Strength Training vs. Bodybuilding
The strength training vs. bodybuilding debate has been going on since time immemorial, and people always want to know which to do, and which is best.
My way of thinking is: best for what?
Both bodybuilding and strength training are very different beasts, and in general their training principles and methods are tailored towards very different goals.
The general rule of thumb is:
• Those who partake in strength training tend to do so solely to improve strength and perhaps sporting performance, and creating a chiselled physique is not their top priority.
• Those who partake in bodybuilding tend to not care about how much they can lift, nor sporting performance, but their top priority is achieving muscularity, symmetry, proportion and low body fat for what they believe is the ultimate aesthetic physique.
Of course, there are always exceptions to the rule, but in general, that is the difference.
Many of the worlds best bodybuilders have their roots in strength training; such as Franco Columbu and Arnold Schwarzenegger, and accredit a large portion of their success to the fact they began with strength training, which they feel gave them a solid and sturdy base in which to build on. Arnold also commented that bodybuilders who didn’t strength train tended to lack the ‘hardness’ and ‘muscle quality’ of those that did, or do.
Also, you’ve got bodybuilders who once in a while do special strength training sessions, and clearly see a benefit in doing so, despite the fact they are first and foremost bodybuilders.
Strength training tends to be low rep, and heavier weight, and thus is more explosive in nature; and the theory is it conditions the muscles and fast twitch muscle fibres to accept greater demand on them. Explosive movements are what sports are all about, so strength training will undoubtedly benefit the sportsman or woman more than bodybuilding will, as bodybuilding tends to be high rep, lower weight, and slower movements.
What about for overall muscularity, which is best?
Well, in the beginning of any kind of weight training, perhaps for the first year or two, it may be almost impossible to separate the difference between what can be achieved on a good strength training program and a good bodybuilding program. An untrained physique will respond to almost any kind of weight training.
You could argue, then, that using strength training to build the foundations may be the best recourse, and as time goes on, if you decide to go for sheer aesthetic appearance rather than performance, start to adopt bodybuilding practices to hone your physique.
I think it certainly goes without saying that advanced bodybuilders tend to have much more muscularity than strength trainees of equal experience, so ultimately, if you desire a physique like a bodybuilder, you’ll need to train like one.
It really depends what your ultimate goals are. Do you want functionality and performance, or do you just want aesthetics, or maybe a mixture of both?
Once you’ve decided, you can use this article as a basis for your plan of attack.
