Is it Strength Training or Body Building?

[Erp58]

This is the physique more or less that I hope to eventually have. (below) Do you think I should be doing stronglifts or a bb program? If I do go to a bb program, will I gain anything in strength?

Thanks, I'm really confused.
~Erp



http://www.flickr.com/photos/iandoherty/61321602/

[anchorman45]

Looks like strength with a low bf%.

[Erp58]

Thanks a lot! Anyone else have a comment?

[atypical1]

Hard to make a comment without knowing anything about you. Do you lift now? How big are you?

I'll say this. If the guy weighs 180 then I imagine that he bulked up to 190 or 200 then cut his way down because he seems to have decent muscle mass but is still really lean. That's a hard look to achieve and he definitely worked hard at it.

james

[jpez]

Looks like a natural bobybuilder to me.

[NotNowChief]

I'd say if that is your goal- and here I am going to make an assumption given that you have provided little other information, sorry if I am wrong- and you are basically untrained or a beginner at the moment then 3-6 months of stronglifts wouldn't be a bad start.

I never got quite that lean as I decided I wanted to bulk up more but was pretty close and did have quite similar proportions (with slightly smaller deltoids) a year or so ago after 6 months of stronglifts and another 5x5 (madcow. Mixed training history before that). So 5x5 can get you on that path. The key to that look is not necessarily what exercises/program he did to get those muscles, its that at 7% bodyfat (or whatever he has, definately sub 10% if u ask me) whatever you have is gonna pop out.

Even bodybuilders use the "core lifts" stronglifts teaches and use other exercises around them.
I believe the best way to look like that is first to get strong enough to put on that kind of mass, add the basic size and then worry about the details (extra bodybuilding work if needed) later. If you want a certain type of car, you are going to have to start with the chassis first, then add the wheels and interior. Alot (most?) pro- bodybuilders start on 5x5 or 3x5 type programs early in their career (ala arnold and reg park threads around here) to gain strength and knowledge and then use that to go on with.

Your legs may get bigger than his, but they'll give you the power to quickly (quickly as in quicker than if you neglected them) add the bulk necessary and you can always ease off on them when once you have gained the size and strength you'll need.

[killerdude494949]

The differences between strength training and natural bodybuilding physiques are minimal.

Think about it logically:

1. The most effective exercises for building muscle are the best exercises for increasing your strength in the major muscle groups.

2. The most effective rep ranges to get stronger are generally 1-6. Even 7-8 reps is largely myofibrillar hypertrophy/fast twich and does hit the CNS pretty well.

3. The fastest way to get bigger for a natural is to get stronger on the basic exercises.

4. You simply CANT get respectably big without hard work on the basic exercises. maybe big compared to the average person, but not big in the weightlifting community. huge bastards who have actually gotten to a point to be called names like big jack on youtube demostrate their strength on things like deadlifts and bench presses. not curls and machine shoulder presses.

Conclusion: natural bodybuilders are strength trainees. they might have a little bit more pronounced shape in their muscles. but thats really it. so start squatting and deadlifting because u have a long way to go.

[Dada]

Same dude? -> http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/Body-for-Life/

Either way, I would recommend strength training at first at least to get a base. If you then want to do some bodybuilding then do so after you get strong. If you do try some bodybuilding, find a real program besides some magazine crap or whatever your favorite pro is doing. Check out the starting strength wiki and do that routine or SL 5x5 until you get strong. The starting strength wiki has some suggested routines to do after completing it including some bodybuilding routines.

As far as the look. You could get that way through a variety of methods. If you care about strength, stick to strength training for a while at least and eat lean. The guy isn't really big at all but is very lean. Lastly, make your goal to be the best you that you can be rather than trying to look like someone else.

[ricepower]

Finding a picture of a random guy to use as a goal is a poor start.

You will never look like that because it is not you. Being stronger, faster, healthier or even plainly bulking up with loads of muscle are all attainable goals. Looking like someone else is not.

That guy has freakishly thick abs, it must a a rare genetic pre-disposition that very few people have. He probably has visible abs before he ever worked out.

[David]

This is the physique more or less that I hope to eventually have. (below) Do you think I should be doing stronglifts or a bb program? If I do go to a bb program, will I gain anything in strength?

Thanks, I'm really confused.
~Erp



http://www.flickr.com/photos/iandoherty/61321602/

The individual in the photo you've linked looks very close to a natural BB'er, though from what I've read, he has not yet competed. Strong lifts is a good program, but it isn't going to give you this type of physique. You'll need to do some specialization in the program along with isolation movements.

Now don't misunderstand what I'm saying, Strong lifts is a good program and a fine way to form a solid base. Compound movements will give you a gain in overall mass i.e. you'll get bigger and stronger. You'll gain inches and weight with hard work and a solid diet.

But a BBing type of physique requires...a BBing program which uses higher rep ranges and isolation work.

Here is what I did, take from it what is useful to you; Three years ago I recovered from an illness that left me very underweight and weak. For two solid years I did some type of 5x5 program. Some of it was Strong lifts 5x5, some an upper/lower 5x5. I switched it up when I felt I needed a change. The results were 30 lbs increase in BW, and vastly increased strength. I'm stronger now at (almost 44) than I was at 22 by far. I gained overall mass to where co-workers and family made the all-important comment, 'wow you look like you've been working out' and 'you're getting big dude'.

Now that I've formed that base, I've decided I want to compete in a natural BBing contest next year. So for the last year I've switched to a BBing type of routine. Right now I'm doing a 5-day split i.e. Monday is chest, Tuesday is back, Wednesday is legs, Thursday is shoulders/traps and Friday is arms. I've not lost any strength and in fact continue to gain strength. My size has increased as has my 'muscularity'.

As a short example of what I'm doing now, I'll do three sets of a heavy compound movement such as a squat for 5 reps with the goal of increasing the weight every workout as possible i.e. Strong lifts. Then I'll do two additional sets at a lower rate with the goal of 12 reps each. This has a lot of pluses. And of course, I'm doing additional lifts for each body part, some compound and some isolation.

I change things up according to what is working and what I'm needing. For example, I'm doing DB only for bench and incline now. For me, I gained some upper body mass using the barbell on a 5x5 for the first two years or so, but my pecs have increased more in six months using DB's.

Hope some of this may help.

[David]

Finding a picture of a random guy to use as a goal is a poor start.

You will never look like that because it is not you. Being stronger, faster, healthier or even plainly bulking up with loads of muscle are all attainable goals. Looking like someone else is not.

That guy has freakishly thick abs, it must a a rare genetic pre-disposition that very few people have. He probably has visible abs before he ever worked out.

And I'm going to disagree with this statement. Visualization is a powerful tool. It can motivate you and give you focus when the sweat is dripping and the muscles are aching.

If that is the type of build you want, print it and put it up where you'll see it often.

[Prodigy]

Bodybuilding.. And it is from a bodybuilding forum too, one that I am a part of.

Especially the abs, they are definitely the product of bodybuilding. Isolated exercises, higher rep ranges..

[Mouse]

Another bodybuilder with abs

[Portillo]

I would suggest this program. And once you get your strength up; 1.5 bodyweight squat. Start isolating your muscles and lowering your body fat to get abs like that.

[NotNowChief]

The pic above is Marisusz Pudzianowski, a pro strongman, actually, the worlds strongest man (world strongest man 5x over) rather than a bodybuilder. He is trying his hand at MMA soon I hear. Someone is going to get killed. He also tested positive for steroid use in strongman competition.