Calisthenics vs. Bodybuilding: Which Training is Better?

Cali vs. bodybuilding … which is best?

Full disclosure: I can’t do a front lever, but I’ve tried a bunch, and boy, it is hard.

Calisthenics is all about mastering your body and then some — walking the walk with sleek power, restrained ferocity, and a sleeper build if you will.

Bodybuilding, on the other hand, is the exact opposite. You simply cannot hide your size, you move (everyone needs to move), and you’re about as subtle as a hammer.

But which has the better training styles — bodyweight exercises vs. weight training?

Might be interesting…

What Is Calisthenics Training?

When you think of cali training styles, you imagine one thing: bodyweight exercises! Now, truth be told, cali enthusiasts will probably use a few weight training techniques here and there.

However, the overarching ideas of calisthenics training are:

• Progressive overload using your own body weight and then free weights
• Never getting too heavy, as it’s hard to move excess mass
• (Mostly) skipping leg day
• A key focus on lower chest, core, and lat training
• You will eventually spend a ton of time learning skills and practicing them

Both bodybuilding and calisthenics will use progressive overload as the main method of training, meaning they’re trying to apply more stress and pain on the body than they experienced last week. In doing so, your body reacts by accruing more muscle tissue.

In cali, that might be brought upon in the typical fashion — adding load with the use of weights. However, it’s more likely to be through an increasing difficulty of movements.

For instance, in order to achieve the front lever, your progression might look as follows:

• Assisted Pull-Ups
• Chin Racks
• Chin-Ups
• Pull-Ups
• Front Lever Swing
• Front Lever Assisted Hold
• Front Lever Knees Tucked
• Front Lever One Knee Tucked
• Front Lever

How long will this take? Months. Learning a new cali skill and making it part of your workout routine will take months, but that’s part of the fun, after all.

I did mention that cali athletes skip leg day, but not always. They do train legs far less than the other muscle groups, but they still train specific muscles in the legs, like the glutes, especially. This ties in with the core, which is also of major importance to them.

Reiterating what you probably already expect, calisthenics athletes are phenomenally strong and also look pretty damn good. Case in point:

This is the key difference to bodybuilders, which you’ll see in a moment. Cali is about doing and being able to perform amazing tasks with your body, thanks to strength training.

3 Pros of Calisthenics Training

1. No Gym? NO PROBLEM!

I used to coach for a calisthenics company, and often, I would see folks simply cranking out a full workout routine in the park. No AC, no machines, and no pre-workout.

This is one of the largest benefits of this training style, seeing as most bodybuilding workouts will have you in a gym, which requires an expensive gym membership.

2. ‘Less Dangerous’

Weight machines and compound exercises all carry some inherent risks with them. When you only have your own body weight to work with, that risk of injuries decreases dramatically, especially for specific muscle groups.

Injuries will be a part of your fitness journey. However, there are typically fewer injuries with calisthenics vs. bodybuilding (on average).

3. Body Control

Not only will you be able to master your body like almost no one else, but compared to bodybuilding, you won’t be too big for life. You’ll be able to find shirts that fit. Calisthenics movements and calisthenic exercises won’t get you as big as a bodybuilding workout program.

2 Cons of Calisthenics Training

1. The Stigma

There’s a stigma against cali folk as well as against bodybuilders. There isn’t much to do about this, but just be aware of some stares and bombastic side eyes you’ll receive while you’re doing muscle-ups in the gym.

2. Muscle Group Imbalance

You’ll most likely have an upper-to-lower-body imbalance because you won’t be training your legs very often. And you’ll also have a really overdeveloped lower chest, which is noticeable in the elite cali folk.

What Is Bodybuilding Training?

Reiterating what you probably already expect, bodybuilding athletes look phenomenally good and are also pretty damn strong. The exact reverse of a calisthenics athlete.

Bodybuilding training isn’t so much about moving something from point A to point B in the most efficient way possible, but rather the most inefficient way possible.

By making movements harder (safely), you could stimulate more muscle strain (good stress), which will allow for more muscle growth. This is the basis of resistance training to build muscle.

And since bodybuilding is the art of building muscle and dieting, you’re going to do movements slowly, perfectly, and focusing on the muscle contracting — not the weight being moved.

Bodybuilding training involves the following:

• Progressive overload using free weights and machines
• Your weight will change based on your current diet and goal
• You’ll train all muscle groups equally, creating a balanced physique
• A key focus on everything
• You won’t learn more ‘skills,’ but you might grow a lot stronger than you expect

Sure, bodybuilders aren’t as strong as powerlifters. However, have a look at Ronnie Coleman dumbbell pressing 200 pounds per arm. Or Jay Cutler (creator of Living Large) rowing four plates per side. Or Big Ramy incline bench-pressing four plates per side.

The natural arc of resistance training and progressive overload will lead to you becoming insanely strong compared to normal human beings. You might only be 60-70% as strong as the strongest people on the planet, though.

3 Pros of Bodybuilding Training

1. No Muscle Gaps

None of the muscle groups will be avoided or left out. This means you’ll probably have a far more balanced physique than a calisthenics athlete would.

2. Strength and Size

Many believe bodybuilders are only big, but the truth is they’re mostly quite strong as well. Again, they’re not as strong as the strongest, but that’s not the goal in the first place. That said, you’ll be a whole lot stronger and bigger than those just doing bodyweight exercises.

3. You Learn About Fitness

A common trend with those who train like a bodybuilder is that they learn everything there is to know about fitness. From supplements to nutrition, it’ll most likely spark an interest in the world of fitness, and you’ll learn more than you thought was possible.

And for a select few, this might actually lead to a career change, where they leave their current jobs to pursue a career in fitness. How do I know this? ‘Cause it happened to me. I have a degree in chemistry, but once I started training and dieting, I quickly realized my passion was fitness.

2 Cons of Bodybuilding Training

1. Lacks Cardio and Mobility (Mostly)

Unless you add these in (most don’t), you’ll have limiting factors, such as not being as fit as you look and probably having little to no mobility whatsoever. These aren’t trainwrecks by any means. However, they will eventually catch up with you.

2. Can Get Boring

Oh, we’re using more weight this week? Wow. It’s true. The best way to succeed is to keep it simple and just grind. Get stronger. Keep good form.

There’s nothing that’ll really change over time besides the load, so it can get boring to those who prefer energetic and sporadic workouts.

Calisthenics vs. Bodybuilding Training Conclusion

So, which is best?

IDK, do you want arms or legs?

Do you want eyes or ears?

It’s about YOU.

You decide which is the best. If you like the idea of being able to do a back lever, then don’t do bodybuilding! If you prefer having a balanced aesthetic physique from your calves to your traps, then choose bodybuilding.

The one thing that does ring true is the old adage that “bodybuilders are mostly for show.” And this is true. Imagine a lifted pickup truck. They could still haul stuff, technically, but they’re more for the show.

Calisthenics, on the other hand, is like a small truck. It can load some stuff — not as much as the lifted truck — but it’s more nimble. It can fit in parking spaces, it’s better on gas, the parts are cheaper, and they’re actually pretty fast.

In the end, it comes down to how well you connect with the individual training style. If you prefer it, chances are, you’ll be far more likely to stick to it.

Choose what you like and screw what your friends say.