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Calisthenics vs Powerlifting! Who Is the Winner?

    calisthenics vs powerlifting

    You know, I’m a huge fan of calisthenics. I believe it is possible to build muscle and incredible strength with just doing bodyweight exercises. That is why 70% of my strength training is calisthenics, and the other 30 is weight training. I only use weights for doing the compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, etc., as they are efficient to increase strength.

    Who can be a better example than Adam Raw that huge calisthenics athlete from the Czech Republic? He has incredible power and a perfect body. From the first time, I saw his videos he is one of my icons. He is one of the best symbols that it is possible to reach greatness with calisthenics, and there is life without pumping iron.

    On the other hand, there are still so many people out there who criticize the efficiency of just doing bodyweight workouts. Among them was my brother in law who just pumps iron for muscle building. However, after seeing how I developed both in strength and shape after half a year, he changed his mind.

    If you still think that lifting weight is the only way to be strong, here is a video you should watch. It is a competition between Adam Raw and Romano Rengel, a power lifter. They had to do 20 reps pull ups with 30kg; 20 reps dips with 60kg and 20 reps squats with 120kg in 9 minutes.

    Powerlifting vs calisthenics? Who was the winner? Watch the video!

    Related: Find the best calisthenics workout plans here

     

    It is enjoyable to watch videos like this, but the truth is that it is not a fair competition for both sides. The guy who does calisthenics exercises is used to bodyweight movements, while the powerlifter to lifting heavy weights. How someone bench press hundreds of pounds if he always do push ups? On the other hand, how someone can perform 50 pull ups and dips if has never done so many repetitions?

    It is the same as if there would be a contest between a distance runner and a sprinter. Both of them develop the power of their body, but in a very different way. They can show their maximum strength in their field.

    But, I still stick to the street workout. 🙂 What about you?

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    James Wright

    James (36) has been working out since he was 15 years old. He has a home gym where he pumps iron, does bodyweight workouts and boxing. He likes sharing his experiences with others who want to build a better physique.

    1 thought on “Calisthenics vs Powerlifting! Who Is the Winner?”

    1. In my opinion I definitely prefer calisthenics to powerlifting. It can be done virtually anywhere and you don’t need much equipment at all. Thanks for sharing the article it was very interesting.

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