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I think we are making a grave mistake by associating going to the gym and exercise with lifting weights. Let me explain. I think what most people should be do

I think we are making a grave mistake by associating going to the gym and exercise with lifting weights. Let me explain. I think what most people should be doing is calisthenics. I’ve been lifting weights for over a decade, but only started calisthenics two years ago. Personally, I feel calisthenics gives you a much stronger and durable body over all compared to lifting weights. It also strengthens your joints and connective tissues, which people don’t really think about until it’s too late. Aesthetically, I also feel strong calisthenic trained bodies look much more well proportioned and hardened due to the active use of stabilizer muscles. People who have trained calisthenics for a long time are deceptively strong. They don’t look particularly huge, but they perform feats of strength that even the most professional weightlifter would struggle to do. To me, this is a sign of true mastery over one’s body. If you’re just getting started in your exercise career, try calisthenics.

oh_sigh 9y ago
Do calisthenics have the same effect on bone density(that is, increasing bone density and decreasing chances of developing osteoporosis) that lifting weights does? I agree with your point generally though that the best exercise routine(or diet) is one that you stick with and progresses you towards your goals.
- pmoriarty 9y ago
  Calisthenics is weight lifting. It just so happens that the weight you are lifting is your own body's weight rather than weights external to your body.
acconrad 9y ago
"Grave mistake" is a hyperbolic criticism, considering your only arguments for calisthenics revolve around strength based on personal anecdotal evidence, and a personal, subjective view of aesthetics. I've tried calisthenics and lacks in many areas. For starters, it woefully neglects the legs. Pistol squats and bridges are not nearly as taxing as barbell squats and deadlifts, though bridges have the added benefit of working flexibility. Push ups and pull ups quickly reach a plateau with 1 arm variations, and at that point you're no longer doing calisthenic movements but training like a gymnast. Calisthenics seem to be most effective at building strength for the core (pikes, leg raises, planks) and the shoulders (if you have the coordination to do hand stand push ups). Barbell training should not be avoided. I've also had serious injuries, such as a broken humerus as a child, where rotator cuff and deltoid muscles atrophied to an extreme level; and those joints are now stronger than ever because I weight trained in specific movement patterns that are difficult to replicate with calisthenics. And I say this as someone who has also been lifting weights for over a decade and has competed in both powerlifting and bodybuilding.
- matte_black 9y ago
  It sounds like you didn’t use gymnastic rings. I agree it doesn’t target the legs as much, and that’s one area where weightlifting helps, but unless you are doing the most complicated version of many calisthenics exercises (i.e. human flags, v-sit, iron crosses, dragon flags...) then you are not quite at the plateau. It’s easy to neglect other things with barbell training. You need to train your flexibility, you need to train under instability, you need to strengthen connective tissues. Also you need to work straight arm strength and straight leg strength, not just bent, and they are not interchangeable.
  - IceDane 9y ago
    To me, you are making it blatantly obvious that you barely know what you're talking about. Not only are you basing your claims on only the anecdotal evidence which is your subjective experience, but you are also making completely outrageous claims. Someone who has exclusively trained calisthenics isn't going to be magically able to lift two times his own body weight, simply because your body and muscles will get used to training with the same load and strength gains will simply plateau. Someone who has specifically trained to get stronger by using an increasing load is going to be able to lift more than his own bodyweight. Stop trying to sell one thing as the cure, denouncing everything else. Ultimately the most important thing is that people just do any kind of exercise. People should do what they like best - be it calisthenics, weightlifting or even powerwalking. Naturally, one approach might be objectively better for your health than another in the long run, but that doesn't matter if the alternative is not doing any exercise at all.
    - andscoop 9y ago
      >"Someone who has exclusively trained calisthenics isn't going to be magically able to lift two times his own body weight" I have personally witnessed a gymnast who had never bench pressed before in his life bench press ~400lbs while weighing ~200lbs. I won't speak to some of the OPs other points but you are severely underestimating calisthenics.
    - matte_black 9y ago

oh_sigh 9y ago

Do calisthenics have the same effect on bone density(that is, increasing bone density and decreasing chances of developing osteoporosis) that lifting weights does? I agree with your point generally though that the best exercise routine(or diet) is one that you stick with and progresses you towards your goals.

pmoriarty 9y ago
Calisthenics is weight lifting. It just so happens that the weight you are lifting is your own body's weight rather than weights external to your body.

acconrad 9y ago

"Grave mistake" is a hyperbolic criticism, considering your only arguments for calisthenics revolve around strength based on personal anecdotal evidence, and a personal, subjective view of aesthetics. I've tried calisthenics and lacks in many areas. For starters, it woefully neglects the legs. Pistol squats and bridges are not nearly as taxing as barbell squats and deadlifts, though bridges have the added benefit of working flexibility. Push ups and pull ups quickly reach a plateau with 1 arm variations, and at that point you're no longer doing calisthenic movements but training like a gymnast. Calisthenics seem to be most effective at building strength for the core (pikes, leg raises, planks) and the shoulders (if you have the coordination to do hand stand push ups). Barbell training should not be avoided. I've also had serious injuries, such as a broken humerus as a child, where rotator cuff and deltoid muscles atrophied to an extreme level; and those joints are now stronger than ever because I weight trained in specific movement patterns that are difficult to replicate with calisthenics. And I say this as someone who has also been lifting weights for over a decade and has competed in both powerlifting and bodybuilding.

matte_black 9y ago
It sounds like you didn’t use gymnastic rings. I agree it doesn’t target the legs as much, and that’s one area where weightlifting helps, but unless you are doing the most complicated version of many calisthenics exercises (i.e. human flags, v-sit, iron crosses, dragon flags...) then you are not quite at the plateau. It’s easy to neglect other things with barbell training. You need to train your flexibility, you need to train under instability, you need to strengthen connective tissues. Also you need to work straight arm strength and straight leg strength, not just bent, and they are not interchangeable.
- IceDane 9y ago
  To me, you are making it blatantly obvious that you barely know what you're talking about. Not only are you basing your claims on only the anecdotal evidence which is your subjective experience, but you are also making completely outrageous claims. Someone who has exclusively trained calisthenics isn't going to be magically able to lift two times his own body weight, simply because your body and muscles will get used to training with the same load and strength gains will simply plateau. Someone who has specifically trained to get stronger by using an increasing load is going to be able to lift more than his own bodyweight. Stop trying to sell one thing as the cure, denouncing everything else. Ultimately the most important thing is that people just do any kind of exercise. People should do what they like best - be it calisthenics, weightlifting or even powerwalking. Naturally, one approach might be objectively better for your health than another in the long run, but that doesn't matter if the alternative is not doing any exercise at all.
  - andscoop 9y ago
    >"Someone who has exclusively trained calisthenics isn't going to be magically able to lift two times his own body weight" I have personally witnessed a gymnast who had never bench pressed before in his life bench press ~400lbs while weighing ~200lbs. I won't speak to some of the OPs other points but you are severely underestimating calisthenics.
  - matte_black 9y ago