Introduction

 

Your young basketball player is progressing, excelling in their skills, and competing at a high level. However, to keep advancing and competing as they move up in age groups and intensity, you recognize a critical need: they must become stronger, faster, more explosive, and more resilient.

So, you contact a strength coach to start your athlete on a strength training program. But you have a condition: “No weights, please—only bodyweight.” Or, perhaps you compromise on the “no weights” rule, insisting, “Okay, only light weights.”

It’s a common question and valid concern for parents of young basketball players considering strength training with us:

The short answer is:

Yes, But…

• Yes – Low Load or Bodyweight only training can be used by young athletes to build a baseline of muscle/hypertrophy, and UPPER BODY strength.  

BUT: 

• Upper body strength exercises must be taken to muscular failure for maximal hypertrophy gains.  
• Upper body strength exercises must be manipulated via biomechanics to mimic heavy loads.  
• For maximal LOWER BODY strength and explosive power (jump higher, run faster, decelerate) external loads are scientifically proven to be the superior and necessary method to overload the legs! 

Externally loaded strength training is safe for young athletes and won’t stunt their growth: Modern sports science has concluded that properly supervised strength training, including the use of external weights, is safer than many believe and will not stunt growth. (For more details, please read our previous blog post: https://progressiveperformance.ca/is-strength-training-safe-for-youth-is-it-effective/)

We will now dive into this topic, drawing upon both scientific research and our hands-on experience with young athletes. The scientific basis includes eight referenced papers that examine this question across diverse groups: young soccer players, adolescent basketball players, military cadets in peak condition, and experienced lifters. 

Are measurable gains achievable through bodyweight exercises alone?

Many people often underestimate the value of bodyweight exercises like push-ups, viewing them as mere warmups. However, scientific evidence suggests that these exercises are surprisingly effective for building a foundational base, especially during early athletic development.

One study tracked male soccer players (U16 and U19) during their 15-week competitive season. The researchers divided the young athletes into two training groups: one utilizing externally loaded free weights and the other performing only bodyweight training. The results were notable: both groups achieved highly measurable and comparable improvements across several key metrics, including Vo2 max (aerobic capacity), lean muscle mass (hypertrophy), and reduced body fat percentage.[1]

Muscle adaptation relies on a simple mechanism: muscles respond to resistance, regardless of the source. Your pectoralis, for instance, can’t distinguish between the downward force of a barbell and the gravitational pull on your body during a push-up. It only recognizes and reacts to two stimuli: mechanical tension and metabolic fatigue.

For beginner athletes, initial improvements are rapid because challenging their nervous system to coordinate and move their own body weight is often sufficient to provide the necessary stimulus for foundational growth.

High Load vs. Low Low Training impact on Hypertrophy and Strength

Hypertrophy 

If your athlete continues to do only bodyweight exercises like push-ups they will eventually hit a ceiling when it comes to building muscle/size?

For decades the dominant theory in hypertrophy (increasing muscle size) was that athletes needed to lift heavy weights to get bigger muscles. The general rule was the weight needed to be heavy enough that you could only complete about 8-12 repetitions before muscle failure.  But, a massive landmark systemic review and meta-analysis by Brad Schoenfeld and his research team aggregate day from over 20 studies comparing low load training to high load training.  Low load was defined as lifting less than 60% of a person’s 1 Rep Max  (1RM) – this mimics those high rep (15-20+) bodyweight sets.  High load was defined as 60% or more of 1RM.  [2]

Studies have shown that muscle growth (hypertrophy) can be achieved with both high-load and low-load training, provided that sets in both conditions are taken to momentary muscle failure. Simply stopping a low-load exercise, such as 20 air squats, due to general fatigue—not muscle failure—will not yield the same size-building results as high-load training to failure. Stopping because it is uncomfortable only builds endurance, not size.

The importance of Muscle Failure

The importance of muscle failure lies in the mechanism of motor unit (MU) recruitment. A MU consists of a nerve and the muscle fibers it controls. According to the size principle, smaller MUs are activated first during a lift. Larger MUs are engaged only as the required force production increases.

• With Heavy Loads: Large MUs are activated almost immediately, at lower repetitions.
• With Lower Loads: Smaller MUs are recruited initially. The recruitment of larger, size-building MUs is only possible when enough repetitions are performed to reach or get very close to momentary muscular failure.

In conclusion, muscle size growth can be achieved across a wide range of loads and repetitions, so long as the effort is maximized to reach muscle failure. However, my hands-on experience training young athletes suggests that achieving muscular failure with low loads/high reps is challenging. They tend to stop due to physical or mental exhaustion long before reaching that point. Using heavier weights with fewer repetitions is a more effective way to approach muscular failure and see real results. 

Another key practical takeaway is that when training younger, pre-pubertal athletes, strength gains are mainly “neurological” rather than due to muscle growth (hypertrophy), as discussed in our previous blog post. Therefore, while this finding on hypertrophy is valuable for older, more experienced athletes, it is less relevant for working with youth, where our focus is on neurological strength development over muscle size at this stage.

Strength

The way strength responds to different loads is distinct. While high-rep training taken to failure can increase muscle size (volume), heavy loads/lower reps remain scientifically superior for developing maximal strength (1-Rep Max or 1RM). For athletes whose goal is on-court strength—like holding position in the post or boxing out an opponent—heavy-load training is the more effective approach.[2]

Can Bodyweight Training Build Maximal Strength in Young Athletes?

The short answer is YES!

The longer answer is that young athletes can achieve significant gains in maximal strength using only bodyweight exercises. The crucial element is biomechanical manipulation—making the bodyweight exercise so mechanically difficult that it mimics the high load and low repetition ranges (typically 6-8 reps) necessary for developing maximal strength.

This concept was explored by Kotarsky and colleagues in a study focusing on progressive calisthenics [3]. The researchers sought to determine if they could “hack” bodyweight exercises to yield results comparable to heavy strength training.

The Study:

Two groups were compared over four weeks:

1. Externally Loaded Group: Performed traditional Barbell Bench Pressing using standard strength protocols (adding load progressively, keeping reps in the 6-8 range).
2. Bodyweight Group: Followed a strict, 10-level push-up progression designed to make the exercises difficult to complete within the similar 6-8 rep range.

The 10-Level Push-Up Progression Used:

1. Wall push-up
2. Incline push-up
3. Kneeling push-up
4. Half push-up
5. Full push-up
6. Close push-up
7. Uneven push-up
8. ½ one-arm push-up
9. Archer push-up
10. One-arm push-up

The Results:

After four weeks, both the Externally Loaded and Bodyweight groups demonstrated significant and comparable increases in their 1RM Bench Press strength.

Conclusion:

This research validates that the source of the resistance is not what matters to the muscles. As long as the programming variables are maintained within the strength zone—where the mechanical resistance is so high that the athlete can only complete approximately 6 to 8 repetitions before failure—top-end maximal strength can be developed through bodyweight training.[3]

My practical take:

Definitely, for upper body, horizontal push training we have found that training push-up variations with athletes is a very effective way to see initial strength gains.  However, we follow a slightly different progression:

1. Incline Push-Ups * 
2. Regular Push-Ups
3. Decline Push-Ups
4. (Band-Resisted Decline Push-Ups) 
5. Incline Dumbbell Bench Press **

* We use a progressive, multi-level approach for incline push-ups, which we perform by placing a barbell in a rack. To begin, we set the barbell high enough so the athlete can successfully complete the desired rep range for the first set, yet still find it challenging.

This method offers a highly measurable and motivating way for athletes to boost their strength and push-up performance. Once an athlete can achieve the target rep range for the target number of sets, we progress them by gradually moving the bar lower in the rack. The ultimate goal is to have the athlete progress all the way down to the floor for standard push-ups.

** We sometimes bypass Band-Resisted Decline Push-Ups and move directly to the incline dumbbell bench press, a decision made on a case-by-case basis. This is an example of “sometimes the progression is the regression.” While external load (dumbbells) might seem like a progression, athletes often find it easier to make progressive gains with dumbbell variations than by continuing through the bodyweight push-up sequence.

For this reason, we deliberately do not follow the 10-level push-up progression often cited in research. Many of those advanced push-ups demand significantly more skill, core strength, and shoulder stability than a dumbbell bench press variation. Omitting them at this stage allows us to concentrate on progressing pushing strength efficiently, without getting sidetracked by the time required to master those more complex bodyweight movements.

Here’s some instrutional videos on our push-up progression:

 

 

 

 

 

We also love using inverted rows and ring/suspension trainer/TRX Row variations to progress horiztonal pulling:

 

 

 

 

 

Can Bodyweight Training Build Maximal LOWER Body Strength in Young Athletes?

The study mentioned above focused on upper body bodyweight training. However, the question remains: does the same principle apply to lower body training? Can maximum lower body strength gains be achieved using only bodyweight exercises?

The concise answer is no!

Here’s the long answer: For upper body exercises like push-ups, manipulating gravity with biomechanics is easy because your upper body is relatively light and not evolutionarily designed to carry your full body weight. In contrast, your legs—including your glutes, quads, and hamstrings—are massive muscles that bear your entire body weight all day long. Consequently, replicating the resistance of a heavy barbell lift with only your own body weight is difficult, if not impossible.

A review of time-efficient training strategies by Iversen and colleagues highlights this problem.  [4].  The study notes that achieving true high threshold MU activation in the legs is exceptionally challenging without external loads.  You could replicate it with advanced single leg movements like pistol squats but the data shows those movements often fail due to other restrictions long before the massive muscles of the glutes and quads reach the muscular failure required to achieve growth. [4] 

This was also seen in the Falces-Prieto study – when they compared vertical jump in the external load group vs. the bodyweight group the externally loaded group saw significantly better improvement in jump height[1]

This limitation of low load training on lower leg strength was also seen in the study on military cadets [5]

The limitation of bodyweight training on lower leg strength was also seen in another study on mature middle aged women [6]

Finally, a study on adolescent basketball players revealed that practicing basketball alone is insufficient for developing explosive lower-body power. In fact, the control group, who only engaged in practices and games, experienced a decrease in their vertical jump. This decline is likely because most jumps taken during standard play are submaximal, leading the body to optimize for endurance and downregulate explosive peak power. To achieve in-season improvements in vertical jump, a novel, extreme stimulus is necessary. Players who incorporated a moderate-intensity external weight training program twice a week saw significant, season-long gains in their vertical jump.. [7]

The conclusion

For young basketball players, relying solely on bodyweight, low-load, or no-load lower body exercises is insufficient for developing significant leg strength and increasing vertical jump height. Simply playing the sport will not maximize athleticism. To recruit higher-threshold motor units in the massive muscles of the lower body, eventually, heavier external resistance is required. There is a hard limit to the strength gains achievable with only your own body weight. torso can provide.  

My practical take

Once an athlete has achieved mastery of basic squat form, we advance their training by simultaneously incorporating two key progressions: 1) externally loaded bilateral squats, specifically using goblet squats, and 2) unilateral loaded variations, starting with split squats.

For the majority of young athletes, this methodology provides a safe and highly effective progression path that can be sustained for extended periods—weeks, months, and even years.

While some individuals who prefer to avoid weights might be inclined to skip straight to a true single-leg or “pistol” squat, we view this as a case where “sometimes the regression (bodyweight) is a progression.” Instead, we consider this loading progression—bilateral before unilateral—to be the correct “progression.” True, unsupported unilateral squat variations are reserved only for much more advanced athletes who can already lift substantial weight in both bilateral and split squat variations.

For an in-depth look at our complete unilateral squat progression, please consult our blog post: .https://progressiveperformance.ca/unilateral-squat-variations-and-progressions/ 

Bringing it all together

Yes – young athletes can rely entirely on bodyweight training to build a baseline of aerobic endurance, lean muscle mass (hypertrophy), and upper body strength

BUT

1. Upper body strength exercises must be taken to muscular failure for maximal hypertrophy gains.  
2. Upper body strength exercises must be manipulated via biomechanics to mimic heavy loads.  

1. For maximal lower body strength and explosive power (jump higher, run faster, decelerate) : 
   1. Bodyweight alone has a ceiling.  Incorporating external loads is scientifically proven to be the superior and necessary method to overload the legs! 

 

References

1. Falces-Prieto, M., Sáez de Villarreal-Sáez, E., Raya-González, J., González-Fernández, F. T., Clemente, F. M., Badicu, G., & Murawska-Ciałowicz, E. (2021). The Differentiate Effects of Resistance Training With or Without External Load on Young Soccer Players’ Performance and Body Composition. Frontiers in Physiology, 12, Article 771684. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2021.771684
2. Schoenfeld, B. J., Grgic, J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2017). Strength and hypertrophy adaptations between low- vs. high-load resistance training: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 31(12), 3508–3523
3. Kotarsky, C. J., Christensen, B. K., Miller, J. S., & Hackney, K. J. (2018). Effect of progressive calisthenic push-up training on muscle strength and thickness. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 32(3), 651–659
4. Iversen, V. M., Norum, M., Schoenfeld, B. J., & Fimland, M. S. (2021). No Time to Lift? Designing Time-Efficient Training Programs for Strength and Hypertrophy: A Narrative Review. Sports Medicine, 51, 2079–2095. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01490-1
5. Øfsteng, S. F., Hammarström, D., Knox, S., Jøsok, Ø., Helkala, K., Koll, L., Hanestadhaugen, M., Raastad, T., Rønnestad, B. R., & Ellefsen, S. (2024). Superiority of high-load vs. low-load resistance training in military cadets. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 38(9), 1584–1595
6. Tsourlou, T., Gerodimos, V., Kellis, E., Stavropoulos, N., & Kellis, S. (2003). The effects of a calisthenics and a light strength training program on lower limb muscle strength and body composition in mature women. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 17(3), 590–598
7. Santos, E. J. A. M., & Janeira, M. A. A. S. (2012). The effects of resistance training on explosive strength indicators in adolescent basketball players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(10), 2641–2647
8. Swain, D. P., Ringleb, S. I., Naik, D. N., & Butowicz, C. M. (2011). Effect of training with and without a load on military fitness tests and marksmanship. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 25(7), 1857–1865