Are Calisthenics Better Than Weight Training?

Are Calisthenics Better Than Weight Training? Strength Coach Dane Miller reacts to Jocko Wilink and his thoughts on calisthenics training for strength training.
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[@GarageStrength]

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[@Deondre_Clark]

Why not both? I try to mix up my training and do a little bit of everything. “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” My goals are long term health and longevity so I try to incorporate as many movement patterns as I can

[@harlock321]

Sounds like a smart gameplan mate! I also believe the key to overall fitness is incorporating both Weight lifting and calisthenics

[@jamescorsey6041]

Same here do both

[@drewmeyer9679]

I never lifted weight while in the military. It was strictly cardio and calisthenics. We’d wear our plate carriers and boots to make the movements harder. I can honestly say that was the fittest overall I’ve been.

[@PhiyackYuh]

The question is, were you durable with just body weights and cardio? If bodyweights and cardio are the best then pro athletes wouldn’t last long in their careers. There’s a reason why strength training is a body armour. You can handle more load and your body is more robust.

[@drewmeyer9679]

@@PhiyackYuh it depends on what your goal is. Fighters usually stay away from lifting, so do gymnast. A wrestler or football would need to lift relative with their position.

[@PhiyackYuh]

@@drewmeyer9679 for average punters, resistance training has been proven very effective and has been backed by lots of studies. Part of ageing you lose lean body mass but also bone mass density. There’s a big reason why resistance training is heavily recommended by health professionals as you get older. Its best to do cardio and resistance. Show me any top fighters who do not do resistance training and not help with sports performance. Just ask any exercise physiologist.

[@drewmeyer9679]

@@PhiyackYuh Mike Tyson in his prime didn’t lift weights, Herschel Walker, Bo Jackson. Any gymnast on a Olympic team. Again it’s also relative to your sport. It’s proven muscle mass slows your down and burns more emergency. In a fight the two things you need, speed and conditioning.

[@darksaintxvi6914]

@@drewmeyer9679no idea what your fuckin talkin about. Fighters lift weights all the time. Lifting doesn’t make you slow stupid. Do it right. See how simple that is?

[@abcdefgh4404]

I lifted weights for more than 20 yrs, including Oly Lifts…there is a time your joints will start to scream and hurt a lot. After I switched to calisthenics, all pain gone, I lost weight, feel more energetic, way less sore, and my athleticism improved a lot (still playing bball).

[@GarageStrength]

Improve your strength WITHOUT WEIGHTS! Try our Bodyweight Strength Program 💪💪 👉 www.garagestrength.com/products/thor-strength-and-size-bodyweight-program?YT&Video&THOR&WeightsCalist

[@VPOFIT]

Retired Navy SEAL Jocko Wilink is a fitness beast. The dude starts his day at 4:30AM. Besides his calisthenics and weights work, he is also a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Thanks for bringing him up. Enjoy your channel. Best!

[@informationjunkie]

I've always considered calisthenics as the foundational modality. You know, make sure your body moves well before you ask your body to move something. A lot of really strong guys like Arnold and Marvin Eder built a foundation doing pull ups, chin ups, and dips as well.

[@theiriscen]

Agreed

[@helvete_ingres4717]

to go one level deeper, I think it's the isometric calisthenics that are foundational (the training philosophy of Brice Lee reflected that) - that's why I make yoga my foundational modality, dynamic bodyweight exercises are on top of that, anything with weights is on top of that

[@MannyRamos17]

I ALWAYS ENCOURAGE BOTH. WE’RE SPOILED TO HAVE THEM! Great Vid! 👏 Keep motivating and inspiring! 🙏🔥

[@BeastChaeng]

I personally believe that both serve similar but also different purposes, and the best one would be the one that works best for you. In my case I seek strength, mobility and endurance(because I need all three). So to me, and...ok, also because I lack the mean$$$...calisthenics would be my main choice and _then_ weight training to complement.

[@dennacampbell1432]

I feel like dips are the best chest exercise especially if you add weight. The bench press doesn't really give you a good stretch. The stretch is one of the biggest contributing factors towards building muscle.

[@hasanc1526]

You've gotta do a video on Zach Even Esh's style of training. I have a hunch that he had a great influence on you

[@GarageStrength]

thanks for the suggestion!

[@seamless70]

Nice review Dane! Just discovered your channel and subscribed! Been on calisthenics for a cool minute now but interested to get into snatching (I saw your beginner video). I want some more lower body explosivenss.... Def going to check out more of your vids! Thanks for the content! 😁🙏

[@GarageStrength]

Welcome aboard!

[@farhanhussain_]

There should be no "versus" or "either-or" type thing between calisthenics and barbell training. Both complement each other. One's shortfall is other's strength and vice versa. Better give equal importance to both.

[@shehateme9955]

Best of both worlds. Super functionality

[@FTW54]

a balance of calisthenics and weights is better than weights and no calsisthenics

[@helmutkrusemann9194]

best strength channel on the planet, period

[@Psyaii]

Weights are better to put on size and lower body strength, calistenthics is better for every other aspect. So weights if you want size or some specialised athletic benefits. If you're big enough though, pull-ups, dips, core, push up, row, sprints, hill runs, lunge walks, squat jumps all with strict form and intensity will get you way more athletic and fit than weights. Plus it's a lot more sustainable and can be done everyday. Also do yoga lol.

[@ManWhoKnewTooLittle]

Great vid Dane. Love your views on these topics. Peace

[@rodgerbane3825]

Long term, I see a lot of old powerlifter types that can barely walk so SERIOUS weight training can be real hard on folks from what I've seen. I like both.

[@jater10]

Lifting heavy all the time is not good, see how despite yelling "light weight" wrecked Ronnie Coleman. Its actually good to try to incorporate bodyweight and pylo to training even for powerlifters, and dare I say yoga to help recovery.

[@newsforu5075]

Just want to say you have helped me a lot with weightlifting thank you so much

[@davidsenay2811]

When you do a box squat you land on the balls of your feet with stuffer knees. When you add a barbell in the back it will take alot of ankle mobility and it's shearing force applied directly to the ankle. So it goes through the heal to the ankle opposed to the balls of the feet more Achilles than ankle upon landing for a box squat and less ankle mobility required.

[@imbombayman]

Echo Charles is the co hosts real name, he isn't ex military. Jocko and Echo met through Jui Jitsu

[@a-terrible-fate532]

depends on what your goals are, if your goal is just to get as big as possible as quickly as possible then weight training is the best. Also if max strength is your goal then weight training wins by far. But to build an aesthetic physique either weights or calisthenics will get you there.

[@proverbalizer]

I think calistenics can definitely get you explosive too depending on how you do the movements. You can do clapping or other varieties of explosive pushups. You can do explosive pullups pulling your entire chest way above the bar. You could try pistol squat jumps etc. And there are tons of ways to progress movements too. If pushups are too easy you can progress toward archer pushups to one arm push-ups. Same with pullups. True may not be as simple as picking up a heavier dumbbell, but still you have tons of options. And there's nothing wrong with weighted calistenics either. I'll throw a bunch of books into my backpack and do some sets of pushups

[@Oscar40694]

Weighted calisthenics are the best!

[@davepazz580]

It's really just weight training in the end...

[@linpaul]

Hey Dane, great video as always. Just curious, but what carry over, if any at all, does training calisthenics skills, such as planche, front lever, back lever, one arm pull up, have for athletes? Like if an athlete is enter to train any of these for fun, (outside of gymnastics) would it hinder their athletic performance?

[@leoesharkey1]

Great stuff here Dane, well done, are you coaching glide shot putters? Men? I have a ton of info from the old days that you might find interesting, and some stuff for lady discus throwers too

[@GarageStrength]

we train them all!

[@leoesharkey1]

@@GarageStrength Have you an Email? and I will send you some reading material on drills and training from an 80s glider which might be helpful and interesting.

[@Teramydog]

RINGS are a bodyweight exercise - lets see muscle head do some rings work.

[@eliocastillosrg8328]

U can do both over all but calisthenic is a whole diferent level

[@ELRenigeyoGarciaMonteCarlo]

And i Will Do Calisthenics Only Including In The Woods Where Wild Animals,

[@vimalvj1235]

Calisthenics is better for longevity Look at 60 70 year old Calisthenics athletes looks in good shape than body builders

[@9etherman833]

Calisthenics best for athleticism and strength endurance workouts weights best for strength and power

[@littlethuggie]

Weighted calisthenics = GOAT.

[@davepazz580]

It's really just weight training in the end...

[@littlethuggie]

@@davepazz580 😱

[@jolee2433]

I think for athletics it's important to develop power strength based workouts, lift heavy when young. Develop tendon ligament bone strength. Once you have a strong base 1.5-3 times your body weight with barbells, squat bench cleans push press etc. Then when you get old you can do calisthenics to maintain longevity and muscle mass heart health

[@MMABeijing]

powerlifting wont help tendons and ligaments strength.

[@jolee2433]

@@MMABeijing it won't? Umm it does

[@jolee2433]

@@MMABeijing I didn't say powerlifting I said lifting heavy, I don't believe in dead lifts either, oh no!

[@abcdefgh4404]

Agree

[@arihaviv8510]

That's what doing calisthenics moves such as planche, back levers, front levers etc will do for you

[@timfox5337]

But who would accumulate more hypothetical protein on a simulated hunt? Jocko or Liver King?

[@ayxantanrverdiyef]

i don't know english well Answer me should I do calisthenics or weight training? I wrestle 3 times a week

[@GarageStrength]

try them both, but try to relate the calisthenics back to wrestling movements!

[@tonymontana3949]

The optimal is combine

[@ELRenigeyoGarciaMonteCarlo]

Calisthenics is

[@vincentvangogh8092]

callisthenics is actually healthy

[@Leman.Russ.6thLegion]

Im not impressed by these navy seal self help guys. I am paying for their pentions and they are NOW also trying to sell me "wisdom and toughness" I've had to make for myself, all along.

[@aweimoleayopeter6960]

All I'm seeing is the Nigerian overall 😍

[@osiriswills6749]

He's already 50

[@JohnRhodes-lv3rg]

Cavemen did push-ups to lift, and carry all their kills rofl. Weights are necessary, Cals, are necessary. If you want a weak back and ass just go “bodyweight” You need weights for your back, glutes, hamstrings, or an implement for your grip. Calisthenics are easier on hips/shoulders and really help with motor control. You can look good naked with just calisthenics, but for longevity you need to do both or just lift weights.

[@drlt9241]

This is the dumbest thing I've ever read, so false!

[@joeschmo2693]

It's all resistance training. Most gym trainers do, or have done, pullups and dips, right? IMO, using gym equipment where appropriate is safer and more efficient for strength and hypertrophy training than arbitrarily deciding to rely on bodyweight only, because you can control form and resistance more effectively.

[@bernadettemarieortega1341]

You haten

[@noalions5694]

Yea but for tactical athletes YOU need the chronic adaptations of increased bone density , tendon and ligament cause you're always walking unilaterally , on uneven ground with an uneven load and calisthenics just ain't it

[@davepazz580]

Calisthenics can achieve all that as well when done properly...

[@mikeoxlong91111]

No. Barbell training is superior for strength training. And I refuse to elaborate further.

[@mandylynnexxx]

My question is for athletics what about Bo Jackson Herschel Walker and Mike Tyson some of the freakiest athletes we’ve ever seen but they never lifted weights just did crazy amounts of reps

[@davincibz1]

Since the cov, i've trained with low weights, bands and calistenics. I feel better than only weights. Healed some injuries, more energy and mobility.

[@kaneelsenevirathne7085]

Been lifting for a long time. I started doing a bit of calisthenics and loved it. I do both now. More weights of course but I feel good doing both. Feels more athletic.

[@emoski1235]

For over a decade i trained with just my bodyweight and when i came back to the Weights, after a month i benched 365lbs. Guys were shocked when i told them i did calisthenics. "Like just pushups and air squats" is usually their reply. Not quite, i weighed 240lbs and walked on my hands, tons of sets of handstand work and all types of chin bar work. I wanted that chin up bar to greet me as master when i walked up to it.(it never did). Also lot of Pavel style grinds with the cals. However!! I found that absolute strength for the entire body the O lifts and Bbell movements cannot be duplicated. Now i mix both of them. This F:&$@ng channel is the 💣

[@advantageofthedisadvantage7213]

What is Pavek style grinds with cals?

[@emoski1235]

@@advantageofthedisadvantage7213 Check out Pavel Tsatsouline, Hight Tension Techniques. A grind is a technique I would use on an exercise like the strict 1 arm pushup. During the rep I would maximally flex my entire body starting with my core and glutes and then the rest of the muscles until everything was felt coiled. Max tension, like a gymnast on the rings.

[@advantageofthedisadvantage7213]

@@emoski1235 thank you, my goal is to be like you, a heavyweight calisthenics athlete

[@officiallolbg]

Fr, my bench is crazy I only did Push-Ups (and some Dips) for Bench Press, but yeah, good job mate🤝

[@BudaMac]

I tend to burn more calories & feel overall more fit doing calisthenics. That being said I still like lifting weights as well! 💪🏻

[@noalions5694]

I can also guarantee you jocko's done roids

[@ToastyBunsMcGee]

I stopped lifting heavy awhile ago and it’s been good for ME. That’s the key here. Some people require more strength, other’s just need to be strong relative to their bodyweight. One’s not really better than the other, they’re just different tools.

[@ELRenigeyoGarciaMonteCarlo]

I Choosen Calisthenics only

[@AjaychinuShah]

Skinny McConor KOs Fouda 7000k Skinny Motaib KOs Large Dane 1200k ...the list is endless honestly...

[@BillyMyHomey]

seriously is he reading his answers from a script lol

[@tjcogger1974]

No...The script is just the list of questions he's answering. His answer is clearly improvised

[@BillyMyHomey]

@@tjcogger1974 nah his question and answer is written his examples might be improvised … definitely improvised because he contradicted himself giving examples of his answers he’s cool just not behind a radio mic

[@tjcogger1974]

@@BillyMyHomey You're looking way too far into this. He's looking at Echo almost the whole time he speaks. Even if he did write down some notes for his answers...who cares?

[@BillyMyHomey]

@@tjcogger1974 lol

[@charlesdourado8292]

I love weighted calisthenics mixed with basic lifts

[@nainoa6848]

Echo isn’t former military he’s from Hawaii and played college football for university of Hawaii. Their main training is jiu jitsu

[@PhiyackYuh]

Both are on steroids yeh?

[@3WingProductions]

I just bought some 40s and 45s dumbells. My brain says to just go do the 45s even if I do lower reps to failure. Is that correct science or should I start with 40's then once that fills "light" go to 45?

[@zaynassi4751]

5:25 i was hoping you’d ask this😂 And yes it is to give that tough mentality “feeling”

[@mbacanovic]

First of all you have to know your goals but idel combination to gain raw power plus functional power and mobility is to mix methods. Weights (squat, deadlift, benchpress), bodyweihgt (pullups and pushups variations) kettlebells and functional movements, runing....

[@williambreen4290]

I happen to think they are both beneficial to the individual depending on what their goals are? I personally do calisthenics with dumbbells ranging from 20 lb to 50 lb and I use an empty Olympic barbell that weighs between 45 lb and 50 lb and I get it in and get it done trust me! Essentially I do weighted calisthenics! I like calisthenics because it allows for more natural range of motion instead of fixed positions with traditional bodybuilding! That is what works for me. I will conclude by saying that we don't get younger and I feel as though calisthenics will benefit you in longevity and heavyweight training will eventually slow you down and work against your aging joints! I know for a fact that I am not going to be a 65 year old man with a bodybuilding routine but if I could still do pull-ups and push-ups and bodyweight squats as well as yoga and running I know I did the right thing! Look at Arnold Schwarzenegger he looks like a lumpy pile of wet-dogshit and look at some of these aging martial artists who can still put their leg above their head and their ripped to shreds with healthy joints and flexibility and balance.

[@MassGainingGuy]

Cant we all just get along?

[@Captn_Cor]

Practice how you play. Never hurts to be stronger ( whatever definition fits for your goals)

[@jamescorsey6041]

The older I get I do more calisthenics.but I mix both

[@zaynassi4751]

1:27 😂😂😂true

[@atenas80525]

"overtraining" often seems to be over intensity and under volume

[@prathamharshana1059]

Coach please make a video on powerlifting

[@aldo5658]

Wow thanks for the in depth info, ima start incorporating both instead of 1 over the other

[@1gtrix584]

Nice Nigerian flag

[@kevinorr6880]

Echo is his actual name.

[@harryv6752]

Jocko! 🤘🤘🤘

[@MMABeijing]

yes

[@jms0313]

No

[@marcus_ohreallyus]

It depends on what you want as an end result.

[@eduardojusto2534]

Calisthenics or Weigth Lifting, what is better to get really Strong and gain Real Strength?

[@davepazz580]

It depends how you want to express that strength...

[@JurassicJolts]

What do you think about micro greens?

[@GarageStrength]

they can be a beneficial supplement!

[@I_Might_B_Wrong]

Calisthenics suck for building your deadlift. Weightlifting sucks for developing your planche.

[@roninstrength1883]

I mostly agree with this but trying to combine weightlifitng with gymnastics movements will beat the crap out of your joints. Especially if someone hasn’t developed a solid foundation with each discipline individually. You can’t expand in all directions at once unless you’re an absolute newbie, but even still one will have to measure cost:benefit ratio. One could just train a strength cycle with gymnastics, take a maintenance phase and allow for complete tissue recovery, then perform a strength cycle with weightlifting and probably see significantly more improvement than performing both simultaneously. Search “stimulus to fatigue” and you’ll hear some good info on the subject.

[@Buttsorcerer]

If you can’t do 3x8 for pull-ups, why not include it in your workout somewhere is my thinking.