Bodybuilding or "Strength" Training

[Stewart14]

OK, we all know deep inside we all want to look good from working out, so the question is, who here works out specifically as a bodybuilder (ie, bodypart splits, higher rep ranges, lots of exercises and isolation moves, etc) and who here works out for general strength improvement (ie, movement plane workouts, lots of squats and deadlifts with little isolation type moves)?

 

[Phineas]

Use to be like 95% looks 5% performance.

Now, I'd say I'm about 50/50. It kind of depends...

For instance, thought I constantly am checking my muscles to asses their progress in and out of the gym I'm generally concerned primarily with performance during a program. Around the end of a program and the beginning of a new one I'll start considering looks again, kind of like "okay, how well did that work..let's see".

Ultimately, I am concerned with the looks; I plan on entering my first competition in a few years, so I clearly do! But, these days I find myself much more focussed on getting my lifts not only up in terms of weight but getting the quality and efficiency of my workouts up.

I'm also concerned with general health and fitness. I bike a lot in the summer and still run small amounts. I'm doing Victoria's big 10k race next month that I did when I used to be a runner. It was interesting to do it last year, as I had then been lifting for about 8 months and was much heavier than when I was a distance runner (140-145). This year, I'm standing at about 193lbs @ 13-15% BF. That's a hell of a lot more weight to push, but I can still f*cking giv'er on short distances! Advanced nutrition really does wonders. You can drastically cut your direct cardio work and yet you just don't decondition!

Haha, I wonder how far I'd get in a marathon now!

 

[Raymond Sugar]

I would have to say a little bit of both. Of course i want to look bigger and fuller. but I concentrate on Squats and deadlifts as well. I think getting bigger and stronger go hand in hand. I want to add some power to my right and left jabs, but I do want to bigger too. I've found that the more mass I gain, the less flexibility i have. Which kind of hinders my fighting ability. I've always been cut, I used to do calisthenics exclusively. Pull ups, dips and push ups.

 

[CowPimp]

My goals are primarily strength and performance based. However, I certainly utilize intensities and volumes typically associated with bodybuilding. Of course, increased muscle mass can certainly contribute to strength, so it's really a means to an end. In addition, there is only so much very high intensity resistance training one can do without overtraining. Therefore, it is prudent to periodize one's program to avoid said issue.

I also feel as though bodybuilders would benefit from using more heavy lifting in their programs, even if the emphasis remains on building mass most of the time.

 

[AKIRA]

Mine is always strength, but right now while cutting, it sucks. However, I got my size from doing high volume shit and it wasnt low intensity. Basically, I did everything wrong and I got size...but I didnt get any stronger. So now, I am stuck with a massive body, which I cant complain about..

However...

Seeing a <6ft, ~180lb Asian doing 405 on the bench really fucked with me.

 

[jcar1016]

strength and cuts high intensity low weight being massive is just not in my genetics. Im 5'9" 160 on average day I cut to 145 for a fight

 

[Stewart14]

Mine is always strength, but right now while cutting, it sucks. However, I got my size from doing high volume shit and it wasnt low intensity. Basically, I did everything wrong and I got size...but I didnt get any stronger. So now, I am stuck with a massive body, which I cant complain about..

However...

Seeing a <6ft, ~180lb Asian doing 405 on the bench really fucked with me.

Now that was funny, I needed that laugh for the morning ...

you know I love ya

 

[Stewart14]

I guess I'll chime in on my own topic...I have been strength oriented for as long as I can remember now, and generally speaking, it's gotten me some nice size, and this is through predominantly low rep, high weight training, lots of powerlifting stuff, etc///

however, this past year has been a pretty bad year for me weight training wise. I am in a constant state of change, I cannot decide on a plan to stick with, and to top it off, the challenges of being a MAN and staying home taking care of a 3 year old and a soon to be 1 year old have taken their toll on me. My strength is down big time since one, even two years ago, I have lost over 10 pounds while not even cutting mind you, and I am constantly exhausted. I live in a perpetual state of tiredness. I am trying to fight through it, and I guess the silver lining is that if I can at least maintain at the levels I am now, hopefully this would be the worst of it, and in a few years when I get some semblance of a life back, I can get back to where I was.

that being said, I am really itching to switch to a bodybuilding style plan, however, that isn't in the cards right now, I think I would just kill myself if I tried the volume of a pure bodybuilding plan right now. I look at myself minus those 10+ pounds, and I see myself as what I looked like before I even began serious weight training, which obviously is not true, I am still around 210, but man you look completely different at 225 than you do at 210, especially since I didn't plan to lose the weight, so I am really not super ripped, I am just a smaller version of my 225 self if that makes sense.

 

[Max-Power]

Combo. Want to look great but also start my fighting workout again soon!

 

[yellowmoomba]

Mine is a combo of strength, body building and athletics. Lots of compound and core exercise. Like you (S14) - always looking for something new

 

[Kathybird]

I'm not in the same category as you guys but I used to work out for looks when I was younger and as I aged it gradually became more about health and strength. I've only been doing heavier weights for a month and I'm already stronger! Should have done this earlier on. Of course, if I look better that's just more incentive.