What Are the Different Types of Strength Training and Which One Is the Best for Most Optimal Muscle Gains?

Bodybuilding as a concept has long transcended just building muscles and getting ripped. It is rather a holistic journey that must be embarked upon with sheer dedication, discipline, and most importantly, understanding what your body demands according to your goal. The sport has its roots scattered, beginning from wanting to have a muscular physique to enhancing the overall physical prowess of one’s body.

Several training programs are tailored to cater to the different needs of an athlete. While for someone who wishes to improve their agility, they must learn towards cardio, and someone who wants just an aesthetic physique must get into weightlifting. Mentioned below is a list of the primary types of training methodologies that the sport offers:

Bodybuilding

To offer some clarity, here the term is limited to building muscles by focusing on progressive resistance exercises to build control over the body and getting bigger through the process of hypertrophy. The primary function of just this particular type of workout is to build an aesthetic body and get stronger in the process. 

Powerlifting 

The second category and one of the most popular methods of training is powerlifting which is generally a game of lifting the maximum amount of weight possible, of course in accordance with the conditioning of your body. It allows three attempts per lift and consists of squats, bench presses, and deadlifts. Powerlifting also enhances the strength game of the human body. Athletes training under the Powerlifting regime, generally focus on training in the lower rep range, varying from 3 to 5 reps. For instance, if someone is aiming to lift a 150 kg deadlift in the competition, they ensure that they lift a set of at least 3 to 5 reps, only then can they pull off a single rep in the championships.

Olympic lifting

The third category of training is called Olympic weightlifting, which is somewhat similar to Powerlifting, where several athletes line up with the intent of competing by lifting a barbell loaded with weights starting the range of motion from the ground and taking it overhead. The aim generally is to lift the heaviest in your body weight category. There are two distinctions of this training method – the snatch and the clean and jerk. Just like powerlifting, this also has three attempts and the sole purpose of the method is competing. Olympic lifting differs from Powerlifting in the sense that, they focus on isolated muscles too. Say, for example, if an athlete is aiming to participate in the clean and jerk category, four out of six days of training, they will prep for clean and jerk, and on the remaining two days, they train for biceps, triceps, and other body parts to bring in full conditioning, which is an important part in the regime.

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Powerbuilding

The training method of powerbuilding is generally an amalgamation of the two most popular trends of training – bodybuilding, and powerlifting. It combines the potential of building raw strength involved in the method of Powerlifting and also adds on aestheticism, which is generally the primary character of bodybuilding. It is often regarded as the bastard child of two ideologically opposed inextricably linked methods of training 

CrossFit

CrossFit is a high-intensity training method that takes in elements from different sports and different exercises. It gives outcomes when the athlete makes significant lifestyle changes, primarily focusing on training and nutrition intake. The workouts are of varied ranges, from high-intensity to functional movements.

Which is the best workout?

These are just the five primary workout regimes that attract the attention of the people in the fitness community. Several others might cater to what your goal is. But most importantly, there is no best training method as per se. Every individual has a different body type. The very way not everyone is allergic to the same food, human bodies respond differently to different sets of training ideologies.

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To decode what works best for you, the only way out is to conduct extensive research before you dive into your full power training mode and learn more about what suits not just your goal, but your body and lifestyle as well. No one can understand your body better than you! What is your favorite training method and why? Let us know in the comments section below!