Thread: Strength vs. Bodybuilding Training

the training styles are very different yet culminate in different end results, if your a strong powerlifter you'd probably be a pretty big dude but you'd not necessarily have the most aesthetics of a physique. yet most big bodybuilders are strong dudes too.

I used to train both ways, doing a core lift for powerlifting rep ranges and then follow it up with more bodybuilding training, the results were good but not as good had I done both seperately

Originally Posted by trapzilla

I used to train both ways, doing a core lift for powerlifting rep ranges and then follow it up with more bodybuilding training,

What's the rep ranges when you do powerlifting as opposed to bodybuilding? Are the number of sets the same? Movement the same?

Too add to what Trapzilla said, I think the main differenece in their training styles is a powerlifter will use assistance exercises solely to get their three big lifts up. For example good mornings to increase your squat.
While a bodybuilder will base their assistance/isolation on lagging body parts they need to bring up for symmetry.

Originally Posted by x~factor

What's the rep ranges when you do powerlifting as opposed to bodybuilding? Are the number of sets the same? Movement the same?

for powerlifting between 1and 5 reps on main lifts. and no number of sets much higher between 5 and 10 for heavy weights and 8 or so for speed work.
the movements are the same but the application is different, powerlifting focuses on speed and jsut gettign the weight up, bodybuilding the feel of the lift and the pump.

Originally Posted by cshea2

Too add to what Trapzilla said, I think the main differenece in their training styles is a powerlifter will use assistance exercises solely to get their three big lifts up. For example good mornings to increase your squat.
While a bodybuilder will base their assistance/isolation on lagging body parts they need to bring up for symmetry.

sort of correst CS a bodybuilder uses isoaltion moces to grow all areas equally not jsut lagging

There is a huge difference between strength and bodybuilding training.

There are myofibril and sarcoplasmic fibers that get stimulated when doing rssistance training.

Powerlifting mainly stimulates the myofibril area. You can still grow, but you are usually lifting in a 1 - 5 rep range. Increases your power with some size gain. Usually a longer rest between sets as well.

Bodybuilding stimulates the sarcoplasmic fibers and the rep range is higher (8-15) and rest periods between sets less. This aids in making muscles look larger and fuller.

I have seen absolutely huge bodybuilders with arms and legs much larger than powerlifters who can do twice the weight. It is all in the rep range and rest period between sets. It is hard for a lot of people to understand this because their ego gets in the way. I have seen guys with absolutely huge legs that rarely squat over 315 for reps, where powerlifters that do 600 have much smaller legs... It's all about what you want and that dreaded ego.....

May I add something here? I am going for neither. I know, hear me out. It's a word that is said to be genetically impossible to do but I am in to "BodySculpting". IMO Size isn't the issue nor is being able to lift "X-Men" like weight(tho It's fun). I want to build each and every muscle in the body. Not just the surface muscles.

Some would say that IS bodybuilding, but to me it's minus the super weight and size. I want nothing but solid myotrophic muscle development. Fiber by fiber. Layer by layer. Not a # on a scale. Visually identifying every muscle. And thats hard lol

Like a bullet proof vest made with layers of carbon fibers. Strong enough to stop a bullet but mobile, light and dense enough to be (almost) indestructible.

It's an interesting idea to me.

Originally Posted by pwloiacano

There is a huge difference between strength and bodybuilding training.

There are myofibril and sarcoplasmic fibers that get stimulated when doing rssistance training.

Powerlifting mainly stimulates the myofibril area. You can still grow, but you are usually lifting in a 1 - 5 rep range. Increases your power with some size gain. Usually a longer rest between sets as well.

Bodybuilding stimulates the sarcoplasmic fibers and the rep range is higher (8-15) and rest periods between sets less. This aids in making muscles look larger and fuller.

That's close but myofibriliar hypertrophy is referring to the increase of actin and myosin proteins in the muscle. Sacroplasm is also not referring to a fiber it's an increase in the volume of fluid. The fibers are broken down to slow twitch and fast twitch type A and B. At least I think that's right, maybe not anyone feel free to correct that.

Originally Posted by TJTJ

May I add something here? I am going for neither. I know, hear me out. It's a word that is said to be genetically impossible to do but I am in to "BodySculpting". IMO Size isn't the issue nor is being able to lift "X-Men" like weight(tho It's fun). I want to build each and every muscle in the body. Not just the surface muscles.

Some would say that IS bodybuilding, but to me it's minus the super weight and size. I want nothing but solid myotrophic muscle development. Fiber by fiber. Layer by layer. Not a # on a scale. Visually identifying every muscle. And thats hard lol

Myotrophic just means increasing weight of the muscle doesn't it? How is that different than conventional bodybuilding? I'm not trying being a smart ass I really am just asking. Do you mean density of the muscle?

yeah that wasnt the proper word. Like you said myofibriliar hypertrophy the increase of actin and myosin proteins in the muscle.

Thanks for the clarification guys. Great thread.

I don't claim to be an expert, but I think you get my point.

There are two very different ways to lift (powerlifting & bodybuilding) and you yield very different results.

No one has mentioned the way the routines are set up.

Bodybuilding routines usually go by bodyparts (i.e. chest-monday, back-tuesday, so on)

Powerlifting routines usually go by planes of movement (i.e. squat-monday, bench-wednesday, dead-friday)

Just my .02 for whatever it is or isn't worth

Originally Posted by x~factor

I hear this all the time, pick a style of training (strength or bodybuilding) and stick to it. But I always thought that as you gain strength, you gain muscle mass. So if you gain enough muscle mass, you look like a bodybuilder?

So how would you train differently to achieve strength vs. bodybuilding? Can you do both in the same workout?

There are fat powerlifters in the world. Strength doesn't guarantee muscularity.

^ Oh don't worry, they got some big fucking muscles underneath that fat.

Im a believer in change and keeping the muscle guessing. I like to stick with the same routine for a while (considering it's working and I'm making increases). Then shock the muscle with something else. Say I'm doing squats each week I'm doing sets of 4-6 just for strength. Then out of nowhere I'll do a couple sets of 15-20. It shocks the muscle since it's not use to doing reps that high. Shock=growth

I've always thought that strength and size are two different things. I know a lot of very large dudes who are definitely not strong - meaning if you subject their joints to enough force they snap like twigs. Maybe their muscles are big, but strength is a lot more than that.

For example, you might have someone like a gymnast who can deadlift 3x his bodyweight. He is very strong. But not big in the sense of size.

Bodybuilding to me is all about esthetics - meaning focusing on things like proportion, detail, etc - but it isn't useful for doing things like strength movements. They will tend to do a lot of isolation movements that someone like a powerlifter wouldn't do because they don't care. Calf raises or dumbbell bicep curls are probably not a big part of a powerlifters routine, for example.

idk gymnasts have some pretty big guns for little guys

both are fairly easy to increase substantially in the beginner trainer as the body is in it's highest most untrained state. in terms of muscle growth resistance training only provides the necessary stimulus for hypertrophy but the the caloric intake and overall diet will determine how much muscle is gained for the most part. in order for the muscles to grow at a maximum rate there must be a consistent caloric excess in the diet for an extended period of time (months). and as the body weight in LBM increases so must the caloric intake. on the list of biological process of the body increasing muscle mass is just about last on the list in terms of priority.