Are Bodyweight Workouts A Legitimate Strength Training Exercise?

When was the last time you engaged in strength training? If weightlifting isn’t your focus, you may be thinking, “uh…never?” Alternatively, you might be questioning if activities like yoga, kickboxing, or other bodyweight exercises can be classified as strength training.

The reality is that you don’t have to touch a dumbbell or barbell to see improvements in strength. “To gain strength, we simply need to engage and tire our muscle fibers,” states Luke Carlson, CEP, CEO and founder of Discover Strength.

This can be accomplished using machines, free weights, resistance bands, or just your own weight, according to him. That’s right: Just your body weight.

Still skeptical? Continue reading as experts elaborate on how bodyweight workouts can promote strength and how to verify they qualify as resistance training.

Do bodyweight workouts ‘count’ as strength training?

The answer is a definitive yes. “Bodyweight workouts absolutely qualify as strength training,” asserts certified personal trainer Nicole Thompson, CPT. 

Rather than relying on equipment to create external resistance against your muscles, these workouts make use of your body weight. “Exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, and squats are classic examples of bodyweight exercises that effectively target various muscle groups,” explains Thompson. “Much like traditional weightlifting, bodyweight exercises can stimulate muscle growth, improve muscular endurance, and enhance overall health.”

While heavy weights can certainly assist in increasing strength and muscle mass, they are not a necessity. A 2023 study published in Experimental Physiology provides evidence: two small groups of healthy adults either performed bodyweight or free-weight resistance training for eight weeks, and researchers found significant increases in muscle size for both groups.

Another study published in August 2023 in Scientific Reports examined young women who underwent six weeks of progressive bodyweight squat training and compared it to six weeks of barbell back squat training; results showed similar improvements in both muscle strength and size for both groups.

“The findings are clear: the amount of weight lifted isn’t the fundamental factor for enhancing strength,” states Carlson. “The essential element is to push to the brink, or very near it, of momentary muscle failure.” This occurs when your muscles are fatigued to the point where you can’t perform additional repetitions.

Research suggests that tiring your muscles to this degree leads to the greatest activation of muscle fibers, which in turn maximizes muscle adaptations. Moreover, fatiguing your muscles seems even more crucial when working with lighter loads, as is often the case with bodyweight training.

Individuals who are already well-conditioned might find these workouts insufficient to achieve muscular fatigue, but this is a common misunderstanding. There are numerous ways to advance bodyweight exercises to effectively challenge yourself. While air squats may be straightforward for intermediate to advanced athletes, consider the difficulty of performing pull-ups, push-ups, box jumps, or pistol squats for multiple repetitions. 

“To intensify exercises or overcome plateaus, use the FITT principle: Frequency, Intensity, Time, and Type,” advises Thompson. You can manipulate these elements during bodyweight training in various ways: 

• Increase the number of repetitions or sets
• Heighten the intensity of the movement (e.g., adding a jump to squats or a clap to push-ups)
• Adjust the leverage point (e.g., elevating your feet during push-ups or transitioning from a forearm plank to a high plank)
• Incorporate unilateral exercises (which target one side of the body at a time)
• Extend time under tension, such as adding isometric holds (like pausing at the top of a pull-up or holding a plank longer)
• Reduce rest periods to increase workout density and intensity

If exercises begin to feel too simple, you aren’t experiencing soreness anymore, or your results have stagnated despite regular workouts, it could be time to revamp your routine, according to Thompson. You may need to experiment with the factors above to continuously challenge your muscles or consider that bodyweight workouts might not be sufficient for you any longer. 

Bodyweight workouts can effectively support strength development, but they do have limitations. If you find that external resistance is essential to feeling challenged and have exhausted various strategies to enhance the workouts, it may be the right moment to incorporate bands or weights. 

Additional benefits of bodyweight workouts

In addition to fostering strength and muscle gains, bodyweight workouts offer several other benefits for both your physical and mental wellbeing. 

For one, bodyweight movements are typically champions of functional fitness. “Many bodyweight exercises replicate daily activities, which enhances your ability to perform routine tasks,” shares Thompson. These movements also promote a strengthened mind-body connection, improving body awareness, balance, coordination, and control, thereby boosting overall athletic performance, she adds.

Moreover, numerous bodyweight exercises are compound exercises that engage multiple muscle groups while also working the core, resulting in beneficial outcomes such as improved posture, balance, and stability, according to Thompson.

Bodyweight workoutsBodyweight workouts can effectively serve as cardio sessions, especially when you incorporate plyometric movements, speed up your repetitions, and limit rest intervals. A concise study from April 2021, published in the *International Journal of Exercise Science*, revealed that a mere 11 minutes of bodyweight training, which included six exercises with active recovery periods, considerably enhanced cardiorespiratory fitness in sedentary individuals.

If you have participated in a bodyweight HIIT session, you are likely aware of how intense these workouts can become. Another study from July 2021, featured in *Frontiers in Sports and Active Living*, discovered that four weeks of bodyweight HIIT significantly improved cardiorespiratory fitness in healthy young participants.

In addition to their physical benefits, bodyweight exercises are convenient, accessible, and budget-friendly. “They can be performed almost anywhere and at any time, eliminating the need for gym equipment, which facilitates consistency in training,” notes Thompson.

Moreover, bodyweight workouts are incredibly adaptable and can be tailored to suit any fitness level, according to Thompson. By incorporating tools such as a pull-up bar, a step or bench, workout sliders, or a suspension trainer like a TRX, these workouts offer virtually limitless possibilities.

Do not underestimate bodyweight workouts for strength enhancement. As long as you are pushing your muscles to their limits during your training, you are achieving progress.

“The evidence clearly shows that the methods for strength training can be quite similar regardless of the objective,” according to Carlson. “In the past, we believed that our results were heavily influenced by the weight used, the number of repetitions performed, or the type of equipment employed.” Today, we recognize that the key factor is the intensity of your effort.

To effectively integrate bodyweight strength workouts into your regimen, it is advisable to establish a balanced program that includes exercises targeting all major muscle groups: upper body, lower body, and core, recommends Thompson. Aim for at least two to three sessions each week while allowing for rest days for recovery.

Just because bodyweight workouts are effective doesn’t imply that weights are detrimental or that you should eliminate other workout types. “Combining bodyweight exercises with cardio or flexibility training can yield a comprehensive fitness routine. This strategy helps stave off burnout and adds variety, keeping your workouts enjoyable and stimulating,” adds Thompson.

If you find it challenging to implement these practices independently, consider collaborating with a fitness professional who can create a personalized program that aligns with your goals and capabilities. “They can offer support and direction, helping you stay consistent while safely increasing your strength,” Thompson advises. Stick with bodyweight workouts, and you might be surprised at the results—just don’t say we didn’t give you a heads-up.