Aesthetics - Weights vs Gymnastics

[Jeff Walker]

for those who used to bodybuild or lift weights and switched to Bodyweight/Rings training - do you think you look better when you only lifted weights or now that you do bodyweight training - or neither its a function of nutrition and calories. 

 

I got very lean before I found BW training then I was trying to gain a little weight but now I need to start losing a few pounds for summer but Im struggling a bit and not sure if its my nutrition or my training.  Im just curious what your thoughts were.  Oane thing I know for sure is that weights are way more efficient - much less setup, much less warmup, and so it waaseasier toget more done when I just lifted. I used to run or swim after a workout - now my workouts take much more time to make sure im properly warmup up and joints are prepeared.  

 

Also the only exercise I feel that I cannot replace since moving from weights is Incline Bench - I dont feel like anyhting Bodyweight really hits the upper chestlike Incline. Please correct me if I am worng.  

 

Just want to hear your thoughts

[Matthew Proulx]

I don't find lifting weights any more efficient when it comes to building strength, I can do a 5x5 ring chins and dips and then 3x3 muscle up routine in 15mins. Its all the other stuff that takes time, working on mobility and skills etc. As for the incline bench, a wall assisted handstand pushup can duplicate this. Personally I don't think the deadlift can be duplicated which is why I plan to add it back once a week this summer. 

[Jeff Walker]

I guess I would agree its the Mobility.  However, when I only lifted weights i never paid much attention to mobility, its not until I started BW that you learn to appreciate the importance of Mobility - perhaps why I feel weights were more efficient

[Blairbob]

 Time wise, I got a lot more done when doing BW and training gymnastic events compared to Weightlifting. Shorter rest periods and probably more reps.

 

 If I were to do a more simple strength program like 5-3-1, StartingStrength, GSLP I would probably spend less time training but that would also probably mean less of the Snatch and Clean&Jerk and probably less volume in the strength work.

 

 My arms are probably less jacked than when I was 10 years younger but that's probably a function of 10 years younger and working the events 5 days a week with the ability to recover like a 20ish lad.

[Mark Collins]

Where are you at with HBP. They cover pressing through the range of the arm that decline, flat and incline bench presses does.

You could always do a superset of HBP and iron crosses for the perfect pec workout

[Karl-Erik Karlsen]

I feel less "bloated", a bit more dense and better proportioned. But at my level of GST I also feel a bit... slower, somehow.
There is a lot of strength endurance, but not those high speed strength circuits, sprints and all that. Calmer, maybe.