Mr Britain

What's the difference between bodybuilding and strength training?

I don't really know the difference but I workout every body part on a different day and my friend says I'm bodybuilding. He goes goes to the gym only twice a week and he says he's strength training... is he right? and please explain what they both mean. thanks! But I want muscles... and I think I have gained so much since I started 5 months ago... :|

Public Comments

1. strength training is just use resistance exercises to increase strength . bodybuilding is a sport in which the participants look to gain muscle in size aiming for muscle hypertrophy and then achieve a very low body fat to make the muscle more defined your probably strength training
2. Bodybuilding is to build up your body, and make yourself big, the look of having big muscles. Strength training is to build up your strength, is doesnt matter how big you get, you want the strength.
3. Body building aims at having a well-built body, well-defined muscles. The exercises are usually contained to max. every other day. It's not just about gaining ability to lift more weight, which differs it from strength training.
4. If you are going for increase in muscle size and shape, and balance of the appearance, its bodybuilding. Strength training can cause very little muscle growth, yet still achieve big gains in the amount you can lift. I once heard of a woman heptathlete, about 160 lbs who humbled a guy of about 240 lbs. She asked to share the bench press with him, and he could not follow her up past 240 lbs. While on rowing team in college, my leg press went from 180# to 380# in 8 months. I did not gain any weight, since I burned too many calories with the cardio aspect of training. I ate about 6,000 calories a day, and only weighed 145#.
5. The three main components of a well balanced exercise program are aerobic or cardiovascular work, strength training, and flexibility. Those are the basics but there are certainly other elements you can add to enhance your overall fitness and health. Balance training is one of those add-ons worth considering. Balance and coordination can indeed be improved and are very important. They are often gradually lost with age as well as certain injuries and medical conditions. Work on your balance and you will not only improve your sports and athletic performance, but also lessen your chance of falls-something especially important with advancing age, especially women with osteoporosis who are prone to fractures. To improve your balance, try the following. Put your arms out to your side (like a “T”) and balance on one foot. Close your eyes and try to hold for 20-30 seconds. If this gets too easy try it on the ball of your foot, or on a small pillow. Try doing this on each foot. The yoga “tree pose” is also terrific for balance. There are also commercially available devices like the “wobble board” or “bosu trainer” that allow you to work on balance, coordination and proprioception (that fine tune coordination mechanism in your joints that sometimes does not function optimally). Proprioception is especially important in the rehabilitation and prevention of many lower extremity injuries. Fun ways to achieve great balance, and get a terrific work-out include Tai Chi, martial arts and ballet. It's never too early or too late to work on this important area. Give balance training a try and you’ll see a big difference-in sport and in life.