They are all big, strong men. If you are not a professional fitness person or a senior fitness enthusiast, you may be very clear about the difference between bodybuilding, powerlifting and weightlifting, because those who do this training are with "iron" every day.
Today, let's give you a popular science to see which strength training is most suitable for those of you who want to get fit? Find out the difference between bodybuilding, powerlifting and weightlifting and their respective benefits.
These trainings are all considered resistance training, but one of the incredible things about it is that there are so many different training methods. There are actually hundreds of ways to make you gain weight. You may also have heard of different types of strength training, but there are still many major differences between bodybuilding, powerlifting and weightlifting.
Weightlifting, powerlifting and bodybuilding offer their own very unique methods for strength training, all of which can help you develop strength and physical function in different ways. One aspect that makes these training forms different is that they are all competitive sports and have many competitions at the same time.
What is bodybuilding?
Bodybuilding is the practice of gradually increasing muscle for aesthetic and strength purposes, usually focusing on training one muscle group at a time to achieve maximum muscle hypertrophy, that is, muscle growth.
Bodybuilding Competitions
Unlike powerlifting and weightlifting, which assess strength or muscle power, bodybuilding competitors are judged on their appearance. Characteristics like muscle size, symmetry, proportion, and stage presence are taken into account, but athletic performance is not usually evaluated. Similar to weightlifting and powerlifting, you can enter different competitions based on gender and weight class. Other branches of bodybuilding include fitness, physique, figure, and bikini competitions, each with their own rules.
Bodybuilding Training
Compared to weightlifting or powerlifting, bodybuilding competitions are less specific in terms of training, as weight comparisons are not generally made in competitions. This leaves a lot of room for creativity in training. Bodybuilders typically perform high-intensity resistance training, in which moderately high weights are combined with moderate repetitions (6-12 per set) and a large number of sets per body part, an approach that is effective for developing muscle mass.
Bodybuilders tend to isolate certain parts of their body during each day of training, so one day's training may focus on the legs, while another day's training may focus on the chest, shoulders, or triceps. Aerobic exercise is also an important part of training because it increases fat loss, while powerlifting or weightlifting aerobic exercise is rarely included in training.
Since the goals of bodybuilding competitions are mainly focused on size, things like bodybuilding nutrition and fueling are also important parts of preparing for competitions.
Benefits of Bodybuilding
When you compare the different goals of bodybuilding, powerlifting, and weightlifting, bodybuilding is the most effective for increasing muscle mass and losing fat. This is because bodybuilding requires high-intensity resistance exercise, which causes cellular changes to produce muscle tissue. When combined with a proper diet, a person can increase their lean muscle mass while reducing body fat.
What is powerlifting?
Powerlifting is a competitive sport with three main events: bench press, squat, and deadlift.
Powerlifting Competitions
Powerlifting competitors compete in strength when bench pressing, squatting, and deadlifting. Each rack has a barbell with plates attached to it. In powerlifting competitions, competitors make three attempts at their maximum weight per lift (also known as your 1RM). Your highest successful weights for each lift are added together to give you your total score. Competitors are usually divided into categories based on gender, age, and weight class.
Powerlifting Training
Because powerlifting is about helping to increase your 1RM, training for powerlifting is designed to develop maximum muscle strength. Powerlifters typically perform only a few repetitions to maximize their strength potential.
Someone who practices powerlifting might train three days a week, focusing on one basic movement each day.
A workout usually includes key foundation exercises for these movements, or some similar movement, such as the squat (you do a barbell squat, but on a box). While the main competition weights will be heavy and require the most focus, workouts will also include training with lighter weights designed to target some weak areas. For example, a typical squat-based workout might include: hip thrusts to warm up, followed by squats (about 4-5 sets of 6 reps each), deadlifts, split squats, leg curls, leg presses, and superman presses.
Powerlifting workouts typically have longer rest periods between sets than other types of strength training to allow for full recovery between sets. If your goal is to lift the most weight, you'll need two to five minutes of rest before you can lift enough weight for another set.
Benefits of Powerlifting
Gaining strength, increasing muscle mass, and increasing bone density are the biggest benefits of powerlifting (and weightlifting in general), so if you're looking to become a "giant," this is the style for you. Powerlifting can be motivating for many people because it keeps you hyper-focused on results, such as the weight you're lifting, rather than just aesthetics or weight loss.
If you're a runner, powerlifting can also help your training in a big way. Powerlifting training can increase your strength, giving you more power when your feet hit the ground, and more power in your biceps femoris to give you more power when running.
What is weightlifting?
While you can call any weight-based strength training exercise weightlifting, competitive weightlifting (aka Olympic weightlifting) is a sport that focuses on two dynamic barbell lifts: the snatch and the clean and jerk.
Weightlifting Competitions
Weightlifting tests your ability to snatch and clean and jerk. Similar to powerlifting, these lifts are performed with a loaded barbell, and competitors lift the barbell three times each. The highest weights lifted in each sport are added together to form a total score, and the athlete with the highest score wins. Participants are classified according to their age, weight, and gender.
Weightlifting Training
If you've watched the Olympic Games, a sport that looks like it only has two lifts may sound simple, but the standards for these lifts are very technical. Both lifts require you to lift a heavy barbell overhead. To achieve this goal, the training program focuses primarily on fixed movements and technique, while also developing explosive power and speed.
Compared to powerlifting, training sessions are less heavy, but more frequent, five to six days a week.
When you compare Olympic weightlifting to powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting is more aerobic than powerlifting, meaning the intensity is lower, but your heart rate can be kept up for a long period of time. This type of training is necessary because Olympic weightlifting is competed at a faster pace. A typical workout with a focus on metabolic conditioning would include 5 rounds of 800m runs, 15 kettlebell swings, and 10 deadlifts.
Benefits of Weightlifting
One of the main benefits of Olympic weightlifting is that it helps develop explosive power. It also stimulates more muscle than other types of strength training, which is great for weight loss.
If you do heavy, basic lifts with a barbell, you're causing more stress to your body, so your body will immediately repair tiny muscle fiber tears, also known as micro tears, after you're done. The more muscle you break down, the harder it is for your body to recover, and when it does, it creates new lean muscle. This lean muscle helps burn fat.
Which strength training is best for you?
Bodybuilding, powerlifting, and weightlifting are all advanced forms of strength training, so if you're just starting out, or have any physical limitations or chronic conditions, you'd be better off starting with a more basic strength training method. Once you get comfortable with light to moderate weights, you can try more challenging styles. (Just know that you're not limited to these three types of training; strongman and Crossfit training are other options for strength-based training.)
All of these different training styles can help you develop strength and function and affect your body composition by increasing muscle mass, but unless you want to compete in a certain category, combining all of them may be your best option.
An integrated approach to fitness combines multiple forms of exercise into a progressive system. This means combining bodybuilding, powerlifting, weightlifting, and other forms of exercise, such as stretching, cardio, and core work. Ultimately, whichever style you like best, you'll stick with, so explore all of them and find the style that works for you.
