• Keep up to date with Ausbb via Twitter and Facebook. Please add us!
  • Join the Ausbb - Australian BodyBuilding forum

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact contact us.

    The Ausbb - Australian BodyBuilding forum is dedicated to no nonsense muscle and strength building. If you need advice that works, you have come to the right place. This forum focuses on building strength and muscle using the basics. You will also find that the Ausbb- Australian Bodybuilding Forum stresses encouragement and respect. Trolls and name calling are not allowed here. No matter what your personal goals are, you will be given effective advice that produces results.

    Please consider registering. It takes 30 seconds, and will allow you to get the most out of the forum.

Bodybuilding vs Strength Training

J

J.S

New member
Since I've started browsing these forums I've noticed that there seems to be a lot more talk about strength training then other forums I've been on.

Now I'm not for a second saying that this is a bad thing!

For the last few months I've been incorporating a lot more strength training into my workouts, and I've absolutely been loving it.

But at the same time, while I'm enjoying trying to gain strength, I started weightlifting with physique, not strength in mind so bodybuilding has always been my main focus.

I also think that aspects of strength training routines and bodybuilding routines can greatly complement each other.

I thought it would be interesting to start a discussion and would love to hear some other peoples opinions on bodybuilding vs strength training, and their training ideas, also what are their training goals? Muscle? Strength? both?
 
lol at Ceffo's reply, your right it could get heated.

my 2c - I've really enoyed the switch between doing body splits and minimal posterior chain work, to a strength training routine and plenty of leg/ass/back work (5x5 on squats, deads, bench, MP).

I've definitely put on a heap more size doing 'heavy' compounds than doing body splits, maybe dont look as 'ripped' as i have in the past, but i was also training for sports in the past so body fat % would have been lower which would be a factor. I feel just as athletic when i do play sport though especially for short burst explosive stuff.

It's also more fun lifting heavy weights!

Also found it interesting not training for a 'pump', im rarely sore the next day after training, but have a general 'exhausted' feeling in my muscles.

This are merely my personal, anecdotal experiences, I'll leave the evaluation of pro's and con's for others.
 
Have you checked your pants Ceffo?

Bodybuilding is strength training, your muscles are designed to adapt to their output. So if you need to lift more or lift loads repetitively you get bigger muscles as you need those muscles to be stronger.

Now in regards to 'strength training' for bodybuilders every beginner (most likely 90% of people on the forums including me cause I got lazy for a few years) should be a purely strength trainee. You need that base first and that is why you see a lot of 'strength training' used and talked about on this forum. Once you are at the intermediate level moving from a beginners routine is warranted and you can move into adding leg press after you squat etc.

One issue with a lot of crap out there is that people completely leave out the compound exercises (besides bench) that is not bodybuilding training it is crap training. You still need the compound exercises and constant progression but you can add more work that is less CNS taxing if you want, though a lot of guys got big without it.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
J.S said:
Since I've started browsing these forums I've noticed that there seems to be a lot more talk about strength training then other forums I've been on.

Now I'm not for a second saying that this is a bad thing!

For the last few months I've been incorporating a lot more strength training into my workouts, and I've absolutely been loving it.

But at the same time, while I'm enjoying trying to gain strength, I started weightlifting with physique, not strength in mind so bodybuilding has always been my main focus.

I also think that aspects of strength training routines and bodybuilding routines can greatly complement each other.

I thought it would be interesting to start a discussion and would love to hear some other peoples opinions on bodybuilding vs strength training, and their training ideas, also what are their training goals? Muscle? Strength? both?
Click to expand...

It's not complicated, the two should be the same, are the same, if you are working in a progressive manner you are building strength.

You just need to figure whether you are a race horse or draft horse.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
Basic difference between one and the other, after an intermediate level was hit, less CNS taxing work? That seems to be what I'm taking away from it.
 
I'm assuming bodybuilding 'pump' style work. But I can't say for sure. Sometimes I wish I was doing sports science or something like that! I know I'd love it.
 
Why don't you? What are you doing anyways?

Heavy compound max and near max lifts are more fatiguing of the CNS, higher rep work is more fatiguing of the muscles. Exercises like leg press are also less CNS intensive due to you sitting on your ass and pushing the load (less stabiliser use, less balance needed, basically less total body effort needed).
Posted via Mobile Device
 
dave said:
Why don't you? What are you doing anyways?

Heavy compound max and near max lifts are more fatiguing of the CNS, higher rep work is more fatiguing of the muscles. Exercises like leg press are also less CNS intensive due to you sitting on your ass and pushing the load (less stabiliser use, less balance needed, basically less total body effort needed).
Posted via Mobile Device
Click to expand...

Engineering and Commerce Dave.

And that's what I thought, single, doubles and triples require a much greater CNS recruitment don't they? And if you do that a couple times your CNS is taking a huge strain. Higher reps put more strain on the muscle itself especially if your doing full negatives with plenty of time under tension.
 
Well if you don't find it interesting you could always transfer (depending if you have exercise/sport science at your uni). You can also get into a lot of biomechanics with an engineering degree. My suggestion is to do something you really like, if you really like engineering then stick with it if not maybe you might want to do something else.

And you are correct about singles and triples but if you leave a few reps in the tank you take a lot of the CNS strain out that would occur from going to failure.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
gareer, stick to engineering.

i agree i that beginners ad novices like most of us should be doing compounds to build the foundation for what we wat to do later, thats what most people dont get.
 
Do you know what I find ironic?

I'm bigger than 95% of people who post in the 'bodybuilding' forum despite the fact that I deliberately avoid putting on weight.

This is how I train:
- Main lift, 2-3 accessory exercises

This is how my mate whos competing in the nationals this weekend trains
- Main lift, 2-3 accessory exercises

Most 'bodybuilding' style routines are simply bs ghost written by a balding 70kg editor on a toilet. The sooner you bb mags are just supplement catalogues in disguise the better.
 
Paullie said:
gareer, stick to engineering.

i agree i that beginners ad novices like most of us should be doing compounds to build the foundation for what we wat to do later, thats what most people dont get.
Click to expand...

Paullie said:
My "n" button is fu cked lol
Click to expand...

I don't believe you as I have highlighted many uses of an 'n', imagine blaming a keyboard for a spelling mistake.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
I'm at work ad it's dead quiet at the momet. I thik I should go ad do some work.
Posted via Mobile Device
 
Would I be right in saying that one of the main differences between the two are the rep ranges most commonly used?

My understanding is that lower rep ranges, around 4 or under are great for building strength, but that a greater hypertrophy of the type IIA and type IIB muscle fibres at rep ranges of around 6 - 12.

For me I think this is one of the main differences, that if strength is your main goal lower rep ranges are used most commonly, while if hypertrophy is your main goal, slightly higher rep ranges are beneficial
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top