Calisthenics Vs. Weights — Which Is Better For You?

Weightlifting and calisthenics have many similar fitness and weight management benefits. 

Both training styles effectively build full-body muscular strength and endurance. Additionally, they each aid in fat loss and can improve body composition.

Some calisthenics benefits include affordability and location flexibility. Using only bodyweight resistance, you can work out anytime, anywhere, at home, in the park, or on holiday.

Weightlifting requires a small financial investment in the form of home equipment or a gym membership. However, the use of dumbbells opens up more options for progressively overloading the muscles.

There is a lot to consider when deciding between calisthenics vs weights. Each training style has its merits, but training goals, budget, and time commitment may be determining factors. In this article, we break down the details of each training method, helping you select the best option for your needs.

Calisthenics Vs. Weights: Key Information

Equipment

Training with weights is more equipment-intensive than calisthenics. Because different muscle groups have different strength capabilities, a variety of dumbbell sets are required. The same amount of weight won’t sufficiently work both the chest and the triceps.

One of the benefits of lifting weight is that it provides a wider range of exercise options than calisthenics training. You can precisely adjust the load and body position to challenge the muscles in new ways. Dumbbells also better target muscles that are difficult to hypertrophy using bodyweight moves, like the calves and deltoids.

Calisthenics are bodyweight exercises that require no equipment. You may, at most, use a pull-up bar or a mat to make core work more comfortable. They are easy on the wallet and are not location-dependent.

This training can be done anywhere, saving time as you don’t travel to the gym to access equipment. It is ideal for those who often travel and can’t always access heavy dumbbells. Calisthenics workouts are more time-efficient than weights since they use full-body exercises, working many muscles simultaneously.

Progression

Exercise progression is a key factor when considering calisthenics vs. weight training. Both have a range of progression options and can build muscular strength and endurance. The best method depends on training experience and fitness goals.

Weights make exercise progression simple and provide various options to diversify your workout. You can increase the load, work the muscles from different angles, or alter the range of motion. Dumbbells also offer more training methods to overload the muscles, like drop sets and pre-fatigue sets. 

Drop sets involve completing three consecutive sets, starting heavy, and reducing the load for each set. Pre-fatigue sets target a specific muscle by performing an isolation exercise before a compound exercise. 

Weightlifting is an efficient and effective way to progress for experienced exercisers and

those seeking maximal strength or hypertrophy. Using calisthenics, they may reach a point when sufficiently challenging their muscles is difficult. Lifting more weight builds muscle without increasing workout length or frequency.

Progressive overload principles can be applied to calisthenics, incrementally increasing exercise intensity, volume, or frequency. You can challenge the muscle by altering the exercise speed, increasing sets and reps, or adding an extra weekly workout. One study found that upper-body strength can be increased with progressive calisthenics training.

Progressing a calisthenics exercise is easiest for beginners, as they often initially can’t support their full body weight. For example, new exercisers may start push-ups from an elevated surface or their knees. They have more progressions available to work up to a set of full push-ups.

Muscle Engagement 

Weightlifting and calisthenics both utilize compound exercises, working multiple joints and muscle groups simultaneously. Each method targets all the major muscle groups and can facilitate total-body strengthening.

Comparing muscle activation rates for a push-up and a bench press shows engagement differences between calisthenics and weights. In a push-up, the activation rate for the triceps is 7.9%, and the biceps is 9.4%. In a bench press, the rates are 11.9% for the triceps and 16.4% for the biceps.

A notable difference between weights and calisthenics is muscle isolation. Weight training allows you to isolate individual muscles and target a specific head of multi-headed muscles. Making small adjustments to the weight-bearing position provides more muscle engagement options.

Calisthenics exercises focus on multi-joint and full-body movements. This training method improves coordination and targets the body’s large muscle groups. It engages smaller muscles as synergists, or assistants, to the main muscle groups executing the move.

Muscle isolation options are limited when using calisthenics compared to weights. This is one of the calisthenics disadvantages for those seeking maximal strength or hypertrophy.

Muscle Growth

Muscle hypertrophy is a hot topic in the calisthenics vs weightraining debate. Increasing muscle mass is achievable with either training style. How much muscle you want to build is the key factor to consider.

Body weight exercises improve body composition and increase muscle in untrained populations. Research shows that calisthenics builds muscle mass in sedentary women and older adults. This training style benefits those gaining muscle for functional strength and weight management purposes.

Lifting weights can produce big gains in muscle mass and is well-suited for exercisers focused on hypertrophy. To maximize muscle gain, lifting at 60%–80% of your one repetition maximum or 1RM is recommended. Weights are necessary to accommodate the heavy loads that big hypertrophy demands.

If we compare calisthenics vs. weights physique, the former gives you a lean look and the latter a muscular appearance. Calisthenics produces a lean, toned aesthetic and is suitable for people who want to gain definition but not bulk. Weights are the best choice for bodybuilders and those looking to bulk up.

Strength Type 

Increases in muscular strength can be attained by using weights or calisthenics. Like muscle mass, it comes down to the degree of strength you want to gain.

Bodyweight resistance training can produce significant gains in muscle strength and bone mass. Calisthenics also employs high-impact moves that stimulate muscle and bone adaptation. One study found after an eight-week calisthenics program, strength increased by 16.4% for push-ups and 39.2% for pull-ups.

By employing body weight, calisthenics improves functional strength. This helps the body support itself in different positions and ranges of motion used in everyday life. Functional strength lets you squat to pick up an object or pull an item down from a high shelf.

Similarly, lifting weights improves bone health, muscular strength, and functional capabilities. However, unlike calisthenics, weights can facilitate training for maximal strength gains. Powerlifting and Olympic weightlifting necessitate loads exceeding one’s body weight.

Powerlifters train with loads at 60%–80% of their 1 RM, and Olympic weightlifters lift 60%–100% of their 1RM. This absolute strength can only be achieved by heavy resistance training with weights.

Who Should Prioritize Calisthenics?

Those Who Prioritize Burning Calories 

If you wonder, “Is calisthenics better than weights for a high-calorie burn?” the answer is yes. Calisthenics performed at high intensities can expend more calories than weightlifting alone. Those seeking to burn calories and lose weight can obtain better results with calisthenics than solely lifting weights.

Calisthenics has been shown to aid in weight loss and improve body composition. By engaging several muscle groups at once through full-body exercises, calisthenics can burn many calories.

This training style incorporates high-impact moves, which also increase calorie burn.

Research shows aerobic training, like high-impact calisthenics, is superior to resistance training in facilitating weight and visceral (abdominal) fat loss. Furthermore, high-impact aerobics reduces body weight and fat more than resistance training and steady-state cardio. 

Those Who Want Functional Strength

We use functional strength for regular tasks in our day-to-day lives. These movements range from bending to tie your shoes to picking up your children or doing household chores. Improving functional strength makes daily tasks easier and reduces the risk of injury.

Many calisthenics exercises mimic everyday movement patterns, increasing coordination and functional strength. Because calisthenics uses multi-joint movements rather than muscle isolation, it better reflects everyday activities.

Bodyweight exercise and functional training also decrease the risk of falls, especially as we age. This training method can also improve balance and further reduce injury. Calisthenics is well-suited for those seeking functional strength and is especially beneficial for middle-aged and older adults.

Who Should Prioritize Weights?

Those Who Prioritize Building Strength

Weightlifting befits anyone looking for big strength gains. Bodybuilders, powerlifters, and Olympic weightlifters require heavy loads only supplied by weights. Training guidelines for building absolute strength recommend lifting 1–5 reps at 80%–100% of your 1RM.

A high training intensity is needed for significant increases in strength or absolute strength. A high-intensity, low-volume weight training regimen produces the best strength gains. This can’t be achieved with low to moderate loads supplied by bodyweight resistance in calisthenics.

Strength-focused training is high-frequency, often involving program splits. Different muscles are worked on alternating days to achieve 2–3 weekly workouts per muscle group. Compartmentalizing the body allows some muscle groups to recover while targeting others.

Full-body exercises, common in calisthenics, make high-frequency training with adequate recovery time difficult. Conversely, weights allow you to target only specific sections of the body at a time. Weight training is a more efficient and effective method of building muscular strength compared to calisthenics.

Middle-Aged Women

Women begin to lose muscle and bone mass in middle age due to menopause. Decreased bone density puts women at high risk of osteoporosis (weak bones). Both weak muscles and bones increase the risk of falls and injuries.

Lifting free weights can increase full-body strength and muscle mass in pre- and post-menopausal women. Research shows that resistance training improves bone mass in aging adults. One study found loads of between 50%–70% of 1RM effectively increase lumbar spine (lower back) bone density.

Menopause also alters metabolism, often leading to weight gain in middle-aged women. Muscle mass has a direct impact on basal metabolism rates, the amount of energy the body uses in a resting state. 

The more muscle you have, the more energy your body burns, even at rest. Increasing muscle mass has a positive effect on metabolism and can aid in weight management.

Gaining muscle mass and bone density through weight lifting is highly beneficial for middle-aged women. It can improve quality of life and reduce the risk of health problems.

Can I Do Both?

Absolutely. Combining weight lifting with calisthenics gives you the best of both worlds. Incorporating aspects of both training styles will create a well-rounded program. It will also provide a greater variety of exercise options, keeping your workouts interesting and motivating.

Combining calisthenics and weights allows you to improve functional strength and target individual muscle groups. It also increases calorie burn, cardiorespiratory fitness, and muscular strength. Some calisthenic exercises, like a plank with dumbbell pull-throughs, can even be progressed by incorporating dumbbells.

Alternating between a high-intensity calisthenics move and a weight-lifting exercise is one way to combine the methods. For example, perform burpees and then a dumbbell back row. This gives you an interval-style workout with the advantages of both and is time efficient.

In the debate of calisthenics vs. weightlifting, we don’t have to choose one side. We can blend them to reap the benefits of weight training and calisthenics.

Conclusion

There are several factors to consider when comparing calisthenics vs weights. Both methods increase total body muscle mass and strength. Ultimately, training goals are the biggest deciding factor.

Calisthenics is appropriate for those seeking functional strength. Weights are ideal for those prioritizing hypertrophy and absolute strength. Mixing exercises from both styles is a great way to improve overall fitness levels with a well-balanced program.

Frequently Asked Questions