Weighted clothes/Weight training

[Evil Dave]

You can jimmy your body weight up and down by modifying the exercizes to change leverage and weight distribution.

What Ueshirokarate is talking about is progressive overload. He is not saying body weight exercises are bad, following his post's it sounds like he likes them! What he is saying is the body only provides a finite amount of resistance, no matter how you 'adjust' things, and there will come a time when you will need to add more resistance.

Remember: there is no single workout modality that fits every situation and the situation does change with an individuals fitness progressions and goals.

[Ueshirokarate]

You can jimmy your body weight up and down by modifying the exercizes to change leverage and weight distribution.

What Ueshirokarate is talking about is progressive overload. He is not saying body weight exercises are bad, following his post's it sounds like he likes them! What he is saying is the body only provides a finite amount of resistance, no matter how you 'adjust' things, and there will come a time when you will need to add more resistance.

Remember: there is no single workout modality that fits every situation and the situation does change with an individuals fitness progressions and goals.

Exactly right, thanks for stepping in to clarify.

[bushido_man96]

In the same vein, I would also mention that 300 push ups is not the same as a 300 lb bench press, and vise versa. You can't really correlate the two. Also, free weight exercises do force the body to balance itself in order to get the weight to move in the most efficient manner.

Body weight exercises are typically a great assistance exercise to weight training. Dips are a great assistance exercise to bench press, and if you use the chain belts to add weights, you can progressive load your dips, which means you can see your progress go up. Pull-ups are great for the back and arms, and by adding small weight increments to them, you can progressively load and see the results.

Body weight exercises and free weight exercises compliment each other so well, but there is an idea that the two are separated due to the "bulking up" myth that weight training is tagged with, and the idea that bodyweight exercises will make you look leaner automatically.

In the end, I'd say do both. Find a program and do it (not somone's "routine" in a muscle magazine, but a true weight training program).

[Ueshirokarate]

In the same vein, I would also mention that 300 push ups is not the same as a 300 lb bench press, and vise versa. You can't really correlate the two. Also, free weight exercises do force the body to balance itself in order to get the weight to move in the most efficient manner.

Body weight exercises are typically a great assistance exercise to weight training. Dips are a great assistance exercise to bench press, and if you use the chain belts to add weights, you can progressive load your dips, which means you can see your progress go up. Pull-ups are great for the back and arms, and by adding small weight increments to them, you can progressively load and see the results.

Body weight exercises and free weight exercises compliment each other so well, but there is an idea that the two are separated due to the "bulking up" myth that weight training is tagged with, and the idea that bodyweight exercises will make you look leaner automatically.

In the end, I'd say do both. Find a program and do it (not somone's "routine" in a muscle magazine, but a true weight training program).

Solid post. Of course I would suggest finding a CMMACC or CSCS to work with in designing the program for you, but I am biased.

[DWx]

I don't think either myself or JusticeZero are arguing that bodyweight is better than or should be used in preference to free weights... OP said he wanted to do bodyweight training and wanted to know whether a vest or ankle/wrist weights were better. So to answer that question, my response was neither. Save your money Tschirnhaus and work on harder bodyweight exercises. You get stronger by increasing the resistance but your body doesn't care whether that resistance comes from adding more steel to a bar or changing the leverage so you have to push/pull harder. If your're going down the bodyweight training route you might as well train to develop the more skilled movements instead of just adding weight, otherwise you might as well just hit the gym.

You can jimmy your body weight up and down by modifying the exercizes to change leverage and weight distribution.

What Ueshirokarate is talking about is progressive overload. He is not saying body weight exercises are bad, following his post's it sounds like he likes them! What he is saying is the body only provides a finite amount of resistance, no matter how you 'adjust' things, and there will come a time when you will need to add more resistance.

I think you underestimate how much resistance you can apply using bodyweight alone. You'll probably be looking like Arnie then when one-arm pull-ups, one-arm handstand pushups are no longer providing enough resistance.

[Ueshirokarate]

I don't think either myself or JusticeZero are arguing that bodyweight is better than or should be used in preference to free weights... OP said he wanted to do bodyweight training and wanted to know whether a vest or ankle/wrist weights were better. So to answer that question, my response was neither. Save your money Tschirnhaus and work on harder bodyweight exercises. You get stronger by increasing the resistance but your body doesn't care whether that resistance comes from adding more steel to a bar or changing the leverage so you have to push/pull harder. If your're going down the bodyweight training route you might as well train to develop the more skilled movements instead of just adding weight, otherwise you might as well just hit the gym.

You can jimmy your body weight up and down by modifying the exercizes to change leverage and weight distribution.

What Ueshirokarate is talking about is progressive overload. He is not saying body weight exercises are bad, following his post's it sounds like he likes them! What he is saying is the body only provides a finite amount of resistance, no matter how you 'adjust' things, and there will come a time when you will need to add more resistance.

I think you underestimate how much resistance you can apply using bodyweight alone. You'll probably be looking like Arnie then when one-arm pull-ups, one-arm handstand pushups are no longer providing enough resistance.

And many people can't even do one pull-up with both hands, so how do you train them? The easiest thing is to have them do lat pull-downs or weight assisted pull-ups like on a gravitron.

I also don't think pull-ups are the place where most people struggle with too little weight on body-weight exercises. My largest challenge is with legs and chest. I can easily do body-weight dips, push-ups and squats for many reps. Doing pistol squats or one-arm push-ups are not an option for me, but adding weight is and it is very easy to do. The biggest argument for weights over body-weight training, is the fact that you can increase resistance progressively in precise small amounts. Therefore, they provide more flexibility and precision. They do have the downside of taking up space and costing money. Moreover, as much as I believe in multi-joint moments, sometimes it is important to isolate muscles as much as possible and you can't do that well with body-weight exercises.

In short, there is no perfect training modality for all situations. Finally, as a coach, I would much rather have free-weights to train someone than rely on them doing body-weight training, especially beginners. Other than that, I really have no bias either way and recommend both body-weight and free-weight training. Heck, doing kata is body-weight training, isn't it?

[DWx]

And many people can't even do one pull-up with both hands, so how do you train them? The easiest thing is to have them do lat pull-downs or weight assisted pull-ups like on a gravitron.

Start with negatives, horizontal pulls or can do band-assisted pulls. Then jacknife pulls, vary grips, muscle ups, pulls off a rope or towel etc. then onto single arms of all the same.

I also don't think pull-ups are the place where most people struggle with too little weight on body-weight exercises. My largest challenge is with legs and chest. I can easily do body-weight dips, push-ups and squats for many reps. Doing pistol squats or one-arm push-ups are not an option for me, but adding weight is and it is very easy to do. The biggest argument for weights over body-weight training, is the fact that you can increase resistance progressively in precise small amounts. Therefore, they provide more flexibility and precision. They do have the downside of taking up space and costing money. Moreover, as much as I believe in multi-joint moments, sometimes it is important to isolate muscles as much as possible and you can't do that well with body-weight exercises.

Paralletes are good for getting deeper pushups for the chest. Or you can move on to different equipment, rings and ropes. I agree that legs are difficult but you can assist yourself with a chair or something for pistol squats and being a Karate-ka, there's always kicks against a resistance band.

Again I'm not saying that bodyweight should be used in place of weights, which method you go depends on your goals. And I agree that the fact that you can incrementally increase the weight each workout when using weights and that is a big advantage to that type of workout. Just usually the reason you might want to do a bodyweight workout instead of weighted workout is a) because you can't afford weights or gym membership or b) because you want to develop the associated skills that come with manipulating your body... therefore you should make the exercise harder before adding weight.

[Ueshirokarate]

And many people can't even do one pull-up with both hands, so how do you train them? The easiest thing is to have them do lat pull-downs or weight assisted pull-ups like on a gravitron.

Start with negatives, horizontal pulls or can do band-assisted pulls. Then jacknife pulls, vary grips, muscle ups, pulls off a rope or towel etc. then onto single arms of all the same.

I also don't think pull-ups are the place where most people struggle with too little weight on body-weight exercises. My largest challenge is with legs and chest. I can easily do body-weight dips, push-ups and squats for many reps. Doing pistol squats or one-arm push-ups are not an option for me, but adding weight is and it is very easy to do. The biggest argument for weights over body-weight training, is the fact that you can increase resistance progressively in precise small amounts. Therefore, they provide more flexibility and precision. They do have the downside of taking up space and costing money. Moreover, as much as I believe in multi-joint moments, sometimes it is important to isolate muscles as much as possible and you can't do that well with body-weight exercises.

Paralletes are good for getting deeper pushups for the chest. Or you can move on to different equipment, rings and ropes. I agree that legs are difficult but you can assist yourself with a chair or something for pistol squats and being a Karate-ka, there's always kicks against a resistance band.

Again I'm not saying that bodyweight should be used in place of weights, which method you go depends on your goals. And I agree that the fact that you can incrementally increase the weight each workout when using weights and that is a big advantage to that type of workout. Just usually the reason you might want to do a bodyweight workout instead of weighted workout is a) because you can't afford weights or gym membership or b) because you want to develop the associated skills that come with manipulating your body... therefore you should make the exercise harder before adding weight.

Some people don't have the grip strength to do negatives and yes, there are creative ways you can work with your body, but I like the fastest, most efficient and precise methods of training, especially for beginners or those with limited time who compete, which to me is a blend of both. You can also use a sand bag or other form of weight. Once again, it comes down to the individual, their situation and goals.

I totally get your point about affordability. However, I must say though, that I have run across those (especially in martial arts circles) that have almost a cult-like devotion to body-weight training. They look down upon weight training. I just don't understand that mentality. Resistance is resistance.

Moreover, you are certainly manipulating your body as much with a push up as you are with a barbell bench press and even more than both with dumbbells. Resistance is resistance, just make sure you have a sound well-defined training program that gets you to your goals. If you are serious about applying the best training methods to reach your goals in the most efficient maner, you need to be open to both. Heck, I don't want to be lugging barbells with me on a work trip. I also don't want to worry about finding the right gym to train at on a short one. In short, its all good as long as it is done soundly.