Bodybuilding is literally building your muscles to get bigger and look more aesthetically pleasing. We train our muscles so that we look good in that tiny bikini for next summer.
Strength training is training to get stronger.
Not to say that bodybuilding doesn’t get you stronger as well.
Think of powerlifters for strength training. They typically are just giant dudes that can lift giant heavy ass weights.
Bodybuilders don’t train for those types of competitions. BB train to stand on stage and pose and look sculpted like a statue. Every muscle fiber and vein popping out.
Powerlifters are just BIG. But strong AF. Think Strong Man competitions.
To build muscle bodybuilder style you’ll want to stay in the higher rep range (8-15), with moderate to heavy weight, 2-4 sets, with a load around 70-85 percent of your one-rep max (1RM).
Strength training will be low volume, heavy weight, 1-6 rep range, 4-6 sets and in a range of between 80-90 percent of your 1RM.
These are the differences in these 2 types of training that most people think are the same. Bodybuilding is not Strength Training or Powerlifting. I like to incorporate both types of training. Typically, I’m the bodybuilder, but Ill add in heavy low rep sets too to switch it up. Which I highly suggest for everyone if you are training just to look and feel good! Try new ways to train and hit the muscles differently.
With any type of training you do, you want to continually try to progress your body into getting stronger and bigger/leaner! If you use the same 5 pound dumbbells for bicep curls, you will eventually plateau and not get any more bicep gains. Eventually you need to grab a heavier weight. Progressive Overload is the gradual increase of stress (weights, intensity, volume) placed upon the body during exercise training. I suggest every every couple weeks try grabbing that next weight up. If your goal is 12 reps and you now get to that 12th rep super easy, then its time to make it more difficult to get to that 12th rep again. So you increase the weight. You also need to make sure you rest those muscles. I suggest 1-3 rest days a week. My rest days are Wednesday and Saturday usually. To build strength and muscle, rest is just as important.
Training will be a continual switching it up, getting out of plateaus, trying new exercises process. That’s part of the fun of it, you don’t have to get bored of training! But unless you are a bodybuilding doing a fitness show, stick to bodybuilding. If you are a power lifter, stick to getting strong af. If you are similar to me, DO IT ALL!