Behold a point I have made many times before:
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If you put 1000 people who only do bodyweight exercises, and 1000 people who only lift weights, the bodyweight group will look, feel, and perform better than the weightlifting group on average.
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‘Tis not a popular point, but I daresay it is a stunningly accurate one.
Not convinced?
Fine.
It’s not my job to convince you of anything, but I’ll furnish you with my justification anyway:
* You can’t do bodyweight movements if you’re fat,
* You can’t do bodyweight movements if you’re weak,
* And you certainly can’t do bodyweight movements if you are both fat and weak.
Yet even the fattest and weakest of people can lift weights with no problems at all. Moreover, the lifting of weights lends itself to all sorts of shenanigans that will convince you that you’re stronger and in better shape than you actually are (straps, overzealous spotters, half-reps, etc.).
To be clear for the hard of thinking: I am not saying lifting weights is bad and that you should only ever do bodyweight training from now until the day you shuffle off this mortal coil.
But I am saying that if you can’t, for example, do multiple sets of ten or more pullups that should tell you something – even if you’re throwing respectable loads around in the weightroom.
On that note:
A few days ago, I recorded an off the cuff overview of my system for training outdoors, which, as you might expect, involves mucho bodyweight work.
The recording is audio only and I meander about a bit (due to it being completely unscripted), but there’s much to learn if you’re willing to lay the low production value aside.
Listen for free here:
https://philtyreman.co.uk/outdoor/
Thank you,
Phil Tyreman
P.S. According to a friend of mine who I sent the recording to prior to its release, it flows very well to the point he was surprised to learn it wasn’t scripted.
So maybe I am being overly critical in my assessment of my work.
Whatever.
I’ll let you be the judge.