People who are new to fitness and resistance training often ask if strength training is the same as bodybuilding.
The shortest explanation of the difference between strength training and bodybuilding is the goal. Strength training aims to get stronger muscles and better performance, while the bodybuilding is all about aesthetics and getting bigger muscles.
Muscle size does not predict strength.
While there is a strong relationship between muscle size and strength, it is not a parallel. Someone with larger muscles may not necessarily be able to lift more heavy than someone with smaller muscles. This is why you do not see bodybuilders compete in weightlifting or vice versa.
In terms of gains, strength starts to increase from day 1 of training (average +15% in 2 months), while changes in muscle mass usually only start to be visible after 2 months (average 5% in 2 months). This is because strength has a lot to do with practice and skill, which improves the most in the beginning.
Research suggests that early on in training, there is almost no relationship between gains in muscle size and gains in strength. The more experienced the lifter, the closer the correlation between muscle growth and strength gains becomes. Of course, by then the gains come much slower. Most relative change happens during the first year of training.
Strength Training vs Bodybuilding Regimes
Both strength training and bodybuilding goals are achieved by resistance training. When your muscles become stressed, fatigued or damaged they will adapt. The type of stress that you give your body will determine the adaptation that it will make. Variables include the type of exercise, intensity, reps and sets, and recovery.
Bodybuilders generally need a higher training volume; doing more reps and more sets with less rest in between. They also need to do more on isolation exercises. And while nutrition is important for strength training, it is crucial in bodybuilding, particularly during the shredding phase.
At Studio X we recommend that beginners focus on strength training, to develop a strong base and allow your nervous system to adapt. Strength training has many benefits for your health and the fast results will encourage you to keep training.
Many women still worry about getting bulky from strength training. However, this is an outdated myth, and women who do want to get bigger muscles will quickly realize how hard it is for them to gain muscle size, especially when they are not following a bodybuilding regime.
Men who want to gain muscle size also need to know that the bodybuilding training regime differs from strength training. If you are getting stronger, but not bigger, you may need to lift lighter weights and do more reps. It may also be worthwhile to make changes to your diet.