Short Answer:

Bodyweight training uses your own body weight as resistance, while weight training uses external weights like dumbbells, barbells, or machines. Bodyweight exercises focus on functional strength, flexibility, and balance, and can be done anywhere without equipment.

Weight training allows precise control over resistance and helps build muscle mass more quickly. Bodyweight training emphasizes natural movements and endurance, whereas weight training often targets specific muscles for strength and size. Both methods improve fitness, but the approach and tools used are different.

Detailed Explanation:

Differences in Resistance and Equipment

Bodyweight training relies entirely on your own body weight to provide resistance. Movements like push-ups, squats, planks, and lunges challenge muscles without external tools. Weight training, on the other hand, uses equipment like dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, or machines to provide resistance. This allows for progressive overload by adjusting the amount of weight, which helps in building strength and muscle size more specifically.

Focus on Functional Strength
Bodyweight exercises improve functional strength, which means strength that is useful for everyday activities like lifting, bending, pushing, and pulling. These exercises often involve multiple muscles working together, enhancing coordination, balance, and core stability. Weight training can also improve functional strength, but it often isolates specific muscles to target growth and maximum power.

Flexibility and Mobility
Bodyweight training generally improves flexibility and joint mobility because exercises require controlled movement through full ranges of motion. For example, lunges stretch the hip flexors while strengthening the legs. Weight training can improve flexibility to some extent, but it focuses more on muscle contraction and less on dynamic movement patterns unless combined with stretching routines.

Adaptability and Convenience
Bodyweight training is highly adaptable and can be done anywhere, making it convenient for home workouts or travel. No equipment is required, and exercises can be modified to suit beginners or advanced practitioners. Weight training requires access to weights or machines and may be limited to gyms or home setups with equipment, making it less flexible in terms of location.

Progression and Muscle Growth
In bodyweight training, progression comes from increasing repetitions, sets, or modifying exercises to make them harder, such as adding jumps or single-leg variations. Weight training allows precise progression by increasing load incrementally, which is particularly effective for building muscle mass and maximal strength. This makes weight training ideal for those looking for targeted hypertrophy.

Cardio and Endurance Benefits
Bodyweight training often combines strength with cardiovascular endurance, especially when performed in circuits or high-intensity formats. Weight training primarily targets muscle strength, although it can also contribute to endurance if performed with lighter weights and higher repetitions. Bodyweight routines can therefore offer a more comprehensive fitness approach in a shorter time.

Conclusion

Bodyweight training and weight training are both effective methods to improve fitness, but they differ in approach. Bodyweight exercises use natural movements and your own weight, emphasizing functional strength, flexibility, balance, and endurance. Weight training uses external loads to target specific muscles for strength and size. Choosing between them depends on goals, available equipment, and convenience, but combining both methods can provide a well-rounded fitness program.