Do Bodyweight or Weighted Squats Build Muscle and Burn Fat Better?
Effects of progressive body-weight versus barbell back squat training on strength, hypertrophy and body fat among sedentary young women
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Researchers tested whether doing bodyweight squats or barbell squats works better for building leg strength and muscle in inactive young women. After six weeks, both groups got stronger and built similar amounts of muscle. However, only the women lifting weights lost body fat.
Surprising Findings
Progressive bodyweight squats built muscle just as effectively as 60-80% 1RM barbell squats.
Most fitness advice assumes heavy external loading is strictly necessary for hypertrophy, but this study shows bodyweight progressions work equally well for beginners.
Practical Takeaways
If your goal is muscle and strength, a well-structured bodyweight squat program is enough. If you want faster fat loss, incorporate heavy barbell squats or add external resistance.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Researchers tested whether doing bodyweight squats or barbell squats works better for building leg strength and muscle in inactive young women. After six weeks, both groups got stronger and built similar amounts of muscle. However, only the women lifting weights lost body fat.
Surprising Findings
Progressive bodyweight squats built muscle just as effectively as 60-80% 1RM barbell squats.
Most fitness advice assumes heavy external loading is strictly necessary for hypertrophy, but this study shows bodyweight progressions work equally well for beginners.
Practical Takeaways
If your goal is muscle and strength, a well-structured bodyweight squat program is enough. If you want faster fat loss, incorporate heavy barbell squats or add external resistance.
Publication
Journal
Scientific Reports
Year
2023
Authors
Wei Wei, JingX Zhu, S. Ren, Yih-Kuen Jan, WuL Zhang, Ronghai Su, Li He
Related Content
Claims (6)
Doing six weeks of progressive squats, whether with just your body weight or a barbell, will significantly boost leg strength in inactive young women. Both types of squats work equally well for building muscle power, so you do not necessarily need heavy weights if you keep making the exercises harder over time.
Following a progressive squat program for six weeks can make your glutes, thighs, and calves noticeably bigger. You do not need heavy weights to get these results; doing bodyweight squats with added difficulty works just as well as lifting a barbell.
Lifting heavy weights with barbell squats can help sedentary young women lose body fat faster over six weeks compared to just doing bodyweight squats. Basically, adding external weight to your squats seems to work better for short-term fat loss than just using your own body weight.
Doing bodyweight squats for six weeks helps young, inactive women keep their leg muscle balance and knee stability without hurting their back, unlike heavy barbell squats which might change that balance.
Doing progressive bodyweight squats at home can build leg strength and muscle just as well as lifting heavy barbell weights over six weeks, making it a practical and effective workout option for women who don't exercise regularly.