Benefits of Bodybuilding for the Strength Athlete
Its time to stop bashing bodybuilders. Ever since I entered the “functional training” world I have heard a general tone of mockery towards bodybuilders. They are seen as blocky, meatheads that can’t move well and don’t lift very heavy (some exceptions). Well, I’m here to stand up for my flexing friends and say that there are benefits to bodybuilding style training (and eating) that everyone can benefit from. (Bodybuilding style training typically includes isolated muscle groups: leg day, back, chest, shoulders + arms; performed 3-5 sets of 8-12 reps)
Most of my early lifting career was spend doing Arnold style workouts or programs I pulled out of a Muscle and Fitness magazine. When I started my collegiate throwing career I quickly realized there needed to be a change in style of training to keep up with the other guys who were squatting heavy, doing Olympic movements, and not worrying about how many angles they hit of chest. Surely, I was a step behind and had some ground to make up.
I ventured around different styles of strength training and eventually make my way to kettlebells. After competing in many strength events, completing tough kettlebell certifications, and earning the titles Beast Tamer and Kentucky’s Strongest Man <231, I’m here to say that I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish what I have without all those years doing bodybuilding style training. Here is my case FOR bodybuilding.
Practice- I should really label this category ‘volume’, but every repetition is a chance to practice good form and use the correct muscles. Almost all bodybuilding workouts are higher repetition in comparison to strength work. This provides more opportunities to learn proper form and create neuromuscular connections that will be helpful when grinding through heavy singles in a strength program. The movement pattern is set through many reps and will be automatic when you can’t think about form while lifting a max weight.
Body Armor- I stole this term from Mike Robertson, but simply it means muscles mass. Having too much muscle might impede you from completing certain movements, but building muscle is a long process and one training cycle certainly won’t make you Ronnie Coleman’s size. Having more muscle around a joint provides stability and can prevent injuries, especially contact injuries. Elephants have wide legs because they need the support for their massive body weight. The same would apply if you were trying to squat or press a heavy weight- bigger shoulders and legs will provide support and aide the lift.
Bloodflow- The golden snitch of bodybuilding is DAT PUMP! The ‘pump’ is when the muscle gets engorged with blood from performing a lot of isolated reps. Arnold even goes as far as to say that the pump is as good as sex! I wouldn’t go that far Arnie, but it is an addicting feeling. Besides making you look really swole, performing workouts that drive a pump give the muscle AND the joint an increased supply of blood. Blood is responsible for delivering oxygen, removing CO2, providing healing mechanisms, and removing metabolic waste. By training to get a pump you can actually help alleviate joint and muscle pains just by providing move blood. Keep the weights light, flex the muscle tight, and go for higher reps and you will experience the PUMP.
L.I.S.S- This acronym stands for Low Intensity Steady State. Most strength and power programs involve driving high forces for a short period of time and then resting for a longer duration. Bodybuilding style training is the opposite: moderate to low forces for higher repetitions, controlled rest times, one to two hours of consistent movement, and concentrated breathing and technique. By controlling the rest times with moderate weights the heart rate stays consistently in a zone that is similar to aerobic training, like tempo running. This not only builds skeletal muscle, but the moderate and constant heart rate allows the heart to completely expand and contract that builds quality cardiac muscle too. A stronger heart equals a stronger and healthier body. This can also improve movement quality because lifting really heavy weights jacks up the sympathetic nervous system which can decrease movement variability, AKA get tighter; but a low intensity training style keeps the breathing in control and creates an environment to improve new movement patterns without building excessive neural tone.
Physique- Building more muscle and getting leaner is the most obvious effect of bodybuilding style training, but it has benefits for everyone. Who couldn’t benefit from losing 10lbs of fat and increasing lean muscle mass? Fat is not a terrible thing in the strength world because, as described earlier, a bigger leg or torso provides more stability which can help reach maximum weights in the squat, deadlift, etc. However, constantly walking around at a higher body fat percentage has negative effects on our internal organs and carrying around the excessive weight all the time will wear out the joints. Some of the finest strength athletes in the world are also lean and muscular(Larry Wheels and Stan Efferding for example) because they are training to build muscle, but are also controlling their diet. Maximizing bodyweight by keeping a low body fat percentage will help in the strength world by keeping you at the best possible weight class for your size. Almost all the guys that I watched compete at World’s Strongest Man <105kg were very muscular and LEAN! Don’t waste your weight on unnecessary body fat. On top of these performance benefits, who wouldn’t want to look better in and out of their clothes? I know your significant other won’t mind.
Bodybuilding may have a bad reputation in the functional training world, but it is just a tool that can help improve performance when incorporated correctly. Don’t rule out any tools when trying to build something great. I personally go back to a bodybuilding style training split after every contest prep in order to heal any nagging injuries and just to enjoy the low pressure style of training. There are no specific weights to hit(or miss), just you, the weights, and a mirror to flex it out in front of.
The two bodybuilding style programs I’ve run and had success with are Renaissance Periodization’s Men’s Physique Template and Arnold’s Blueprint to Mass. There are a lot of good programs out there and maybe I’ll release one of my own. Stay tuned!