What Type of Strength Training is Best for You?
(Photo: Corbis)
If you want to bulk up and get huge, CrossFit wouldn’t be the best form of strength training for you. If you’re a beginner and just looking to get in shape and shed fat, you probably wouldn’t jump straight into Olympic lifting. That’s because one of the biggest keys in fitness is matching your goals to the form of training you do. So, that guy who wants to bulk up would look to bodybuilding, and our beginner should look to build a good base with bodyweight training. To help you match your fitness objectives to the ideal workout, we talked to experts to bring you this list of seven different types of strength training. Click through to find the type that’s best for you.
But remember: It’s also important to switch it up regularly. One way to do that is to vary the mode of strength program every couple of months. All too often, people get set in their gym-going ways, using the same techniques and routines week after week. “We know that the body adapts to an exercise stimulus after a period of time, and following the same program for too long can lead to plateaus, which kill results,” says Pete McCall, MS, CSCS, and an expert with the American Council on Exercise.
Related: 5 Critical Rules for Getting the Most Out of Your Workout
1) Bodybuilding
What is it?
One of the most traditional forms of strength training, bodybuilding uses isolation exercises at a high volume of sets, reps, and weight to increase muscle size and/or shape. “It’s about building a sculpted physique to achieve a specific look,” says Brandon Mentore, a strength and conditioning coach in Philadelphia and founder of TheBodyLogic.com. It can also help boost testosterone levels, which naturally begin to diminish around the age of 40.
Why try it?
“Large muscles, high T levels, looking like Arnold—why wouldn’t a guy be drawn to it?” McCall says. Even if you don’t commit to a full bodybuilding program, incorporating some of its moves into your routine is a good plan.
Related: 25 Strength-Training Exercises for the Best Upper-Body Workout of All Time
2) Powerlifting
What is it?
Powerlifting is a methodical type of strength training, focusing on moving as much weight as possible in three core lifts: the bench press, the squat, and the deadlift. It uses low reps and very heavy loads.
Why try it?
“Many people are attracted to powerlifting because it can make you very strong and can be just as cerebral,” Mentore says. “A lot of concentration and technicality is required.” You gain incredible strength, but likely not incredible muscle size.
Related: 50 Core Exercises That Use a Ball
3) Olympic Lifting
What is it?
A form of power training, Olympic lifting features explosive movements, the snatch and the clean and jerk, to move maximal loads off the ground and over your head. “Olympic lifting is highly technical, very similar to powerlifting, but at higher velocities,” Mentore says.
Why try it?
“The lifts use all the muscles in the body, so Olympic lifting can be a very time-efficient way to train,” McCall says. “The technicality involved in executing Olympic lifts properly is highly gratifying and serves as its own reward,” says Mentore. “They’re also fun movements to perform due to their explosive nature.”
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4) Powerbuilding
What is it?
A relatively new discipline, powerbuilding combines elements of powerlifting and bodybuilding. “Because there are only three main lifts in powerlifting, it’s easy to integrate them into a bodybuilding program to make major strength gains that carryover to each other.” Mentore says.
Why try it?
“Many people are attracted to this form of training because the goal of powerbuilding is to be just as strong and just as aesthetic,” says Mentore. In other words, you can get big muscles that aren’t just for show.
Related: 20 Things Your Bro Don’t Know About Liftin’
5) CrossFit
What is it?
The buzzy strength and conditioning program created its own category of “strength endurance” training, using both high weight and high volume exercises, often done explosively. “It exposes you to the type of intensities needed to make changes in your body, and uses big-bang exercises such as Olympic lifts in some of the workouts, which can be beneficial to building strength,” Mentore says.
Why try it?
“You get to lift heavy things, throw heavy things, and keep track of the heavy things you lift and throw by timing your workouts, which can help you monitor and measure progress,” McCall says. “Many people are attracted to Crossfit because the intensities make you feel like an athlete, and the culture of Crossfit keeps you engaged and connected,” says Mentore.
Related: How to Build the Perfect Workout Program, According to 10 Pro Trainers
6) Explosive or Power Training
What is it?
The goal of power training is to generate the highest amount of force in the shortest period of time. Lower body training includes plyometrics like skipping, jumping (with both feet), hopping (on one foot), and bounding (leaps from one foot to the other), and upper body exercises include throwing medicine balls or sandbags.
Why try it?
If you’re an athlete or want to train like one, power training will improve your sport-specific skills, such as the ability to jump higher or throw further. “Explosive plyometric training can increase the ability of muscles to produce force, which can make them stronger and less susceptible to injury,” McCall says.
Related: 3 Simple Stretches That Build Serious Muscle
7) Bodyweight Training
What is it?
Pretty much what it sounds like: Bodyweight training includes calisthenics like push-ups, pull-ups that use the resistance of body weight to build strength. Suspension trainer work (like TRX), gymnastics, martial arts, and wrestling are also forms of bodyweight training.
Why try it?
You can do it anywhere with minimal if any equipment, making it the most convenient form of strength training. It can also help to improve your results from any of the other types of strength training.
By Amy Roberts, C.P.T.
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