Bodybuilding Vs. Powerlifting: Which is better?
I want to get some comments from the Controlled Rage family. I believe that the vast majority of individuals are uninformed of the benefits of Powerlifting/Olympic lifts. I would dare suggest that if the core Powerlifting/Olympic lifts are adhered to and mastered first and foremost (before bodybuilding lifts) a complete package would be quicker to attain. The folly of many novice lifters/athletes is that they learn to body build (individual muscle lifts) before they learn the more integral compound (multiple muscle) lifts.
January 28, 2009 at 8:45 am
lets put your theory to a test.
January 28, 2009 at 1:20 pm
From what I understand (I used to teach exercise physiology), there is some truth to your observation. Arnold mentions a similar thing in his book, "The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding" (last updated in ‘99). People forget that Arnold used to participate in stone lifting contests in Germany for fun and Franco used to move vehicles by hand for kicks!
People often forget that getting stronger is a result of changes that occur not only to the muscle fibers, but also to the brain, spinal cord, and metabolic pathways. Powerlifting/Olympic lifting has a workload and volume that is more biased towards neurological adaptations than traditional bodybuilding exercises. (This why, in part, Olympic lifters can continue to gain strength while remaining at a fixed competitive body weight.)
Young dudes can benefit from this insight by establishing core strength before chasing after muscle hypertrophy via isolation exercises. Old dogs can benefit by remembering these principles and periodically cycling volume and workload to optimize the different adaptations that contribute to improved size and strength. Sorry for the long answer…Peace, MHL
January 29, 2009 at 8:51 pm
You and mharrislove are spot on. I did a transformation this fall concentrating on getting a "cut up" beach body in a short amount of time. While I looked a lot better at the completion, my core strength was very low and my overall look was too scrawny and not really the strapping manly look I prefer for myself (see avatar). Two months ago I scrapped the whole washerboard abs crap and started olympic style power lifts. I’ve gone from 178 pounds to 194 and looking to hit 200. Jesus Christ, those deadlifts done properly with heavy weights make you feel like your whole body is going to explode. Definately not for the faint of heart. But to make a long post short, you guys are spot on re powerlifting. Later, bros.