start, and it can get better in the long run. I asked my friend and trainer Hunter Cook , who specializes in both body weight training and free weight training, about the connection between the two. He says:
I believe that gravity movement is not an option, but rather a prerequisite. When it comes to programming my clients’ movements, I will first train and strengthen their movement patterns with only their body weight. Only when they learn to move properly without load will they be able to load movement.
While I believe that bodyweight exercises are just one tool in the arsenal, I believe they can take people further than they imagine, regardless of their goals. Correct movement of body weight is extremely beneficial for joints and provides a more natural range of motion. Bodyweight exercise teaches people to use full body tension, which is a prerequisite for learning to handle free weights.
Cons of bodyweight training
While you can gain muscle mass through bodyweight training, there are several disadvantages.
First, progressive overload is more difficult from a practical standpoint. It is easier to visualize progress knowing that you have increased the weight in an exercise, while increasing reps or changing variations may not be as noticeable. In addition, the question is not whether, when you need to increase resistance exercises, and when it becomes necessary. Most people can actually progress further than they think by training with their own weight, but they will eventually hit the ceiling.
Even if you can only progress through bodyweight training, the second drawback comes down to the payback of your time.
For any strength training, there is a spectrum of how much work you can do and how hard you can do it . At one end of the spectrum, you have high volume workouts – doing a lot of general sets – and at the other end, you have high intensity workouts that really approach muscle failure on every set . In other words, you can have a workout with a lot of sets or a workout that you work as hard as possible. You cannot do both.
While both high volume and high intensity programs lead to hypertrophy, high volume programs require longer training sessions. For example, if you already find push-ups and push-ups easy, you may be able to work out using half (or less) dumbbell presses and weighted push-ups.
Finally, many of the best exercises cannot be done with your own weight. For example, the barbell deadlift is often called the king of exercise because it works on many different muscle groups. Unfortunately, there is no bodyweight equivalent for the barbell deadlift. You can of course find a way to work each of these muscle groups individually, but again, your workouts will take longer. (You can also purchase exercise equipment for your home if your main concern is going to the gym.)
Practical advice
With all the facts in mind, here’s what you should do if you are interested in bodyweight training:
- Use the information above to determine if bodyweight training is right for you. If you’re a beginner who is intimidated by the gym, then bodyweight training is a great place to start. If you are already experienced with strength training and are short on time, it may be better to use free weights.
- Pick a program and stick to it. Find a program you like and stick with it. We have a great program , but you can also use your own gym , starting body weight and free gym workouts . It’s always important to stick to one strength training program, but this is especially true for bodyweight exercises where progression can add an extra layer of difficulty. Don’t take risks yourself if you don’t know what you are doing.
- Make sure you are not eating. Remember, exercise is just one part of the equation. In fact, if your main goal is to lose weight, it plays a much smaller role than nutrition .
- If possible, know when to move to free weights. After you make progress, you can switch to free weights in order to achieve a certain level. Remember that bodyweight training can only be a stepping stone towards the program that works best for you.
As we mentioned earlier, there is no better program, diet or exercise program. When it comes to fitness and health, it all depends on the context and the person. Properly performed bodyweight workouts will strengthen your muscles, but be sure to consider your time, budget, and goals when choosing a program that works for you.