Do You Ever Choose Body Weight over Weights?

[EmbraceTheBurn]

Question: In a routine at the gym, do you ever choose the body-weight exercise over the weighted exercise? Basically, I'm asking because I choose both wide-grip chin-ups and single-leg squats over another weighted alternative. More importantly, I'm wondering if anyone sees anything wrong with this. 

 

I started doing single-leg squats to prevent a nasty case of Runner's Knee I had this past May. I worry about changing those because 1. I'd had to not be able to run again in my youth (32), and 2. Because I'm always worried about the damage squats can do to the knees/lower back. 

 

I do wide-grip chin-ups for less noble reasons. I do think they're a great workout, but as a thinner guy, it's something I have over a lot of my more Mesomorphic friends at the gym. I wonder, though, if I'm sacrificing something in pursuing this back option as opposed to (for example) Lat. Pulldowns. 

 

Thanks for anything you can throw my way. 

 

 

[TMedina]

I almost always choose weighted options - mostly because I like weights.  And it's easier to overload than it is with body weight exercises; which is not to say it can't be done, but not as easily.  And I'm all about easy.

 

1. Lat pulldowns - are pretty much not all that great.  It's what those of us who can't do chin-ups are forced to resort to.  If you want to keep rocking out your full-body chin-ups, look into adding a weight belt.  But otherwise, stick with the body-weight chin-ups.

 

2. Squat damage to knees and lower back.  By and large, those concerns are overblown and the result of hysteria, coupled with incredibly poor technique.  That said, if you're benefiting from your sing-leg squats, stick with it.  I've seen folks do weighted pistol squats, which might be of interest to you - holding a kettle bell or a dumb bell while doing the one-leg squat.

 

I'm just now starting to improve my barbell squat form to the point where I can start making progress, but since i'm not a body-builder, or planning on competing, the physical benefits I get are no better (or worse) than what you get from doing single-leg squats.

 

So the short answer is, meh - whatever works for you.  There are plenty of enthusiasts on either side of the fence and as long as you pay attention to your form, you won't go wrong either way.

[danica]

Now that I'm about 90 lbs lighter, I do bodyweight and weight lifting movements, often both in the same day, because why not. I lost all that weight, so I'm sure as hell going to do some pull ups if I want to, because I earned that. And pushups have definitely improved my bench press. I think I'm with TMedina - whatever floats your goat. If you are worried about your back having pressure from weighted squats, front squats are a nice alternative to back squats loading too much pressure on spine. But I do both. Pistols (single leg squats) are awesome. You can add weight by hanging onto a kettle bell or dumbbell too. So many options. Doing bodyweight stuff is great...just don't forget to keep challenging yourself with more or more intensity, or adding another level to it. 

 

[TMedina]

I have never floated anyone's goat.

 

I don't care what the police report says.

[danica]

I have never floated anyone's goat.

 

I don't care what the police report says.

WHO ARE YOU TRYING TO FOOL

[TMedina]

...my parole officer, if you must know.

[JPrev]

I like doing both!  They're all tools in the box to me.  These days, though, I've been more excited to learn new bodyweight forms than adding pounds to my free weights.  There's nothing inherently wrong with either approach or a combination of the two; it's just a matter of your goals and what you find interesting.

 

And just 'cuz I don't think pure bodyweight gets many shout outs - check Waldo's profile and his website www.strengthunbound.com if you want to see an example of what can be done with just bodyweight.

[Rookiebeotch]

I hate to be a spelling nazi, but you got a big misspelt word here.

the damage squats can do to the knees/lower back.

Your D-A-M-A-G-E should be spelled as M-A-S-S-I-V-E-S-T-R-E-N-G-T-H-E-N-I-N-G

[SpecialSundae]

Yes, barbell squats done badly can mess up your knees and lower back.

 

So can running.

 

So can picking up the shopping.

 

So can single leg squats (actually).

 

I mean, do whatever exercise you want, but squats aren't the big bad here.

[Nubbins McGee]

Edit: redacted for inadvertently sounding like a jerk

[SpecialSundae]

Edit: redacted for inadvertently sounding like a jerk

I probably sound like a jerk a lot.

[cob]

My goal is to get so badass that I don't need free weights because:

1. I know so many body weight variants that just adding weight to myself will force growth, if desired
2. I have such raw technique and control that bodyweight exercises are a superior choice for engaging all my muscles and stabilizers
3. I don't want to go to the University gym where all the frat boys are. Even though they couldn't judge me out, they could certainly annoy me out

[Hit]

 

 

Question: In a routine at the gym, do you ever choose the body-weight exercise over the weighted exercise?

 

yup, pretty much always. i've started bringing the weight squats/deadlifts and rows back into play because i didn't feel i was accurately hitting those muscle groups but otherwise its all bodyweight. i train this way primarily for sport - parkour, capoeira and breakdancing - and so my workouts include a lot of skill training.  

 

 

 

I started doing single-leg squats to prevent a nasty case of Runner's Knee I had this past May. 

 

i assume you mean pistols, as opposed to shrimp or split squats, in which case i've heard of anyone having less knee issues from pistols compared to regular barbell squats. in fact its generally the opposite - people develop knee issues by doing pistols because form is so much harder to maintain. 

 

 

chin ups... over lat pull downs

 

chins and pull ups are better in almost every conceivable way than a lat pull down. 

[birdy05]

I think if you have the proper form doing any kind of exercise, you'll significiantly reduce the chance of injury. Personally I prefer actual weights as I can really push myself with those but using your body weight has benefits too, its pretty good for combining with cardio so you get the best of both worlds, and for improving your balance depending on the type of exercise. Body weight training is used quite a bit for rehabilitation so if you're concerned about damage you can stick with it.

[Jammer]

Question: In a routine at the gym, do you ever choose the body-weight exercise over the weighted exercise? Basically, I'm asking because I choose both wide-grip chin-ups and single-leg squats over another weighted alternative. More importantly, I'm wondering if anyone sees anything wrong with this. 

 

I started doing single-leg squats to prevent a nasty case of Runner's Knee I had this past May. I worry about changing those because 1. I'd had to not be able to run again in my youth (32), and 2. Because I'm always worried about the damage squats can do to the knees/lower back. 

 

I do wide-grip chin-ups for less noble reasons. I do think they're a great workout, but as a thinner guy, it's something I have over a lot of my more Mesomorphic friends at the gym. I wonder, though, if I'm sacrificing something in pursuing this back option as opposed to (for example) Lat. Pulldowns. 

 

In general the advantage of weighted exercises is that it is possible to control the resistance more precisely and progressively.

 

In general the advantages of body weight exercises are: less equipment, less setup.

 

I don't know anything about one-legged squats in particular but would be concerned enough about the long-term effects on the lumbar vertebrae and sacro-iliac joint to ask someone smarter and more knowledgable than me before doing them regularly

 

Nothing wrong with pullups, as others noted upthread, just use a weighted belt to increase the resistance.  I wish I could do them. 

[Oramac]

I almost always choose weighted options - mostly because I like weights.

 

2. Squat damage to knees and lower back.  By and large, those concerns are overblown and the result of hysteria, coupled with incredibly poor technique.  That said, if you're benefiting from your sing-leg squats, stick with it.  I've seen folks do weighted pistol squats, which might be of interest to you - holding a kettle bell or a dumb bell while doing the one-leg squat.

 

as long as you pay attention to your form, you won't go wrong either way.

 

This.  I prefer weights, but I still throw in some bodyweight stuff too.  Especially on days when, for whatever reason, I can't get into the gym.

 

As for squats, I can attest to bad form being bad.  lol.  I hurt my knee because I was a moron and piled on weight I wasn't ready for, which broke down my form, resulting in hurting my knee.  Take it slow and focus on form instead of weight and you'll be fine.  

[jfreaksho]

I've done both, and I do both for different reasons.

 

I move weights to get stronger.  I move my body to get better at moving my body.  There's a lot more of a skill component to bodyweight stuff over barbell.  Not only do I want to be strong, but I want to move well.  I want to do handstands and muscleups and planches and flags and levers.

 

I'm at the point where I'm doing a pretty intense bodyweight routine (Gymnastic Bodies Foundation 1) plus lifting weights.  However, my goals lean towards more time and effort spent on GBF1, especially for upper body, while I restrict my barbell work to squats and deadlifts.  (GB programs have pretty awesome integrated mobility work as well, though they aren't cheap.)

 

Also, for some fitness tests coming up, I have to spend some time focused on muscular endurance, or simply doing lots and lots of pushups and pullups, as well as being a competent runner.

 

That being said, if you can't squat with a barbell because it hurts, you should learn how to do it so it doesn't hurt.  Squats were the best thing that ever happened to my previously-operated-on knee.  My core is a heck of a lot stronger with squats and deadlifts than without.  (My situp scores are consistently high and I never train situps.)  You will likely learn things that will help you improve your pistol squats (pistol squat technique definitely helped my barbell squat) and make you a better athlete overall.

 

 

 

*Edit* Lots of articles have been written about how squats help runner's knee problems.  It is widely acknowledged that imbalanced thigh muscles can cause it, but most of the medical sites talk about weak quads, when it is far more likely to be weak hamstrings IMNSHO.

https://www.google.com/search?q=squats+for+runners+knee&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

For as much as three years after my knee surgery, going down stairs could aggravate my broken knee (broke a chunk of my kneecap off just before I woke up under my motorcycle).  I started squatting and no longer have knee problems.

[jfreaksho]

http://runnersconnect.net/running-injury-prevention/runners-knee-symptoms-causes-and-research-backed-treatment-solutions-for-patellofemoral-pain-syndrome/

 

This article talks specifically about hip-strengthening being more effective than quad strengthening.

[hblyne]

I like the reward of visible progression with weights. I spent a few months lifting last year and my progress was quick and exciting (geek!) but I no longer have access to free weights so am doing bodyweight work at home. It's a more cardio workout, and I enjoy the variety, but progress is definitely slower and harder to judge, for me personally. I think a combo is wise, because they do different things.

[Oramac]

http://runnersconnect.net/running-injury-prevention/runners-knee-symptoms-causes-and-research-backed-treatment-solutions-for-patellofemoral-pain-syndrome/

 

This article talks specifically about hip-strengthening being more effective than quad strengthening.

 

And to this I must say:

 

CHEECHOE!!!

[IslandGirl_Becks]

I use both bw and weights, often in the same workout. One thing that I love about bw movements is that it's not just "add more weight" to advance. Okay, so I've got a good set of wide and narrow push ups. How about hand release pushups? Inverted? Planche, eventually? Yes, please! I get a huge amount of satisfaction out of picking up heavy things, but there is something about beating gravity at moving my own body that's satisfying on a primal level.

Like JPrev said, tools in a box. Variety is the enemy of boredom. 

Also, I'll take a bw (or weighted) pull up over a lat pull any day. I can't think of one place in real life where my legs are locked into something so it's all lats without my core maxed out. 

[jfreaksho]

I like the reward of visible progression with weights. I spent a few months lifting last year and my progress was quick and exciting (geek!) but I no longer have access to free weights so am doing bodyweight work at home. It's a more cardio workout, and I enjoy the variety, but progress is definitely slower and harder to judge, for me personally. I think a combo is wise, because they do different things.

That bolded part doesn't have to be true.  It tends to be true for most bodyweight workouts, but you can do strength-based workouts as well.  They just require skill development along with the strength development.  Gold Medal Bodies, Gymnastic Bodies, Naked Warrior, Convict Conditioning, Progressive Calisthenics, etc are all strength-focused bodyweight programs.  All it takes is a shift in mentality from doing more to doing harder. 

 

An air squat is good.  Half a pistol squat is harder.  A full pistol negative is harder.  A full pistol squat is hardest.

Pushups are good.  Half-ROM 1-arm pushups are harder.  Full ROM 1-arm pushups are harder.  Full-ROM 1-arm pushups with feet together are pretty rough.  Most people can't do more than a couple of those, at most.  The strength aspect is being able to press the weight.  The skill aspect is being able to press while keeping your body in a generally straight line from shoulder to ankle.

 

That's without getting into static holds like L-sits and planches and such, where people measure success in seconds.

[hblyne]

That bolded part doesn't have to be true.  It tends to be true for most bodyweight workouts, but you can do strength-based workouts as well.  They just require skill development along with the strength development.  Gold Medal Bodies, Gymnastic Bodies, Naked Warrior, Convict Conditioning, Progressive Calisthenics, etc are all strength-focused bodyweight programs.  All it takes is a shift in mentality from doing more to doing harder. 

 

Absolutely, I was just talking about the routine I'm using now.