Are there any studies available that show any superiority between training using manufactured weights (dumbbells etc), and training just using your own body weight (pull ups etc)?

Would there likely be a significant advantage in using manufactured weights as opposed to doing the correct exercises using just body weight?

I realise if you want to turn into Hulk Hogan then you have to be using manufactured weights well above your own weight, but for the purposes of this thread, lets just say which would be better if a person just wanted to tone up and add a bit of definition and muscle?

You will struggle to deadlift using only bodyweight..hence very important to get a mixture of both.

Increasing muscle thus helping to reduce bodyfat is clearly your goal here, therefore, I would always advise a resistance training program to achieve this goal quicker.

I mix both up, but it struck me the other day how much harder it is to do pull ups etc than to lift a decent amount of weight.

So was just wondering if you tailored your regime around bodyweight only exercises, then would you get good results?

Both are great and in my opinion, done right, weights are paramount.

But mostly after getting a functioning core and functioning body.

Gymnasts, who may have never touched a weight in their life, can be taught how to bench and kick ass on most any weight lifter and probably rival many power lifters or Olympic (maybe stretching slightly here to make a point) .Their bodies function and they have functional strength.

Do you need weights? No. Can they be a big help? Yes.

It all depends on how you do it and how well your body functions etc

I just did a camp with the inventors of FatGripz (both use to work for/with Charles Poliquin).

The best results people get are with fat bars and they cost loads. These guys made some attachments to regular bars, save you thousands.

Basically the nervous system will limit what you can do to the strength of the weakest link (simplifying here).For many and most that is grip strength. This is to help grip strength then EVERYTHING else goes up.

I think they are pretty cheap - check them out. The inventors are great guys too! One Brit and one Canadian.. The Brit is living in Dubai and the Canadian in TO.

""... as much as possible, train with thick bars when training the upper body ... Can't add size to your biceps? Try working the forearms!"

- Charles Poliquin, trainer of over 400 Olympic athletes, Olympic medalists in 17 different sports and numerous bodybuilders and stars of the NFL and NHL"

www.fatgripz.com

(say hi from Little Hawk lol)

ah old coach Poliquin... remember him from muscle media 2000 ( as it was then ), awesome training advice and often such simple overlooked things. People often assume because the pull up is a hard exercise that it validates pure body weight training but as stated here it depends on the exercise as a regular press up is easier than a bodyweight bench press. I agree that a combination of the two is best and don't forget that once people can do many reps with bodyweight exercises they add additional weight to the movement in the form of a dumbbell or plate etc to increase its difficulty level further. Functionality is also king and I think the true golden era of body building was the 60's and especially early 70's when the sport was filled with guys who had trained in american football or track and field so could do the complicated olympic lifts and control their bodies. Look at the old photos from muscle beach and they're full of people doing balancing acts etc.... can't imagine Jay Cutler managing that!!! in pumping iron Robby Robinson is shown sprinting on a track and could do 100m in less than 11 secs!! They were big guys but not so big they'd lost all functional movement in their bodies. Gone a bit off track here I think!! ha but you get the point I hope!

Interesting stuff, thanks chaps. I`m always thinking of ways to better the things I do at the gym, maybe I need to learn to not fix whats not broken!

One lesson I need to learn is to watch what the people who have had obvious success are doing, and bring what they are doing into my routine. I always think to myself "I`ll start doing that" but I never do!

do

Kettlebell + chin up bar should give you everything you need in conjunction with existing free weight exercises. No gym membership or more gear is required to give you better results than this (possibly a medicine ball too for good measure).