Skip to content

Visit the all-new COVID-19 Support Center for expert business support, tools and products, and the latest in fitness-related pandemic information.

IDEA Health & Fitness Association
  • Membership
    • Start A Free Trial
    • Group Fitness Membership
    • Personal Trainer Membership
    • Business Membership
    • Premium Membership
    • Member Perks
    • IDEA Code of Ethics
    • Equity & Inclusion Pledge
  • Conferences
    • IDEA World Virtual
    • IDEA Personal Trainer Institute
    • IDEA World Club & Studio Summit
    • IDEA Korea Convention
    • Become an Exhibitor
    • Advertise / Exhibitors
    • Event Coverage
  • Insurance
    • Health Insurance NEW
    • Fitness Liability Insurance
    • Club & Studio Liability Insurance
  • Education
    • IDEA Courses
    • IDEA Fitness Journal Courses
    • IDEA Certificate Courses
    • Advanced Specialist Courses
    • IDEAFit TV
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars
  • Resources
    • FitPost – Start Your Free Trial
    • Client Newsletter
    • Workout Builder
    • Fit Pro Forum
    • Career Resources
    • Job Board
    • Advertise with us
    • Covid-19 updates
  • Pro Directory
    • Find a Personal Trainer
    • Find a Fitness Class
    • Find a Gym or Studio
    • Find a Nutritionist
  • Articles
    • Personal Training
    • Group Fitness
    • Nutrition
    • Business
    • Mind-Body / Recovery
    • Publications
    • Podcasts
×
  • Membership
    • Start A Free Trial
    • Group Fitness Membership
    • Personal Trainer Membership
    • Business Membership
    • Premium Membership
    • Member Perks
    • IDEA Code of Ethics
    • Equity & Inclusion Pledge
  • Conferences
    • IDEA World Virtual
    • IDEA Personal Trainer Institute
    • IDEA World Club & Studio Summit
    • IDEA Korea Convention
    • Become an Exhibitor
    • Advertise / Exhibitors
    • Event Coverage
  • Insurance
    • Health Insurance NEW
    • Fitness Liability Insurance
    • Club & Studio Liability Insurance
  • Education
    • IDEA Courses
    • IDEA Fitness Journal Courses
    • IDEA Certificate Courses
    • Advanced Specialist Courses
    • IDEAFit TV
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars
  • Resources
    • FitPost – Start Your Free Trial
    • Client Newsletter
    • Workout Builder
    • Fit Pro Forum
    • Career Resources
    • Job Board
    • Advertise with us
    • Covid-19 updates
  • Pro Directory
    • Find a Personal Trainer
    • Find a Fitness Class
    • Find a Gym or Studio
    • Find a Nutritionist
  • Articles
    • Personal Training
    • Group Fitness
    • Nutrition
    • Business
    • Mind-Body / Recovery
    • Publications
    • Podcasts
Log in

Which is better for strength training: large fitness equipment or my body weight?

ADVERTISEMENT
1.29K viewsAugust 26, 2011
0
Avatar
Joy Keller0 August 26, 2011 0 Comments

17 Answers

  • Active
  • Voted
  • Newest
  • Oldest
1 2 3 4 Next »
0
Nancy
Nancy7 Posted 0 Comments

The answer is very goal dependent.

Personally, I train with both and teach clients on both. It’s beneficial to be able to push / pull / drag / squat our own body around in a variety of directions, but we also have to lift and move groceries, children, household items.

A functional body can do both, so should be trained doing both.

0
Avatar
Martin0 Posted 0 Comments

And to readdress the question, there are things that can be accomplished by either that can’t be done with the other. I would add that variety is as important as any other aspect of training.

0
Avatar
Martin0 Posted 0 Comments

If you understand biomechanics and physics, you can use either for an almost infinite variety of training stimuli.

0
Avatar
Joe0 Posted 0 Comments

Hi Joy,

You can use either one .

Both have benefits.

0
Avatar
Joshua Posted 0 Comments

Both are effective for gaining over all strength. There is not one exercise solely for strength, solely for endurance etc. It is all in how you train. Typical science shows: 3-5 reps for strength, 8-12 reps for hypertrophy and 12+ reps for endurance. Your body can and will react differently to those exact numbers and it is up to you to decide what is working better.

The key to strength training, like with all forms of training is still going to be your caloric intake. You cannot expect to gain strength when you are too depleted on your calories. So make sure those are in check and in line with your goals.

If you want to stay more compound movements then stick with the bench press, the squat, the clean, and the dead lift for over all full body strength and hypertrophy gains.

The main key in increasing strength is increasing the resistance at which the exercise is performed. For example… if you can do 5 reps at 100lbs on bench then you should increase to 105 (or whatever you are comfortable with) and do 3 reps. Then once you are capable of doing 5 reps with that then increase. I am using this as an example, the reps and weight you use will be different.

The point is, however, you cannot expect to gain strength without pushing yourself, adding resistance, and keeping your calories high enough to fuel your progress.

1 2 3 4 Next »
Register or Login

About IDEA

Press
History
Careers
IDEA Fitness Awards
Award Recipients
Inside IDEA
Event Coverage

Advertising & Exhibiting

Advertise with IDEA
Download our Media Kit
Become an Event Exhibitor

Connect With Us

+1 (800) 999-4332
Contact Us
Terms & Conditions
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2020 IDEA Health & Fitness Association. All Rights Reserved.