Bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, sit-ups and dips use your own bodyweight for resistance as opposed to the weights attached to resistance training machines. Let’s take a look at the main differences and benefits of bodyweight training over machine use.
Movement
Bodyweight training allows for completely natural movements. With no part of your body being restricted or in a fixed position, the range of motion is greater and more natural for your body. Weight training machines put you in a fixed position and restrict your movement which can be uncomfortable, make it more difficult to progress and could cause injury.
Muscles
Body weight exercises give you full control over the weight being used, meaning you need to use additional muscles to stabilise your position and movement. Machines do this stabilising work for you, eliminating the use of stabiliser muscles and making them a less efficient way to exercise
Functionality
Bodyweight exercises mimic real-life movements. With the way you move and exercise being more natural and in line with your everyday actions and movements, the exercise can target and stretch muscles much better than machine-based exercises. The movements associated with machines are the least functional of all weight training activities and do little more than simply target the few muscles it’s designed to.
Flexibility of Use
Machines can be a lot easier to use than bodyweight training, and you can control the exact amount of weight you’re using, which you can’t do with bodyweight training. However, the simplicity of machines is somewhat outweighed by their cost, bulk and low efficiency. Usually only designed for one muscle or muscle group, and taking up a lot of space, machines aren’t ideal for home use, whereas bodyweight exercises can be done anywhere, at any time and target several muscles at once.
In conclusion, bodyweight exercises are free, don’t take up as much space, use, target and tone a greater number of muscles and are less likely to cause injury.