We will be comparing some of the pros and cons between free weights and body weights, to help us realise which might be a more suitable approach for us to take in our journey towards building strength.
There are definitely a few ways to increase your strength levels. Through consistent training, adequate food intake and rest, you will be able to achieve what you set out to. Increasing the amount of strength that you have does not mean you will become big and bulky.
Free Weights
This involves lifting weights that are external to your body i.e. dumbbells, adding weighted plates to a barbell. Many traditional strength training programs that you see in the gyms, rely on barbells and dumbbells.
The reason why athletes use free weights is because to become stronger, you can either increase the amount of weight or increase the amount of repetitions.
Using free weights allows you to target very specific muscle groups which can help you correct muscle in balances. For example, for dragon boaters who are predominately focused on one side of their body for their training, may use weights to counter and purely focus on the other side, to make up for the inbalance.
There are many different variations of exercises that you can possibly engage in through free weights. Pulling, pushing, lifting, rows, squats. You are able to change the position of the weights, the way you grip or the direction which you act upon.
Through free weights, you are also able to strengthen you metabolism, improve bone density as well as muscle mass.
However, there are downsides to free weights. You need to engage in the proper form while doing the exercise to be able to activate certain muscle groups and remain safe while doing so. There are incidents whereby people are unable to cope with the weight and end up injuring themselves in the process i.e. dropping the weight on themselves or injuring their wrists.
Body Weight
This involves movements that relies on your body weight. You do not need to visit the gym to do so as your body is the weight. You can do it wherever you want. It is convenient. Technically, in certain body weight exercises, you might still require the pull up bar for some of these exercises, so we wouldn't say that you completely do not require any equipment per se.
The way which you can increase the level of difficulty to body weight exercises is by engaging in a different variation of the exercise i.e. instead of doing a normal push up, you can consider alternatives such as wide arm push up, diamond push up or even one arm push up.
Body weight exercises requires balance and functional movements. Doing body weight exercises would target an area of muscles.
Since it targets an area of muscles, its difficult for you to isolate and work on an individual part and neglect the rest.
Both free weights and body weight exercises allow us to benefit differently and it is definitely possible to consider taking a two-prong approach towards building strength. By engaging in both forms of exercises, it allows you to harness best of both worlds!
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